Christian Beliefs In 30 Minutes

A simple understanding

Understanding Christian Beliefs In 30 Minutes



Copyright 2025 Dennis King

By way of an honest introduction, I am just a layperson with no theological degrees whatsoever. However, I have led ministries in Prisons, Jails, Senior Facilities, Rehab Centers, plus Baptists and non-denominational Bible Study groups. As you may gather, I have a burning desire to encourage spreading the Word of God. Shoring up the weak in faith and helping unbelievers gain insight into salvation are two rewarding endeavors.

I was baptized (sprinkled) in a Lutheran Church at thirty years old. Decades later, I was properly baptized by full submersion in a Baptist Church. In and of itself, Baptism is a public demonstration of a singular contract between God and you. Yes, God offers salvation to the masses, but it is always a one-on-one contract. You to God and God to you!

My opinion is that baptism by sprinkling or pouring is not in alignment with Biblical teachings and should be used only in unusual circumstances. This reflection on Baptism corresponds with the original writings of Martin Luther, a Catholic Monk and the titular head and founder of Protestant and Lutheran Churches. He declared, in two conjoined portions of quotes, “such as are baptized should be completely immersed into the water according to the meaning of the Word and the signification of the ordinance...” and “...as also, without doubt, it was instituted by Christ.”

Every topic included within this brief lesson has been discussed in volumes by believers and unbelievers alike in theists, books, and videos, and a multitude of inerrant and errant opinions scattered over the Internet.

In that regard, and for the salvation of souls, I have written this to be a simplistic, unadorned understanding of Christianity's fundamental beliefs, which show the way to eternal redemption for the unsaved. For clarity, I generally use the New International Version (NIV) of the Holy Scriptures. For more in-depth enlightenment, please refer to any newer King James Bible version. Or speak with a bona fide Christian clergyman. Remember, you do not have to join a church to attend church or to speak with a Minister! If you are searching, try more than just a couple of churches before attending one church consistently. I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so.

Also, a host of information is offered freely at BibleGateway.com. Once there, you may choose any Biblical version(s) you prefer. I frequently compare the same verses against different interpretations. Any amount of time familiarizing yourself with the various references will be well spent.

Understanding Christian Beliefs

Christianity is a Bible based religion founded upon the teachings of Jesus Christ. ‘Christ’ is not the last name of Jesus. The word, ‘Christ,’ means the anointed one of God the Father. Jesus, anointed by God, was born fully human to fulfill the Old Testament prophecies and laws. He performed many miracles and instructed shepherds and priests alike. These acts were recorded on scrolls by eyewitnesses, plus being supported by other non-biblical writings. These individual manuscripts were aggregated into the books of the Bible we now use today.

The Son of the Most High willingly, if somewhat reluctantly, died on the cross for the remission of all our sins so we could have a chance of salvation. Three days later, He physically rose from death, left the burial tomb, and proved to the Apostles. He was alive again before ascending to heaven.

Christianity teaches there is one Supreme Being manifested as the Holy Trinity: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God made the universe and the earth while creating humankind in His image. The Son is the only way to salvation. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners but works in the hearts and minds of all humanity to save those who exercise their faith and believe in Jesus.

Grasping the basic Christian beliefs need not be unduly complicated. Don’t be intimidated if the Holy Scriptures seem too complex or convoluted to understand. You would be hard-pressed to find two biblical scholars who completely agreed on any single chosen book within the sixty-six books of the Protestant Bible. Remember, there is no ‘open book’ or ‘multiple choice’ bible test you have to pass to get to heaven.

The Bible is the amalgamated result of many scrolls, revealing the Old and New Testament books. Among all the works ever written, the Bible has remarkable qualities. Within the thirty-nine Old Testament and twenty-seven New Testament Books, there is a unity of the overall message despite having forty (or so) authors writing over a period of roughly 2,000 years. These sixty-six books were written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Writing from palaces, prisons, and wilderness camps, the authors had various and wide-ranging professions. They were trailblazers, shepherds, kings, physicians, fishermen, and even a despised, probably corrupt, tax collector. Two writers, James, and Jude were thought of as half-brothers of Jesus. They were born of Mary, mother of Jesus, through the seed of Joseph, her husband.

