Flow of the blog:
Since you are seeking to really move forward in your life in a strong and positive way, you can do so by looking at yourselves as aided by asking the right questions and then searching for the right answers in the right source. Discovery comes through asking what we think and do and then looking for the best way to think and do.
Believing the right source is the Bible, we will find that the Bible will aid us in asking the right questions. Please note, the use of any standard Bible should do the job. For those who are unsure of their basic belief in the God of the Bible, you are encouraged to go to Christian sites dealing with belief while you use this site to ask the best questions for discovering yourself and God.
Starting by picking out one of the basic questions (best to start with the first question), you should write an answer to the question, and then send your answer to this blog. There will be response(as soon as possible) along with Bible passages that will add or deepen and even suggest a better more helpful way of dealing with life discovering yourself in relation to God.
Below will be several key and essential life questions. Look over the questions and take on answering one of these questions without guidance from other people–though you may go to the Bible for information if you chose to do so. It is likely best to start at the first question because the questions have a flow toward the goal of discovering or deepening our following God.
Imagine all the good that will come out of this discovering voyage, for finding out about God and His good ways for your life will move you ahead for the rest of your life!
What is most important in your life right now today? Please write out your answer and if you wish you can send your answer to this blog. We in turn will provide whatever feedback you desire through a return email.
How would you define Christianity and the role of Christ? After answering this question or if you did not feel able to answer this question, read the post entailed “What is Christianity?”
Who is Jesus Christ to you and how has he affected you? After you answer this question, please read the following post: “What is the main message of the Bible about the nature of God and the nature of humanity?” Note: there is no article to cover this question. We will respond to your answer by email.
What is Christian living to you? After answering this question, please read the post “What are Jesus’ Principles for Living?”
THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ARE DESIGNED TO BE INTERACTIVE PERSON TO PERSON DISCUSSION COMING FROM YOUR RESPONSE TO ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. WE AT THIS BLOG WILL READ WHAT YOU WROTE AND SUGGEST BIBLE PASSAGES TO CONSIDER AND TO WORK INTO DAILY LIVING FOR JESUS. WE WILL ALSO SEEK TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS YOU HAVE IN LIVING DAILYFOR JESUS.
How do you think God wants you to how to live daily.
How do you go about living the Christian life on a daily basis?
How do go about finding a Christian fellowship.
What are the personal and general results of living daily without Jesus and with Jesus–specific affects of daily living one way or the other?
What have you learned and how have you changed by dealing with these questions?
Please send your answers and any comments. A response will seek aid to improve your life following Jesus. We will send a response as soon as possible.
An answer to the question, What is Christianity?
Christianity is the good news coming from God, the creator of this universe and of the human race, proclaiming the vision that we can be changed to a better life. God desires to liberate us from all the bondages of our present life, including the one all of us will face, namely death. Soon after God created us, we made a decision to seek knowledge and power to act contrary to God’s intentions for human living. Since God created humanity with the ability to choose our own way, we have chosen over the years to develop any number of concepts and religious views about our world and of our life along with adopting self centered and self willed thinking and acting. The result is that we are opposed to God and in conflict with each other and even internally within our own self. We can see these outcomes by looking at history and at our own personal lives which show the impact of our lost relationship with God. We sense the depth of these ills, knowing that we are confused about our own identity, actions, and the nature of reality.
God, whose very nature is love and spirit and who is revealed to humanity as one God in the three persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, has responded to the human condition. He has done so in various ways over the years but at the present time He has been fully revealed through Jesus Christ, God the Son, who came in human flesh and blood to live among us on this earth at a specific time and place. His actions show His love for us, a love that pursues us and seeks for us to live in fellowship with Him.
Christianity thus deals with humanities most important problem, our sinful mind and actions coming from a self centered nature, thereby severing our relationship with God and making our relations with our fellow humans difficult. We decided, first by Adam and Eve (who God created in the image and likeness of God as good and righteous and without sin, capable of unselfish love) and then all of us, that our will was more important than the will of our creator in how to live. The resulting life we humans have adopted has brought in its wake all kinds of evil conditions as our lives lost its relationship, not only with God but also from each other and from its rightful connection with the physical world. Our rebellion against God also greatly affected our ability to perceive the true nature of physical and spiritual reality and to see what is good for our life. Our plans and dreams along with our negative orientations to our situations simply make doing the best impossible, particularly to truly and properly loving other people. Clearly humanity was and still is in need of saving forgiveness from God for our rejection of Him and for the resulting sinful conditions found in this world and in us.
