Four spiritual truths of God's salvation: We need a clear, simple framework to explain our understanding of Christianity, says J Nelson Kraybill. Here he offers a Mennonite versio of the four spiritual laws

If someone asks you how to become a Christian, can you give a short, clear answer? There are various ways to explain salvation, and theologians write volumes. But in day-to-day witness, many of us need a thumbnail framework to explain the basics of our faith.

In 1965, Bill Bright of Campus Crusade drafted a summary of how to be saved. His "Four Spiritual Laws" are as follows (with his capitalizations):

1) God LOVES you and offers a PLAN for your life.

2) Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. Thus he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.

3) Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience …