What & Why

Introduction to ‘What’ and ‘Why’ 

Faith in Jesus Christ has both a ‘what’ and a ‘why.’

As Christians there are key points we say that we believe. We may call them doctrines, creeds, articles of faith, tenets, or dogmas, but they are our core beliefs.

• There is a God who created the universe and the world we live in.

• God has revealed Himself as a triune personal being - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

• God reveals Himself through the general creation and through the special revelation of the Bible and His son, Jesus Christ.

• Jesus is the Son of God who died for mankind’s sin and He rose again to give us new life.

• Jesus is coming again one day to establish His kingdom on earth.

It is truths like these and more that we hold onto and cherish. These are the ‘what’ that we believe.

However, the ‘why’ of the faith goes much deeper. It's the ‘why’ of truth that really makes it matter to us personally, but it is also the ‘why’ that is under attack in the hearts and minds of people today. Especially in the hearts and minds of young people. The lack of knowing the ‘why’ is the reason polls tell us that a majority of young people growing up in Christian homes today walk away from the faith within the first few years of leaving home for college.

Let me explain the ‘why.’ 

The Christian faith states ‘what?’ -  People are separated from God by sin. Sin has caused mankind to be spiritually dead and the eventual effect of that will be physical death and eternal separation from God. The penalty of sin is death. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, was the only person born who was fully alive because He was sinless from birth. He was the only one who could give His life to rescue us from sin and its penalty, which He did on Calvary. He also rose from the dead to conquer death and sin to give us eternal life. That is the ‘what!’ The ‘what’ tells us the message.

The ‘why’ tells us what to do about the message. When we place our faith and trust in Jesus by repenting of our sin we are restored back to a right relationship with God the Father. Only through a restored relationship with God the Father, our Creator, can we:

• Have eternal life because of what Jesus did, not because of what we do. 

• Receive the Holy Spirit as our eternal seal and guide through this earthly life.

• Understand God’s truth, the Bible.

• Enjoy the blessings He has in store for His children.

• And so much more.

The ‘why’ is our response of faith to His grace that affects us personally.