Basics

   Since “Words” in this website generally just addresses topics that I find different (Biblically), from what most churches teach, but the entire Bible message is not totally addressed. “Basics” fills in a general understanding of Christianity, similar to what most Christian churches preach, teach and do a more in-depth job of explaining. I have included this short overview to help someone who isn’t very informed on Christianity, hoping this can fill in some gaps, until you can go to another Christian website, talk to a pastor or preferably, read the Bible for yourself. "Basics" is of course, my understanding of Christianity from my study of God's word, using the J.P. Green Interlinear Bible.    

   The purpose of the Bible and gospel message is to provide a "possibility" of salvation for all people. This was needed when Adam chose to sin after Creation, causing his descendants to be born into a sinful environment, "And He drove the man out. And He caused to dwell the cherubs at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sward whirled around to guard the way of the Tree of Life." (Genesis 3:24), "For the wages of sin is death…" (Romans 6:23), therefore, God’s plan for salvation was set in motion. The Creator, first establishing a temporary sacrificial system (death of one of the prescribed animals) allowing a substitution in place of the sinner himself for the required price of blood (death) for his sin. God also established a group of people, the Israelites, to serve as an example to all other peoples, and gave them the responsibility of being priest to the world, "And you shall become a kingdom of priests for Me, a holy nation..." (Exodus 19:6), to show by their actions and to share the knowledge of God with all peoples. From their performance, the other nations could see that when the Israelites kept God’s word they were blessed and when they drifted away from God’s guidelines, His protection and blessings were diminished or lost. The Temple, where the Israelites worshiped and sacrificed their substitute animals was a representation of the Heavenly Sanctuary “Minister of the holies, and of the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not men.” (Hebrews 8:2). The sacrifices executed in the earthly sanctuary, were a shadow of the perfect sacrifice to come, God’s only-begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. By His death on the cross for our sins, instead of us, the sinner, He became the Lamb of God, the righteous sacrifice to atone for the repented sins of man, but this is on an individual basis, not for any group or church.

   Throughout the Old Testament, God’s chosen people (Israelites) proved, for all the nations to see that it was impossible for man to keep perfectly God’s laws and that we need a helping, guiding, strengthening hand, because the powers of Satan were and are too overwhelming for us on our own. The prophets of the Old Testament spoke of the promised Messiah (Christ) and shared particulars as to what will take place at the first advent of the Christ, so there wouldn’t be any question when Christ Jesus arrived. The Christ of God arrived on time, as Daniel (the Prophet) predicted, mid in the 2300 year Prophecy (Daniel 8:14), but most Israelites chose to ignore Him, despite His timely arrival. Christ accomplished the tasks He was given by His Father, Jehovah, Almighty God, calling first the Israelites, then everyone else to repentance, Christ also came to pay the price of our sins on the cross and to lead the way home to God's kingdom, for those who chose to follow Christ lead, "Then Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he following Me in no way will walk in darkness, but will be the light of life." (John 8:12). The death of Jesus on the cross, ended the temporary sacrificial system because Christ's atonement was sufficient in paying the price for sin, once and for all, for our confessed and repented sins.

     Instead of working on our own to satisfy the requirement of God’s laws, to achieve the righteousness needed, we are now to rely on Christ as our guide of character and to rely on His strength added to our efforts to accomplish righteousness, because He walked perfectly in keeping God's law, qualifying Himself as the "Lamb of God" the perfect sacrifice. God's Ten Commandments remain valid as a guide of righteousness and is only a law to those who don’t see the purity that they represent. Taking on the character of Christ and accepting Jesus as ones Shepherd and personal Savior, reveals that the law is a blessing to all that understand and honor its content. It is imperative that we seek to understand and know that sin cannot enter God’s Kingdom and anyone holding onto sin will be destroyed at the end of the 1000 years rest period for this earth. This starts when Jesus descends the second time to collect those who chose to seek God Jehovah with all their heart, by following Christ's guidance. The end of time starts with a complete purification of earth, land and people, then those who had chosen to cleanse themselves by the strength of Christ, enter eternity, into the kingdom of God, having been secured by our choice into righteousness, "The one acting unjustly, let him still act unjustly; and the filthy, let him still be filthy; and the righteous, let him still do righteousness; and the holy, let him still be holy." (Revelation 22:11). Then eternity will start for those who have access to the "Tree of Life", those having been listed in Christ's "Book of Life".

   Of course there is much, much more to this tale of earth and its human inhabitants, which is presented in a multitude of layers, for us to study and learn by God's word. History repeats itself; this was by God’s design, to help us accumulate understanding of the most important part of our future, securing our place with God and His heavenly host. All those not written in the Book of Life will be lost, “And if anyone was not found having been written in the scroll (Book) of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.” (Revelation 20:15). Considering the world-wide flood of Noah's day, that only eight souls were saved and the rest were lost, after Noah preached of the coming flood for 120 years. The eight souls were of Noah’s family, shouldn’t you choose to be of the family of God? There is so much to learn from this most valuable life saving book, the Bible. One cannot grasp it all in a lifetime but the more we learn, the wiser and the surer our salvation will be. Blindness is choosing not to see (know and understand) what is given to us by the Word of God. We need to read its entire contents if we care to know the entire story and seek our future with God and His Son. The short time here on this earth is for preparing ourselves; for cleansing our heart by understanding and seeking righteousness, because it is "RIGHT", "PURE" and "JUST" and to enjoy an eternity with God, that He promises.