I'm unfamiliar with Christianity...how do I "get started?"

1. How Faith Begins

   That's an important question, answered this way: Somebody else starts faith in Jesus Christ (Christianity.) God does it for us. God describes it this way in the Bible: "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

2. What do you mean that faith comes by hearing?

   God causes a person to have faith in Jesus Christ when someone hears the Gospel. This person then trusts that Jesus Christ is their ticket to heaven. This person simultaneously does not believe that any of their good deeds will help them get to heaven.

3. Who is Jesus Christ and what has he done for us?

   Jesus Christ is The Son of God Incarnate.

4. What do you mean "The Son of God Incarnate?"

   Incarnate means "in the flesh." Though it is beyond human understanding, God became a man. Jesus Christ was (and still is) fully God and fully Man (human.) Jesus is no less God than God the Father, and no less human than you or I.

5. Why did God become a man?

   To die. That's right, to DIE. But not just to die. Jesus in his death on the cross paid the price for everyone's sins. God says that anyone who sins against His commandments DESERVES TO DIE.

6. Wow, isn't God a little harsh?

   God sets the rules.

7. What gives God the right to set the rules? I have my own rules.

   God has the right to set the rules because He is the creator of EVERYTHING. God created the stars, planets, planet Earth and everything on it. Therefore he owns it. Therefore he has the right to set the rules governing physical reality, and the behavior of the plants, animals, and humans on it.

8. Back to Jesus- what did Jesus do for us?

   He's done what we are not able to do - save us from eternal punishment.

9. Why would I be worried about eternal punishment?

   That's what is in store without the salvation provided for us by Jesus Christ.

10. Tell me more about this "salvation."

    All of us will die one day. God in the Bible teaches us that without Jesus Christ people go to eternal punishment. The GOOD NEWS is that God loves us. He provided a rescue, a way out, of this eternal punishment.

11. So what's the way out?

    Jesus Christ is the way out of eternal punishment.

12. What's the Gospel?

    Good News that sounds too good to be true.

13. Quit jerking me around. Why would the Gospel be too good to be true?

    The Gospel sounds too good to be true because it is about the incredibly intense love that God has for people. God spared no expense in bringing salvation (escape from eternal punishment) from people.

14. Why is there eternal punishment?

    Because of sin.

15. What's sin?

    Sin is the breaking of God's laws.

16. What are God's laws?

    God's laws are the Ten Commandments.

17. What are the Ten Commandments?

    Here is a list of the Ten Commandments:

    The First Commandment
    Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect, love, and trust God more than anything else.

    The Second Commandment
    Thou shalt not take The name of the Lord thy God in vain.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not use God's name to curse, swear, cast a spell, lie or deceive, but will use it to call upon God, pray to God, praise and thank God in all times of trouble.

    The Third Commandment
    Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not look down on preaching or God's Word, but consider it holy, listen to it willingly, and learn it.

    The Fourth Commandment
    Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will neither look down on our parents or superiors nor irritate them, but will honor them, serve them, obey them, love them, and value them.

    The Fifth Commandment
    Thou shalt not kill.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will neither harm nor hurt our neighbors' bodies, but help our neighbors and care for them when they are ill.

    The Sixth Commandment
    Thou shalt not commit adultery.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that our words and actions will be clean and decent and so that everyone will love and honor their spouses.

    The Seventh Commandment
    Thou shalt not steal.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will neither take our neighbors' money or property, nor acquire it by fraud or by selling them poorly made products, but will help them improve and protect their property and career.

    The Eighth Commandment
    Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not deceive by lying, betraying, slandering or ruining our neighbors' reputations, but will defend them, say good things about them, and see the best side of everything they do.

    The Ninth Commandment
    Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not attempt to trick our neighbors out of their inheritance or house, take it by pretending to have a right to it, etc., but help them to keep and improve it.

    The Tenth Commandment
    Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his cattle, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

    Q. What does this mean?
    A. We must respect and love God, so that we will not release our neighbors' cattle, take their employees from them or seduce their spouses, but urge them to stay and do what they ought to do.

    The Conclusion to the Commandments
    Q. What does God say to us about all these commandments?
    A. This is what God says:
    "I am the Lord Your God. I am a jealous God. I plague the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those who hate me with their ancestor's sin. But I make whole those who love me for a thousand generations." (Exodus 20:5b-6 and Deuteronomy 5:9b-10)
    Q. What does it mean? A. God threatens to punish everyone who breaks these commandments. We should be afraid of God's anger because of this and not violate such commandments. But God promises grace and all good things to those who keep such commandments. Because of this, we, too, should love and trust God, and willingly do what God's commandments require.

18. Woops, I've broken many of these laws of God many times! Now what!?!

    If that were the whole story, things would look pretty grim. NOW THE GOOD NEWS: Believing that Jesus Christ died for all of your sins and failures wipes them out. You have a clean slate. God forgets all about them. He is not angry with you anymore.

19. Come on. That's too good to be true.

    See #12 above. The Gospel sounds too good to be true unless you understand why it is "Good News."