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BASIC BIBLE DOCTRINES necessary for salvation 1 There is one God - "the trinity" is a pagan relic Israel was commanded to worship one God - Deuteronomy 6v4. Jesus taught "my Father is greater than I" - John 14v28. He was born by the spirit power of God and therefore was "the son of God" - Luke 1v35. This was essential so that He could offer an acceptable sacrifice for Himself and those "in Christ" when God "condemned sin in the flesh" - Romans 8v3; Hebrews 2v14. Note - "the trinity" is unscriptural & came from paganism. 2 The holy spirit is God's power - it is not a separate person The holy spirit is simply the power of God, by which He created all things and by which He sustains His Creation. Although certain gifts of the spirit were given in times past, they are not available today. However God's word has always been the means of salvation, and we possess this word in written form today - it is known as the Bible. Jesus stated - "the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" - John 6v63. 3 The Bible is inspired & infallible & sufficient for us "the holy scriptures...are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God" - 2nd Timothy 3v15,16. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" - Romans 10v17. "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" - Amos 3v7. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass" - Revelation 1v1. 4 The mortality of man - heaven & hell-going are a fiction The Bible teaches us that "the dead know not anything" - Ecclesiastes 9v4-6,10. And also he that "understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish" - Psalm 49v12,20. But Jesus also taught us "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" - John 11v23-26. Note carefully that resurrection must come before a future life. Only God has life in Himself - 1st Timothy 1v17; 6v16. Jesus Christ opened the way to eternal life through the gospel & faithfulness - 2nd Timothy 1v10; Romans 2v7. 5 The judgment seat of Christ - light brings responsibility When Jesus Christ returns to the earth, His first work is to judge those who are responsible by having reached a conviction of the Truth in its basic elements as set out on this page. If they prove unfaithful and disobedient, the Lord pronounces their certain judgment thus: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" - John 12v48. "And this is the condemnation, that light is come..and men loved darkness rather than light" - John 3v19. 6 The Biblical devil is a personification of sin The term "devil" is a form of personification, which is a graphic means of expression used to impress us with the importance of the subject. By comparing Hebrews 2v14 & Romans 8v3 we can easily see that "the devil" = sin. The term has its origin in the beginning when the serpent became a "devil" (="false accuser") of God - Genesis 3v4,5. The term therefore describes the "sinful flesh" which we bear as a result of sin. We thank God that He has "condemned sin in the flesh" in the Sacrifice of Christ-Romans 8v3. 7 The Biblical satan signifies an adversary For the meaning of the term "satan" we must examine the context. The angel of God was a good "satan" (adversary) by opposing the evil prophet Balaam - Numbers 22v22. But the term usually refers to those opposing God - e.g. Matthew 16v23. Any falsely claiming to represent the Truth are "the satan" - Job 1v6,7;2v1-7;Mark 1v13; 2nd Corinthians 2v11; 11v14; Revelation 2v9; 3v9. Apostacy grew "after the working of the satan" & settled finally in Rome - Zechariah 5; 2nd Thessalonians 2v1-12; Revelation 17v1-5. 8 God's wonderful promises - life, land, and kingdom There are three wonderful promises made by God to those who trust in Him and believe and obey His inspired word revealed in the Bible. They concern eternal life, the land of Israel, and the Kingdom of God (the ancient Kingdom of Israel restored & expanded). The "seed" to whom the promises were made is Jesus Christ and those truly "in Him". We must believe in the basic elements of the Truth, founded on the Sacrifice of Christ. Genesis 3v15; 12v1 - 22v18; 2nd Samuel 7; Acts 26v1-8; Galatians 3v6-29; 2nd Peter 1v1-4. 9 The Sacrifice of Christ - sin condemned, promises sure By the Sacrifice of Christ, sin has been condemned, & the promises have been confirmed and made sure to all who trust in God. We must believe in all of the truth concerning this redeeming sacrifice. Jesus Christ was provided as a Saviour, however being Himself born of "sinful flesh", although sinless, He also needed redemption by sacrifice. It was only by One who was also born as the Son of God that "sin" could be "condemned in the flesh". Romans 3v19-28; 5v6-21; 8v3; 1st Cor. 15v20-28; 2nd Cor. 5v19-21; Heb. 7v17-28; 9v11-28. 10 Baptism is total immersion - "infant-sprinkling" apostate The Gospel encompasses "the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ". Our belief in these truths must be demonstrated by baptism (immersion in water) in the saving name of Jesus Christ - Mark 16v15,16; Luke 24v47; Acts 2v38; 8v16,25,12; 10v48; 28v31. Baptism is "the washing of water by the word" - Ephesians 5v26. It is the outward expression of an inward belief, by which act we are forgiven past sins, & commit ourselves to the service of God in Christ. Without basic truths an immersion is unscriptural - education and belief must be followed by re-immersion-Acts 19v1-5. Being "dead to sin" & "buried with" Christ, we rise to a "newness of life..with him" - Rom.6v1-8. 11 Law and Grace - the "old" & the "new" covenants The law given by Moses condemned the sinner. The Sacrifice of Christ condemned sin itself and established grace. The old law covenant gave a limited mortal inheritance - the new covenant of grace offers eternal life in the Kingdom of God. 7th-day sabbath observance is now replaced by 8th-day(=1st day) observance to remember Jesus Christ. The 7th period of 1000 years will be transitory, leading to the 8th period of perfection. Acts 13v38,39; Romans 3v19-26; 5v20,21; 8v3; Galatians 3 & 4; Hebrews 8 to 10. 12 Biblical Fellowship involves the protection of the Truth Belief of the Truth and baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ confers fellowship with God through His Son.This privilege demands that we keep the purity of the Faith among those whom we fellowship, by withdrawing from unrepentant known sin in doctrine or practice. Matt.12v30; Acts 2v41-47; 2nd Corinthians 6v14-18; Ephesians 4v1-6;1st John 1v3-7. |