Do we need to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

[zoidar]

To start off I want to say I do believe in the Trinity. This thread is not here to prove the Trinity right or wrong, which I believe is against the rules of the forum anyway. The question is if we need to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

If a person trusts in Jesus for his salvation, believes Jesus paid the price for his sins on the cross, believes Jesus is God's only son, but doesn't believe Jesus was God incarnate, on what basis can we say he isn't saved?

 

[HTacianas]

To start off I want to say I do believe in the Trinity. This thread is not here to prove the Trinity right or wrong, which I believe is against the rules of the forum anyway. The question is if we need to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

If a person trusts in Jesus for his salvation, believes Jesus paid the price for his sins on the cross, believes Jesus is God's only son, but doesn't believe Jesus was God incarnate, on what basis can we say he isn't saved?

That is the reason for the Nicene Creed. Each line of the Creed refutes a particular heresy. It begins, "We believe in one God...". That is to counter the ancient gnostic belief in two gods, one who created invisible things such as the spirit, the other a lesser god who created all things material. The Creed continues, "the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible...". It then continues, "And in one Lord Jesus Christ...true God of true God...".

Any other profession of faith is not Christian, it is some other thing. Another heresy of some of the ancient Gnostics was that they claimed Jesus for themselves, but taught that he was only a "spirit being" with no physical body. That led to this:

1Jo 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world

So to believe in Jesus as your Lord and Savior isn't going to help much if you believe in the wrong Jesus. In the end, that is the reason for the Trinitarian form of baptism. A baptism not using the Trinitarian formula isn't valid. If a person is only baptized "in Jesus name" they don't really know which Jesus they are being baptized for.

 

[Reluctant Theologian]

What version of Trinitarian confession would you refer to?

The one of the church father Tertullian (155-220 CE) who seemed to have coined the term 'trinity' for the first time (but now is deemed a heretic by mainstream Christianity)? The confessions in the creeds of Nicea (325 CE) or Constantinople (381 CE) that still define the one God as the Father, or the 6th century 'Athanasian' Creed with the key phrase ' .. and the Catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity .. ' ?

Also, there is a very big difference between believing that Yeshua was 'theos'/'elohim' in the flesh (and that the fullness of deity dwelled in him); the literal and physical Son of God - and the fully evolved 'Athanasian' Creed (which was not written by Athanasius).

The criminal on the cross next to Yeshua probably didn't know any sophisticated theology - I presume he just knew he had to trust Yeshua.

 

[Lukaris]

I believe God will take into account what was in the person’s heart and the light given to that individual. There are probably many non Christians who ( for ex.) meet the Lord shortly before death and are saved.

 

[mikeforjesus]

They can not be saved because it is putting faith in God who Jesus is for His atonement that makes it possible for God to justify for it is refusing to believe only God can take away one sin to stand in His presence after it has already been preached that He does it for He is the mediator and to refuse to acknowledge one incapability of being saved except by His atonement that was provided is sin of being self righteous as though one own righteousness can save for one does not then acknwowldge one needs God to save Him by His atonement.

For one can not be saved if one rejects Him since He made it known as they need to know it but person refusing to acknowedge he can not save himself that he falls short of glory of God and needs God to bridge the gap.

 

[notRusskiyMir]

They can not be saved because it is putting faith in God who Jesus is for His atonement that makes it possible for God to justify for it is refusing to believe only God can take away one sin to stand in His presence after it has already been preached that He does it that He is the mediator to refuse to acknowledge one incapability of being saved except by His atonement that was provided.

Please rework that sentence as it is not coherent.
My view is similar to @Lucaris, I think, in that God is a loving God and wants all creation to live on like in the Garden of Eden. If Jesus approaches a human at death, that exchange - dead person's soul to Jesus - is what will matter.

 

[th1bill]

To start off I want to say I do believe in the Trinity. This thread is not here to prove the Trinity right or wrong, which I believe is against the rules of the forum anyway. The question is if we need to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

If a person trusts in Jesus for his salvation, believes Jesus paid the price for his sins on the cross, believes Jesus is God's only son, but doesn't believe Jesus was God incarnate, on what basis can we say he isn't saved?

I find it so hard to go there and I also am Trinitarian.

 

[mikeforjesus]

I will try to correct according to my ability just what I can just once. If fail to understand others can explain to you same point in other words.It seems Lukaris said same thing as basically he means if they have not been preached to even if he does not it is wrong.

 

[Reasonably Sane]

As I said to a man who vehemently disagreed with me on a particular biblical point when he literally yelled, as he held up his fat KJV bible, "I BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS!" - "So do I. Where we differ is interpretation."

IMHO, every church on the planet teaches at least some nonsense.

 

[concretecamper]

Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not explicit on the Bible, we must believe it because His Church has defined it.

