What is Essential Christian Doctrine?
Introduction
Imagine yourself transported back to the year 325 AD, to the city of Nicaea. The air is thick with tension as hundreds of church leaders gather to debate what might seem, at first glance, to be the smallest of matters – a single letter in a single word. The word in question? ὁμοούσιος (homoousios) versus ὁμοιούσιος (homoiousios). The difference? One Iota. But this wasn't just linguistic nitpicking. This single letter carried the weight of the entire Christian faith. You see, ὁμοούσιος means "of the same substance," while ὁμοιούσιος means "of similar substance." The debate centered on a crucial question: Is Jesus of the same substance as God the Father, or merely similar?
As Athanasius powerfully argued, "The Son is no creature but belongs to the Father's substance." This wasn't just theological hair-splitting – it was about the very identity of Jesus Christ and, by extension, the nature of salvation itself.
Today, we live in a world that often says, "What's true for you isn't necessarily true for me." But Jesus made a bold, uncompromising statement in John 8:32: "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Not a truth, not your truth, but the truth. In our first episode, we explored the fundamental question, "What must I do to be saved?" Last week, we discussed spiritual growth. Today, we're going to dig deep into the bedrock of our faith – the essential doctrines of Christianity. These aren't just academic theories or philosophical musings. These are the truths that define authentic Christianity and shape our entire understanding of God, ourselves, and salvation.
The Nature of Essential Doctrine
Before we dive into specific doctrines, we need to understand what makes a doctrine "essential." John Calvin wisely noted,
“A dogma is worth fighting for only if its denial damages the very foundation of the Christian faith.”
This gives us a crucial framework: Essential doctrines are those beliefs without which Christianity itself would collapse.
The Apostle Paul provides us with a perfect example in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4. He writes,
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”
Notice his language: "of first importance." Paul is establishing a hierarchy of truth. Some truths are foundational, while others, though valuable, are not essential to salvation. This brings us to our first major doctrine.
1. The Nature of God
The Trinity
You know what's amazing? The most fundamental truth about God is also the most mind-bending. We're talking about the Trinity here – it's absolutely central to who God is, even though it pushes the limits of what our human minds can grasp. Let me share something fascinating from Matthew 28:19:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Jesus is giving His disciples their final instructions, and He tells them to baptize people "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Did you catch that detail? He says "in the name" – singular – not "in the names." One name, three Persons. That's not a typo – it's actually showing us something incredible about how God can be both one and three at the same time.
Augustine, one of the early church's greatest thinkers, spent years wrestling with understanding the Trinity. He finally said something really profound: "If you can comprehend it, it is not God." Augustine, one of the church's greatest thinkers, spent years wrestling with the Trinity and famously said, "If you can comprehend it, it is not God." There's this remarkable story about him from around the year 415. Picture this: Augustine is walking along the beach, taking a break from writing his masterpiece on the Trinity. He'd been working on one of his most important works for years – and would continue working on it for decades – and his eyes were tired from studying. He needed some fresh air.
As he walked along the shore, watching the waves crash against the sand, he noticed a young boy with a determined look on his face. The child was running back and forth between the ocean and a tiny hole he'd dug in the sand, carrying a small seashell. Augustine was intrigued.
"My son," he called out over the sound of the waves, "what are you doing there?"
The boy held up his shell and shouted back, "I'm trying to fit that great big ocean into this tiny hole!"
Augustine knelt down beside the hole, watching as the boy poured a few drops of water into it. With a gentle smile, he turned the child toward the vast expanse of the sea and spread his arms wide. "My child," he said, "you could never fit this great, magnificent ocean into that tiny hole!"
The boy's response was immediate and striking: "And you could never possibly understand the Holy Trinity." Then, in an instant, the boy vanished.
You know what's beautiful about this story? It's not just telling us that understanding the Trinity is impossible – it's showing us something deeper. Just as scientists are still discovering new life in the oceans today, we can keep discovering new truths about God. We might not be able to grasp the whole mystery at once, but God reveals Himself to us bit by bit, drop by drop, just like that little boy could fit small amounts of water into his hole before it sank into the sand.
Interestingly, Augustine worked on his work and doctrine about the Trinity – De Trinitate (in English it means, “On the Trinity”) – for over 30 years and never finished it. But maybe that's exactly right. Maybe leaving this exploration of such a profound mystery unfinished was the perfect ending.
