| The
Christian faith is directly descended from the religion of the Jews. At
the time of Jesus, this had the following characteristics, as taught in
the sacred book of the Jews, the Old Testament: |
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Belief
in the existence of one God, the Creator and Lord of the universe
who is sovereign over all.
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Belief
in the fact that man is made in the image of God, but has rebelled
against his Creator and stands in danger of judgement.
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Belief
that God, who is the righteous judge, is also gracious and merciful.
He has provided a way for man to be set free from judgement by the
penitent offering of sacrifices.
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Belief
that God revealed himself to the nation of Israel and called them
to be his people.
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Belief
that God would some day establish his rule in a sinful world, setting
his people free from their enemies, and appointing his chosen agent,
the Messiah, to rule over them for ever.
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The
practice of a moral life under the guidance of the Law given in the
Old Testament; the mainte-nance of a religious ritual based on the
temple and involving the offering of sacrifice.
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