Please start with our Core Organizing Beliefs. We expect you already agree that 1. Reality is More Important Than Anything We Believe; 2. All Principles Must Be Consistently Applied; and 3. The Bible is the Undisputed Primary Source Material for Christianity.

THE REASONABLENESS OF BELIEVING IN GOD

A beginning question for faith is this "Is there a God?" If there not God, as atheists assert, then there is nothing to discuss. The Law of Entropy, in simple terms, is "Things break by themselves," or, slightly more precisely, "All things tend toward chaos." Basically, Order degenerates into Chaos by itself, but Order is created by 1. An operative mechanic (like your salad dressing separating or crystals forming), or 2. The introduction of order by an intelligent power (like cleaning and organzing your garage). In the Universe as a whole, there was more Order in the past than in the future. So where did it come from? Even Big Bangers are ready to admit that order doesn't come from a random explosion without the introduction of tremendous Order somewhere in the first second of the bang. If there was the most Order in the past, then it is reasonable to assume that there was "something" there. We choose to call that "something" God.

This does not address the issue of who or what God might be - only that it is reasonable to believe that there is a God. If there is a God, then the identity of that God is a separate question.

THE OLD TESTAMENT

Christianity is not the only religion that respects the Old Testament, particularly the first five books of the Bible. Judaism and Islam both accept those books. Since it is accepted by more than 3.4 Billion people, it seems a reasonable place to start. One of the things it says is that God Created the Heavens and the Earth. If the Universe had more order when it started than it does today, that is consistent with an orderly God creating everything in the first place. So far, the idea of the Law of Entropy and the teaching of the Bible are consistent.

At it's simplest, that gives us cause to consider Judaism, Islam and Christianity. The oldest of these is Judaism. They do not accept Jesus Christ as their messiah, and, for the most part, they respect their books but do not regard them as definitive. Thus, prophecies that would seem to point to Jesus Christ are ignored. But Christians cite these prophecies as Jesus' fulfillment of so many prophecies as clear evidence not only of their own faith, but also of their belief that the Bible was inspired by God. Islam specifically rejects the idea that Jesus is God's son, though the faith regards Jesus as a prophet. So if the Bible is to be regarded as more than a "good book" and prophecies point to Jesus, and even Islam regards Jesus as a prophet, then it is reasonable to look into Jesus more.

JESUS CHRIST

Jesus is respected in a great many religions. He is regarded as a prophet in Islam. He is regarded as a "manifestor of God" in Bahai and as an "avatar" by some Hindus, or as a "master yogi" by other Hindus. He has been referred as the Great Teacher by many Buddhists. Most people regard Him as a Good Teacher, a good moral example, or a great philosopher.

But He said things like "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. There is no way to the Father but through Me." He said "If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." We are told that He is God in the flesh, and if this is true then He is more than a Good Teacher. He died. He was resurrected. If these things are true, then it means something. Maybe He was right. Maybe He was wrong.

If He was wrong and He knew it, then He is a liar. If He was wrong and He really believed it, then He is a lunatic. If He never lived and the stories were all just made up, He is a legend.

But if what He said was true, if He really is God, if He really did come to die for our sins, then He is Lord.

A DEEP IRONY

The Christian Religion offers everything and demands nothing, so it is ironic that so many people are so hesitant to accept the free gift that Jesus offers. Who He is demands some sort of response, and His first message to us is "I came to die for you so that you may have eternal life" (John 3:16). His "new commandment" is simply to "love one another."

Part of the problem is that some Christians have given Christ a bad name. God offered His son for free ("while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"). God made the first move, and He doesn't even say we must make a move ourselves - just accept His move. If we want more, more is available. There are things we ought to do and other things we ought not to do - but none of that changes the fact that the Gift is free.

So it is ironic that so many people reject the gift.

ACCEPTING CHRIST AS SAVIOR

There is no required formula to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. An affirming prayer we use is:

"God Almighty, I believe in You, even though I may not fully understand everything about You. I accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as payment for my sins, trusting in You and not in myself or my own goodness for Salvation. Thank you for giving me Salvation by grace through the faith which You also give me. Amen."

If you can pray that prayer and mean it, then you are a Christian. The dividing line between a Christian and a nonChristian is faith in Jesus Christ.

There is more for you - but it is entirely optional - and God would certainly rather you did good things rather than bad things. Sometimes we get a sense called "conviction" that basically means we actually start to not want to do something we know is wrong. When we get that feeling, changing to do the right thing is pretty easy.

If we want to grow, we can start on a path of more growth. We can talk to God in prayer. We can read the Bible. We can attend church. We can learn more, and we can serve at a ministry or work our way toward leadership. The depth to which we can go in our study is endless - but it is not required. God has as much for us as we are willing to take.

If you have more questions, email Info@AgathosMinistries.org.