What is Christianity? - [日本語]
Christianity is a religion whose fundamental bases are the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah, “the Anointed One” from God. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).”
Christians believe in God, the Creator of the Universe and the only God in all existence. Christianity also teaches that God revealed Himself and His nature through the Bible and the history of humankind.
According to Genesis, when God created Adam, God was satisfied with His creation and believed that “it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). However, humankind broke the promise with God and destroyed the relationship with Him (Genesis 1-3). Ever since then, death passed onto all of humanity (Romans 5:12) and by our nature we became ones who deserved His anger (Ephesians 2:3). The brokenness of our relationship with God is described in the Old Testament as the Israelites’ disobedience to Him.
Despite our disobedience, merciful and forgiving God sent his only Son Jesus Christ to the Earth, who became the mediator between God and the humankind (1 Timothy 2:5). Christians believe that Christ lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:3-5).
We are saved through faith in the resurrection of Jesus on the cross, not by our works (Ephesians 2:8-9). When you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior (someone who saves you from sin and restores your relationship with God), you encounter the living and true God through the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).”