What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians? (Please no debating or criticism)

[Bible Highlighter]

IMPORTANT NOTE:
(PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING):

While you are allowed to post what you believe once or twice. Please, no debating or endless posts of a defense of your belief. General discussions about Soteriology may be allowed involving God's grace, and Sanctification, but please, no discussions on how we must obey the Sabbath, or the Law of Moses, or how we must accept Calvinism, or Sacraments, etc.

Also, please do not criticise my list or me as a person. Only state your own reasons in relation to the OP topic. If you do not agree with the OP topic, please do not post here. I am not looking to start a debate or to receive criticism for listing what I believe are important fundamental beliefs that Christians should focus on and or emphasize as a part of the faith.​

What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians?

Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive set of lists.
They are lists that describe important things we believers must accept.
Also, keep in mind that these lists are ever under construction (as God gives more knowledge to me).

Anyways, just provide the best list or lists that you can.
In fact, here are my starter lists of some BIG things that I can think of off the top of my head that are essential for us Christians.

To be initially saved, we must believe:

1. In the Gospel (Which is believing that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was risen three days later according to the Scriptures for our salvation).
2. God as revealed in the Bible is the one and only true God.
3. The Bible is a holy book or it is the very words of God.

Truths in the Bible that when revealed to us, we must believe in them:

In other words, if we have the capability and time to study the Bible in this life, and be guided by the Spirit, we must in time believe:

1. In the Trinity (i.e. God exists as three distinct persons and yet He is one God or being).
2. Jesus is GOD and uncreated.
3. The Incarnation (Jesus came into the flesh).
4. Jesus is fully GOD and man.
5. Jesus is the only mediator between GOD and man.
6. God is spirit.
7. In Worshiping GOD in spirit and in truth.
8. In the Bible Alone (as our sole authority) + In the Anointing to Understand it.
9. In being born again by the Spirit.
10. In being born again by water (Scripture).
11. God is love (God is the source of all true love; We seek and hold tightly to His love with our entire being).
12. God is good (He is the source of all good; Man may be able to imitate good, but God holds the true way of good that we must abide within. His judgments, actions, and commands are based on Moral principles that are good).
13. In the rapture or taking up.
14. In the bodily resurrection.
15. In Original Sin (Meaning: All of mankind has sinned against God and he has been corrupted by sin (via by Adam's sin) whereby it necessitates the need for a Savior to solve our diseased state of sinfulness).
16. In Christ's Imputation or Substitutionary Atonement. (Jesus died in our place for our sins when we exercise proper and true faith).
17. God has a greater plan for good that we cannot see (all things work together for good to those who love God).
18. In man's responsibility to answer God's call to grace (forgiveness through Jesus and in believing the gospel), and God's call to enter the Sanctification Process (living holy by God's power) as a part of God's plan of salvation.
19. God is holy (God is separate from the creation. God is pure, and clean, and there is no darkness in God. He is distinct. God has alway existed, and He is all powerful. God is worthy to be worshiped because of his holiness and uniqueness in being God, the creator and the Savior, and above all things).
20. In trusting in the sufficiency of God (God is really all I need above anything else).
21. God is a rewarder to those who seek Him.
22. There is a heaven, hell, judgment, and a new earth.
23. There is a devil and his minions who have many deceptions in an attempt to destroy us (Note: Scripture says we are not to be ignorant of his devices).
24. We are in a spiritual battle, and not a physical one.
25. We are under a New Covenant (by Christ's death) with new commands (that come from the New Testament, and we do not attempt to justify ourselves by obeying the whole of the 613 laws of the Old Testament Law of Moses (Important Note: While the Moral Laws have carried over: Like do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, etc., the ceremonial laws like circumcision, sabbaths, and dietary laws have not carried over; Neither have any of the judicial laws carried over, either (like capital punishment laws in stoning).
26. Only past sin is forgiven us. Future sin is not forgiven us; All sin must be confessed and forsaken in order to have mercy.
27. Christ's Blood Atonement; For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.