Because here's the thing – while we can't fully understand the Trinity, God has revealed some crucial truths about it that we can grasp. Let me break down five big ones:
There is one God: The ancient Israelites had this prayer called the Shema that they would say every day: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). This is super important – we're not talking about three gods here. We worship one God.
This One God exists in Three Persons: Think about Jesus's baptism – it's like a family reunion! The Father's voice booms from heaven, Jesus (the Son) is being baptized, and the Holy Spirit comes down looking like a dove (Matthew 3:16-17). All three are there, doing different things, at the same time.
Each Person is Fully God: Let's look at what the Bible says about each Person:
The Father is clearly God. John puts it beautifully in 1 John 3:1: "See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God."
Jesus is absolutely God. Remember that time in John 10:30 when Jesus said, "I and the Father are one"? The people who heard Him knew exactly what He was claiming – they tried to stone Him for saying He was God! And John 1:1 and Colossians 2:9 make it crystal clear.
The Holy Spirit is God, too. Check out Acts 5:3-4, where Peter tells Ananias, "You have not lied to men, but to God" right after saying he lied to the Holy Spirit. The math is pretty clear there!
Each Person is Distinct: When Jesus prays to the Father in John 17, He's not talking to Himself – that would be weird! And Romans 8:26-27 tells us the Spirit prays to the Father for us. They're clearly relating to each other as distinct Persons.
This Has Always Been True: Before anything existed, before time itself, God was already Trinity. John 1:1 tells us the Word (that's Jesus) was already there "in the beginning," and He was both with God and was God. Mind-blowing, right?
Why should we care about all this? Because it shows us something amazing – God is relational at His very core. Before He ever created anything, God already existed in perfect relationship within Himself. Think about what that means: He didn't create us because He was lonely or needed us. He created us because He wanted to share the perfect love and relationship that already existed!
This changes everything about how we live our faith:
When we talk about salvation, we're talking about the Father planning it, the Son achieving it, and the Spirit making it real in our lives
When we pray, we're talking to the Father, through the Son, with the Spirit's help
Our whole Christian life is about having a relationship with all three Persons of the Trinity
Look, we don't have to solve the Trinity like some cosmic math problem. It's a divine reality we're invited to experience. And even though the word "Trinity" never appears in the Bible (we'll dig deeper into that in Episode 21, "Is the Trinity Biblical?"), this truth is woven all through Scripture.
God's Attributes
You know those moments when someone tells you something about themselves that changes everything you thought you knew about them? Well, there's this incredible moment in Exodus 34 where God does exactly that – He tells Moses exactly who He is.
Listen to how God describes Himself:
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Now, this is fascinating because God says His own name twice here - "The LORD, the LORD." In Hebrew, that's "YHWH, YHWH." When you're reading the Bible and see someone's name repeated like this, it's like they're putting it in bold, italics, AND all caps. God is saying, "Pay attention – this is important!" The ancient Jewish teachers had a beautiful way of explaining this. They said it's showing us that God is the same God before and after we mess up. His character doesn't change based on our actions.
Let's break down what God says about Himself:
He's Compassionate: You know how a parent feels when their child is hurt? That deep, gut-level need to help and protect them? The Hebrew word used here, רַחוּם, (rachum) actually comes from the same root as their word for "womb." It's describing that kind of deep, parental love. As David would later write, "As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him" (Psalm 103:13).
He's Gracious: The Hebrew word here, חָנוּן, (chanun) paints a picture of someone bending down to help. Think about a parent kneeling to be at eye level with their child. That's what God does with us. He doesn't just throw us a rope from heaven – He comes down to our level to help us. We see this perfectly in Jesus, don't we?
He's Patient: Here's a fun bit of Hebrew insight – the phrase used here, אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם (erech apayim), literally means "long of nose." Why? Because they believed anger showed up in flaring nostrils. So when God says He's "slow to anger," He's saying He has a very long nose! It takes a lot to get Him riled up. Peter picks up on this in the New Testament when he reminds us that God's patience has a purpose – He's giving people time to come to Him (2 Peter 3:9).
He's Full of Steadfast Love: This is a special one. The Hebrew word here is חֶסֶד (hesed), and it shows up over 250 times in the Old Testament. It's like God really wants us to get this message! It combines love, loyalty, and faithfulness. Think of the most reliable person you know, then multiply that reliability by infinity – that's getting close to God's chesed. David was so blown away by this that he wrote, "Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens" (Psalm 36:5).
