The Essentials

I was recently asked to write a one page summary of my Christian beliefs. I thought, what are the most essential elements of the faith that should be included in just one page?  

Jesus is the Son of God. He has always existed along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. All things were created through Him. He came to earth and was born of a virgin. He is fully God and fully man. Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. He rose bodily from the grave, appeared to many people and ascended into heaven. One day He is coming back to take those of us who believe to heaven to be with Him.  

Jesus’ willing sacrifice was sufficient to provide atonement for the sins of the whole world and every person in it, but only those who repent of their sins and confess Him as Lord will be saved. To be saved a person must call upon the name of the Lord, which means to make an appeal to God, calling out to Him, asking to be called by His name. This is why I teach that we should ask God to forgive us and invite Jesus to come into our hearts through His Spirit. When a person does that, the Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in their heart. This is known as regeneration or being born again. He renews and restores us and heals our souls. He will never leave us or forsake us. 

Baptism is a command and the first act of obedience which is our public profession of faith that demonstrates we are dying to sin and being raised to new life in Jesus Christ. Believers should immediately by Baptized into the church following salvation.

When we are saved, we are justified, which means to be put into a right standing with God. We receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation and the Spirit continually works in our lives, changing us to be more like Jesus. This process is known as sanctification. We continue to mature as we grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus throughout our lives.  

There will be a judgement where the righteous receive glorified bodies and are rewarded with eternal life in heaven. Unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire where all evil will be destroyed. This lends urgency to the Great Commission, when all Christians were sent out to share the Gospel, the good news about the salvation and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ. 

We have the privilege of gathering together as the church to worship God and enjoy fellowship with other believers. The observance of the Lord’s Supper is a beautiful picture of this communion and a reminder of our covenant with God. All Christians have the responsibility to disciple other believers and help them grow.