Christianity is one of the oldest and largest religions existing in the world. It is an Abrahamic religion that is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. According to Christians, Jesus’ coming as a Messiah to save people was prophesied in the Holy Bible. There are four large branches of Christianity, which include Catholics, Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Church. Christianity is culturally diverse in Western and Eastern branches and explains its doctrines differently. As a result of diversification, people who consider themselves Christians ought to either choose a branch they associate themselves with or choose the essential aspects they believe in. The core beliefs of Christianity are the belief in God the Father and the Creator and the purity and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
To understand the existence of God, it is necessary to turn to its primary source, which is the Holy Bible. In Christianity, there is a God who created the world and human beings in his image (Col. 1:16, The Holy Bible, 2019). Humans fell into sin, which brought brokenness to the rest of God’s creation. Therefore, this religion brings the idea of God-the-creator being merciful and just. In other religions, it is common for people to search for God and salvation for themselves. However, Christianity brings the idea of God existing and caring for people, being within people, and bringing salvation to those who need it. Therefore, one of the core beliefs is the presence of God the Father for every person who believes in him, and might be the main belief a rightful Christian should possess.
The pure nature of Jesus Christ serves as a primary belief in Christianity; however, people tend to disagree with it. According to Godawa, Christian postmodernists deny the knowledge of biblical truth and question biblical interpretation (2009). Such a notion exists as a result of modern understandings merging with traditional arrangements and creating a questionable narrative. Mentioning new studies appearing on the matter, Jesus’ purity and abilities can be undermined, as he is often portrayed as human-like, which implies, that he may not be pure (Barlev et al., 2017). However, for Christians, the personality of Jesus Christ is sacral as he saved people from the eternal doom they were to undergo. The fallen nature could not make such a sacrifice, as all humans are flawed and would not endure such suffering.
The revelation is the key to understanding the matter of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. The ultimate truths lie within the scripture and are embodied in Jesus Christ. He, the God, communicated his personality and character in creation. Jesus Christ, his son, is considered to be his creation; therefore, God’s nature is within him (Myers and Noebel, 2015). As people were suffering, Jesus Christ was condoling them and crafting miracles to save them. Therefore, when the time came to pay for the sins, Jesus sacrificed himself, and then God redeemed him by creating ascending of Christ. The sacrifice of one for many is one of the core beliefs of Christianity as it gives hope and a feeling of necessity to the Christians. This belief is in the line of those that rightful Christian organizations consider because it brings people a feeling of reliance.
Understanding the true meaning of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice leads to unraveling the nature of God the Creator. According to the Holy Bible, God has created the heavens, the earth, and things therein (Gen. 1:1, 2019). However, another theory surrounds the beginning of life in the world, which is the big bang theory. This theory tells about particles of energy coming together to form an explosion and create the universe. Christians suppose that such a thing could not have happened because life is a complex phenomenon that begs careful thought and planning. In its complexity, life, in general, has much detail to it and has a purpose. It should have been created by someone who planned it accordingly and brought a sense to it: God. Therefore, according to Christians, other theories about the creation of the universe fall false, and God is the Creator.
In discussing core beliefs possessed by Christians, it is vital to note which of them a person should hold to be considered Christian rightly. It is essential to note the age of a person, as children might not understand some aspects of Christianity but can still be Christians. It is said that children find it easier to believe in God as they believe in the purpose of life (Myers and Noebel, 2015). Therefore, the beliefs that they have might be as simple as believing in God the Creator only, as this is the only aspect they perceive well. According to the study done in Colombia, science teachers maintained a Christian lifestyle and rightfully consider themselves Christians, despite their views on the world order (Penaloza et al., 2021). The core component of faith that should belong to every believer is the faith in God the Father, the almighty, who knows everything and is there to help.
In conclusion, there are many beliefs in Christianity, and it might be challenging to identify the core aspects. However, considering the Holy Bible, the most important beliefs are the belief in God the Father and his deem to create, the pure nature of Jesus Christ, as well as the sacrifice he made. The beliefs that Christians choose should not contradict their position in life and their age. The core belief that a rightful Christian should hold on to is the belief in God the Father who possesses all power in the world.
References
Barlev, M., Mermelstein, S., & German, T. C. (2017). Core intuitions about persons coexist and interfere with acquired Christian beliefs about God. Cognitive Science, 41(1), 425-454.
Godawa, B. (2009). Hollywood worldviews. Inter Varsity Press.
Myers, J., & Noebel, D. A. (2015). Understanding the times: A survey of competing worldviews (5th ed.). Summit Ministries.
Penaloza, G., El-Hani, C. N., & Mosquera-Suarez, C. J. (2021). Between scientific ideas and Christian religious beliefs. Science & Education, 30(2), 1-35.
The Holy Bible. (2019). Creative Media Partners, LLC.