Christianity 101: The Essentials of Biblical Christianity: You Need to Hold to These Essentials.
The Bible itself reveals what is important and essential to the Christian faith. We must believe in the Jesus that has been taught to us since the beginning. This article will provide an overview of the orthodox beliefs of Biblical Christianity, which Christians have accepted throughout history. These essentials are the Deity of Christ, Salvation by God’s Grace and not by works, Salvation through Jesus Christ Alone, the Resurrection of Christ, the Gospel, Monotheism, and the Trinity. These are the main “essentials” that we should understand and believe if we are followers of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at all of these in a little more detail.
And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.
Romans 16:17
The Deity of Christ.
The Scriptures declare that Jesus is God and the creator of all things: In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through him, and nothing was made that was made without him. (John 1:1-3). Because Jesus is coequal with God – fully divine – when people refer to him as merely a man or say he cannot be both human and divine, they are not only misrepresenting Jesus’ identity but also contradicting what the Bible says about him. Because Jesus has always been both totally human and totally divine, the divine is present in him in bodily form (Colossians 2:9).
Salvation by Grace (This is what saves us.)
Scripture informs us that Christ provided us with salvation through grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). We were born again into a new life as a result of his grace (ibid.). God loved us so much that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, as a sacrifice for our sins. All we have to do is believe in, have faith in, trust, and entreat him with all our powers. Jesus has finished the job for us. According to Ephesians 2:10, grace saves us through faith.
No charge is required for us to receive salvation because it has already been given to those who will receive it, and once we are saved, there is nothing else required of us. To simplify, salvation comes from the Father through the work of His Son on our behalf out of His unconditional love for us!
Only through Jesus can you be saved.
Jesus makes it clear in the Bible that salvation is available exclusively through him. John 14:6 declares, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can reach the Father except through me.’ Before becoming human, the Bible tells us that Jesus was aware of sin and mortality. In John 17:12, he tells his disciples, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful. Even though he loved humanity, Jesus became human and died on the cross to pay for our sins. In addition to adoring humanity, Jesus sacrificed himself to obey God’s commandment (Genesis 2:17) and to save humanity. It is not good for humans to be alone. Therefore, Jesus died so that we could live for eternity with God. God loved us so much that he sent his only son into the world so that we could live through him, as Paul stated in Romans 6.
The Resurrection of Christ.
The account of Jesus’ resurrection is recorded by the apostle Peter in the Bible. Jesus had just been killed when Peter realized that he had to be strong for Jesus’ disciples afterward. However, when Jesus came back to life three days later and spoke with his disciples, it became apparent that Jesus’ message was not just for Jews in Israel but for everyone. That’s why Paul talks about the Gospel, or good news, in which Jesus rises from the dead, and we may also have new life.
Jesus is more than just a teacher—he is God incarnate (John 1:1). Because he lived among us as a human and cared for us, we can trust him so that death will not separate us from him (Romans 6:8).
Christianity is not just one thing; it comprises all of these things together. Only those who trust in Jesus receive eternal life and those who are freed from sin (John 3:16). Salvation, therefore, involves both faith in Christ and His death for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). I delivered the message of Christ’s death for our sins in accordance with the scriptures and His burial and resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). No one could be freed from their sin without faith in Jesus Christ or His ability to save them. Jesus guarantees that this teaching will never alter.
The Gospel (The good news.)
The death of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God and the Son of God, was vitally necessary (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Furthermore, sin and death were overthrown through Christ’s crucifixion. Jesus died for our sins in order to reconcile us with God and save us (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Jesus has given us the means to return to God, who is both loving and merciful. God wants all of His creatures to return to Him in repentance and forgiveness. He did this out of love so that each one might get to know Him personally and live forever with Him as a member of His Kingdom family in Heaven, eradicating their sins.
Monotheism
Monotheism, the belief in one God, was a revolutionary idea at the time because most people believed in many gods. The Christian faith became a central tenet as a result. There are several passages that teach this central principle. Only one God existed before me, and there will be no god after me, as stated in Isaiah 43:10. Only one God exists, and he is eternal, having neither been created nor ceased to exist. Another example is Exodus 20:3, which prohibits the worship of other gods besides God. There should be only one God, and no others should be followed or worshiped. 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 clarifies that, even though there are so-called gods in Heaven or on earth, there is only one God, the Father, from whom all things come and through whom we exist. Because even if there were other ‘gods,’ they would not be real because they would not have come from the same source as our God. Christian monotheism is, therefore, fundamental.
The Trinity
The Triune God of the Bible is a single divinity composed of three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
We believe in one true God[Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 45:57, 1 Corinthians 8:4], shown to us in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit[Matthews 28:19, 2 Corinthians 13:14]. The three persons of the Godhead are one in essence, yet each is entirely God in nature, in attribute, in Glory, in worthiness to receive worship, and in the worthiness of obedience[Philippians 2:8]. Each is equal; each has always been and will always be[John 5:18, John 5:23, John 8:16, John 14:9, John 17:10, Philippians 2:9, Colossians 2:9, Romans 1:7, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 13:21, 2 Peter 3:18, Revelations 7:10].
Some of the names of God are Adonai[Exodus 21:1-6, Joshua 5:14. Isaiah 6:8-11], Elohim[Genesis 31:30, Exodus 12:12, Genesis 1:1], and Yahweh[Exodus 3:14, Exodus 6:6].
