Questions About Christianity

Is the Bible true?
What does the Bible teach us?
Do all religions and spiritual beliefs lead us to God?
Who is Jesus?
What was Jesus' Message?
What is being born again?
What do I need to be saved from?
What is Sin?
But isn't murdering someone worse than telling a little white lie?
If God is love, then why are there so many wars and famines?
What is the destiny of anyone who chooses not to believe in Jesus?
How can I believe in something I cannot see?
Is heaven and hell real?
Who are the unrighteous?
But I'm a good person, if God is love then why would He send me to hell?
So what do I need to do now?
What is a Christian?
What is prayer?
Why are people called Christians?
Now that I'm a Christian, why do I still make mistakes?
Why hasn't becoming a Christian fix all my problems?
 

Q. Is the Bible true?
A. The bible is made up of 66 books; 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament.  These different books were written by many different people and many years apart, but authored by God.  We can know this, as passages written from one era is confirmed and supported by passages written in another era.  Consider this, gather together 10 people and get them each to write down their thoughts on religion, sin, death, eternity, money, family, salvation and God.  The probability that they would all compliment each other, without contradiction, is astronomical.  Yet we find the passages in the bible both confirm and support each other even though they were written many years apart and by many different people.

Many people have sought to prove that the bible is not true or full of errors and inaccuracies.  There are many things written in the bible that cannot be proven or unproven using scientific measures.  For example, it is not possible to check scientifically the accuracy of Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth", the nature of God, the afterlife or the way of salvation.  History cannot prove or disprove a document of faith.  However, there are hundreds of other references in the bible that can be historically checked and verified for accuracy.  Most of the geographical details associated with the life of Jesus have been substantiated and proven to be accurate.  Also, many biblical prophecies can be verified and have been historically proven to be 100% accurate.  The bible also contains very specific prophesies concerning the Messiah including where He will be born, what His name would be, how He will die and many others.  Professor Peter Stoner calculated that the probability of one man fulfilling just 8 of these prophesies is 1 in 10 ^17 (that is 1 chance in 100,000,000,000,000,000).  You have a much better chance of winning Tattslotto with a probability of 1 in 8,145,060.  Sir William Ramsay was a sceptic who sought to disprove Acts by tracing Paul's journeys.  He states “I set out to look for truth on the borderland where Greece and Asia meet, and found it here [he means in the Book of Acts]. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian's, and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment, provided always that the critic knows the subject and does not go beyond the limits of science and of justice.”

Therefore, we can conclude, with a great deal of confidence, that the bible is also accurate for spiritual truths.    Top

Q. What does the Bible teach us?
A. We have already concluded that the bible has been proven to be historically accurate.  Essentially, the bible speaks of God's love towards mankind and his attempts to have a personal relationship with them.  In the Old Testament, God chose a people (descendants of Abraham) called Israelites to be his voice and example to all nations.  Unfortunately, the Israelites didn't fulfil their original calling and so God, in His wisdom, provided another way where ALL people can enter into a personal relationship with Him.  In the New Testament, this way is through His one and only begotten son, Jesus.  There are many prophesies in the bible about a saviour and deliver of God's people and only one man, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who has fulfilled all of these prophesies.  God also confirms that Jesus is the Messiah (the chosen one to save the world) by confirming all the words Jesus spoke about by performing healings, deliverance and miracles through Him.  This proved to everyone that Jesus wasn't just declaring with words that He was sent by God, but also a demonstration that God was with Jesus by working through Him.  Top

Q. Do all religions and spiritual beliefs lead us to God?
A. No.  The bible provides complete answers to the three main questions mankind has been asking since the beginning of creation.  These questions are a) How did we get here?  b) Why are we here?  c) What happens when we die?  Jesus Himself spoke many times about life, the kingdom of heaven and about death, but he didn't just speak about them, he confirmed that what he was saying was true because of the miracles he performed.  John 5:36 Jesus says "...the same works that I do, bear witness of Me that the Father hath sent Me." Also, the bible doesn't just show us our problems, but provides the answers to our problems.  God didn't just tell us that we we needed help, but sent Jesus to help us.  God Himself has made it easy for everyone to get right with Him no matter who you are or what you've done.  Other religions will require you to perform rituals, meaningless tasks or sacrifices to appease an angry god, but the one true God has already done the hard work, all we have to do is believe that He sent Jesus and that through Jesus we have eternal life.  It's that simple!  Romans 10:9 says "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  Top

