Essentials of the faith

[Thomas Helwys]

In another thread, essentials vs non-essentials was touched on.

What would you say are the essentials of the Christian faith?

 

[Herald]

The Philippian jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The answer he received was Christ-centered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, both you and your house." Paul and his companions were jailed for preaching Christ. What was the content of their Christ preaching? If the didactic epistles are any indication it included the Old Testament promises of Jesus' coming, His virgin birth, His miracles, His teachings, His arrest, His crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection. In short - Christ. Paul said, "I desire to know nothing among you except Christ, and him crucified."

So, the essentials of the fair are Christ-centered; the facts, as contained in scripture, about Christ. Obviously we cab drill down on the parts, but it starts and ends with Christ.

 

[awaken]

In another thread, essentials vs non-essentials was touched on.

What would you say are the essentials of the Christian faith?

If we believe in Jesus as our Savior then we have eternal life and we're not condemned:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:18)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)


I will add...
Believing that Jesus died to atone for your personal sins against God. This means you know that you deserve to be condemned to hell for your sins, but you are trusting that you will go to heaven because Jesus has already paid the penalty for you by dying on the cross as your Substitute.
Believing that Jesus, the Son of God, was resurrected from the dead.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

The Philippian jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The answer he received was Christ-centered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, both you and your house." Paul and his companions were jailed for preaching Christ. What was the content of their Christ preaching? If the didactic epistles are any indication it included the Old Testament promises of Jesus' coming, His virgin birth, His miracles, His teachings, His arrest, His crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection. In short - Christ. Paul said, "I desire to know nothing among you except Christ, and him crucified."

So, the essentials of the fair are Christ-centered; the facts, as contained in scripture, about Christ. Obviously we cab drill down on the parts, but it starts and ends with Christ.

Then how much do you care to drill down beyond that....For example: Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone – sola gratia – grace alone – and sola fide – faith alone. If so, do we then exclude RCC, Evangelical Anglicans etc? Bottom line, are these essentials or merely opinions???

 

[Crabtownboy]

There is one essential that many Christians would like to forget. James puts it pretty plainly.

James 2:14-20

Faith in Action

14-17 Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

18 I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.”

Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

19-20 Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That’s just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
________________________________________________________________________________________________

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,

16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Please note that James is not saying that works will save you, but that your faith will be shown in your works and if there are no works then .............

 

[Herald]

Let me add that what is essential for a new believer is only the first green shoots from a sprouting plant. Believers are supposed to progress in their knowledge and sanctification. They should know more about Christ, the teachings of the Apostles, and display the evidence of knowledge and faith through their works (Eph. 2:10). These are essentials for healthy Christian growth.

Thomas, notice I am not providing a check list of things. I do not believe the Bible presents the Christian faith as a check list. Knowledge and faith build over time.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

Let me add that what is essential for a new believer is only the first green shoots from a sprouting plant. Believers are supposed to progress in their knowledge and sanctification. They should know more about Christ, the teachings of the Apostles, and display the evidence of knowledge and faith through their works (Eph. 2:10). These are essentials for healthy Christian growth.

Thomas, notice I am not providing a check list of things. I do not believe the Bible presents the Christian faith as a check list. Knowledge and faith build over time.

so answer my question directly instead of evading it.... Again Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone – sola gratia – grace alone – and sola fide – faith alone. If so, do we then exclude RCC, Evangelical Anglicans etc? Bottom line, are these essentials or merely opinions???

 

[Herald]

so answer my question directly instead of evading it.... Again Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone – sola gratia – grace alone – and sola fide – faith alone. If so, do we then exclude RCC, Evangelical Anglicans etc? Bottom line, are these essentials or merely opinions???

Excuse me? Who is evading what?

 

[Herald]

A person does not need to be Reformed to be a Christian. I believe the Reformed understanding of scripture is more accurate than the synergist view, but it is not essential to be a Christian.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

A person does not need to be Reformed to be a Christian. I believe the Reformed understanding of scripture is more accurate than the synergist view, but it is not essential to be a Christian.

From what I understand, Reformed has more to do with Covenant Theology than it has to do with the Solas....if so Im not talking about being Reformed per se but in fact the tenants.

you said earlier that we were to contend for the faith. Well define the "Faith"....if its only the warrant to believe then the rest is just a conversation......however "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

 

[Herald]

From what I understand, Reformed has more to do with Covenant Theology than it has to do with the Solas....if so Im not talking about being Reformed per se but in fact the tenants.

you said earlier that we were to contend for the faith. Well define the "Faith"....if its only the warrant to believe then the rest is just a conversation......however "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

The Reformed faith certainly includes Covenant Theology, but the canons of Dordt are also part of it. TULIP codifies Calvinism, and it was at Dordt that TULIP was so eloquently stated.