Commands in the Bible that when revealed to us, we must obey them:

In other words, if we have the capability and time to study the Bible in this life, and be guided by the Spirit, we must in time obey:

1. In denying ourselves, and in surrendering our lives to the Lord to follow Him.
2. In loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
3. In loving our neighbor (Helping the poor).
4. In loving the brethren (Feeding the sheep & providing for them).
5. In loving our enemies (Doing good towards them and in praying for them, not returning evil for evil, making peace with all men).
6. In preaching or spreading the gospel.
7. In studying God's Word to show ourselves approved of unto God.
8. By praying to GOD.
9. By praising GOD.
10. By giving thanks unto GOD.
11. God's command to hold fast the profession of our faith in Jesus as our Savior and His grace;
12. In Confessing our sins to Jesus if we happen to stumble into sin on rare occasion.
13. God's commands in the New Testament (and or in living holy) as per the Sanctification Process by the power of the Lord.
14. In walking by faith in God's Word, and not by sight.
15. In doing all things to the glory of God.
16. In doing all things in love.
17. In not adding or taking away from God's Word (the Bible).
18. In being separate from the world and its ways.
19. In not loving money, and refusing to chase after the riches of this world.
20. In not being ashamed of Christ and or if we are persecuted.
21. In forgiving everyone.

 

[Thomas White]

What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians?

Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive set of lists.
Just provide the best list or lists that you can.
In fact, here are my starter lists of some BIG things that I can think of off the top of my head that are essential for us Christians.

We must believe:

1. In the Trinity.
2. Jesus is GOD and uncreated.
3. The Incarnation (Jesus came into the flesh).
4. Jesus is fully GOD and man.
5. Jesus is the only mediator between GOD and man.
6. God is spirit.
7. In Worshiping GOD in spirit and in truth.
8. In the Bible Alone (as our sole authority) + In the Anointing to Understand it.
9. In the Gospel (Which is believing that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was risen three days later according to the Scriptures for our salvation).
10. In being born again by the Spirit.
11. In being born again by water (Scripture).
12. God is love.
13. God is good.
14. In the rapture or taking up.
15. In the bodily resurrection.

We must obey:

1. In denying ourselves, and in surrendering our lives to the Lord.
2. In loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
3. In loving our neighbor (Helping the poor).
4. In loving the brethren (Feeding the sheep & providing for them).
5. In loving our enemies (Doing good towards them and in praying for them).
6. In preaching or spreading the gospel.
7. In studying God's Word to show ourselves approved of unto God.
8. By praying to GOD.
9. By praising GOD.
10. By giving thanks unto GOD.
11. God's command to believe in Jesus as our Savior or call upon the name of the Lord, or confess our sins to Jesus (i.e. God's grace through faith).
12. God's commands in the New Testament (and or in living holy) as per the Sanctification Process by the power of the Lord.

I completely agree with you on everything except two points.

-Scripture is the ultimate authority and people are certainly annointed to understand it. God is infinite. His Truth is infinite. All of his Truth cannot be contained within a single book. Nothing can contain the fullness of God. Therefore, the Bible cannot be the only authority on God. It is certainly the most important.

-The rapture is a relatively new concept. It is not necessary to believe in it.

 

[HTacianas]

What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians?

Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive set of lists.
Just provide the best list or lists that you can.
In fact, here are my starter lists of some BIG things that I can think of off the top of my head that are essential for us Christians.

We must believe:

1. In the Trinity.
2. Jesus is GOD and uncreated.
3. The Incarnation (Jesus came into the flesh).
4. Jesus is fully GOD and man.
5. Jesus is the only mediator between GOD and man.
6. God is spirit.
7. In Worshiping GOD in spirit and in truth.
8. In the Bible Alone (as our sole authority) + In the Anointing to Understand it.
9. In the Gospel (Which is believing that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was risen three days later according to the Scriptures for our salvation).
10. In being born again by the Spirit.
11. In being born again by water (Scripture).
12. God is love.
13. God is good.
14. In the rapture or taking up.
15. In the bodily resurrection.

