What are the essential beliefs of Christianity?

Salvation's up to God and his ability to keep us from falling, I'm not sure how intellectual assents affect things, especially if you die from Alzheimer's and can't remember any doctrine. (God does not show favoritism)

Basically Rom 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. I would add the virgin birth, no one comes to the Father but by faith in Jesus. Salvation by grace through faith. I would also think that one must believe the word of God is inspired by Him and is to be trusted. I only add this last one because I cannot see how one can trust what they do not believe is God's word.

There could be others, repentance, commitment, would have to think longer on this subject. Good one to think about though.

This seems pretty basic, and I believe CF agrees


--David

jesus316 said:

What are the essential beliefs of Christianity? Things that must be believed to be a Christian. Things that must be believed to be redeemed.

Seems everyone argues incessantly about non-essential beliefs, each thinking their list is essential, and other's lists are heretical.

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1. The Bible is the infallible word of God.
2. God made all things, and is therefore sovereign over everything and everyone.
3. The virgin birth of Christ, that is, no man fathered him.
4. The deity of Christ (= He is the Son of God).
5. Christ died for your sins; that is, His death on the cross is the substitutionary sacrifice that turns away God's wrath and grants us forgiveness of our sins, and that we must believe this specifically for ourselves.
6. Christ saves us from sin; that is, our personal repentance from sin is based on the belief that God is working in us to make us Christlike in character.
7. Christ rose from the dead and rules His people from heaven.
8. He will one day judge all men according to their deeds.
9. Every Christian should be involved with other Christians in worship of God and fellowship.
10. One day God will raise us up to eternal life, which is the Christian hope.

IMO, if anyone doubts any of these 10 things, I would doubt that they know God's word enough to be an established Christian. There are other things also that mature Christians ought to know, which are taught in the Bible.
TD

tdidymas said:

1. The Bible is the infallible word of God.
2. God made all things, and is therefore sovereign over everything and everyone.
3. The virgin birth of Christ, that is, no man fathered him.
4. The deity of Christ (= He is the Son of God).
5. Christ died for your sins; that is, His death on the cross is the substitutionary sacrifice that turns away God's wrath and grants us forgiveness of our sins, and that we must believe this specifically for ourselves.
6. Christ saves us from sin; that is, our personal repentance from sin is based on the belief that God is working in us to make us Christlike in character.
7. Christ rose from the dead and rules His people from heaven.
8. He will one day judge all men according to their deeds.
9. Every Christian should be involved with other Christians in worship of God and fellowship.
10. One day God will raise us up to eternal life, which is the Christian hope.

IMO, if anyone doubts any of these 10 things, I would doubt that they know God's word enough to be an established Christian. There are other things also that mature Christians ought to know, which are taught in the Bible.
TD

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The thief on the cross believed Jesus was who He said He was....That was enough to save the thief—it’s enough to save the rest of us

jesus316 said:

What are the essential beliefs of Christianity? Things that must be believed to be a Christian. Things that must be believed to be redeemed.

Seems everyone argues incessantly about non-essential beliefs, each thinking their list is essential, and other's lists are heretical.

Click to expand...

I would say the following list would be a good list of things that must be believed in order to be a Christian:

1. Belief that Jesus's death burial, and resurrection actually happened.
2. Belief that Jesus was born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit.
3. Belief that Jesus is the Christ.
4. Belief that one day God will raise us perfect and to Eternal life.

I'd say that those are the only required things. Because, without those things there can be no salvation.

jesus316 said:

What are the essential beliefs of Christianity? Things that must be believed to be a Christian. Things that must be believed to be redeemed.

Seems everyone argues incessantly about non-essential beliefs, each thinking their list is essential, and other's lists are heretical.

Click to expand...

We can all agree that Romans 10:9-10 and Ephesians 2:8-10 are essential Christian doctrines, but where people tend to disagree is in defining those terms. For instance, if you repeat a few word and you believe that a certain event is historical, is that sufficient for salvation? I mean, even the demons believe that the Resurrection is an historical event, so what is important is understanding and believing what the historicity of that event means for our lives. To confess that Jesus is our Lord is also to confess that we are his servants, who will deny ourselves and submit to his commands by grace through faith. We have been saved by grace through faith, not by works lest anyone should boast, but what does it mean to be saved, how is God gracious to us, what does it mean to have faith, and what is the role of good works?

Our salvation is from sin, so it necessarily involves being saved from the penalty of our sins, but also involves being saved from continuing to practice sin. Many Jews pray multiple times per day for God to be gracious to them by teaching them instructions for life, in Psalms 119:29, David also asked God to be gracious to him by teaching him to obey His Law, and in Titus 2:11-14, our salvation involves being taught by grace to do what is godly, righteous, and good, and to refrain from doing what is ungodly and sinful, yet due to complete mishandling of Romans 6:14, many Christians believe that God is gracious to us by exempting us from having to follow those instructions. Furthermore, in Titus 2:14, Christ gave himself both to redeem us from all Lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for following those instructions.

The Bible does not treat faith as though it were something purely intellectual, but rather it is always associated with a willingness to submit to God's instructions. Every example of saving faith in Hebrews 11 is also an example of someone submitting to God's will. Having faith in God is about trusting Him to guide us in how to rightly live, so it is worthless for someone to say that they have faith in God while refusing to submit to His instructions. In Romans 10:5-9, it quotes Deuteronomy 30:11-14 in regard to our faith saying that what God commanded is not too difficult for us, but that His Word is near us, in our heart and in our mouth so that we can do it, so again, faith is associated with the willingness to submit to God's commands, and this is what it means to submit to Jesus as Lord.

Blood Bought 1953 said:

The thief on the cross believed Jesus was who He said He was....That was enough to save the thief—it’s enough to save the rest of us

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I have no doubt that the thief on the cross did not disagree with any of those 10 things.
TD

How much he knew I don't know but he for sure believed #5. We don't really know, but one thing I believe, if He lived on instead of dying, he would have come to believe them. Why can I say this, because God promises He is going to transform the believers into the image of His dear Son, and He did this before the foundation of the world was laid. Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. All in the past tense, and He is always faithful, that is why good works will follow in all His children, Eph 2:10 for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. One saved will believe His word.

iwbswiaihl said:

How much he knew I don't know but he for sure believed #5. We don't really know, but one thing I believe, if He lived on instead of dying, he would have come to believe them. Why can I say this, because God promises He is going to transform the believers into the image of His dear Son, and He did this before the foundation of the world was laid. Romans 8:28-30 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. All in the past tense, and He is always faithful, that is why good works will follow in all His children, Eph 2:10 for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. One saved will believe His word.

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I totally agree and in fact I was thinking the very same things that you guys are wisely and generously sharing...I. Could have written those same posts——two things got in my wAy.....I can’t type and I’m incredabily lazy....lol

Blood Bought 1953 said:

I totally agree and in fact I was thinking the very same things that you guys are wisely and generously sharing...I. Could have written those same posts——two things got in my wAy.....I can’t type and I’m incredabily lazy....lol

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Thanks and from what you posted you did good and by being lazy and unable to type as you say, you want do what I do a lot, I chased rabbits and often changed my focus in the middle of a post. You want have the same trouble I have