Q. Who is Jesus?
A. Jesus is the Son of God.  Jesus' conception and birth is a miracle in itself.  Matthew 1:20-21 & Luke 1:26-35 declare that a virgin by the name of Mary would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit and will bring forth a son and his name shall be 'Jesus'.  John 3:16 states "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life".  God Himself declares in Matthew 3:17, Mark 1:11 & Luke 9:35 "Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased".  Therefore, Jesus is the one and only son of the living God.  Many believe Jesus was a good teacher or maybe a prophet, but Jesus states exactly who He is in John 14:6 when he says "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me".  Jesus also declared in John 10:30 "I and My Father are one." and in John 17:20 where Jesus was praying for all future believers "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe in Me through their word, that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee..." Acts 4:10-12 states "...be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand her before you whole. This is 'the stone which was set at nought by you builders and which has become the head of the corner.'  Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."  God confirms that Jesus is the chosen one, the saviour of mankind, by raising Him from the dead after He was crucified.  There were many witnesses who saw the risen Lord including the 11 disciples.  Top

Q. What was Jesus' message?
A. In Matthew 4:17 Jesus started His ministry by first preaching "...Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."  Repent means to feel deeply sorry for or remorseful about the past.  To put repentance into action we must turn away from that which we were doing.  This message Jesus declared some 2000 years ago is the same message for today, however it is more relevant to today's generation as the time for His return is even closer and no one knows when this will be.  We must make sure we are ready because our eternity is at stake and time is running out.  Jesus says in Matthew 24:44 "Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh."  In Matthew 24:3-51 Jesus describes the events that will take place prior to His return, and this time He will call all those who have accepted Him into eternal life with Him.  Jesus says in John 3:3 "Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."  This is outlined for us in Romans 10:9 "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  and again in John 6:40 "And this is the will of Him that sent Me: that every one who seeth the Son and believeth in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day."  Top

Q. What is being born again?
A. The term born again refers to our spiritual condition.  Every individual is made up of three parts.  Our body (flesh, bones, etc), soul (mind, will, senses & emotions), and spirit (life).  Genesis 2:7 says "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."  Prior to accepting Jesus as our personal Lord and saviour, our spirits were dead to God but alive to the flesh; that is our own selfish desires, plans and purposes.  When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and saviour, our spirits become alive and filled with God's plans and purposes instead of our own.  In John 3:1-21, Jesus was speaking to a religious leader called Nicodemus, and during His discussion Jesus says in verse 6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit."  Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me."  Being born again is accepting Jesus into our hearts and lives as our personal Lord and saviour.  Top

Q. What do I need to be saved from?
A. We need to be saved from God's wrath as He will punish the wicked and sinful.  Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness..." and Romans 2:5 "But because of thy hardness and impenitence of heart, thou treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the Day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God."  Jesus speaking to His disciples said in Matthew 10:28 "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." and in Matthew 16:25 "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"  Jesus makes it quite clear that we have an eternity.  Where we spend that eternity is our choice.  John 3:36 says "He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."  The bible declares that it is SIN is that which separates us from God.  Romans 2:23 says "...for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  We cannot stand in the presence of God if we have unrepented sin in our lives, for even the angles who sinned against God were cast out from His presence as declared in 2 Peter 2:4 "For if God spared not the angles that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement."  If God punished the angles who sinned, what makes us think that we will escape punishment if we continue to be disobedient to God?  Top

