The Four Pillars of Christianity: Essential Knowledge for Every Christian

Book excerpt: Christianity is based upon claims that are nothing short of remarkable. So what exactly is Christianity? It stands on these four pillars: We claim there is a God. We assert that God came to earth as man, lived a sinless and blameless life, and willingly sacrificed himself as a solution to sin and a means to reconcile man with God. We also claim that the crucifixion of this man was not the end of the story. Indeed, it was just the start of a truly remarkable third claim that the crucified man was brought back to life after being most decidedly dead. Finally, we declare that because the first three claims are true, we have a means to understand and respond to suffering and pain that transcends whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in. Each claim is an indispensable part of Christianity. We owe a reasoned answer to the skeptic who is asking with good reason why anyone might believe such incredible claims. Also, since God left the church to spread his story, we owe it to God to tell his story accurately. To God be the glory.