He's Faithful: The Hebrew word here וֶאֱמֶת (emet) is about absolute reliability. When God makes a promise, it's more certain than the sun rising tomorrow. As Moses would later remind Israel, "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love" (Deuteronomy 7:9).
Here's what makes this so incredible: These aren't just things God does – they're who He is. When the Bible says "God is love" (1 John 4:8), it's not just saying God is loving. It's saying love is essential to who God is, like wetness is essential to water. You can't separate God from love any more than you can separate the heat from a fire.
This changes everything about how we see God in action:
When He judges, it's because He is truly just.
When He saves, it's because He is truly loving.
When He waits, it's because He is truly patient.
When He keeps His promises, it's because He is truly faithful.
James puts it this way:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
God is like a celestial light that doesn't shift or change (James 1:17). He's not moody or unpredictable. He doesn't wake up on the wrong side of the bed. He's consistently, reliably, eternally Himself.
What does this mean for us? Everything!
When we worship, we're not just praising what God does, but who He is.
When we pray, we can be confident He won't change His mind about loving us.
When life gets hard, we can trust His character hasn't changed.
When we serve others, we're showing them what God is like.
Creator
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
This first verse of Scripture establishes another essential truth: God is the Creator of all things. This doctrine separates biblical Christianity from both materialism (which denies a Creator) and pantheism (which identifies the Creator with creation).
2. The Person and Work of Christ
Now we come to the heart of Christian doctrine – the person and work of Jesus Christ. This is where that ancient debate at Nicaea becomes intensely relevant to us today.
Fully God and Fully Man
Colossians 2:9 declares:
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,”
This is a staggering claim. Jesus isn't just a great teacher or a spiritual leader – He is God incarnate.
The Nicene Creed beautifully expresses this truth:
“True God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father.”
This is why that single letter in ὁμοιούσιος (homoiousios) was worth fighting for. If Jesus is merely similar to God but not actually God, our entire understanding of salvation crumbles. (I should note that we'll be exploring this topic in much greater depth in our future article called "Does the Bible Claim Jesus is God?", where we'll examine the biblical evidence for Christ's deity).
Virgin Birth
Let's talk about something that might sound like it belongs in a fairy tale, but is absolutely crucial to our faith – the virgin birth of Jesus. This isn't just an amazing miracle story. It's fundamental to understanding who Jesus is and how God entered our world. In Luke 1:34-35, we encounter a remarkable conversation between Mary and the angel Gabriel. Mary asks what seems like an obvious question:
“And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?””
She's not expressing doubt – she's genuinely trying to understand something that seems impossible. The angel's response is extraordinary:
“And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”
This language of "overshadowing" is fascinating. In the Old Testament, this same concept appears when God's presence would "overshadow" the tabernacle (Exodus 40:35). The Greek word used for “overshadow” in Luke 1:35, ἐπισκιάσει (episkiasei), is the same word used at Jesus's transfiguration when the cloud of God's presence overshadowed the disciples (Luke 9:34). This isn't coincidental – it's showing us that the same divine presence that filled the temple is now creating life in Mary's womb. Specifically, the virgin birth accomplishes several crucial things:
It Fulfills Prophecy: Isaiah had prophesied centuries earlier: "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Matthew explicitly connects this prophecy to Jesus's birth in Matthew 1:22-23, saying: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” This shows God's faithfulness to His promises.
It Preserves Jesus's Divinity: The virgin birth ensures that Jesus's identity as the Son of God isn't just a title He earned or was given – it's who He is from the moment of conception. As the angel tells Joseph in Matthew 1:20b, "for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."
It Guards Jesus's Humanity: At the same time, being born of Mary means Jesus is fully human. He's not a demigod like in Greek mythology, nor is He just God pretending to be human. He's truly and fully human, while being truly and fully God.
It Protects the Sinless Nature of Christ: The virgin birth means Jesus isn't born under the curse of Adam's sin. As the angel declares to Mary in Luke 1:35, "therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God." This sinless nature is essential for Jesus to be a substitutionary, perfect sacrifice for our sins on the cross.
