The Basics

Some times when I am praying to God I wonder “how did we (mankind) get so far away from the truth of who God is? How is it that we have so misunderstood the fundamental essence of who He is?” To address these questions, let’s take a look at the Fundamentals of Faith – Understanding God’s Plan for Mankind.

One of the most successful American football coaches of all time was Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers. On the first day of training camp in 1961, he addressed his team of professional football players gathered there, saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Lombardi understood that without a solid grasp of the fundamentals, there would be little value in teaching advanced concepts. Similarly, the same is true for our understanding of God; whether you are new to faith or have walked with Him for decades, frequently revisiting the basics is essential to a deeper relationship.

The Fundamentals of Faith:

For the purposes of this article I’m going to reduce what we know about God to the basics that are related to mankind’s predicament and God’s solution to our predicament.

  • To begin with, God is the Creator. He is uniquely creative because He began with nothing. There were no atoms nor elements; no gravity, electromagnetism, nor nuclear force; there was no thermodynamics, laws of motion, nor relativity. Remarkably, God spoke all of these into existence. Then, God structured all of these in such a way that life could exist. Finally, He took inorganic elements and created all kinds of life. Consequently, because He created mankind with His elements, God has rightful ownership of us.
  • Furthermore, Mankind has a soul. When God created mankind, He made us a being with a soul. Our soul is separate from our body. In fact, our soul is what gives us a uniquely human consciousness. Our soul lives on eternally after our body dies – it is the eternal part of us.
  • Mankind is sinful. Unfortunately, by default, we are innately rebellious against the laws established by God. By our nature, we freely choose to sin. In other words, we freely choose to do our will even when it conflicts with God’s laws.
  • In contrast, God is righteous – God never sins. God is righteousness which means that He is perfectly correct, just, holy, and fair in all His actions and decisions. As a result, God completely and perfectly adheres to the moral principles that we are accountable to.
  • Consequently, Sin requires Retributive Justice. Sin requires retributive justice, meaning that God, in His righteousness, must punish wrongdoing in accordance with His divine law. Therefore, we all have a divine appointment with our Creator where we will be judged, convicted, sentenced for breaking the laws of God.
    • The unsaved will pay for their own sins in hell. Each sin that a person is guilty of must be paid for. Those who God has not saved must pay for their own sins in hell.
    • Jesus paid for believers’ sins. When Jesus was crucified on the cross He took the sentence of all believers upon Himself. When He was dying on the cross He was paying the punishment for all believers sins. When He died, the sins of the believers were fully paid for.

In summary, understanding these fundamentals is crucial for all of mankind. Whether you are new to Christianity, returning to faith that has waned, or are deepening your walk with God, we must know that Jesus’ sacrifice is the answer to our predicament.

Steps to Peace With God

Step 1: God’s Purpose: Peace and Life

God loves you and wants you to experience peace and life—abundant and eternal. The Bible says:

  • “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” –Romans 5:1
  • “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16

Step 2: The Problem: Our Separation from God

God created us in His image. He did not make us as robots to automatically love and obey Him. God gave us a will and the freedom of choice; we choose to disobey Him and go our own willful way. This results in separation from God. The Bible says:

  • “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23
  • “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

 Step 3: God’s Bridge: The Cross

Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose from the grave. He paid the penalty for our sin and bridged the gap between God and people. The Bible says:

  • “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.” – 1 Timothy 2:5
  • “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” – 1 Peter 3:18

 Step 4: Our Response: Receive Christ

We must trust Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and receive Him by personal invitation. The Bible says:

  • “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12
  • “If you declare 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

The above are the Fundamentals of Faith to help us Understanding God’s Plan for Mankind. This website has many articles which go in to more useful detail. Please have a look around.

Which side are you on—the side with Christ or without Him? Here is how you can receive Christ:

  • Admit your need. (I am a sinner.)
  • Be willing to think differently about your sins (repent).
  • Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
  • Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and guide your life through the Holy Spirit (receive Him as Lord and Savior).

Related: The wonderful Jesus the Christ