SOME THINGS YOU MUST BELIEVE TO BE A CHRISTIAN

1. You must believe in the GOSPEL:

1Co 15:1  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:

Thus to be a Christian you must believe in

a) Christ died for our sins - LARGE AMOUNT OF DOCTRINE HERE!! Christ died in OUR place, so that we

     may escape the wrath of God for our sin. See some of my other articles for more.

b) Christ was buried - This is saying that HE ACTUALLY WAS DEAD!! Otherwise the next point means     nothing.

c) Jesus Christ ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD - Thus HE PROVED HIS AUTHORITY and showed His     power over death. If Jesus did not rise from the dead, then our faith is of no value (see rest of 1Cor 15).

Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 21  But he spake of the temple of his body.

1Co 15:14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

ANY person, whether they be a church leader of any form, or any person that takes the name of "Christian", IS NOT A CHRISTIAN IF THEY DENY THAT CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS AND ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD!!!  They are NOT saved! : 1Cor 15 1,2 :....the gospel.... By which also ye are saved,

THAT IS NOT BEING LEGALISTIC OR BEING A PHARISEE - THAT IS SCRIPTURE !

2. Your salvation was settled on the CROSS (the central issue of the Gospel):

1Co 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

Gal 6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Joh 19:30  When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

3. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD - IT IS INERRANT AND UNCHANGING

2Ti 3:16  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Mat 5:18  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

4. Salvation: It is by grace alone through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

5. Jesus Christ Was Born of a VIRGIN

Isa 7:14  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

[note: the "you" in the above verse is in the plural in the Hebrew and thus refers to a group of people, probably the nation Israel.]

Mat 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Gal 4:4  But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

[note: Biblically, the seed is always of the MAN, except Gen 3:15 and Gal 4:4 !! One could then argue that Paul also spoke of the virgin birth!]

Scripture clearly states that Christ was born of a virgin woman. For a defense of the translation of Isaiah 7:14, click here and go to John Gill's commentary regarding the verse.

Biblically, the sin nature is passed on through the seed of the man :  Rom 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

To be an acceptable sacrifce, Christ had to be "without spot or blemish". No mere human could be an acceptable sacrifice, since they would be guilty before God regardless of how "good" they were. Only a PERFECT sacrifice could satisfy the wrath of God. Any "normal" person would be a sinner - and would thus not qualify as a saviour.

6. Jesus is 100% God and 100% man for all eternity.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

1Jo 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

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