Christianity is a missionary religion.

More than one third of the world population are Christians. Hence there is always the opportunity of interacting with a Christian especially in a multi-religious society. Surely there is wisdom in cultivating a harmonious inter-faith relationship with our Christian acquaintance by correctly understanding them from their own perspective. We should be encouraged to learn more about who they are, their belief and their way of life.

1. A Christian is a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. That was the description of a Christian by a Pastor to me. According to him Christians believe so because they are taught that Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ and the religion is based entirely on his life and teachings as revealed in their holy scripture The Bible.

2. Foremost in Christianity is the believe in the existence of an uncreated Godhead. A God who is a Holy Spirit as well as A Son of God and The Father at the same time. Transcendence and works in mysterious ways. Holy, divine and perfect. Eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, righteous and just. A supreme being who glorified Himself through His creation. Who rewards the righteous and punishes the sinners. Who created angels and mankind.

3. Adam was the first man created by God in His image to rule over the Earth. Yet Adam was not immediately sent to Earth. He was initially placed in Eden with a free will. The first commandment by God to mankind was a diet law. The fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was forbidden. Eating it would be fatal. Meanwhile Eve was the first woman cloned by God from the ribs of Adam as his companion and wife. Adam and Eve were obedient in Eden until Eve was tempted by a crafty serpent who convinced them to eat the forbidden fruit and sinned against God. The couple along with the serpent were subsequently cursed by God, denied eternal life and finally banished from Eden. This banishment is significant in Christianity as it marks a severed relationship between the holiness of God and sinners.

4. Christians believed that God did not forgive Adam. They are taught that the progeny of Adam inherited the unforgiven sin of Adam. All the offspring of Adam are sinners at birth as a consequence of this Inherited Sin. Like Adam they too suffer the alienation as sinners from God. They are denied fellowship with God nor can they earn forgiveness from God. As sinners they will all perish and shall not have eternal life.

5. Nevertheless God still yearn a relationship with mankind. In His grace and mercy God was willing to reinstate eternal life and forgive the sins of the descendants of Adam on a condition that the life of a sinless son of Adam be sacrificed to Him as a sin offering. Such is the plan of God for the salvation of sinners.

6. In view of all the sons of Adam are sinners since birth it is impossible for mankind to satisfy the condition of the sin offering. God however was so determined to forgive mankind that He Himself came to this world as a sinless man named Jesus Christ specifically to fulfill His very condition for the salvation of sinners.

7. Jesus Christ a God incarnate was born in Bethlehem, Jerusalem by a virgin Jew named Mary. Jesus therefore is a Jew by birth. He grew up in Nazareth. Not much is known about his childhood. At the age of thirty Jesus was baptized and began preaching in the Temple of the Jews. He preached the oneness of God as well as loving God and others. His teachings were an extension and fulfillment of the teachings of Moses and the Jewish prophets. He also performed miracles. He has twelve disciples and a large following. He was very influential. His movement was sometimes known as the ‘Jesus Movement’. He was passionately addressed as Great Master, Rabbi and figuratively as a ‘Son of God’ although he only addressed himself as the Son of Man. At the age of thirty-three Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot resulting in his crucifixion. He died crucified for the redemption of all the sins of all men from all time. On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead by God. Forty days later Jesus ascended to heaven. Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of God. He will return at the end of time for the glory of Israel.

8. Theologically anyone who profess and truly believes that Jesus Christ is God as well as a savior who died for all the sins of mankind and was raised from the dead by God is a Christian who has attain salvation and eternal life. He has re-established his relationship with God and is righteous in the eyes of God.

9. These premises will be the genus and basis of my understanding of Christians and Christianity from the Christian perspective particularly on its origin, cosmology, key players, observance and theological significance. It is not easy to understand any misunderstanding and to agree to disagree without a balance of knowledge. And like all lessons in learning it begins by asking the right question and more right questions…..

This blog will share all my right questions in the path of understanding on a weekly basis at my best. Any comments will be answered accordingly. Come journey along with me…