Questions & Answers

1. What do I have to do to be saved? How can I become a real Christian?

It isn’t God’s purpose that you try hard to do good works. What the Bible states is simple:
«For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.»
John 3 verse 16

«Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.»
Acts 16 verse 31

• Understand that you are a sinner and that you cannot go to heaven.
• Repent your guilt to God in prayer.
• Believe that Jesus Christ forgives you and gives you eternal life. That’s a life of highest quality because it is God’s nature and gives full joy in fellowship with Him.
• Turn away from your wrong way of life.

«If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.»
1 John 1 verse 9

Only the fact that Jesus Christ bore the righteous punishment in our place on the cross saves us from the eternal judgement. The eternal judgement can be shortly described as “being far away from God at a place where pain and regret won’t stop”.

2. Is Jesus Christ really the only way to God? Isn’t that a very narrow view?

If you compare the main world religions with each other you can see that they all require that one “does good” in one way ore another to please God (whatever may be understood as “good” in the corresponding religion). The Bible shows us the realistic perspective of man who is hopelessly lost. We can’t do anything for our salvation. Only the Bible offers a salvation which is solely based on grace, resting on the death of the Lord Jesus.

David Gooding wrote concerning this topic:

3. Who is God?

It’s certainly difficult to describe God in a few words. How can we describe someone who exceeds our completely apprehension? The best way would be to ask Him. In the Bible, He reveals the following:

• There is only one God.
«For there is one God.»1. Timothy 2 verse 5

• He exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
«Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.»Matthew 28 verse 19

«God is a Spirit.»John 4 verse 24

• God is above us human beings.
«For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.»Isaiah 55 verse 9

• He created us as well as the whole universe.
«For by him (Jesus Christ) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth.»Colossians 1 verse 16
«Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.»Hebrews 11 verse 3

• Therefore we are responsible to Him.
«For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.»2 Corinthians 5 verse 10

4. Who is Jesus?

• He is God and has an eternal existence with neither beginning nor end.
«Jesus said unto them: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.»John 8 verse 58

• He is God the Son. He shows us who God is and by which criteria God measures and judges.
«That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.»John 20 verse 31

• More than 2000 years ago He became a human being and lived a perfect life before God and men. Being the only perfect man, He was the one who’s death God could accept as a substitute for that of other’s.
«For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.»1 Peter 3 verse 18

• He died in order to take away the sin of those who believe in Him. Jesus became the ONLY way to God.
«Jesus saith unto him: I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.»John 14 verse 6
The one who believes this is saved forever and has a wonderful future waiting for him.

«In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins..» 1. John 4 verses 9-10

«For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.»John 3 verse 16

5. Who can prove to me that Jesus really lives and that faith is not just Man’s invention?

It’s like electricity: Nobody has seen it up to now. But if you turn the light switch on you can experience its effect!

That’s how it is with faith: God manifests himself to him/her who believes. The believer will recognize things in his daily live that couldn’t happen by chance. If you honestly are going to ask the Lord Jesus to reveal himself in your life – He’s for sure going to do that! Start to connect with God and you will see!

6. What is sin?

• Disbelief and willfulness are sin.
«For whatsoever is not of faith is sin.»Romans 14 verse 23

• Not only the one that does bad is a sinner. Also the one who doesn’t do good.
«Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.»James 4 verse 17

• Sin makes man a sinner. As a sinner he cannot do any better than sin.
«Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.»Romans 5 verse 12

• The fact that each human is going to die proves that every human has sinned.
«For the wages of sin is death.»Romans 6 verse 23

As every man and woman living in Switzerland is subject to the Government’s laws so are we as humans responsible to God as the creator. We sin if we do or think things which don’t match with God’s will. «Sin is the transgression of the law.»1 John 3 verse 4

But God does not want us to simply follow some rules. It is His desire to live with us in a father-son relationship and that we do His will out of real love and joyful obedience.

7. I have never sinned!

Now you’re going out on a limb. Watch out! If you really believe that then you have no idea who God really is and what He calls sin. God has clear expectations from men. Sin isn’t only the big infringements like murder. Have you never been jealous of someone? Did you always show the required respect to your parents?
«Honour thy father and thy mother. … Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, … nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.» Exodus 20 verses 12+17

We have to accept God’s verdict concerning us:
«There is none that does good, no, not one.»Psalm 53 verse 3

8. I have my personal God. Why do I need Jesus?

Just as objective truth exists (math, science, history) there is also only one true God who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ and in the Bible. If you create your own God, then you do not only believe just in yourself but moreover you are offending God Himself.

You need Jesus Christ since He’s the only one who can save you from the coming judgement.
«How ye turned to God from idols (personal gods) to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.»1 Thessalonians 1 verse 9+10

9. There is so much inequity on our planet. How can there be a God?

After God finished creating the World, He said:
«And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. Genesis 1 verse 31 Then men sinned against God. Just one chapter later we read that an innocent man was killed by his own brother. Together with sin, inequity entered our world. It is Man’s fault, not God’s. The more man banishes God from his own life, the more God abandons man to his own doing. Since the moment of Jesus Christ’s death, God does not have to prove any more that He loves mankind – He already did so to full extent!

God that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?»Romans 8 verse 32

10. Christians have made so many mistakes. How could I believe in Jesus?

It is indeed a shame to think what has been done by some Christians! Wrongdoings for which no excuse can be found but two simple explanations:

• From the moment a man is converted from his evil past to Jesus, he receives a new life, a godly nature (that cannot sin). But the old, sinful nature still remains in him until he dies. If the Christian does not stay close to God he still is able to sin. That leads to misbehaviour which dishonours God.
• A further fact we have to consider: not everyone who calls himself a Christian really has new life from God. Perhaps somebody calls himself a Christian because of social advantages but has no relationship with God. Nothing good can be expected from him!

If a Christian fails in following Jesus Christ, is that God’s fault? Should a boss be fired if an employee makes mistakes?

11. The Bible has been written by men. Why should it not contain any errors and contradictions?

It is true that God used men to write down His eternal thoughts. But that does not depreciate anything from the fact that God gave each and every word in the Bible directly to the writer.

«For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.»2 Peter 1 verse 21

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.»2 Timothy 3 verse 16

Let’s face it: Do your really think that the God who has control over all laws of nature, the heavenly bodies, living creatures and so on is not capable to have control over his own words?
If you think you have found a contradiction, remember two things:

• Contradictions arise if verses are pulled out of their context!
• If there exists an exception from the rule, then the Bible will confirm this exception in more than one place!

12. How people understand the Bible is only a matter of interpretation. There are as many different opinions concerning biblical statements as there are human beings .

As humans, we don’t have any knowledge about God unless He reveals Himself to us. It is the Holy Spirit who lives in every true Christian and gives him an understanding of God’s words.

«The Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.»John 14 verse 26

Read 1st Corinthians 2 verses 10-16.

13. Faith, faith, faith… Isn’t that all quite uncertain?

No! We believe what the Bible states. That is the foundation of our faith. We don’t believe by understanding but we understand by faith. Faith is subject to a personal decision but it is also God’s present.

«Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.»Hebrews 11 verse 1

14. Who are you?

We are happy Christians who would like to spread the good news about Jesus Christ.