Tell Me About God, Jesus, and Salvation
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God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Christians refer to these three persons as the Trinity. Genesis 1:1,26,27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 11 Corinthians 13:14
All of us are made in the image of God, to be like Him in character. Although we have tremendous potential for good, we are also plagued by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This attitude separates us from God. None of us can claim to be sinless. Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2 No one can ever make up for his own sin by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ can we be saved from sin's penalty - eternal separation from God. This salvation is a gift from God to us. No amount of meditation, self-awareness, or niceness can earn one's way into heaven. Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1 Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the promised Jewish Messiah. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus came to earth as a baby to be one of us and "walk in our shoes." He lived a sinless human life and fulfilling hundreds of prophecies, offered Himself as the final and perfect sacrifice for the sins of all persons by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Matthew 1:22,23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make us aware of our need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily. II Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; I Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1 |
We learn about all this throughout the Bible. The Bible is God's word to each of us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is truth without any mixture of error. II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20,21; II Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5