Common questions about Christianity

Becoming a Christian

What it means to turn to God and trust Jesus.

What is a Christian?
A Christian is someone who trusts Jesus Christ as their Saviour and follows him as their Lord. It isn’t mainly about where you were born, whether you go to church or how good you are. It’s about being brought back to God through Jesus.
What is the gospel?
“Gospel” means good news. It is the announcement that God has acted to rescue us through Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again, and that he offers forgiveness and new life to everyone who turns to him.
What is sin?
Sin is the Bible’s word for turning away from God: living as if he weren’t there and we were in charge. It shows in the wrong things we think, say and do, and in the good things we leave undone.
What does it mean to repent?
To repent is to turn round. It means changing your mind about God and about your sin, and then changing direction: you stop going your own way and come back to him.
What is faith?
Faith is trust. For a Christian it means relying on Jesus and on what he has done, rather than on yourself. It is not blind belief, and it is more than agreeing that certain things are true.
What is grace?
Grace is God’s undeserved kindness. He gives forgiveness and new life freely, to people who have not earned them and never could.
What does it mean to be born again?
To be born again is to be given new spiritual life by God. It happens to everyone who puts their trust in Jesus, so it describes every real Christian and not a special type.
Is there a prayer to become a Christian?
No set form of words makes someone a Christian. But you can tell God in a simple prayer that you are turning from your sin and trusting Jesus, and here is one you can use.
Can anyone become a Christian?
Yes. Whatever your age, background, nationality, religion or past, the invitation to trust Jesus is open to you. Nobody is excluded and nobody is too late.
Is being a good person enough to get to heaven?
No, and that turns out to be good news. The Bible says no one is good enough to earn their way to God, but that God offers forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift through Jesus.
Can God forgive me, whatever I’ve done?
Yes. However heavy the things on your conscience, the Bible’s promise is that anyone who turns to Jesus will be forgiven completely.
How can I be sure I’m a Christian?
Your confidence rests on God’s promises and not on your feelings. If you are trusting Jesus, the Bible says you can know that you have eternal life.

God and Jesus

Who God is, who Jesus is and what he did.

Is Jesus God?
Christians believe that he is: Jesus is God the Son, who became fully human without ceasing to be God. That is what he claimed, and it is what his first followers came to believe.
Why did Jesus die on the cross?
Christians believe Jesus died to deal with our sin. On the cross he willingly took the consequences of our wrongdoing on himself, so that we could be forgiven and brought back to God.
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
Christians believe Jesus physically rose from the dead on the third day after he was crucified. It is the centre of the Christian faith, and the New Testament invites you to weigh the evidence for yourself.
What is the Trinity?
Christians believe in one God who exists eternally as three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit. There are not three gods, and it is not one God playing three parts. It is one God in three persons.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. He is not an impersonal force. He comes to live in everyone who trusts Jesus, giving them new life and helping them to follow him.
What is Easter really about?
Easter is the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the most important festival in the Christian year, because the whole faith rests on those events.
What is Christmas really about?
Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that in him God himself became a human being and came to live among us, in order to rescue us.

The Bible and prayer

How to read the Bible and how to talk to God.

How do I start reading the Bible?
Start with one of the four Gospels, read a little each day and use a modern translation. Mark is the shortest Gospel, and John was written to help people believe.
Can I trust the Bible?
Christians believe you can, and they give reasons. The New Testament rests on eyewitness testimony, its text has been preserved with great care, and its message holds together across many authors and centuries.
Who wrote the Bible?
The Bible was written by around forty people over many centuries, among them kings, prophets, fishermen and a doctor. Christians believe that God spoke through them, so that what they wrote is his word.
How do I pray?
Prayer is simply talking to God. You don’t need special words, a special place or a special posture. You can speak to him honestly, out loud or in your head, wherever you are.
What is the Lord’s Prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him how to pray. It is recorded in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, and Christians of every tradition have used it ever since.

Big questions

Honest answers to the hardest objections.