The virgin birth was just as hard for people to accept in the first century as it is today. We can see this clearly in how people reacted to it. When Joseph found out Mary was pregnant before they were married, he didn't believe in a miracle at first - his natural response was to quietly end their engagement (Matthew 1:19). Even years later, the skepticism continued. When Jesus was teaching in his hometown of Nazareth, the locals mocked him by pointedly calling him "Mary's son" instead of using his father's name (Mark 6:3). This was more than just casual identification - in their culture, deliberately referring to someone only by their mother's name could be a way of suggesting they were born out of wedlock. This shows how even the people who knew Jesus's family struggled to accept the miraculous nature of his birth.
But here's what's amazing: both Mary and Joseph, despite the social cost, accepted their roles in this miracle. They understood they were part of something bigger than themselves. Mary's response is particularly beautiful:
“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”
(We'll explore this topic more deeply in our future article "Is the virgin birth miracle or myth?" (Episode 70), where we'll address common objections and examine the historical evidence).
The virgin birth isn't just about how Jesus came into the world – it's about who He is. It's about God doing something completely new, completely miraculous, to bring about our salvation. As Augustine would later write, "He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed."
Sinless Life
Let's talk about something truly remarkable – Jesus lived an entire human life without sin. Not just big sins, but the small ones too. Never a selfish thought. Never a harsh word spoken in anger. Never a moment of pride.
Just let that sink in for a minute.
2 Corinthians 5:21 conveys it perfectly:
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Let me explain why Jesus being sinless matters so deeply for our salvation. In the Old Testament, God established a system of animal sacrifices where the Israelites would bring offerings to atone for their sins. But these weren't just any animals - God specifically required them to be perfect specimens "without blemish" (Leviticus 1:3). This requirement wasn't arbitrary or about God being overly particular. Instead, these unblemished animals were pointing forward to something greater - they were a picture of the perfect sacrifice that would one day come through Jesus.
This connects directly to Jesus's sinless life. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 4:15 that even though Jesus "has been tempted in every way, just as we are," He "did not sin." He faced all the same temptations we face - every pull toward selfishness, every opportunity to take shortcuts, every enticement to put himself first - but He remained perfectly faithful to God. Just as those ancient sacrifices had to be flawless to be acceptable to God, Jesus had to be completely sinless to serve as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. His moral perfection wasn't just about setting a good example - it was an essential qualification for Him to be our Savior, the ultimate unblemished offering who could truly take away our sins.
He faced every temptation we face:
Physical temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)
Emotional temptations like anger in the temple (John 2:13-17)
Spiritual temptations like avoiding the cross (Matthew 26:39)
But unlike us, He never gave in. Not once.
This sinless life matters for three crucial reasons:
Qualification as Perfect: Jesus's perfect life qualified Him to be our perfect sacrifice. The sacrificial animals “without blemish” required in the Old Testament was pointing to something greater. As Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:18-19, we weren't redeemed with things that pass away like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus, who was like a perfect lamb without any flaw or defect (“without blemish”). Just as a blemished animal couldn't serve as a proper sacrifice, only someone who had lived a completely sinless life could offer himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Example for Believers: Jesus's sinless life serves as our model for godly living. When Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:21 that Jesus left us "an example to follow in his steps," he's telling us something profound. Jesus didn't just save us - He showed us what it looks like when someone fully trusts and obeys God in every situation. His life wasn't just about securing our salvation; it demonstrates how we can live in loving obedience to God. When we face temptation or difficult choices, we can look to how Jesus handled similar situations with perfect faithfulness.
Defeat of Sin's Power: This is especially encouraging. Jesus's sinless life proves that sin's power can be broken. Paul explains this in Romans 8:3-4, where he tells us that God did what the law by itself could never do. By sending His Son "in the likeness of sinful flesh," Jesus demonstrated that sin isn't an unbeatable force in our lives. He proved it's possible to live in complete obedience to God. While we won't achieve perfect sinlessness in this life, Jesus's victory over sin shows us that through His power, we can increasingly overcome sin's influence in our lives. His sinless life isn't just a historical fact - it's a promise of the transformation that’s possible through His Spirit working in us.
Substitutionary Death
Now we come to the heart of the gospel – Christ's death in our place. 1 Peter 3:18 puts it beautifully:
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,”
Theologians call this "substitutionary atonement," but don't let that technical term intimidate you. This is actually the most deeply personal truth in all of Scripture, and I want to help you understand exactly what it means.