We must obey:

1. In denying ourselves, and in surrendering our lives to the Lord.
2. In loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
3. In loving our neighbor (Helping the poor).
4. In loving the brethren (Feeding the sheep & providing for them).
5. In loving our enemies (Doing good towards them and in praying for them).
6. In preaching or spreading the gospel.
7. In studying God's Word to show ourselves approved of unto God.
8. By praying to GOD.
9. By praising GOD.
10. By giving thanks unto GOD.
11. God's command to believe in Jesus as our Savior or call upon the name of the Lord, or confess our sins to Jesus (i.e. God's grace through faith).
12. God's commands in the New Testament (and or in living holy) as per the Sanctification Process by the power of the Lord.

Jhn 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians?

Were miracles worked by keeping a long list , or by Yahweh's Grace ? Healing, etc .....

"Follow Jesus" has been the secret of believers walking in truth and in power since ACTS, throughout history, including the Anabaptists who lived true. They (the faithful) turned their towns and cities upside down (in ACTS and since then). All because they followed Jesus wherever He goes.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Jhn 6:53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.

Just two chapters back and we read in John 4:

"Jesus saith unto them, My meat [flesh] is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." (John 4:34).

In John 2:

Mary said, "They have no wine."
Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." (John 2:3-4).

Meaning, the hour has not come for Jesus to spill his blood (wine) for us to have faith in it for salvation.

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood [i.e. to drink of his blood], to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past," (Romans 3:25).

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18).

"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," (Revelation 1:5).

1 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

In other words, drinking his blood is believing in Jesus' atoning sacrifice, and eating of his flesh is doing the will of God the Father (Following Jesus and His commands).

 

[Daniel9v9]

Not that I hold a minimalist or syncretist theological view - meaning an attitude of indifference, as if all Biblical interpretations and traditions are of equal standing - but I believe that which is most central to the Christian faith is the article of Justification. That is, salvation, from beginning to end, is entirely from God. (Whereas damnation, from beginning to end, is entirely from man) It's apprehended through faith in the person and works of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is fully man and fully God.

If we confuse Justification with Sanctification, which is the fruit of faith and regeneration (the fruit of the Spirit), the work of the Holy Spirit making us more Christ-like, the whole theological framework or how we understand God's Word will be skewed and prone to error.

The more we confound Justification and Sanctification, in the same proportion the further away from God's Word we'll depart.

So, I don't think we can easily write up a checklist of things we must believe, because (1) theology is not a buffet of pick-and-choose doctrines, but they all fit together as an organic body. And (2) words mean different things to different people. Both an Evangelical and a Roman Catholic will agree that we are saved by grace, but the word "grace" means very different things. So words need to be clarified.

Saying all of this, I do agree with the general premise of the OP, and I think it's interesting that this is written by a non-denominational as it shows a certain want for a confession of faith. I come from a Pentecostal/Charismatic/non-denominational background myself and used to be very against creeds, but now I greatly value it - not because it adds to or supplements Scripture, but because it defends against strange teachings. Anyways, those are my 2c!

 

[Sabertooth]

What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians?

You forgot Original Sin.

 

[SkyWriting]

What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians?

Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive set of lists.
Just provide the best list or lists that you can.
In fact, here are my starter lists of some BIG things that I can think of off the top of my head that are essential for us Christians.

We must believe:

1. In the Trinity.
2. Jesus is GOD and uncreated.
3. The Incarnation (Jesus came into the flesh).
4. Jesus is fully GOD and man.
5. Jesus is the only mediator between GOD and man.
6. God is spirit.
7. In Worshiping GOD in spirit and in truth.
8. In the Bible Alone (as our sole authority) + In the Anointing to Understand it.
9. In the Gospel (Which is believing that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was risen three days later according to the Scriptures for our salvation).
10. In being born again by the Spirit.
11. In being born again by water (Scripture).
12. God is love.
13. God is good.
14. In the rapture or taking up.
15. In the bodily resurrection.

