"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9)

The most obvious point of departure when describing the Christian faith is Jesus himself. He was a Jew who lived two thousand years ago in the country which today is Israel. Part of his life he devoted to public service when he walked around the country, preached, met people, healed the sick and performed miracles. Many people followed him and saw in his life that God was with him in a special way. A number of men, the disciples of Jesus, walked together with him everyday. Many people rejoiced and received his message and Jesus became a threat to the religious and political powers of the time. After three years of public service Jesus was sentenced to death by Jewish and Roman authorities and executed through crucifixion. The execution took place during Easter in Jerusalem when many Jews were gathered in the town to celebrate the holiday. If this had been the end of the ministry of Jesus, the Christian church would probably not exist today. However, the Bible and the church testify that God on the third day after Jesus' death raised him from the dead and gave him new life. The disciples and other people who had followed him met the risen Jesus. Soon after this, the Christian church was founded in Jerusalem by the disciples who had been radically transformed through the encounter with the risen Jesus.

The life of Jesus on earth is important in many ways. First and foremost, Jesus is the Saviour. Through his death and resurrection, he provided salvation for a fallen and lost humanity. No person is perfect but through confession and repentance from what is wrong - what the Bible calls sin - everyone may receive forgiveness and be saved. Through Jesus this is an offer by grace that we cannot earn but which is given freely to anyone who asks him. Jesus gave his disciples a mission to make all the peoples on earth his disciples. Part of the Christian life is thus to follow Jesus just as the first disciples did. In this way the Christian faith is not only a confession but also a new lifestyle, where the believer walks according to the example set by Jesus. The faith involves a personal decision and a personal relationship with Jesus. Everyone decides for himself if he wants to follow Jesus and Jesus relates personally to each disciple.

The Christian believer worships a triune God where the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are eternally united in one. Within our human limitations we will never fully comprehend this mystery. Jesus himself - the Son - himself prays to the Father at the same time as he testifies that he and the Father is "one". The Father has created the universe and the earth. He has given life to all that exist - the plants and the creatures. A special position in the creation is given to man whom God gave a spirit and made into the image of himself. Due to this, every person has a value that goes beyond age, sex, nationality, social class or ability. Every person bears the mark of the Creator and the ultimate purpose for every individual is to live in a relationship with God and worship Him. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as the "Helper" who aids the believer in his walk through life. The Spirit strengthens, comforts, encourages and exhorts the believer to follow the way of Jesus. Through the help of the Spirit the believer may grow and mature to the person he once was created to be.

The life of Jesus, the creation and God's interaction with the Jewish people is described in the Bible. It is a holy book written by men who were close to God and saw His acts in history. In the Bible, which is inspired by God, the believer finds teaching and instruction for his life. In the Christian church, the Bible holds a unique position as the word of God and forms the basis for the Church's preaching and mission. Before his death, Jesus told the disciples that he would found the Christian church. This became reality after his death when the first disciples started to gather in Jerusalem. Many people became believers and joined the church. Some of the books of the Bible tell of how the faith was then spread further throughout the known world of that day. Local churches were established in many cities. Since the first church in Jerusalem was founded, the believers have gathered to worship and fellowship in a growing number of places around the world. Because of historical and practical reasons, the church gathers to worship in different places and in different forms. But in heaven, there will only be one people of God.

If you want to know more about the Christian faith, contact your local church or a believer you know. You may also read about the life of Jesus in the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament in the Bible.