Do Amish Believe in Jesus?
Amish people do believe in Jesus as the Son of God.
They believe that Jesus came to earth through the Virgin birth. He performed many miracles and taught us how to live.
And they also believe that Jesus died for their sins, rose again on the third day, and later ascended back to the Father in heaven.
Do Amish Believe in God?
Yes, the Amish people believe in God. They believe in the Trinity of One God eternally existing as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They believe that God created the heavens and the earth as taught in Genesis chapter one.
The Amish believe that God is Holy and Righteous and must be reverently feared. And He commands us to live a holy life and follow the teachings in His Word to our very best ability.
In Amish circles, God is often portrayed as a strict Father figure who is watching to see if we’re going to mess up.
What Do the Amish Believe About Jesus Christ?
As stated, the Amish people believe that Jesus came to die for our sins. They believe in Him as Saviour and Lord.
However, the sad thing is that most of them are trusting in their works for salvation.
Although they believe Jesus died for their sins, they do not understand the truth about being born again. They don’t understand that we are saved by Grace through Faith alone. (Ephesians 2:8&9)
They believe and teach that we can only hope to make it to heaven. Hopefully, we can keep the commandments well enough. And hopefully, our good deeds will be enough to get us there.
They say that it would be prideful to declare one’s salvation, and we have no way of knowing for sure if we’ll make it to heaven.
Faith and Grace is the True Way
It is our faith, in the shed blood of Jesus alone, that saves us. Believing and accepting His sacrifice on the Cross, for the atonement of my sins, guarantees my salvation. (John 3:16 and Acts 16:31) (Romans 10:9)
If my Faith is anchored in Jesus’ shed blood for me, then I am saved. I am born-again. (John 3:3) And as long as my Faith remains there, I will go to heaven when my time on earth is done.
So I don’t need to fear and only hope that I’ll be good enough to go to heaven. I can have the assurance and know without a doubt that I am saved, and heaven will be my eternal home.
It’s not because of what I do or don’t do.
But I am made holy and righteous through my Faith in Jesus, not through my works and trying to keep the commandments. Isaiah 64:6 says that our righteousness is as filthy rags.
Are the Amish People Saved/Born Again?
Sadly, most of the Amish have a very limited understanding of salvation and what is required to be saved.
Members are not encouraged to study the Word of God because they don’t want them to have different interpretations of Scripture. They are supposed to go by what the preachers tell them that Scripture says.
Therefore, many of them really don’t know exactly what the Word of God says about being saved. They believe what they are taught (which is to keep the traditions and obey the Ordnung – “church rules”).
And you’ll find that when an Amish person gets hungry for God’s Word and starts to study on their own, oftentimes they get saved and leave the Amish church.
I have lots of extended family members who are still in the Amish church. And I would like to believe that they are saved. But I don’t know.? If you were to ask them, they would probably say that they believe in Jesus and that they have a blessed hope that they’ll make it to heaven.
But the problem is, if their faith is in works and not in Christ alone, then they are not saved.
Good Works
I will add that if a person is truly saved, then good works will be a natural fruit in their life. But if we are trusting in our works to save us, we will be forever lost.
Jesus died to save us from our sins and to set us free from the bondage of sin. And He also died to set us free from the law, so that we can have abundant life in Him.
But most of the Amish are in bondage to law, they are not free in Christ. And sadly, many of them are like the Pharisees in Jesus’ day who kept the law to the letter and trusted in their good works.
Many of the Amish believe that they have to stay Amish to make it to heaven. And living under law, as they do, brings lots of condemnation.
I love Romans 8, where it talks about how Jesus came to set us free from the law, and there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. And I wish that the Amish could experience freedom in Christ rather than being in bondage to the law that cannot save them.
New Order Amish Are an Exception
I’ve been talking about what the Amish believe and teach. And how most of them teach a works-based salvation. And to be quite honest with you, I believe that the majority of the Amish are not saved.
However, there is an exception to what I’ve just said.
The New Order Amish believe in and teach salvation by Grace through Faith.
They are a minority group of Amish people. But Holmes County, Ohio has quite a few New Order churches, and there are small groups scattered here and there in several other states as well.
Unlike the stricter Amish groups, the New Order Amish encourage their members to read the Word of God and seek to have a personal relationship with Jesus. They freely talk about being born again and having the assurance of salvation.
Having grown up in the New Order church, I would dare to say that many of them are saved.
They still put a lot of focus on good works and keeping the commandments. And many still live under the bondage of law.
But I think most of them at least understand that their works will not save them, and they are trusting in Christ’s sacrifice on their behalf.
Can I Go to Heaven if I Sin?
I’m addressing this question to show you how I used to think, and this is how many people think if they don’t have a true understanding of salvation by Grace through Faith.
As a twenty-year-old New Order Amish girl, I went to Canada as a missionary to Native Americans. I was saved, but I had a very limited understanding of what salvation by Grace through Faith really means.
Because of the emphasis that was put on works, I didn’t understand that it was solely my Faith in the blood of Jesus that gave me the right to stand in the presence of God.
We held weekly Bible studies for our Native American friends who wanted to come and learn more from God’s Word.
And one day a question came up in one of our Bible study classes, “If I sin just before I die, will I still make it to heaven?”
There were three of us missionaries there, and neither one of us knew how to answer that question. The only thing we could come up with is that we hope God would overlook that sin and still allow us to go to heaven. (We had a warped understanding of Grace.)
I am quite grateful that I don’t have to live with the fear of not making it to heaven, should I happen to sin just before I die. (Note: I am not condoning sin. All sin should be repented of.)
But I am saved by Grace because my Faith is in Christ Jesus, and my destiny is secure (unless I quit believing).
Amish Believe in Jesus
So to answer the question, “Do the Amish people believe in Jesus?” Yes, they do believe in Jesus, but they don’t understand God’s plan of salvation.
And it seems in most cases, the more conservative they are, the less they teach the true path to God. The reason, I believe to be, is that the more they believe that works will get them there, the harder they try by being more conservative.
The Amish people believe in Jesus. But in reality, they believe that Jesus’ death was not sufficient to save them. Believing that they also have to do lots of good works in hopes that God will accept them.
They are taught salvation by faith plus works instead of the truth of salvation by Grace through Faith. Sad, but true.
Revival Among the Amish
The good news is that revival has been happening among a few of the Amish groups. There seems to be a hunger, and some are finding the truth.
As to whether or not they will stay Amish, I don’t know.
Because typically, when an Amish person gets saved and starts telling people that they have been born again, they get kicked out of the church. (New Order groups being an exception.)
So unless the preachers and many in the church are coming to the truth, a born-again person (at least if they tell others) probably will not be welcome in most Amish churches.
But I thank God that some of the Amish people are finding the truth and being born-again. And I pray that many more will find freedom in Christ.
More Articles to Read About the Amish…
If you’re interested in learning more about the Amish, I have lots of articles on my site with information. And for your convenience, I am adding a few links to several posts…
New Order Amish vs. Old Order Amish
Difference Between Amish and Mennonite
My Testimony of Leaving the Amish
You can read my personal story of growing up Amish and leaving the Amish in my three-part story…
Testimony of Leaving the Amish (Part 3)