What do Christians believe?

A Christian is a person who believes in the evidence the Old Testament presents about the existence of a God and creator. A Christian also believes that God, although He is one God, has three persons and that they are those of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

A Christian believes the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament prophecies that Jesus Christ, while fully man in being, was God incarnate on earth and that He was therefore God’s son. God became incarnate as Jesus so He could tell the world about Himself and also defeat evil and break its bondage over us of physical and spiritual death.

A Christian believes that all people have sinned and that, according to God’s laws as told to us, deserve physical and spiritual death. The good news is that Jesus’s death provided God with a perfect, unblemished sacrifice that meant that the sins of all people who believe in Him would be forgiven. God made this plan because we could never find the strength and mastery over sin to earn our own way into heaven or be able to perform enough rituals or make enough sacrifices to get us there by ourselves.

A Christian also believes in the Holy Spirit and that He dwells in the hearts of believers when they come to know Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit fills the empty space in a person’s heart and is the facilitator of an amazing and exciting personal relationship with God. Christians derive the power they need as they experience life’s trials and tribulations and also grow in faith from the Holy Spirit.

The overall Christian experience is that life is much better with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in it than it is without them. Above all a Christian has the hope needed to overcome all situations, even physical death.

How do I become a Christian?

You might like to start going to your local church and also start talking to God in your daily life - He is listening and He will guide you. There will be lots of different Christian churches in your area so you may need to visit each one to find out what its particular focus is and whether it aligns with your needs and understandings. ARCC recommends that you include the Anglican and Catholic churches in your search.

It would also be a good idea to start reading the Bible. You might like to start by reading a condensed children’s Bible (eg Golden Book) or the gospel of Mark from the Bible, which is a straightforward narrative of Jesus life and work. This will greatly enhance your understandings of the chronological events in the Old and New Testaments without the pressure of trying to read the Bible from cover to cover. Once you have developed these understandings you will be better able to read and understand the Old and New Testaments. As well you might like to read other non fiction books about the history and archaeology of Israel. You will be able to resource these books at your local library.

You might also like to watch some movies. Movies that are very enjoyable and will help you to visualise the history and times of the Bible are The Ten Commandments and The Greatest Story Ever Told. Both of these movies will be available at your local video store. You might also like to watch movies about individual Christians’ lives for inspiration (eg A Man Called Peter, The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima). Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of Christ is also a good movie to watch once you feel ready to try to understand the event that happened on the cross.

You could also join a Bible Study group or participate in an Alpha or Branches courses at a local church. These courses are fun and designed to develop your understandings of Jesus and Christianity over supper in a social group environment where questions are encouraged. The Alpha course is particularly recommended for anyone inquiring about Christianity and interested in finding out more about what the faith believes in. The Branches course is also very good and is better suited to the needs of someone who has already become a Christian and wants to continue spiritual development in a fun, social group setting.

Becoming a Christian

If you feel you are ready to believe right now then you can say this prayer and let God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit come into your life:

"God be merciful to me a sinner. I believe that Christ died for me and that His precious blood will cleanse me from all my sin. By faith I now receive the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart as my Lord and my saviour; trusting Him for the salvation of my soul. Help me Lord to do your will each day. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen."

If you have just prayed this prayer with a sincere heart it is now a good idea to tell a Christian friend or your local church leader that you have become a believer so you can be welcomed into God's people and start to find out more about the faith and the gifts that God has given you. You may also need their help to become baptised as a sign of your new faith. This is very important.

You might also like to contact us and let us know that you are interested in finding out more about Jesus and about Christianity. We can then find out what your needs are and tell you about any course or Bible Study options to help develop your faith that are available for you near where you live. We can also put you in touch with a church or Christian group and other Christians working in the racing industry.