Why Jesus Is the Center of the Christian Faith

When people think about the Christian faith they may first think about attending church or trying to live a good life. These things have a place in the life of a believer. Yet to understand Christianity we must first understand who Jesus is and what He has done for us. At the center of our faith is the Savior who died for our sins and rose again to give us new life.

The Bible teaches in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. This includes every one of us. We may try to do what is right but still find sin within our hearts. There are times when we know we should love someone but hold onto resentment. We may recognize that something is wrong and still choose to do it. Sin is a reality that we cannot overcome simply by deciding to become better people.

Our deepest need is to be restored to God. Sin has separated us from Him and we cannot remove that separation through our own efforts. No amount of good works can undo the wrong we have done or make us righteous before Him. This is why we need a Savior.

Romans 5:8 teaches that God demonstrated His love for us through Christ dying for us while we were still sinners. God did not wait for us to become worthy of His love. He came to us in the very condition from which we could not save ourselves. Jesus took upon Himself the judgment for our sins so that we could receive forgiveness and be reconciled to God.

When we look at the cross we come to understand both the seriousness of sin and the depth of God’s love. Our forgiveness came through the life that Christ gave for us. The cross shows us how greatly we needed His mercy and how willingly He loved us. We no longer have to hide our sin or pretend that we are without fault. We can come before Him honestly and receive the forgiveness He has made possible.

Yet the Christian faith does not end with the death of Jesus. He rose again. In 1 Corinthians 15:17 Paul teaches that if Christ has not been raised our faith is futile and we are still in our sins. The resurrection is essential to the gospel because the Savior in whom we trust is alive. Sin and death did not have the final word.

Through His resurrection we have hope that reaches beyond our present circumstances and even beyond death. Jesus declares in John 11:25 that He is the resurrection and the life. Our hope rests in Him because He has overcome what we could never overcome ourselves. Even as we face grief we can hold onto His promise of eternal life.

Receiving new life in Christ begins with turning to Him in repentance and faith. Ephesians 2:8–9 teaches that salvation is the gift of God received by grace through faith. We come trusting in what Jesus has done for us rather than what we can accomplish for ourselves. We receive Him as our Savior and Lord and begin learning to walk with Him.

Second Corinthians 5:17 teaches that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. This does not mean that every struggle immediately disappears. It means that our lives now have a new beginning in Him. Through the Holy Spirit we begin to turn away from sin and grow in obedience to God. The love we have received also begins to change how we treat others.

Jesus remains at the center throughout our walk of faith. We continue to need His grace each day just as we needed it when we first believed. As we study His Word and come before Him in prayer we grow to know the One who gave His life for us.

The foundation of the Christian faith is the crucified and risen Christ. Through Him we receive forgiveness and are brought back to God. May we continue to look to Jesus and build our lives upon the hope that is found in Him.