Q. What is Sin?
A. In the 'Old Testament' of the bible, God gave Moses the ten commandments that shows us quite clearly things that God declares are sin, and it is impossible to keep these rules without God's help.  Sin then, separates us from God.  Have you ever told someone something that wasn't quite true?  The 9th commandment is "Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour."  Have you ever taken a pen or any other insignificant item home with you from work?  The 8th commandment is "Neither shalt thou steal."  What about using the Lord's name in place of a swear word?  The 2nd commandment is "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain."  The other commandments deal with worshiping false gods, having idols, keeping one day Holy to the Lord, honouring your father and mother, murder, adultery or desiring anything from your neighbour.  We have all made mistakes and have sinned against God, Romans 2:23 says "...for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", but God has made the way possible for everyone to come back into a relationship with Him through His son Jesus.  No matter what you have done.  Top

Q. But isn't murdering someone worse than telling a little white lie?
A. Jesus said in Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."  This means that even if you think or dwell upon something that is sinful, you have already committed the act in your heart.  God doesn't have a list of bad sins and good sins, big sins and little sins.  Whether we think they are big or small isn't the problem, it is all sin in God's eyes and it is sin that separates us from God.  Top

Q. If God is love, then why are there so many wars and famines?
A. God has created in everybody a free will.  This is the ability within each of us to decide what choices we make in life.  To believe in God or not, to do good or evil, to love or to hate, to forgive or not to forgive.  All these choices and actions have consequences.  Unfortunately the sinfulness of man desires power, wealth and prestige and wars and famines are a consequence of mans sin and God will not override our free will and ability to make choices.  Top

Q. What is the destiny of anyone who chooses not to believe in Jesus?
A. The bible is very clear about the destiny of those who choose not to believe in Jesus.  It's your choice and nobody can make this but you.  Eternity is a long time if we choose to ignore Jesus' message.  John 3:36 says "He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."  1 Corinthians 6:9 says "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God?"  James 4:4 "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."  Revelation 21:8 says "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."  Hell was never created for man but for the devil and his angles who rebelled against God in the beginning as declared in Matthew 25:41 "Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."  Top

Q. How can I believe in something I cannot see?
A. Many people have taken the view that they will only believe in what they can see, however do you believe gravity exists?  What about the wind?  You cannot see gravity or the wind but you can see the effects of them.  This is the same for those who have become born again, you can see the effect and change this has made on their lives.  These effects are described in Galatians 5:22 "But the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." and in Matthew 7:18 "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit... "Therefore, by their fruits ye shall know them."  Believing in something without seeing it is having faith in that thing.  Hebrews 11:6 says "But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  Faith is simply believing without questioning or requiring proof.  Jesus said unto Thomas in John 20:29 after being raised from the dead, "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed.  Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed."  To reject God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit just because you cannot see them, then on that basis, you would also have to reject everything else in life that you cannot see; gravity, wind, emotions, light, etc...  Top

Q. Is heaven and hell real?
A. Both the old testament and new testament have many references and speak in depth about heaven and hell and what is install for those who choose not to believe in Jesus.  Jesus Himself spoke many times about heaven and hell throughout the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  In the book of Revelation, the author describes in great detail the final destiny of all who reject Jesus.  Hell is not going to be a giant party as some people think.  It is a place of indescribable punishment for all who reject the truth God has freely given to us in Jesus.  On the other hand, for those who choose to accept Jesus, will receive a reward greater than your biggest and best dreams.  The bible describes heaven as having walls made of twelve precious stones, gates of pearl, streets made of gold and that God sits on a throne where thunder and lightening came out and a rainbow is round about the throne.  Jesus Himself speaks about heaven to His disciples in John 14:2-3 "In My Father's house are many mansions.  If it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also."  Can you imagine the most amazing place you have visited here on earth and then consider that the creator of both heaven and earth making heaven, where He dwells, a boring, dull and unexciting place?  There are places on earth that simply take your breath away, and earth is just a poor reflection of what is in heaven.  Both heaven and hell are real and we have the choice that decides our eternity.  Top

Q. Who are the unrighteous?
A. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 states who the unrighteous are; "Be not deceived: Neither the fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, not the effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, not thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God."  It is anyone who refuse to believe God and His message of salvation.  Top