 

[Earth Wind and Fire]

The Reformed faith certainly includes Covenant Theology, but the canons of Dordt are also part of it. TULIP codifies Calvinism, and it was at Dordt that TULIP was so eloquently stated.

OK...let me be clear....I dont believe in covenant theology....but my soteriology is Sovereign Grace/DoG. Now Calvinism as I understand it requires you to be a Paedo & follow a sacremental / Catholic like whatever. I dont do that either. So I dont consider myself a Calvinist. But all this is a mute point. All your saying is that you have to believe in God.....James is saying that the demons do that too. What then proves your allegiance to Christ & what is really essential to being a died in the wool disipline...... I say at that point it is works. It has to be the fruit that distinguishes you.

 

[Revmitchell]

Christ: virgin born, lived, died was buried, resurrected, and ascended, a literal and physical return of Christ

The Trinity

The sin of man

The wrath of God

Hell as the final judgment of God for those who reject Him

The cross

The eternal torment in hell

 

[Yeshua1]

so answer my question directly instead of evading it.... Again Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone – sola gratia – grace alone – and sola fide – faith alone. If so, do we then exclude RCC, Evangelical Anglicans etc? Bottom line, are these essentials or merely opinions???

Saved by Grace alone, thru faith alone IS the heart of the true Gospel!

Add to that scriptures ALONE are sole authority for doctrines/practices, and that would answer your question!

ANY church that adds to thsoe 2 things is NOT a chrsitian church, casn have saved persons in it, but NOT a real christian church based upon not teaching the essentials of the faith!

 

[Yeshua1]

OK...let me be clear....I dont believe in covenant theology....but my soteriology is Sovereign Grace/DoG. Now Calvinism as I understand it requires you to be a Paedo & follow a sacremental / Catholic like whatever. I dont do that either. So I dont consider myself a Calvinist. But all this is a mute point. All your saying is that you have to believe in God.....James is saying that the demons do that too. What then proves your allegiance to Christ & what is really essential to being a died in the wool disipline...... I say at that point it is works. It has to be the fruit that distinguishes you.

calvinism has differing aspects to it, for there are Dispy like myself who hold to DoG, as does John McArthur, those who hold to a presby view, others a baptist reformed...

Also in reformed, are Old/New Coveant theologies...

Think that you would be one like me, who holds to the TULIP, but not rest of the entire calvinistic ttheology package!

 

[Thomas Helwys]

The Philippian jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" The answer he received was Christ-centered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, both you and your house." Paul and his companions were jailed for preaching Christ. What was the content of their Christ preaching? If the didactic epistles are any indication it included the Old Testament promises of Jesus' coming, His virgin birth, His miracles, His teachings, His arrest, His crucifixion, His burial, and His resurrection. In short - Christ. Paul said, "I desire to know nothing among you except Christ, and him crucified."

So, the essentials of the fair are Christ-centered; the facts, as contained in scripture, about Christ. Obviously we cab drill down on the parts, but it starts and ends with Christ.

So, a good summary of that is the Apostles Creed, which some denominations say is a "sufficient statement of the Christian faith". Would you agree with that?

 

[Thomas Helwys]

If we believe in Jesus as our Savior then we have eternal life and we're not condemned:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." (John 3:18)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (John 3:36)

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)


I will add...
Believing that Jesus died to atone for your personal sins against God. This means you know that you deserve to be condemned to hell for your sins, but you are trusting that you will go to heaven because Jesus has already paid the penalty for you by dying on the cross as your Substitute.
Believing that Jesus, the Son of God, was resurrected from the dead.

So, you are saying that a true Christian can only believe one view of the atonement?

 

[Thomas Helwys]

Then how much do you care to drill down beyond that....For example: Sola Scriptura – Scripture alone – sola gratia – grace alone – and sola fide – faith alone. If so, do we then exclude RCC, Evangelical Anglicans etc? Bottom line, are these essentials or merely opinions???

And that is a very good question and what I am trying to get at in the OP.

 

[Thomas Helwys]

There is one essential that many Christians would like to forget. James puts it pretty plainly.



Please note that James is not saying that works will save you, but that your faith will be shown in your works and if there are no works then .............

:thumbsup:

 

[Herald]

So, a good summary of that is the Apostles Creed, which some denominations say is a "sufficient statement of the Christian faith". Would you agree with that?

Without being pigeonholed, I would say that the scriptural content of the Apostles creed is a good starting point.