We must obey:

1. In denying ourselves, and in surrendering our lives to the Lord.
2. In loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
3. In loving our neighbor (Helping the poor).
4. In loving the brethren (Feeding the sheep & providing for them).
5. In loving our enemies (Doing good towards them and in praying for them).
6. In preaching or spreading the gospel.
7. In studying God's Word to show ourselves approved of unto God.
8. By praying to GOD.
9. By praising GOD.
10. By giving thanks unto GOD.
11. God's command to believe in Jesus as our Savior or call upon the name of the Lord, or confess our sins to Jesus (i.e. God's grace through faith).
12. God's commands in the New Testament (and or in living holy) as per the Sanctification Process by the power of the Lord.

There is nothing is scripture that is required reading. Zero.
(Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive list)
NT & OT Scripture both explain that:

Romans 1:20
For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Hebrews 1:3
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Psalm 19:1-14
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. ...

 

[Dave-W]

8. In the Bible Alone (as our sole authority) + In the Anointing to Understand it.

Good list.

I would like to make an alteration to this point. Sola scriptura is NOT a biblical concept but a product of the reformation. It can be taken any number of ways, most of which leave out the context of the original authors and readers. In fact, taking those cultural and linguistic factors into account makes sola scriptura void in many people's minds.

In Ephesians Paul tells us that one of the 5 main ministries along with apostles and prophets is TEACHERS. We do not individually have the "annointing" to flawlessly understand scripture. We NEED teachers. And in Romans 3 Paul tells us those teachers are JEWS.

Rom 3:1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? 2 Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Here's a start:

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father from before all ages, God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made; of the same Being as the Father. Through Him all things were made. For us and for our salvation He came down from heaven; He became flesh by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. The third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, and Giver of Life. He proceeds from the Father [and the Son], and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life in the Age to Come.
Amen.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Bible Highlighter]

You forgot Original Sin.

Thank you.

Just so that you may know: I wrote down what was according to my limited knowledge at the time. I am by no means perfect when it comes to knowing all truth, brother. I guess that is one of the reasons why we need each other.

Anyways, after reflection: I do agree that Original Sin can be an important truth to hold to. All of mankind has been corrupted by Adam's sin. Sin was passed down upon every man woman and child by Adam's disobedience. If somebody does not hold to original sin, they may think man is born into this world in an uncorrupted and sinless state (When this is not the case). Jesus was holy, and separate from sinners. The moment we think we are born good, the moment we may start to think we are not all that bad (When this is not the case). God alone is good in this universe. It is only by His goodness can we be forgiven of sin, and to walk uprightly.

Thank you for the input.
I appreciate it.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

Were miracles worked by keeping a long list , or by Yahweh's Grace ? Healing, etc .....

"Follow Jesus" has been the secret of believers walking in truth and in power since ACTS, throughout history, including the Anabaptists who lived true. They (the faithful) turned their towns and cities upside down (in ACTS and since then). All because they followed Jesus wherever He goes.

The lists are derived from Scripture or the Bible. Do you not accept certain things in the Bible as being more important than others? So there is not a certain list of really important beliefs you hold to as being super essential to you as a Christian?
Do you believe in the Trinity? Do you believe in Sola Scriptura + the Anointing to understand it? Do you believe in a certain way of salvation or do you think everyone will be saved?

 

[1213]

What are the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians?
....

If Christian means as originally, a disciple of Jesus, this is what is required:

Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

Unfortunately it seems that many “Christians don’t do that.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

If Christian means as originally, a disciple of Jesus, this is what is required:

Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
John 8:31-32

Unfortunately it seems that many “Christians don’t do that.

I agree. I have this covered in my option #1 in the obey section.

It looks like this on my list:

We must obey:

1. In denying ourselves, and in surrendering our lives to the Lord to follow Him.​

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I completely agree with you on everything except two points.

-Scripture is the ultimate authority and people are certainly annointed to understand it. God is infinite. His Truth is infinite. All of his Truth cannot be contained within a single book. Nothing can contain the fullness of God. Therefore, the Bible cannot be the only authority on God. It is certainly the most important.

-The rapture is a relatively new concept. It is not necessary to believe in it.

Although I may not agree exactly, thanks for your input. I did update my lists.