Despite this marvelous array of subjective themes and contributors, the Bible displays a flawless internal consistency of interlocking and reinforcing its diverse theological themes.

Everyone goes to heaven for judgment. The question is, will you be allowed to stay there? Even if you are already a devout and practicing Christian, this short epistle could help you explain Christianity to those who have questions. God commands us to “go forth and make disciples of all nations.”

To enhance this instruction brevity, we’ll skip many details of stories, miracles, and historical ancestry of David, Jesus, and others. Remember, the entire Bible is important, but our lesson will only address the three most essential realizations within the Old and New Testament. Only six foundational concepts in total.

The Old Testament provides God-inspired words on His Authority, Promises, and Punishments. So first, we’ll dive into three of the primary thoughts of the Old Testament. Let’s begin this odyssey to Glory together.

God's Authority

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, Chapter 1, states in verse 1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Therefore, since God created heaven and earth, He has complete and final authority over every aspect of the universe. Physical and written wonders aside for the moment, God’s jurisdiction is established through His speaking to our very hearts. His government is manifested by His Holy decrees and commandments.

God has been and will be known forever. His life was a demonstration of His moral character. His Word is forever Holy because He is Holy. God spoke His laws personally to Adam, to the Nation of Israel through Moses, and us today through the prophets of the past. The greatest of all prophets was Jesus! His short reign on earth was promised more than 700 years in advance, even down to naming the city of His birth.

God's Punishments

God’s punishments are founded in His perfect justice. His Majesty gave Moses the Ten Commandments to show his tribes. God is the Supreme Ruler and, in the manifestation of Jesus, the final judge of all humans. His perfect justice declares the punishment for human sins as death as written in Genesis, Chapter 2, verses 16 and 17. “And the Lord God commanded the man, You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

This deserved sentence is both physical death and spiritual death as being eternally separated in hell from God’s presence. When unbelievers experience physical death and are placed in hell forever, they receive punishments for their sins. One penalty is being eternally separated from God.

It is vitally important that every person understand how God’s authority is expressed to mankind so that all will recognize it, learn what it commands, and submit to it in all things. Not perfectly, for none of us are perfect. But as good as we can be. To do less would be to fall short of God's plan for us. Therefore, the Old and New Testament should be studied to guide us to live and follow His revealed will.

God's Promises

The Old Testament promised and named a Savior for our past, present, and future sin. His name is often expressed as ‘Messiah’. In the Bible, there are more than 150 different names or titles used to identify Jesus Christ

By those Old Testament prophets, God was foretelling and preparing the world for the coming of the Savior.

The New Testament lineage of Jesus, as found in the Old Testament, is the promised seed of Adam, who would crush Satan’s head (Genesis Chapter 3, verse 15). God called one man, Abraham, through whose family the Savior would come. God gave His special promise to Abraham: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed ” (Genesis, Chapter 12, verse 3). Thus, the descendants of Abraham increased and became a great multitude. They spent many years as slaves in Egypt, until God delivered them through Moses and brought them back to their homeland, and made them a nation.

Countless prophets, over hundreds of years, spoke about the coming of the Messiah. They foretold His ministry, death, resurrection, and triumphal reign. The prophet Micah explicitly prophesied that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem 700 years before that historic event. (Micah 5:2)

The promises of a Savior reach their highest point in the Book of Isaiah. The prophet promised a Savior for the people. Isaiah said, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel.”

The name ‘Emmanuel’ means ‘God with us.’ The child born to the Virgin Mother would be Jesus, the living presence of God to walk and teach among the crowds. This came true when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, grew into adulthood, and completed his three-year ministry here on earth.

More Old Testament promises are scattered and fulfilled throughout the Holy Scriptures. You may be best served by reading this study first, then take hold of a Bible. Set a time and place aside to do detailed research by yourself for yourself. Beware, translation subtleties of the original Jewish, Aramaic, and Hebrew languages plus attempts to clarify has caused different versions of biblical text to vary. Interpreting the meaning of some text presents readers with surmountable hurdles. These struggles are compounded by what we are reading is likely based on 1,000 or more years of oral information before written alphabets were conceived. God’s Word remains true. It is the humans that are fallible, not God.

