Central Teachings of Biblical Christianity

What are the core teachings of biblical Christianity?  Using the acronym “doctrines,” let me lay them out:

D – Deity of Christ.

John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word with God, and the Word was God.”  Jesus is the Word in that He is the exact and perfect communication of the Father to us (cf. Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15). Jesus said that you will die in your sins if you do not believe that I am God (John 8:24).

O – Original Sin

Romans 5:12:  “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.”

We are sinners not because we’ve sinned, but we sin because we’re sinners. “If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Every person born into this world with the exception of Jesus because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, has been and will be born a sinner.

C – Canon of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”  The Bible is the means God uses to save people (James 1:18, 21). God’s Word is sufficient to save people and sufficient to enable them to “grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2).

T – Trinity

There is one God who exists and manifest Himself in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three members of the Godhead are co-equal in power, wisdom, eternality and glory (Matt. 28:19; Eph. 4:4-6). Be careful when you use physical analogies to try to illustrate the Trinity. Remember, God said, “To whom [or what] will you liken Me, that I should be his equal” (Isa. 40:25)?

R – Resurrection

Jesus, after He was put to death on the cross, three days later resurrected and is now alive in heaven (John 11:25-26).   Paul said, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Rom. 10:9).  Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are core elements of the gospel (1 Cor. 15:3-4).  Add to this that Jesus’ resurrection was a bodily resurrection (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Tim. 2:5).

I – Incarnation

Jesus as God became a man.  He was incarnated.  He was born of a virgin, lived 33 plus years a sinless life, and then died, not for His sins, but for the sins of His people (John 1:14).  God the Father prepared a body for Jesus (Heb. 10:5) in the likeness of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:3).  The only way for Jesus to atone for the sins of His people was to die and He could not have died and shed His blood without having a body.  

N – New Creation

Everyone who is born of God will not remain the same, but from the inside out becomes a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17).  As a result, necessary fruit that gives evidence of repentance will become obvious to others (Matt. 3:8).

E – Eschatology

God controls the future and has promised to come again the second time (Rev. 22:12; Philip. 3:20-21) and to make all things new (Rev. 21:5).

S - Salvation

In order to be saved, one must come to Jesus and trust Him alone. Salvation is by grace through faith and not of any kind of works on man's part (Eph. 2:8-9). There is nothing we can do to merit one second of eternal life (Titus 3:5).