Side Note:

I believe those who cannot see "Bible Alone (or Sola Scriptura) + the Anointing to Understand It" need to be born again by water (i.e. be born again by God's Word). I believe this is the acceptance of God's revelation (the Bible) as being perfect, and divine, and as the sole and only Word for us believers today. This does not mean there is not other knowledge revealed to other men of God in the past (that we do not know about), or that God will not reveal more truth after Jesus returns. This just means that the Bible is God's holy word for the men of God who live out their faith today (under the New Covenant). This does not mean that there is not truth revealed to us by the creation, etc. either. We know of God's existence by the creation. We are also convicted of our sin by God, as well. But we know this fact by Scripture, too. We confirm these truths by Scripture.

I am fortunate that when I accepted Christ as my Savior, I learned right away of the importance that it was from God's holy and perfect Word and that this Word was special and unique above anything else.

I believe church traditions or other supposed holy books contradict God's Word, and they are in no way divine in origin like His Word.

You can check out my Blogger article here on the many evidences as to why I believe God's Word is divine and unique.

Love Branch: Evidences for the Word of God

 

[bling]

I try to teach (really allow the spirit to teach through me) the gospel to nonbelievers (Mostly college students from all over the world). I have been involved in teach lots of different people, but all have a similar issue:

The “hardest” think for me is bring the student to the point of accepting God’s Love (Charity) in the form of forgiveness as pure charity. People just do not like to humble themselves to the point of accepting pure charity and will do almost anything to avoid it. They want to think God gave Love to them without them having to accept it or they earn it someway, will pay it back by doing something, are not that bad compared to others, or the opposite “God can’t forgive them”.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

@Sabertooth

I updated my reply to you in post #11.
I also added "Original Sin" to my list after reflecting on it more with GOD.

Thank you.

May God bless you today.

 

[Bible Highlighter]

I try to teach (really allow the spirit to teach through me) the gospel to nonbelievers (Mostly college students from all over the world). I have been involved in teach lots of different people, but all have a similar issue:

The “hardest” think for me is bring the student to the point of accepting God’s Love (Charity) in the form of forgiveness as pure charity. People just do not like to humble themselves to the point of accepting pure charity and will do almost anything to avoid it. They want to think God gave Love to them without them having to accept it or they earn it someway, will pay it back by doing something, are not that bad compared to others, or the opposite “God can’t forgive them”.

I don't see that as a part of God's plan of salvation when I read the Scripture, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I feel that this kind of thinking is a part of Protestant thinking that has influenced the masses and it is not a belief that is held by simply by asking God what His Word says and comparing Scripture with Scripture alone. I have come from out under the wisdom of men, and put my faith and trust in what the whole counsel of God's Word says.

We know that love does not help a person who is on the road to destruction by their own sin. The enemy seeks to kill, steal, and destroy. He does this by getting people to be enslaved to their sin. Just being forgiven of sin with no real change of overcoming sin is just a mental acknowledgment. But even the demons believe and tremble. If love does not effect us into becoming a new creature we are then still the old man fit to be killed and or destroyed with the rest of this sinful and dark world.

 

[ViaCrucis]

In the OP: I wrote, Note: This is not meant to be an exhaustive set of lists.

Can you explain why Original Sin is integral to the Christian's life? Do you think a Christian cannot be saved without having a correct understanding on man's sinfulness? Does this stunt his growth by not accepting it? Granted, I am not saying I am against Original Sin, I am just curious as to why you think it should be one of the BIG things in the Bible we must accept as Christians.

If the list you provided is what you consider to be required to be believed in order to be saved, you've excluded the overwhelming majority of Christians by

There are a number of things I consider to be essential to the Christian faith, things which are the reason why I'm Lutheran. But it would be quite problematic to deny other Christians who don't believe in those things as not being Christian. It would be even more problematic to posit that only those Christians with whom I have theological and confessional agreement are saved.

It would seem to me, then, there are several questions that need to be put forward:

1) Assuming Christian orthodoxy can be summed up in a nice and tidy way, and that's hardly itself a given, what consensus can be ascertained that a general agreement can be had? I think the Nicene Creed fits this as best as anything possibly could. While the Nicene Creed is not exhaustive on what is and isn't orthodox, it is at the very least a starting point.