New Testament Teachings

The New Testament may be easier for you to comprehend. It primarily speaks of God’s Grace, Faith, and Obedience while documenting the many miracles of Jesus. Again, for the sake of brevity, only a few of the important messages are addressed herein.

The New Testament respects the authority, justice, and promises of the Old Testament teachings. God expressed them through Jesus. He possesses all authority. As the Godhead’s spokesperson to all intelligent creations of heaven and this earth, we should strive to respect His teachings. All of His laws will be ultimately important to us. We should want to know more about God's commands, and our lives should mirror the character traits of Christ as much as humanly possible.

God's Grace

God offers his grace to all, but not all believe in Jesus, so not all will accept God’s grace.

First Colossians states in Chapter 1, verses 3 through 6, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you.” The Book of Acts, Chapter 20, verse 32 states, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

To be a Christian or not--is your personal choice.

Once you accept the grace of God, that choice, even without an understanding of the Bible, is often recognizable by family, friends, and even strangers. You must decide whether you want to be a Christian. Your acceptance of His grace is a one-on-one covenant (contract) between you and Jesus. The very moment you accept Christ as your Savior, you become a Christian. Immediately. Your conscious, intellectual, and mature choice transforms you from sinner to believer, from one of the eternally damned to a soul saved forever by His grace.

Take heed! No one may make that choice for you. No one can intercede or pray for your salvation after you die in this world. New believers should seek greater understandings of the Bible and resolve to become baptized by full immersion. This baptism is a public declaration of your faith in the grace of God.

Your Faith

It is of paramount importance that you know that people are not justified by their good works or obedience to the laws, but by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Faith is necessary to please God and when your faith is genuine you will strive to live a lifestyle characterized by righteousness, modeling the examples set by Jesus Christ. No one can be good enough or sinless enough to enter heaven on their own merits.

No amount of 'Good Works' can remove all your sins. Galatians Chapter 3, verses 22-29 says,"But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you baptized into Christ should clothe yourselves within the robe of Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."

Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 6 reads, And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. It is of paramount importance that you know that people are not justified by their good works or obedience to the laws, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, Mark Chapter 16, verse 16 relates, Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. See how the New Testament reinforces the Old Testament? This verse intertwines the prophecies of salvation and punishment.

As a side note; so as not to confuse anyone, being baptized by man is not a salvation requirement. However, You can not be given eternal salvation unless you had been baptized by the Holy Spirit.

Your Obedience

After you have received God's grace, you faith should compel you to continuously try to improve your obedience to God.

Obedience to God proves your love for Him, demonstrates your faithfulness and glorifies Him to the world while opening avenues of blessings for you. We obey His commands, not because we have to, but because we want to out of love. We are enabled to obey because, once we believe in Christ and are saved, we are remade. We are not the same people we once were.

As Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” To that I add, “Hallelujah, All praise and glory be to God!” For it is not what we have done, but what the Father, Son and Holy Spirit have done within us.

When we obey the Lord, we can live a life of joy, without shame, rooted deeply in the Lord and confident in our eternal hope. 2 Corinthians 3:17-21 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:[a] The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin[b] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” . Our obedience is actually part of our assurance that we truly know God. First John, Chapter 2, verses 3-5 states “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God[a] is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

When God’s children obey their Heavenly Father, He is glorified. Jesus told us that the plan is for others to “see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Of course, performing “good deeds” requires obedience to the one who calls us to do good deeds. Our outward Christian’s testimony of holiness is a strong witness that God is at work within our very being.

Can you or I reach sinless perfection? Not on this earth. Do you and I sin every day? Yes, we all do. We all are sinners until the day we die. What makes us different is that we try to overcome our sins and when we fail, we repent.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ... Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ... And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

(NRSV) Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46

Recap

So that concludes six of the many major concepts of the Old and New Testaments. As a recap, they are; God's Authority, God's Justice, God's Promises, God's Grace, Your Faithfulness, and Your Obedience.

Hopefully, within the lessons above you have gained a clearer understanding, not of Biblical Laws but what God really wants us to know in the New and Old Testament. The New Testament provides God's more recent commands, instructions, and guidance towards your own heavenly salvation.

The End of This Instruction

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