Think of it like a great exchange. As we learned in 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made Jesus, who never sinned, to become sin for us, so that through Him we could become righteous before God. This is as if Jesus stepped into our place and took everything we deserved - our sin, our death sentence, our separation from God - and in return gave us everything He deserved - His righteousness, His life, His perfect relationship with the Father. Ephesians 2:13 tells us:
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
We, who were once far away, have been brought near through Christ's blood. And what makes this even more remarkable is that it was a once-for-all sacrifice. The book of Hebrews helps us understand why this matters. In the Old Testament, priests had to offer sacrifices over and over again, year after year. But Hebrews 10:10 tells us:
“And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Through Jesus's sacrifice, we're made holy "once for all." When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross (John 19:30), He meant it. No more sacrifices needed. No more payment required. Jesus did what all those previous sacrifices could only point to, and He did it "once for all":
“He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”
Even more amazing, Hebrews 10:14 tells us:
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
By this one sacrifice, He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. And why did Jesus do this? Romans 5:8 gives us the answer, and it's breathtaking:
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
This wasn't just God showing us what love looks like - this was love in action, meeting our deepest need when we were utterly unable to help ourselves. And this shouldn't have surprised us. Centuries before it happened, Isaiah 53:5 described exactly what Jesus would do:
“But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.”
Every detail of this prophecy came true in Jesus's death. But the story doesn't end with Jesus's death. The resurrection changes everything. In fact, Paul makes an astonishing claim in 1 Corinthians 15:14: "If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith." Those are incredibly strong words! But Paul uses them because the resurrection isn't just a nice ending to the story - it's the event that proves everything Jesus said and did was true. The resurrection is what transforms Christ's death from a tragedy into the greatest victory in history.
“The resurrection is what transforms Christ’s death from a tragedy to the greatest victory in history.”
This whole sequence - Jesus taking our place, dying once for all, rising again - forms the very core of the gospel. It's not just ancient history or religious theory. It's the most personal message imaginable: Jesus loved you so much that He willingly took your place, died the death you deserved, and rose again to give you new life. Everything in Christianity flows from this incredible truth. And when we talk about Jesus rising again, we're not speaking symbolically or metaphorically. The resurrection is a historical event with profound implications for every one of us. Think about just how much this one event proves - not just about Jesus, but about God's power, His promises, and His plans for us.
The resurrection proves:
Death is Defeated: 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 captures this triumph when it declares, "Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" This isn't just poetic language - it's a victory shout. Death, our ancient enemy, has finally met its match.
Salvation is Secured: Romans 4:25 tells us that Jesus "was raised to life for our justification." Think of it this way: when Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, the resurrection was God's way of saying "Amen" - His divine stamp of approval confirming that Christ's sacrifice was accepted and our salvation is guaranteed. If Jesus had stayed in the tomb, we'd always wonder if His death was enough. But the resurrection settles that question forever.
New Life is Possible: Romans 6:4 tells us, "Just as Christ was raised from the dead... we too may live a new life." The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to change our lives today. This isn't just about future resurrection - it's about experiencing new life right now.
And it’s important to point out as well, that the apostles had concrete, physical encounters with the risen Jesus. They weren’t seeing a ghost or having a group hallucination. The Bible shows that the disciples:
Touched His physical body (John 20:27): Thomas actually put his fingers in Jesus’ wounds.
Ate with Him (Luke 24:42-43): Jesus specifically ate fish with the apostles after His resurrection.
Saw Him in different locations (1 Corinthians 15:5-8): He appeared to over 500 people in various places.
(In a future article, "How can we be sure about the resurrection of Christ?", we'll dive deep into the historical evidence that makes this the most well-documented event in ancient history.)
The resurrection isn't just the happy ending to a sad story – it's the foundation of our hope. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:20, Christ is "the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." His resurrection guarantees ours.
3. Salvation Through Christ Alone
Now we come to the moment where everything we’ve discussed thus far becomes deeply personal - salvation. Back in the first episode/article in this series, “What must I do to be saved?” Well, everything we’ve explored today about Christian doctrine, about who Jesus is and what He’s done - from His divine nature, to His miraculous birth, His perfect life, His sacrificial death, and His triumphant resurrection - it all comes together in God’s amazing plan to bring us into eternal life with Him.
