Key beliefs in ChristianitySalvation – grace and the Holy Spirit

Salvation through grace

Grace is the unconditional love of God for everyone, regardless of whether or not they have obeyed his will. Some Christians believe that salvation does not need to be earned through doing good works. Instead, they believe that grace can be achieved by believing in God and his son Jesus Christ.

Salvation through the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit helps Christians to follow the teachings of God. Christians believe that God knows that everyone commits sinful acts, but that they should turn to God in repentance (Acts 20:21). This means that, despite sinning, humans should try to make amends and ask God for forgiveness.

The Holy Spirit in Evangelical worship

Spreading the word of the Gospel is known as evangelising. Evangelical churches put great emphasis on spreading the word of the Bible to others, because they believe that it is the sole source of God’s law and authority. They do this because they believe it is commanded by Jesus:

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19–20)

In Acts (2:1–6), the Bible explains how the apostles received the gift of the Holy Spirit:

• The Holy Spirit came to the apostles in the form of tongues of fire that rested on each of them without burning them.
• The apostles then discovered that they could speak in different languages, known as ‘speaking in tongues’.
• People had gathered from different parts of the world to celebrate the Jewish harvest festival. Each person was able to understand the apostles, as the apostles appeared to be speaking the languages of everybody present.

This event, which happened 50 days after Jesus’ resurrection, is called the Pentecost. It is considered the birthday of the Church because through the Holy Spirit’s gift, Jesus’ apostles were able to spread the Gospel of Jesus around the world.

Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians believe the Pentecost is evidence that God sent the Holy Spirit to inspire all Christians to spread the Gospel of Jesus. Thus, when these Christians gather together for worship, they remember the Pentecost and believe the Holy Spirit is present. This inspires the preacher, and the worshippers directly to experience the Holy Spirit, which helps them to live as good Christians.