Basic Christian Doctrines

BASIC CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES

(John 8:31-32)

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Doctrinal Basis. I adopt the following Statement of Faith as my interpretation of Bible doctrine:

BIBLE - The Bible alone, and in its entirety in the original languages, is the inspired word of God for our lives. It is the mind of Jesus Christ, and the believer’s only source of divine revelation during the present Church age. (John 8:31-32; 1 Cor 2:16; 2 Tim 2:15, 3:16-17; Heb 4:12; 2 Pet 1:20-21; Rev 22:18-19)

SALVATION - Salvation throughout all of human history is the gift of God brought to man by grace. A person receives salvation at the moment that he makes a positive decision to trust in the person and saving work of Jesus Christ only, whose atoning death on the cross provided reconciliation between man and God. (John 1:12, 3:16, 14:6; Acts 16:31; Eph 1:7, 2:8-10)

ETERNAL SECURITY - A person can never lose the eternal life received at salvation. Once salvation is acquired, the believer’s place in heaven is eternally secure. (John 10:28; Acts 16:31; Rom 5:9-10, 8:1; 1 Cor 12:21; 2 Cor 1:21-22; Gal 3:26; 2 Tim 2:13; 1 Pet 1:4-5; Jude 24).

TRINITY - God is one in essence, but is three in personality. The three distinct but equal members of the Godhead are God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is the author of the divine plan for mankind. His Son Jesus Christ is the revealed member of the Godhead who accomplished the plan. The Holy Spirit reveals and teaches God’s plan to members of the human race. Each personality of God is equally and fully perfect in essence. In essence, God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, just and righteous (holy), eternal, immutable, and love. (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14)

JESUS CHRIST - The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became fully man without ceasing to be fully God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. He accomplished this redemption after a sinless life through His spiritual death on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Our redemption is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven and exalted at the right hand of God as our High Priest, by which He is our Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (John 1:1, 2, 14; Luke 1:35; Rom 3:24-25, 4:25, 8:34; 1 Pet 1:3-5; Heb 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2)

HOLY SPIRIT - The third person of the Godhead is the Holy Spirit, distinct in personality but equal in essence to the other two members of the Trinity. The ministry of the Holy Spirit to every believer includes the following: regeneration and indwelling at the moment of salvation, sealing (securing) the believer’s salvation, spiritual growth through the learning and understanding of Bible teaching, convicting of sin, bestowing of at least one spiritual gift, baptizing every believer into union with Christ in one body, and the filling (control) of the believer’s life by which the believer is enabled to perform divine good. All of these ministries are a permanent part of a believer’s life except for the filling of the Holy Spirit, which can be lost through sin and regained through confession of sin. (John 3:6, 14:16-17, 16:7-15; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 6:19, 12:13; Eph 2:22, 4:30, 5:18; 2 Thes 2:7; 1 John 2:20-27)

SPIRITUAL GIFTS - Every believer is given at least one spiritual gift at the moment of salvation, apart from human merit and as the Holy Spirit chooses in grace. Possession of such a gift does not mean that a believer has spirituality. Such gifts include pastor-teacher, administration, helps, and evangelism. Certain gifts of the Holy Spirit in the early Church were temporary signs of apostolic authority until the written Bible was completed. These gifts of apostleship, healing, prophecy, miracles, tongues, and interpretation of tongues ended in the first century. (Acts 4:8, 31; Rom 8:23; 1 Cor 12, 13, 14)

ORDINANCES - The only ordinances to be observed by the Church until the Lord’s return are water Baptism by means of immersion, and the Lord’s Supper, also called Communion or the Eucharist. (Matt 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 10:47-48, 16:32-33, 18:7-8; 1 Cor 11:23- 26)

SPIRITUALITY - At the moment of salvation, a person is filled with (controlled by) the Holy Spirit. This state is known as spirituality. It is an absolute and temporary condition that can be lost through deliberate or unknown sin. Once lost, it can be regained by confession of sin to God. Through naming his known sins to God, the believer takes control of his life away from his old sin nature, and gives control back to the Holy Spirit. (Eph 5:18; 1 John 1)