How do we know what God is like?

In the Bible, God tells us what he is like. God made our universe and is in charge of it. He is bigger and more powerful than we can imagine. He is everywhere and knows what is going on at all times.

But the Bible focuses on his character. God is truly good. He is fair, loving, ready to show mercy, self-giving and concerned for our wellbeing. But he is no soft fool. He cannot stand injustice, self-centredness, hate and envy. He fights evil and fights for the weak and those on the margins of society.

Who is Jesus? Why do you sometimes talk about 'God' and sometimes about 'Jesus'?

Jesus was the most amazing man who ever lived. He was born in Israel around 2000 years ago, and claimed to be one with God. According to the Bible, he was a wise teacher and performed astonishing miracles. He told his followers that he would be killed by the authorities and would rise from the dead three days later.

When his followers saw the risen Jesus, they realised that everything he had said was true. They came to understand that Jesus was God himself - because only God could do the things Jesus did. What's more, they realised that Jesus' death was no tragedy but offered us a way to escape our corrupt, self-centred life with all its consequences.

I thought you said earlier that Jesus was a man. So is he God or is he human? Make up your mind!

What a great question! This took Jesus' followers many years to get to grips with. But the Bible is clear that Jesus was fully human, and that he was also God. So our only option is to believe that both are true. This is very important when we think about his role in rescuing us - see below. If he wasn't one of us, then he couldn't identify with us, and if he wasn't God then he couldn't help us. It's a bit like a bridge - it needs to be fixed to both sides of the valley for people to cross. Jesus is like that bridge - he allows us to be reunited with God.

How could Jesus be God and yet claim to know God? Are there two gods?

No - the Bible is clear that there is only one God. But the Bible talks about three persons - the Father, the Son (Jesus) and the Holy Spirit - in terms that imply they are all God. So his followers believe that God is three persons but they are united in their nature and character. This is sometimes called the 'Trinity' (not the one in the Matrix).

Why do you talk about Jesus 'saving' or 'rescuing' someone? I don't see that I need to be rescued from anything.

Followers of Jesus believe that the mess the world is in was caused by humanity deciding to live for themselves rather than for God. Though God had warned us about the consequences, we decided we knew better. From this initial decision, evil corrupted the whole world and led to hatred, war, disease, natural disaster and death. Most crucially we lost our relationship with God. We forfeited the ability to live forever with him.

There is still a spark of goodness in us, which reflects the fact that God designed us well. But we can't get ourselves out of this mess, because we are contaminated by evil. We need God to forgive us, and to break through our stubbornness and reach us, and we need someone to help us on our side - someone just like us, but without any evil. That someone is Jesus Christ.

When Jesus was executed, he was an innocent man. But his death represents God giving himself up for us. As God, Jesus took the blame for all we had done, and showed us God's selfless love. And because he was one of us - but free from rebellion - he could put right our wrong once and for all. To prove that this is true, he rose from the dead to show that evil had been finally dealt with. He paved the way for his followers to rise from the dead, too.

So how good do you have to be to be rescued by Jesus?

Not at all - that's the point! Not even the best of us can help ourselves. But Jesus has made it possible for anyone to be rescued. Jesus spent most of his time on earth with people on the fringes of society - enemy collaborators, prostitutes and uneducated blue-collar workers - rather than with the rich and important people.

Followers of Jesus are not 'better people' than anyone else. They recognise that without God's help, they would have no chance at all.

OK, so what does 'following Jesus' involve?

Following Jesus involves a sincere ongoing commitment to reject a self-centred lifestyle, including any attempt to get into God's good books, and a willingness to trust that he will do the rest. Believers call the first bit 'repentance' and the second part 'faith'.

Following Jesus is not cheap. Rejecting one's former lifestyle and following Jesus 100% means that everything else in life comes in second place. Many millions of believers have stuck with Jesus even though it meant losing their possessions, their family's support, their careers - even their lives. But even where it's not that extreme, you can't follow Jesus in a casual way; it's all or nothing.

Following Jesus also involves being part of a new family of believers. Congregations like King's Church are made up of believers who have experienced God's kindness and are learning to live the way God wants them to. It's not a solo activity or a spectator sport!