Christianity provides salvation and new life by God the Son who lived among us in the form of human flesh as Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus Christ came seeking to show us a life of love , and though always doing good for others, was nonetheless rejected and instead of being seen as our Savior, he was arrested, tried by the officials of that period, and was nailed to the cross. But because God knew humanity would reject Jesus Christ the Son of God, this cruel death actually turned history around as Christ’s death provided the sacrifice necessary to take away our sins and to provide forgiveness to those who would come to believe in the Son as their Savior and Lord of their lives. The Son’s act of dying grace was validated by his resurrection through the power of God the Holy Spirit. Defeating the powers of evil by overcoming death, He has made it possible to have a full and restored relationship with God while also receiving a new way of living along with the hope of eternal life.
The death of Christ and his resurrection is the most important event of all of history since it makes reconciliation to God possible thereby opening the door to a full relationship with God and a life founded on this restoration through Christ. Christianity is thus a new way of living because of the life of Christ has it made possible by His full sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection three days later. This act of love and grace from God results, for those who accept this love by faith in Christ’s saving action, in freedom for us from our old self centered and materialistic oriented ways to a new self that is focused on the spiritual and the eternal and on loving all people that comes from God. Coming from the grace of God that He has extended to us, our fellowship with God regenerates us, thereby bringing many blesses to our mind, heart, and soul. Since we have this fullness, we naturally desire to praise and glorify God for His marvelous love and to act in ways to aid our fellow humans.
In this new life, we now are given a new identity as a child of God along with a place in the Kingdom of God in the form of a body of believers called the church or assembly of believers. This new life is also empowered by the presence of the Father’s love, with Christ in us showing us what it means to act in love, and by the Holy Spirit giving us the power to overcome our self center nature while strengthening us so as follow in Christ’s steps. In this amazing relationship with the triune God, we are given our true identity as children of God with the assurance of salvation and of eternal life while also receiving God’s joy and peace, and also God’s heart of concern for other people. We also are promised that we can increase in love of God and all other people beyond our imagination as we live by faith and are encouraged by the grace and peace given to us. Many wonderful changes occur as we grow in all kinds of beautiful characteristics and qualities such as kindness, generosity, a forgiving heart along with zeal to know God more deeply and to live into His desires and plans for our life. At the same time, we are given the joy of telling other people the good news of God’s kindness and the changes he has worked in our life along with serving other people. These changes in mind and heart and in action come about in many ways as we follow Jesus. These include prayer, Bible reading, time alone with God, acts of service, and interaction with other Christians. In all of these life changes, we have much help from the Holy Spirit who encourages us to have deep and growing desires to be and to do what is right and good, and thus we bring peace and love to all people.
Most assuredly Christianity is the best life to have, but all followers of Christ also know that this good life requires deep commitment, conviction, and courage, and could place us in opposition to other people, even our own family, because the ways of God are much different from the ways of this world. Christianity is about following Christ to the point of resisting the evil forces that rule this materialistic world while serving people with little or no status in this world but are loved by God. This life may also bring real suffering from the loss of loved ones and from physical pain, but we have the absolute assurance from God that He will comfort us and that we will overcome all thing through His love. While we may lose our life in service to Him, we will have the joy of bringing many people to the real life of truth and love, and we know our God will count us worthy to be with Him throughout eternity as we live in the presence of His glory and love and as we thank and praise Him for His forgiveness and love.
Please pursue Jesus more by reading in the Bible, Genesis Chapters one to three, the good news books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and then the books of Romans and Ephesians to deeper your understanding of God the Father and the life and work of His Son, Jesus and of the Holy Spirit and how they work in our daily life. If you would like more assistance you can send an email to richardhorner@bellsouth.net.
Passages in the Bible that in one way or another help us understand Christianity
Genesis Chapters 1-3; Ch 12:1-3
Isaiah 5213—53:12
Matthew 3: 13-17; 4:1-11; Chapters 5-7; 10:32-42; 11:28-30; 16:13-19; 27: 12-38; 28:1-20
John 1: 1-18; 3: 1-16; Ch 17; 20: 20-29
Acts Chapters 2, 13, 17: 16-34
Romans 1:18-3:26; 5:1-10; 6:1-18; 8: 12-39; 12: 1-31
I Corinthians 15:1-28
II Corinthians 3: 16-18; 6: 1-21
Galatians 2:20; 3:26-27
Ephesians 1: 3-10; 2: 1-10: 3: 14-21; Chapters 4-6
Philippians 2:2-11
Colossians 1:12-23, 27
I Thessalonians 1:4-5; 4: 13-18
Titus 2:11-14
Hebrews: 1-4; 10:5-18
I Peter 2: 4-10; 2: 4-10; 4:2
II Peter 2: 3:18
I John 2:22; 3:1; 4:8-21, 5:11
Revelation Chapters 19-22:5
Reflect on what you have read and write your understanding of Christianity. Put it away after dating it. Read it again in a couple of years.
Discover Yourself as You Discover God 