I believe the triune God to be Perfect[Psalm 18:30], Immutable[James 1:17, Micah 3:6, Isaiah 46:9-10, John 3:10,], Eternal[Psalm 90:2, Genesis 21:33, Acts 17:24], Omniscient[Matthew 11:21, Psalm 147:4, Acts 15:18], Omnipotent[Revelations 19:6, 1 Peter 1:5, Romans 1:16, Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 1:3], Omnipresent[Psalms 139]; God is true[Romans 3:4, John 14:6], Holy[1 Peter 1:15, 1 John 1:5], Just[Psalm 19:9, Psalm 116:5, Psalm 145:17, Jerimiah 12:1, Acts 17:31, Romans 3:21-26], Good[Nahum 1:7, Mark 10:18, Psalm 34:8], Faithful[Deuteronomy 7:9, 2 Timothy 2:13, Psalm 33:4, 2 Thessalonians 3:3], Loving[Revelations 19:6, 1 Peter 1:5, Romans 1:16, Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 1:3], Merciful[ Psalm 1:39] , and Gracious[Psalm 90:2, Genesis 21:33, Acts 17:24] ; I also believe that God is beyond the comprehension of man[Isaiah 55:8-9].
God the Father
God the Father is Omniscient[Matthew 11;21, Psalm 147:4, Acts 15:18], Omnipotent[Revelations 19:6, 1 Peter 1:5, Romans 1:16, Genesis 1:1, Hebrews 1:3], Omnipresent[Psalms 139], Eternal[Psalm 90:2, Genesis 21:33, Acts 17:24], Just[Psalm 19:9, Psalm 116:5, Psalm 145:17, Jerimiah 12:1, Acts 17:31, Romans 3:21-26], Holy[1 Peter 1:15, John 1:5], Love[1 John 4:8, 1 John 3:16, John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-10, Romans 5:8, Mark 9:45-48], True[Romans 3:4, John 14:6], Sovereign[Ephesians 1, Romans 9] , and Immutable[James 1:17, Malachi 3:6, Isaiah 46:9-10, Genesis 6:6, John 3:10].
God the Word (Son)
Jesus existed from the beginning[Micah 5:2, Habakkuk 1:12, Isaiah 9:6], Existed before Abraham[John 8:58], Existed before time[Colossians 1:16], and Claimed to be equal with God[John 5:18, John 10:10], Forgave sin[Mark 2:1-12], Raised the dead[John 15:26], has the authority to Judge[John 5:27], Created all Things[John 1:3, Colossians 1:17]Has all authority[Matthew 28:18], The Beginning, and the End[Revelations 1:8], Omniscient[Mark 2:8, John 1:48], Omnipresent[Matthew 18:20, Matthew 28:20, Ephesians 1:23], Worshipped by men[Matthew 14:33, Philippians 2:10, Hebrews 2:10], The same essence as the Father[Hebrews 1:3, Colossians 2:9].
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is Omniscient[1 Corinthians 2:10], Omnipresent[Psalms 139:7], Regenerative[John 3:5-6,8], Omnipotent[Job 33:4, Romans 15:18-19], Eternal[Hebrews 9:14], and Life-Giving[Romans 8:10-11].
The Triune Godhead
God the Father is recognized as God[John 6:27, 1 Peter 1:2]. Jesus Christ is Recognized as God[ John 20:2], and the Holy Spirit is recognized as God[Acts 5:3-4].
Jesus is fully God and fully Man[John 1:14, Galatians 4:4, 1 Timothy 3:16]. He is not human as we are; he is human without the fall or curse. His two natures do not function independently of each other, and he has voluntarily limited his divine attributes.
Jesus became, by his nature, the perfect firstborn, the payment for our sins as outlined in Leviticus chapter 4. Jesus also became our high priest on the order of Melchizedek[Hebrews 7:11-28]. He is our sacrifice, High Priest, Intercessor, Judge[James 5:9], and King[1 Timothy 6:15].
The debate about the Trinity has continued since the beginning of Christianity; Gregory of Nyssa presented his arguments against the heresies about the Godhead around 380. Gregory of Nyssa countered the Arians who claim Jesus is a created being and, as such, a lesser god.
Faith
Faith is an active force, not a passive one; as Hebrews 11:1 states, ‘Now faith is confidence in what we desire and certainty in what we cannot see.’ Those who have sinned can be saved and restored through faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 3:21-25 says, ‘Now a righteousness from God, independent of the law, has been revealed. The Law and the Prophets bear witness to this fact. Through faith in Jesus Christ, all those who believe are saved. There is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory; they are now pardoned through grace as a gift, through the redemption of Jesus Christ.
God provided Jesus as a sacrifice to atone for all our sins. It was done to demonstrate that God was fair and justified those who trusted in Jesus Christ. In fact, we know that a person is made right with God by trusting in Jesus Christ, not by following the law. In accordance with Galatians 2:16, “We know that a person is justified with God through faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law.” According to Ephesians 2:8-9, God has saved you by his grace when you believed. Salvation is not a reward for our good works, so there is no reason to brag about it. The same Good News that came to you has gone out all over the world, bearing fruit everywhere as it transforms lives, just as it transformed yours when you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace. Although you died due to your transgressions and sins, you brought me to life when you confessed that Jesus is Lord. Romans 11:5-6 The same thing is true today. We have been redeemed because of God’s mercy and grace—his undeserved favor in choosing us. For, since God’s kindness is not due to our good works.
Bruce Mitchell is a speaker, writer, and Bible teacher who loves to share God’s Word in everyday life. He has studied at Biola University and Dallas Theological Seminary. His blog (Allelon.us) is all about the principles of Agapao Allelon (Loving One Another) and God’s Mercy, Grace, Love, and Forgiveness and how it applies to our daily lives as Christ-Followers. (1 Peter 4:8)
