What is Christianity?
Christianity is a belief system based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. But more than that – and far more importantly – it is a way of life.
We believe that God created a perfect world that was then spoiled by the presence of evil. That affected the relationship of love and trust which God intended human beings to have with each other, with the rest of creation and with him.
As humanity proved unable to keep to the instructions God had given them in order to get the very best out of life, and as they ignored the people he sent to remind them of his ways, he eventually sent his Son, Jesus, into our world.
Through his teachings, his life and his example – all recorded in the Gospels in the Bible – Jesus showed us what life could be like under God’s benevolent rule, in his Kingdom. He was executed by the Romans on a cross.
In his death, somehow the forces of evil were defeated and human beings were offered the opportunity of renewing their original relationship with God and enjoying the benefits of his Kingdom now and for eternity.
Three days after his crucifixion, Jesus was brought back to life as a way of showing that death was no longer to be feared.
Anyone who accepts that and commits to following the ways of Jesus Christ – living for others, maintaining justice and acknowledging his sovereignty over their lives – can enjoy the benefits of God’s Kingdom now and look forward to spending eternity with him after this life is over.
That is at the heart of what Christianity is all about, but different people put more or less emphasis on different aspects of it, which means that Christianity around the world is diverse and full of variety.