Q. But I'm a good person, if God is love then why would He send me to hell?
A. We have already established that it is sin that separates us from God and that God's wrath is against those that refuse to repent from sin.  In fact, God wants the very best for you.  As God is righteous and just, sin needs to be punished otherwise there would be no consequence for our actions.  Those who continue to live in sin will not escape God's punishment.  Let's consider this analogy; If you went to court and the judge found you guilty, would he let you go free because you are a good person or would he sentence you because you disobeyed the law.  As a judge, he would be required to sentence you according to the crime you have committed regardless of whether you are a 'good person' or not.  God has declared that there is punishment for those who sin and fail to repent and accept Jesus as Lord and saviour.  God is extremely patient with us and doesn't want anyone to perish as stated in 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  Top

Q. So what do I need to do now?
A. John 3:15-17 says "...that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."  This means we need to accept Jesus as our personal Lord and saviour to have eternal life with Him.  Going to church doesn't automatically make you saved, neither does staying away from church makes you a sinner.  It all boils down to whether you believe Jesus is who He said He is or you don't.  We become saved by praying a simple prayer, called the sinners prayer.  You can pray this prayer anywhere, anytime and if it is from your heart, God will hear you.  Here is a guideline to what you can pray;

Father in heaven, I come to you through the blood of your Son Jesus.  I am sorry for the sins I have committed against you and I ask that you forgive me.  I accept Jesus, your Son, into my heart and life as my personal Lord and saviour and I now commit my life to you.  Help me live my life that is worthy of being a child of God.  Please send me your Holy Spirit to teach me your ways.  Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer for the very first time, send us an email to let us know.  We would love to hear from you and help you get in touch with other people who have made the same decision as you have just made.  Top

Q. What is a Christian?
A. A Christian is anyone who has accepted Jesus, God's one and only risen son, as their personal Lord and Saviour.  If you have prayed the above prayer, you are now a Christian, one of God's children.  Top

Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is basically talking or communicating with God.  You can talk to God about anything as God knows everything about you already and He even knows you better than you know yourself.  God is interested in you, as Matthew 10:30 says "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." and Psalm 139:23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." and again in Luke 16:15 "...but God knoweth your hearts."  So it doesn't matter what you want to tell Him, God already knows so you can tell Him all of your concerns, problems, joy, victories and anything else that you want.  Just talk to Him as you would talk to a friend.

When we pray, we need to allow God a chance to respond.  He does this in many different ways; through our thoughts which are in line with the bible, through reading the bible where a passage of scripture will seem to stand out and provide guidance or direction, through other people in conversations.  God even used a donkey to speak in Numbers 22:28 "And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, 'What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?'".  So in our prayer time, we need to allow for God to speak to us and then we need to listen and obey.  A true relationship is built upon two way communication and this is the way we build our relationship with God.  Top

Q. Why are people called Christians?
A. The first known usage of the term can be found in the New Testament of the Bible, in Acts 11:26: "the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."  The term was thus first used to denote those known or perceived to be disciples of Jesus.  Top

Q. Now that I'm a Christian, why do I still make mistakes?
A. God says in Lev 11:45 "Ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."  We can never be perfect and without blame while living for ourselves without having Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.  Through Jesus we have been made perfect and acceptable to God.  Being a Christian doesn't mean you will never make another mistake because we are still human, however when we do make a mistake, either in our thoughts, the words we speak or our actions, we can ask for God's forgiveness.  If we are truly sorry from our heart (repent), then the Bible says in Ps103:12 "As far as the east is from west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us" and in Heb 8:12 "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more".  Top

Q. Why hasn't becoming a Christian fix all my problems?
A. Becoming a Christian doesn't mean you automatically have all your problems fixed.  There are consequences to our actions and sometimes we have already set in motion situations that we will not be able to avoid.  We can however, pray to God and ask for guidance and direction in any situation that we are facing.  Romans 8:28 says "And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God."  We live in a world to which we do not belong and the sin in the world results in bad things happening.  These bad things are not caused by God, however if we can hand all things over to Him and trust in His goodness and faithfulness He can bring good out of all things.  The bad may not go away but God can change our character, bring salvation and a deeper relationship with Him through all things.  Top