By Grace Through Faith
There’s a passage in Ephesians that I believe gives us one of the clearest explanations in all of Scripture. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Let’s pause here for a moment because this is awesome. Paul is telling us that salvation is entirely a gift from God. Think about that word 'grace' for a moment. In Greek, it's χάριτί (chariti), which is where we get our word 'charity.' It means receiving something that we could never deserve. Paul captures this beautifully in Romans 6:23, when he writes:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
But what about faith? And this is crucial to understand correctly because faith isn’t just mentally agreeing with some facts about Jesus. The book of Hebrews gives us a deeper picture of it. In Hebrews 11:1, we read that:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
In other words, faith is about putting our complete trust in what Christ has done for us, rather than in anything we could ever do for ourselves. And here’s something amazing - even this faith itself is a gift from God! Think about what that means: our salvation has absolutely nothing to do with our own achievements. We cannot earn it by simply being good enough, by performing religious acts, or by living a moral life. God deliberately designed salvation this way, removing any possibility for human pride and ensuring that all the glory goes to Him alone. And I love this, because it puts every single person - regardless of their background, their past, or their achievements - on exactly the same footing before God. (Now, this might raise some questions about the role of works in the Christian life. We'll tackle this head-on in a future article called, "Does James teach salvation by works?" where we'll explore how faith and works relate to each other.)
Necessity of Faith in Christ
This understanding of salvation by grace through faith leads us to one of Jesus’s most profound and challenging statements. In John 14:6, Jesus makes a claim that would have been just as striking to His original audience as it is to us today.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Consider the weight of these words. When Jesus says that He is ‘the way, the truth, and the life,’ He’s using very specific language. In the original text, He includes the definite article ‘the’ (ἡ in Greek) before each of these terms. I am ἡ ὁδὸς, καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια, καὶ ἡ ζωή (ho hodos, kai ho aletheia, kai ho zoe) - the way, the truth, the life. This isn’t casual phrasing, it is a deliberate and absolute claim. He’s not saying, ‘I am a way’ as if He’s one option among many paths to God. He’s not suggesting He’s one truth among many truths, or offering just one version of life among many possibilities. Instead, He’s making the remarkable claim that He is the only way to God, the source of all truth, and the fountain of true, eternal life.
The early church understood exactly how absolute this claim was. We see this in Acts 4:12, where Peter boldly declares:
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Think about how countercultural this statement was - both in the first century and today. In a world that was and is full of different religions and philosophies, the apostles were claiming that salvation comes solely through Jesus alone.
And I realize that this can be a challenging concept for some. It directly confronts popular ideas like universalism - the belief that everyone will eventually be saved regardless of what they believe. It challenges the common notion that all religions are basically the same and lead to the same destination. It even pushes back against the postmodern idea that truth is different for different people (we'll dive deeper into these implications in Episode 78, "What distinguishes Christianity from other religions?" where we'll explore how Christianity's exclusive claims compare with other worldviews).
The Journey of Salvation
Salvation isn't just a one-time event – it’s a journey that unfolds in three dimensions: past, present, and future. Think of it like this:
When we first put our trust in Christ, something remarkable happens. God declares us righteous - what theologians call “justification.” Paul talks about this in Romans 5:1, saying, “since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God.” That’s the past dimension - the moment everything changes.
But God doesn’t stop there. Once we’re justified, we enter what we call sanctification - the ongoing process of becoming more like Jesus. Paul describes this transformation in 2 Corinthians 3:18, saying we’re being “transformed into his image.” This is the present dimension, and where our daily choices and actions come into play. Not to earn salvation - we already have that - but as the natural results of our new life in Christ.
Then there’s the future dimension - what we call glorification. This is the moment when we’ll be completely transformed into Christ’s likeness. Paul lays out this whole journey in Romans 8:30:
“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
This salvation is permanent, and it’s what makes this journey so amazing: once it starts, it can’t be stopped. Jesus promises in John 10:28 that "no one can snatch them out of my hand." It's deeply personal – God knows you by name. It’s powerful enough to transform every single aspect of your life. And it has a clear purpose - we’re saved for God’s glory and to do the good works that He’s prepared for us. And here’s what I find most incredible about salvation through Christ: while it’s exclusive in its means - meaning that, yes, it’s only through Christ - it’s available to anyone. John 3:16 reminds us that it’s available to “whoever believes in him.” The door is wide open to anyone who comes to Christ in faith.
4. Authority of Scripture
Let's talk about something that's foundational to everything we've discussed today – the Bible itself. Think about it - what we know about God, about Jesus, about salvation, comes to us through God’s Word. And that raises an important question: what exactly do we mean when we say the Bible is God’s Word?