 

[th1bill]

As I said to a man who vehemently disagreed with me on a particular biblical point when he literally yelled, as he held up his fat KJV bible, "I BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS!" - "So do I. Where we differ is interpretation."

IMHO, every church on the planet teaches at least some nonsense.

If you have a lame brain interpreting scripture instead of one fully surrendered and filled with the Ruah/ Holy Spirit he is teaching lies.

 

[th1bill]

Although the doctrine of the Trinity is not explicit on the Bible, we must believe it because His Church has defined it.

The Holy Scriptures do not use the term but the term codifies what scripture teaches. The Church did not decide what the scriptures teach... Yahova Jira did that.

 

[Fervent]

It's an interesting question, but it betrays a subtle theological presupposition on the essentiality of belief alone. Ultimately, God will have mercy upon whom He has mercy upon so I'm not sure it does us much good to speculate about who will and won't be saved or what the minimum necessary for salvation is. Instead, our focus should simply be on teaching and defending the truth as we have ascertained it. Whether or not it is necessary for one to believe in the Trinity for salvation, the belief in Trinity is essential for association and must be defended as such.

 

[Hammster]

To start off I want to say I do believe in the Trinity. This thread is not here to prove the Trinity right or wrong, which I believe is against the rules of the forum anyway. The question is if we need to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

If a person trusts in Jesus for his salvation, believes Jesus paid the price for his sins on the cross, believes Jesus is God's only son, but doesn't believe Jesus was God incarnate, on what basis can we say he isn't saved?

One does not need to believe in the Trinity to be saved. But an evidence of salvation will be belief in the Trinity as the person grows in grace.

 

[Grafted In]

Acts 2:38.

When I became born again and began reading my Bible daily, I didn't immediately understand the concept of the trinity. Yet, Scripture came alive to me and I could not put my Bible down for very long during each day for the first several weeks, few months. As I began feeding on God's word daily, I began understanding things some believers claim to be required prior to getting saved.
I do not believe any understanding other than what you have when He calls you and you respond with the gift of faith given at that time is all that is needed to become born again. That's how it happened for me and I dismiss claims by anyone that anything more is required for salvation. It is all the work of God and we cannot understand everything instantly.

 

[Lukaris]

Knowing God: The Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, coexistent, and coeternal and the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is something I can never be worthy of. I believe if I would later deny any of this then I believe the Lord would tell me He never knew me ( Matthew 7:21-23).

For many in this world, through mostly innocent ignorance, do not know Jesus Christ as our Savior. I believe this where the Good Shepherd comes in ( John 10:14-18) but there will still be goats of course. We must evangelize or at least pray for it also ( Matthew 9:36-38).

 

[Grafted In]

Knowing God: The Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, coexistent, and coeternal and the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is something I can never be worthy of. I believe if I would later deny any of this then I believe the Lord would tell me He never knew me ( Matthew 7:21-23).

For many in this world, through mostly innocent ignorance, do not know Jesus Christ as our Savior. I believe this where the Good Shepherd comes in ( John 10:14-18) but there will still be goats of course. We must evangelize or at least pray for it also ( Matthew 9:36-38).

Are you saying you had understanding of these things prior to salvation, or am I reading too much into what you wrote?

 

[Lukaris]

Are you saying you had understanding of these things prior to salvation, or am I reading too much into what you wrote?

No, I did not have that understanding. I have known of the Trinity in vague ways probably all my life but it wasn’t until I was 40 ( 20 years ago) that I understood Jesus Christ is our Savior. Strangely, I actually had reached a point in life ( in my 20s) where I was ready to deny the Lord altogether and I realized I just couldn’t although I remained unconcerned also.

 

[Reasonably Sane]

If you have a lame brain interpreting scripture instead of one fully surrendered and filled with the Ruah/ Holy Spirit he is teaching lies.

I certainly can't argue with that. But who decides which interpretation is correct? I categorize this as one of those "let God decide" things. That being said, if a pastor teaches what I believe to be nonsense, I will opt out of his church.

 

[notRusskiyMir]

To start off I want to say I do believe in the Trinity. This thread is not here to prove the Trinity right or wrong, which I believe is against the rules of the forum anyway. The question is if we need to believe in the Trinity to be saved?

If a person trusts in Jesus for his salvation, believes Jesus paid the price for his sins on the cross, believes Jesus is God's only son, but doesn't believe Jesus was God incarnate, on what basis can we say he isn't saved?

"Jesus is God's only son" - what does that mean if Jesus is not God Incarnate? It took the Christian world almost 400 years to fashion a cogent statement on the nature of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I think it is internally consistent and consistent with the Old and New Testaments.
What is your "Nicene equivalent" statement defining 'Jesus is God's only son but is not God Incarnate?'