3. Proper doctrine is essential for salvation – As I said earlier, the Christian must know what they believe and why they believe it. A Christian must not be spoon-fed their faith by the church or anyone else who may be wrong or have some hidden agenda. Every Christian is responsible for reading the Bible themselves and studying God’s word for knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Every Christian has the responsibility of talking to God daily in prayer and seeking the revelation of God through the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is commanded to witness for Christ. A person must believe in the following core tenets of the Christian faith or they are not saved:
A. The existence of God – I’m not talking about Allah, other gods or multiple gods. I’m talking about Jehovah, the the one true living God in heaven.
B. The sinfulness of man – The atheists of the world believe man is his own god and that man is basically good. The Bible teaches us man is wicked and eternally lost without the saving grace of God.
C. The deity of Jesus – Atheists and other religions believe Jesus was a good man, a wise teacher, and a prophet but he was not divine. A Christian must believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to earth and took on flesh. A Christian must believe Jesus is God.
D. The substitutionary death and bodily resurrection of Christ – Christians must believe Jesus Christ came to earth for the purpose of dying a terrible death on the cross in our place so that our sins could be forgiven by a just God. For God’s grace to be applied the believer must accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Christians must believe Jesus died on the cross for the sins of all men, past, present and future. Christian’s must believe that Jesus was crucified, was buried, and on the third day arose from the dead. Christian’s must believe Jesus ascended back to heaven and now sits at the right hand of God making intercession for us.
E. The necessity of the regeneration of the Holy Spirit – Christians must believe they are born in sin and the only way to heaven and eternal life is by the mercy and grace of a loving God. The Christian must believe that when they accept Jesus Christ and their Lord and Savior they are saved unto eternal life. This occurs when the Holy Spirit gives us a new spirit without sin (regeneration). Our eternal spirit has been born again.
2 John 9 – Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
The believer must be intellectually and morally convinced of these truths and must willingly receive the person of Christ into their life. A genuine, initial belief in the doctrines of our faith and reception of Christ as Lord and Savior will continue throughout the believer’s life. The genuine Christian will never waver from this doctrinal position, or deny it. That’s why millions of Christians will be beheaded during the tribulation. The antichrist will lock up Christians for ten days to give them an opportunity to recant their faith. The vast majority of Christians will go to their death rather than deny God.
Colossians 1:21-23 – And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight-if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven.
If someone considers themselves a Christian they must believe in Jesus or they are not saved. Christianity means, “Christ’s men.” Holding fast to the doctrine of Christ is evidence of salvation and, conversely, anyone who denies any part of the doctrine of Christ is not saved and they will face the wrath of God on the last day. When it comes to believing Christian doctrine a person is either all in or all out. Failure to believe any part of the doctrine of faith means you are not saved. A person who holds fast until the end to the tenets of Christianity that I’ve just described will be presented to Jesus Christ in heaven on the last day for their reward. Personally, my goal is to always do what pleases God and my fondest wish when I’m standing before the bema judgement seat of Christ on the last day is to hear Jesus say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Witnessing for Christ