Divine Inspiration
When we talk about the Bible being God’s Word or “inspired,” we’re not using that word the way we might about a sunset inspiring a painter. This is something far deeper. Paul explains it to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, saying:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
That phrase "God-breathed" (θεόπνευστος - theopneustos in Greek) is fascinating. It's the only time this word appears in the entire Bible. Think about what happens when you speak - you breathe out your words. Similarly, the Bible is literally God’s breath in written form.
This inspiration worked in several ways:
Some parts God dictated directly ("Thus says the Lord")
Some parts came through careful research (Luke 1:1-4)
Some through personal experience (many of the Psalms)
Some through historical records (the Chronicles)
But in every case, God guided the process. Peter talks about this in 2 Peter 1:20-21:
“knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
That phrase "carried along" uses the same Greek word φερόμενοι (pheromenoi) that describes a ship being driven by the wind. I love this picture because it helps us understand how inspiration worked. The human authors kept their own personalities and writing styles, but God guided them to write exactly what He wanted said (We'll explore this fascinating process in much more detail in a future article titled, "How do we know that the Bible is divine rather than human in origin?").
Trustworthiness and Authority
In fact, let’s look at how Jesus viewed Scripture, because it sets a powerful example for how we should approach God’s Word. Psalm 119:160 says:
“The sum of your word is truth,
and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.”
This isn’t just claiming some historical accuracy - though the Bible certainly is historically accurate. It’s making a much bigger claim about Scripture’s authority to speak into every aspect of our lives.
Here are a few examples as to how Jesus approached the Bible:
He quoted it to resist temptation (Matthew 4:1-11): When he faced temptation in the wilderness, He responded to Satan’s temptations by quoting Scripture.
He said it "cannot be broken" (John 10:35): When He was in debates He made the stunning claim that it “cannot be broken.”
He taught it would be fulfilled down to the smallest detail (Matthew 5:18).
He based His arguments on single words of Scripture (Matthew 22:31-32): When arguing with the Pharisees, He would base entire theological arguments on the tense of a single word in Scripture.
This about the implications of this. If Jesus - God in human flesh - treated Scripture with such deep respect and total trust, viewing it as completely authoritative and utterly reliable, shouldn’t that shape how we approach it? If He based His life and ministry on God’s Word, if He trusted it completely and submitted to it fully, doesn’t that show us how we should relate to scripture?
Inerrancy and Infallibility
Now, let’s discuss two important terms that help us understand the Bible’s reliability - inerrancy and infallibility. They sound similar, but tell us different things about the Bible.
Inerrancy means the Bible is without error in everything that it affirms. When we talk about inerrancy, we’re referring to all the Bible’s historical facts, its scientific statements when properly understood, its doctrinal teachings, and its moral precepts. But we need to understand this correctly - when we say the Bible is inerrant, we’re talking about the original manuscripts, according to what the authors intended to communicate, and taking into account the normal use of language including figures of speech, genre of the books within the Bible, symbolism, and approximations.
But infallibility takes us a step further - it means the Bible cannot fail in accomplishing its purpose. Psalm 19:7 describes this better than I can:
“The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;”
Isaiah 55:10-11 adds to this, saying:
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
This gives us tremendous confidence in the Bible in three ways:
What God has revealed, He has revealed accurately. This means we can trust every word of Scripture as God’s faithful communication to us. When God speaks about history, about our human condition, about His character, or about His plans, we can rely on His words completely.
What God has promised, He will accomplish. Every divine promise in Scripture comes with the full weight of God’s faithfulness behind it. When God makes a covenant or gives His word, we can build our lives on that foundation with absolute certainty.
What God has commanded, He has the right to command. His authority is absolute, and his commands flow from His perfect character and wisdom. When God gives instructions or guidance, we can trust that they’re for our good and His glory.
But there’s something else about this that we must understand - the Bible isn’t just a rulebook or a collection of facts. Jesus addressed this thought directly in John 5:39-40 when He told the religious leaders in John 5:39-40: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”
“When we read the Bible, we’re not just studying some ancient text - we’re hearing God speak. We’re not just learning rules - we’re being transformed. We’re not just gathering information - we’re meeting Jesus Himself.”
