Plain Answers About the Amish Life Read Free

tenets of the Christian faith:
    There is one God .
    God is a trinity .
    Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh, died, and rose again .
    Salvation comes through grace by faith .
    Scripture is the divinely inspired word of God .
    The church is the body of Christ .
    Note that these same beliefs are also held by the Catholic church and by most Protestant denominations as well. The difference between the Amish and other Christian groups is not so much what they believe as it is how they have chosen to live out those beliefs.
    If their beliefs aren’t all that different from other Christian denominations, then why do the Amish have so many odd practices, such as dressing the way they do and not using electricity?
    Most of the elements of the Amish lifestyle that seem unique or confusing are not due to a complicated or controversial theology, but instead to the ways they have chosen to live out their Christian walk in their day-to-day lives. They attempt to follow the teachings of Jesus, particularly the Sermon on the Mount, by emphasizing certain biblical values, including:
    â€¢ surrender of the self-will to God
    â€¢ submission to authority, to the faith community, and to its rules
    â€¢ separation from the world, becoming a “peculiar people” by turning to family and the faith community, by honoring history and tradition, and by turning the other cheek
    â€¢ simplicity through the practice of humility, modesty, thrift, and peacefulness
    Jesus embodied these values of surrender, submission, separation, and simplicity throughout His life and thus provided the perfect example of how we, too, should live. A biblical passage frequently cited by the Amish comes from the night before Jesus was crucified, when He exemplified surrender and submission as He knelt in the Garden of Gethsemane and prayed, “Remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42 KJV ). The Amish strive to be as obedient in every area of life as Jesus was in that moment. Their many unique lifestyle regulations are based on this overriding goal of Christlikeness.
    â€”I N T HEIR O WN W ORDS —
    For the Amish, culture and religion are intertwined to the point where it is hard to separate the two. Indeed, it is a faith culture.
    Is the reason they deny themselves modern comforts to earn their way into heaven?
    No. The reason for their lifestyle is not to earn grace. Instead, it comes from a desire to live out a Christlike lifestyle of surrender, submission, separation, and simplicity.
    Are you positive they are not trying to “earn” their salvation? Because I’ve heard conflicting answers to this question. Some Amish say that if they violate the ordinances, they won’t get into heaven. That sounds like a works-based religion to me.
    As with many denominations, there are factions that teach variations of the core beliefs. While you are correct that some Amish are taught that they must earn their way into heaven, the official Amish belief—and the one held by the majority of Amish groups—is that salvation comes through grace alone.
    Do the Amish believe in the concept of salvation? Do they consider themselves “saved” or “born again”?
    Yes, the Amish believe in salvation, and many would describe themselves as saved, born again, or as having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
    Various Amish affiliations seem to be of different minds, however, on the topic of what is known as “assurance of salvation.” The majority of Amish believe it would be prideful to state outright that they have received salvation and instead maintain what they call a “living hope” or a “continued effort” on the topic. They trust the ultimate fate of their soul to God’s providence rather than claim it with certainty.
    There are other Amish groups, however, that feel an assurance of salvation is not prideful but biblical, citing verses such as 1