Human Nature & God's Redemption - NT - W8
The story of Christianity is built on the foundation of a number of beliefs. It is these belief systems that not only show the origins of Christianity, but also provide a sense of its ultimate destiny. So, while the concepts of sin, sacrifice, and atonement are elemental to this religion, there are other beliefs that set Christianity apart from other belief systems while making it unique (BibleProject, 2018). These basic beliefs include the belief in the existence and power of God the Father, Jesus Christ as the son of God, and the Holy Spirit. These three entities form the Holy Trinity. The second belief is connected to Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus Christ died for humanity’s sins, resurrected on the third day, and ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God.
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The third belief system is with respect to the role of the church. Christians respect the holiness of the Church as well as the communion of the saints. Christians also believe in the second coming of Christ. Finally, Christians believe that on the day of judgement, there will be salvation for those who have kept the faith.
Understanding the main beliefs of Christianity is important in telling its story. This is because from Genesis to Revelation, these themes keep coming up. The story of Christianity begins in the book of Genesis, where God creates the first two human beings named Adam and Eve. Even though they are advised not to eat of the forbidden tree, they do so and, consequently, are thrown out of the Garden of Eden. This is how sin enters the world (BibleProject, 2018). As a result of their disobedience, Adam and Eve and the rest of humanity are cursed.
In the epoch that follows the fall of man and the banishment from the garden of Eden, God attempts to direct different people who will be able to save humanity from sin and bring into existence the kind of world that He had envisioned (BibleProject, 2018). However, most of the people He chooses to save humanity are flawed and fail to bring the kind of salvation that God wanted. Even so, God keeps reminding His people that, one day, there will come a person descended from the lineage of David who will save the world from sin.
The story of Christianity is told through the books of the Bible which, in turn, can be arranged into different sections in order to tell a coherent story. In the first five books of the Bible – also called the Pentateuch – God’s law is set out. In addition to narrating the trajectory of God’s people, it also contains directions about how God expects His people to act (BibleProject, 2018). The first 11 chapters of the book of Genesis reveal God’s personality. The next chapters of the book then talk about the history of the patriarchs.
Exodus and Numbers reveal the story of Moses as he led the Hebrews out of Egypt. Leviticus
and Deuteronomy discuss various aspects of the relationship between God and His chosen people.
The story of Christianity is then continued through the next set of books, usually referred to as the Historical books. In these books, the history of Israelites from Moses’ time to the time before Jesus Christ comes into the world is narrated. It recounts how, after wandering in the desert, they were able to conquer the promised land of Canaan. Even though the Israelites were ruled by judges, the system changed when God began anointing kings such as Saul, David, and Solomon to rule (BibleProject, 2018). After suffering defeat in the hands of their enemies, the city of Jerusalem was destroyed and captives were taken to Babylon. Even so, despite this, the Israelites still had a hope of rebuilding their temple. Ultimately, they were able to do so. The books of prophets and the books of wisdom predict the future while also offering practical advice on how people were to navigate various complexities in their lives. Ultimately, at the end of the new Testament, God’s promise that a saviour would come to save humanity and do away with sin was yet to be fulfilled.
In the New Testament, the story of Christianity continues with the birth of Jesus Christ. The first four books of the Bible – also known as the four Gospels – narrate the story of the birth, life, and teachings that were associated with Jesus Christ. It is worth mentioning that even though these Gospels tell the same story, each contains a unique angle of the life and times of Jesus Christ. It is in these gospels that it is demonstrated that Jesus Christ was the saviour that God had promised the world (BibleProject, 2015). The Gospels also reveal the manner in which it was difficult for Jesus and His followers to get the necessary support as most of the institutions that heard about Jesus doubted that He was really the messiah.
It is important to note that Jesus Christ is at the center of the Christian faith. When He died on the cross for the sins of the world, humanity received redemption and could create a personal relationship with God. Instead of the ten commandments that the Israelites had to
follow in the Old Testament, Christianity only demanded that Christians pay attention to two main rules. The first one required Christians to love God with all their hearts, minds, and souls. The second one required Christians to love their neighbours as they loved themselves. It was also stated that, even if Jesus had ascended to heaven, there would be a second coming where He would come to set up His kingdom, provide judgement to His enemies, and reward those who had been faithful (BibleProject, 2015).
Even so, despite the fact that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of humanity, the story of Christianity did not end with his ascension to heaven. Instead, while they waited for his second coming, they were supposed to tell others about Jesus Christ. In the books of the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of Paul, and the other letters, the early Church is developed and Christians are given guidelines about how best to live in the world as the faithful. Some of the letters were also written to encourage, correct, and direct the early Christians. Finally, the story of Christianity ends with the book of Revelation, where Christians receive comfort regarding the fact that, ultimately, God is in control. The book of Revelation details how the world will end during the second coming of Christ. It also reveals how the forces of evil that are in the world will be defeated so that things can return to how they were before sin entered the world.
References
BibleProject. (2015, August 27). Sacrifice and Atonement. [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEBc2gSSW04
BibleProject. (2018, March 15). Sin. [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aNOZ7ocLD74