I want to start by saying that there is only ONE God, and He is Father of all. Though it is difficult for us humans to understand (nobody fully comprehends this!) we have a triune God. He is 3 persons, but one God. Think of it like water--there are 3 forms to H2O, more commonly known as water (liquid/water, solid/ice, and gas/steam). Even though they are different forms, they are still made up of the same chemical compound, H2O. We have One God. There is no other God--all others are false.
I think that to sum up the Christian Faith and to testify to what God has done for us, it's best said in the words of the Apostles Creed. So here it is:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
So, like a good Lutheran, I must ask: what does this mean!? Click here to see what Luther says. But I can give you my own answer, too!
I believe that God, the One God, created Heaven and Earth. It is really a cool story--read it here. He did not abandon us, though! He is still with us, loves us, and wants us to be with him.
There is a problem, though. When God created us, he gave us something called Free Will--meaning we can make decisions. Unfortunately, we decided to sin. Sin separates us from God, because God has nothing to do with evil! Romans 6:23 states that "the wages of (or the payment for) sin is death." We deserve eternal damnation in Hell because of our sin. But the verse continues with the GOOD NEWS! "but the gift of God is Eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This is where the second part of the creed comes in.
I believe that Jesus Christ is true God, and he came down in human form to live a perfect life. He then suffered death, even though he was sinless, and went to Hell to proclaim his Victory over Death. He rose again from the dead, and because of this victory, he has paid for the sins of the entire world...more personally, YOU! If you were the only sinner on Earth, he still would have come down as a human, lived a perfect life, and died for YOU. That is because he loves us sooo much! When we die, we will face judgement. God will hold us accountable for our sins. But those who believe in God (all of God--not just the creator God, but the Triune God that I am telling you about!) will have no record of sins according to God, because Jesus will step in front of us--he took our punishment already, so we are free from any liability for our sins.
The third person of God is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is who works in us. He brings us to Faith in God. He is always working in our lives.
If you have any questions, please send me an e-mail. It is difficult to find answers via e-mail instead of in person, but I can maybe help you find a place to have the conversations in person, or I can answer your questions via e-mail.
