Basics of Faith I - Intro.

Monday, July 13, 2009. What are the basics of christian faith? We are not the first people in the world thinking about this topic. In fact, it has occupied the minds of sincere Christians since the very beginning. What are the important pilars of faith? What is its core? What is needed to speak of faith? What is it all about?

When I think about the basics of faith several elements come to my mind immediately. There are the old creeds, the professions of faith which have been compiled by the church many times in its history, for example the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed. These creeds range back to the early centuries of the church and have been confirmed in the council of Nicaea 325 AD and the Council of Milan 390 AD.

There are basic descriptions of faith in the New Testament itself! After the death and resurrection of Jesus the apostle Peter is giving his first sermon in Acts 2, 14-36. He explains the events around Jesus in the light of the Jewish scriptures. His words then culminate in the words: “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2, 38-39)

Also in modern times Christians have tried to summarize the basic statements of faith. In 1952 Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ wrote down four spiritual laws, to quickly explain the principles of Christian faith with respect to salvation. He speaks about 1. Gods love for us, 2. the meaning and power of separation from God (sin), 3 the role of Jesus to overcome this separation, 4. the individual relation to God by faith in Jesus.

Introductions into faith are given today everywhere in the world. One prominent example is the “Alpha Course”. It has been started by Revd Charles Marnham in the Holy Trinity Church in London and has been made popular by Revd Nicky Gumbel since 1990, with more than 13 million people worldwide which have attended this particular course within less than 20 years. The alpha course combines a relaxed setting, joint meals with discussions and exploration of the basic parts of Christian faith.

Exploring the basics of faith is a fascinating journey. We will take a week to focus on the basic statements and basic facts in the life of Jesus over the next days here in the Jesus Network. Even if you know many things already, it is a good idea to take time occasionally to look into the basic fundaments of your belief. If you do not know the fundaments, then this can be a great start for you, an important turning point for your life. God is real and Jesus is definitely the most interesting and attractive person of human history. Everyone should have the right to get a clear picture and know him. Everyone should have the right to get the chance of faith! ... more texts