ESSENTIAL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE 

What is Essential Christian Doctrine ?

Consider a four legged rectangular table. The stability of the table rests on all the four legs equally.  If you remove one of the legs the table will be off balance. If you add extra legs to the original four legs they don’t very much affect the balance or stability of the table. If you take away any of those additional legs, again they affect not the stability much.

However if take away any of the four legs of a table, you will see the table off balance. Those prime four legs like pillars, are as essential to the stability of the table as The Essential Christian Doctrine is to Christianity.  In fact one cannot be a sound Christian if he or she disbelieves even one of the Essential Christian Doctrines.  

 Wikipedia estimates  that there are about 40,000 Christian denominations.   Denominations are created by differences in doctrine.

Whilst  some differences in doctrine are marginal and do not divide the body of Christ, the Bible is bluntly clear about the belief in specific doctrines without which one cannot be a sound Christian.

For Example on the Incarnation which says Christ became flesh, Jn 1:14, Phil 2:7.  the Bible says anyone who denies that is the spirit of Antichrist   1Jn 4:1-3   How can one be a Christian and an Antichrist at the same time?

Another example is the The Resurrection : 1Cor.15 :12-19

Essential Christian Doctrine separates Christianity from the cults. It is the accepted truth , " Orthodoxy" that separates Truth from lies " Heresy"

Ironically, all Christian denominations have not come or agreed to the number of pillars for the Essential Christian Doctrine. More alarming is that many Christians are not even aware of these. If we don’t know what we believe we stand a laughingstock to the world and not mentioning, trying to evangelize to the inquiring intellectual.

THE BIBLE ANSWERMAN ACRONYM

We are going to use the acronym coined by Hank Hanegraaf  (President of  CRI - Christian Research Institute.

-.D.O.C.T.R.I.N.E. Hanegraaf also known as the the Bible answerman has developed his model which makes it easier to remember.

 D.O.C.T.R.I.N.E

1.Deity of Christ Jesus

2. Original Sin

3. Canon

4. Trinity

5. Resurrection 

6 Incarnation 

7. New Birth

8. Eschatology.

DEITY OF CHRIST:

Deity comes from the Latin word Deus meaning God therefore this phrase implies that Jesus is God.

Scriptures overwhelmingly reveal that Jesus Christ is God right from the Old Testament throughout the Bible. 

How did Isaiah prophetically refer to Jesus by the words the forerunner John the Baptist would use? He used the word God.

Isaiah 40:3 (KJV) The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

The major accusation by which the Jews sought to kill Jesus was their understanding that he claimed to be God. If Christ wasn’t God he would have denied that and not die by a lie.

John 10:33 (KJV)

The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

For detailed proof of the deity of Christ click  here  or go to the home page to select the topic.  

ORIGINAL SIN:

Sin is to fall short of the commandments of God. We can even sin by agreeing to a bad thought or by omission, that is by refusing to do the right thing that we were obligated to do.

Original sin is the " tendency to sin" which all mankind inherited from Adam after the fall. It brought curse upon mankind . It brought death.

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: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. (Romans 5:12-14 KJV)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV).

CANON:

Canon is the accepted books of scripture as the church received from God.

Therefore those scriptures are inerrant or infallible . The scriptures were written by men but they were inspired by the Holy Spirit..

We are not to add to it nor subtract from it.

The canon consists of sixty six books that make up the Bible; 39 of the Old Testament and 27 of the New Testament.

The Authenticity of the bible is proven by manuscript, Archaeological and Prophetic evidence.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV)

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:19 KJV)

TRINITY:

The Trinity stands for triune God . It does not mean three gods. (1+1+1=3) as some argue. It is three personal self distinctions in the Godhead. (1x1x1=1). The FATHER, THE SON , THE HOLY GHOST. Co-equal, co-eternal co-existent. The Father is God , The Son is God, The Holy Spirit is God. But one God.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord : (Deuteronomy 6:4 KJV)

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (Matthew 28:19 KJV)

But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. (1 Corinthians 8:6 KJV)

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (John 15:26 KJV) 

RESURRECTION :

Jesus Christ died, was buried and he rose from the dead bodily not just a spiritual resurrection as some say. Re. 1:18

By his resurrection he conquered death so we also will be resurrected just like him.

1Thess.4:13-18. He is ths called the first fruits of resurrection. 

Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. give an account of the resurrection . Without the resurrection there would be no Christianity and there would be no hope for mankind. 1Cor.15,  Phil 2:7.

INCARNATION:

The doctrine of the Incarnation means Jesus Christ is God who came into this world by taking upon him the human flesh. Jn.1:14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 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. (John 1:1, 14 KJV)

NEW BIRTH :

 -To be born again.

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 

Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:3-6 KJV)

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man but of God. Jn.1:12 

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9 KJV)

ESCHATOLOGY

Eschatology is about the last things . 

The people of the Old Testament had a hope of the last things . It was the coming of the Messiah to restore Israel.

Now we of the New Testament have witnessed the first coming of the Christ the Messiah but we have been promised a blessed hope coming , the hope for all our struggles and endurance and the rewards . 

It is an essential doctrine because it is the ultimate hope of the Christian. 

Paul wrote about the “...hope of your calling” Eph 1:18, “looking forward to this blessed hope” Titus 2:13 

What is the substance of that hope ?

It is a serious of events, cosmic and personal, coming in the last days

Peter wrote about the heavens that will pass away will great noise in the day of the Lord. 2Pe 3:10

The Christian is in transit in this present world to a better place. It is essential for the sinner to know this and repent before it is too late. This truth must be made known to the whole world . 

The scriptures speak about it.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION, DEATH AND RESURRECTION, THE MILLENNIUM, ARMAGEDDON , THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT, THE REWARD OF THE SAINTS IN HEAVEN , HELL - ETERNAL TORMENT IN THE LAKE OF FIRE FOR THE CONDEMNED, NEW HEAVEN , NEW EARTH, THE KINGDOM OF GOD .

Dan. 7, 9, 12. MATT.24, Is2: 20-21 Re. 9, 20,21,22 etc.