2) Can someone be heterodox or even a heretic and still be regarded, even in some tenuous fashion, a Christian? Christian Forums uses the Nicene Creed as the metric of who is and isn't a Christian; that certainly works for the purposes of discussion and debate here; but out in the real world it is a bigger more complicated question. I am personally willing to recognize heretics as Christians, or at least "Christians"; but I could never in good conscience engage in any kind of fellowship with them. I can pray with a Baptist, Methodist, or Roman Catholic; but I could not pray with a Mormon or a Jehovah's Witness. I don't think this is an easy question with clear, unmessy answers.

3) Finally, there's the question of who is/isn't saved. As someone who vehemently confesses that salvation is by grace alone, through faith, on Christ's account alone I have a serious problem with the idea that salvation could ever come down to passing a theology exam. If I confess that Christ is my Savior, and that He saves me--wretch and scoundrel that I am--then I confess that Christ is the Savior of all men. That doesn't mean everyone is saved, or everyone will be saved; but it does mean that salvation has to be understood as God's work, what God has done for us in Jesus. It can't be about the things I say, do, think, feel, or even believe. Faith, i.e. trust, in Jesus Christ is not the same thing as getting our theology right, it's trust in Christ, and that is God's doing, not ours. It's not my job to say who is and isn't saved. I put my hope and trust in Jesus Christ, and that means trusting in Him to be the Savior of the world.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Bible Highlighter]

If the list you provided is what you consider to be required to be believed in order to be saved, you've excluded the overwhelming majority of Christians by

There are a number of things I consider to be essential to the Christian faith, things which are the reason why I'm Lutheran. But it would be quite problematic to deny other Christians who don't believe in those things as not being Christian. It would be even more problematic to posit that only those Christians with whom I have theological and confessional agreement are saved.

It would seem to me, then, there are several questions that need to be put forward:

1) Assuming Christian orthodoxy can be summed up in a nice and tidy way, and that's hardly itself a given, what consensus can be ascertained that a general agreement can be had? I think the Nicene Creed fits this as best as anything possibly could. While the Nicene Creed is not exhaustive on what is and isn't orthodox, it is at the very least a starting point.

2) Can someone be heterodox or even a heretic and still be regarded, even in some tenuous fashion, a Christian? Christian Forums uses the Nicene Creed as the metric of who is and isn't a Christian; that certainly works for the purposes of discussion and debate here; but out in the real world it is a bigger more complicated question. I am personally willing to recognize heretics as Christians, or at least "Christians"; but I could never in good conscience engage in any kind of fellowship with them. I can pray with a Baptist, Methodist, or Roman Catholic; but I could not pray with a Mormon or a Jehovah's Witness. I don't think this is an easy question with clear, unmessy answers.

3) Finally, there's the question of who is/isn't saved. As someone who vehemently confesses that salvation is by grace alone, through faith, on Christ's account alone I have a serious problem with the idea that salvation could ever come down to passing a theology exam. If I confess that Christ is my Savior, and that He saves me--wretch and scoundrel that I am--then I confess that Christ is the Savior of all men. That doesn't mean everyone is saved, or everyone will be saved; but it does mean that salvation has to be understood as God's work, what God has done for us in Jesus. It can't be about the things I say, do, think, feel, or even believe. Faith, i.e. trust, in Jesus Christ is not the same thing as getting our theology right, it's trust in Christ, and that is God's doing, not ours. It's not my job to say who is and isn't saved. I put my hope and trust in Jesus Christ, and that means trusting in Him to be the Savior of the world.

-CryptoLutheran

Not all things on my list are a requirement for salvation. Yes, many of them are for salvation. Others are a very important essential part of our walk with God, and by not believing some of them, they can lead us down a wrong path that is not true or good.

As for your experience with your church: Well, no offense, but I see traditional church fellowship in big buildings as being really fake to me now. Maybe this is a maturity thing and or my ability to read people. I know GOD is looking for us to obey Him in secret and in being genuine and not in putting on a show.