How can I know God is real?
Nobody can prove God as you would prove a sum. But Christians point to strong reasons for believing: the existence of the universe, our sense of right and wrong, our longing for something more and, above all, Jesus. God also promises that those who seek him will find him.
Why does God allow suffering?
There is no complete answer, and the Bible doesn’t pretend there is. It does say three things: suffering is not how God meant the world to be, God has entered into it himself in Jesus, and he has promised to bring it to an end.
What happens when we die?
Christians believe that death is not the end. Those who trust Jesus go to be with him, and will one day be raised to life in a world made new. The Bible also speaks of judgment, which is why Jesus’ offer of forgiveness matters so much.
Can I be a Christian and believe in science?
Yes. Science and Christian faith answer different kinds of question, and many leading scientists, past and present, have been committed Christians. You do not have to choose between them.
Is Jesus really the only way to God?
Jesus said so himself, and Christians believe him. The reason is not that Christians are better than anyone else. It is that only Jesus has dealt with the thing that separates us from God.
What if I have doubts?
Doubts and questions are normal, and you don’t need to have everything worked out before you come to God. Faith is not being certain about everything. It is trusting Jesus with what you do know.

Living as a Christian

What changes, and what to do next.

What changes when I become a Christian?
Some things change at once: you are forgiven, you become a child of God and his Spirit comes to live in you. Other things, such as your habits, priorities and character, change gradually over the rest of your life.
Can I be a Christian and still sin?
Yes. Christians still sin, and God still forgives them. What changes is your attitude to it: a Christian cannot be comfortable with sin, and the struggle against it is itself a sign of new life.
How do I tell my family I’ve become a Christian?
Tell them simply and honestly, at a good moment, in your own words. You do not need to have all the answers or to persuade anyone. You only need to say what has happened to you.
Do I have to go to church to be a Christian?
Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian, and it doesn’t earn God’s love. But the Bible never pictures a Christian living the faith alone. Church is where you are taught, encouraged and looked after.
Do I need to be baptised?
Baptism is how Jesus told his followers to mark the beginning of the Christian life. It is not a way of earning forgiveness, which is God’s gift, but almost every Christian tradition treats it as a normal and important step.
What is Holy Communion?
Holy Communion is a simple meal of bread and wine that Jesus told his followers to share in memory of his death. It is also called the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist or the Mass.

Church in the UK

Finding a church, being baptised and what to expect when you visit.

How do I find a church in the UK?
Use an online church finder, ask any Christians you know and then visit two or three churches. Look for one that teaches the Bible, keeps Jesus at the centre and makes you welcome.
What happens when you go to church for the first time?
You can just turn up. Someone will usually greet you at the door, the service lasts about an hour, and nobody will single you out or expect you to know what to do.
What happens at a Church of England service?
Most Church of England services follow a set pattern of words called a liturgy, printed in a booklet or shown on a screen. A typical Sunday service includes hymns, a confession, Bible readings, a sermon, prayers and usually Holy Communion, and lasts about an hour.
How do I get baptised in the UK?
Contact a local church and ask. The minister will meet you, explain what baptism means, help you prepare and arrange a date. Baptism is free.
What is the difference between a christening and a baptism?
There is no difference. A christening is a baptism. “Christening” is the traditional English word, and people tend to use it when a baby is being baptised.
What is confirmation?
Confirmation is a service in which someone who has been baptised, often as a baby, affirms the Christian faith for themselves. A bishop lays hands on them and prays that God’s Spirit will strengthen them.
What are the main Christian denominations in the UK?
The largest are the Church of England and its sister Anglican churches, the Catholic Church and the Church of Scotland. Alongside them are Methodist, Baptist, United Reformed, Pentecostal, Orthodox and many independent churches. They differ in style and organisation and agree on the core of the faith.
What is the difference between Catholic and Protestant?
Catholics and Protestants share the core of the Christian faith: one God in three persons, and Jesus Christ who died and rose again. They differ mainly over where authority lies, how a person is put right with God, the sacraments, and the place of Mary and the saints.
What are Alpha and Christianity Explored?
They are free short courses, run by churches across the UK, that introduce the Christian faith to people who want to find out more. Each session usually includes food, a talk and an open discussion in which any question can be asked.