The whole point of Scripture is to reveal Jesus Christ. When we understand this, it transforms how we read every part of the Bible. In the Old Testament, we see Christ prefigured in people like Joseph, who was betrayed by his brothers but became their savior. We find Him in Moses, who led God's people out of slavery. We glimpse Him in David, the shepherd-king who fought for his people.
In the Law, every sacrifice points to His ultimate sacrifice. The Passover lamb, the Day of Atonement, the morning and evening offerings - all of these were shadows of Christ's perfect work on the cross. Even the tabernacle itself, with its single entrance and its blood-sprinkled mercy seat, painted a picture of how we come to God through Christ alone.
The Prophets spoke of Him continually. Isaiah described His virgin birth and sacrificial death. Micah named His birthplace. Daniel foresaw His eternal kingdom. The Psalms recorded His sufferings and glory centuries before He was born to the virgin Mary. As Jesus Himself said on the road to Emmaus, all of Scripture testifies about Him. When we open the Bible, we're experiencing a living encounter with God Himself. The same Spirit who inspired these words actively illuminates them in our hearts. He takes statements written thousands of years ago and makes them pierce right to the core of our current situations. That's why Hebrews 4:12 tells us:
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
When we read the Bible, we’re not just studying some ancient text - we’re hearing God speak. We’re not just learning rules - we’re being transformed. We’re not just gathering information - we’re meeting Jesus Himself.
Application
So what are we supposed to do with all of these doctrines? Practically, what are we to do with them? Well, think of them like the foundation of a house. Most days, you probably don’t think much about your home’s foundation - but it affects everything from how your doors swing to whether your floors stay level. in the same way, these core truths about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, salvation, and the Bible impact every aspect of our walk with Him.
In Our Worship
Let’s start with our worship. There’s a world of difference between knowing facts about someone and truly knowing them. Imagine meeting your favorite celebrity - you might know all about them, but the interaction would likely feel formal or distant. Now compare that to spending time with your family members. You know their character, their heart, their nature - and that makes your time together genuine, intimate, and so incredibly important. That’s what understanding these doctrines does for our relationship with God. When life falls apart and you’re praying through tears, knowing God’s true nature changes everything. You’re not just shouting desperate prayers into the void - you’re talking to a Father who deeply loves you, knows you by name, a Savior who personally suffered for you, empowered by a Spirit who literally lives within you.
In Our Relationships
These truths also shape how we relate to other believers and non-believers.
Our Relationships With Other Believers:
It’s like a healthy marriage - a couple might disagree about paint colors or where to go for dinner, but they’re unshakably united in their commitment to each other. Similarly, Christians can have different preferences about worship styles or church programs while standing firmly together on the core truths about who Jesus is and what He’s done. Understanding these essential doctrines helps us recognize which issues are worth standing form on, and which differences we can accept with grace.
Our Relationships With Non-Believers:
And just as these truths guide our relationships with fellow believers, they profoundly shape how we interact with those who don't share our faith. Understanding that every person - regardless of their beliefs - is created in God's image changes everything about how we relate to others. It means the atheist professor, the Buddhist neighbor, the agnostic coworker - each bears the divine imprint and is precious to God. This truth frees us to engage with genuine love and respect even in our deepest disagreements. We can firmly disagree with someone's beliefs while still honoring their inherent dignity and worth as image-bearers of God. After all, we're not just seeing people through our own eyes anymore - we're seeing them through God's eyes, as individuals He created and deeply loves.
In Our Witness
Finally, these doctrines transform how we share our faith with others. Imagine you discovered a cure for cancer. The ethical, moral decision would be to share that with the world. You wouldn’t worry about have the perfect words, or some eloquent speech about the cure, you’d just want people to know about it. As many people as possible. That’s what understanding these doctrines does for our witness. We’re not trying to go door to door to sell a product or push an opinion; we’re sharing the greatest news ever told. It’s like having a map when everyone else is lost - not because we’re smarter or better than anyone else, but because God has shown us the way home. Whether you’re talking with a skeptical teenager or a hurting friend, the truth of God’s Word provide real, substantive answers to life’s deepest questions.
Wrapping Up
You know how certain memories stay crystal clear while others fade? Think about your first crush, the day you graduated high school, maybe your wedding day or the birth of your child. These moments remain vivid because they changed everything that came after them. That’s exactly what these doctrines are like. When those early church fathers gathered at Nicea, carefully debating that single iota between ὁμοούσιος (homoousios) and ὁμοιούσιος (homoiousios), they weren’t just arguing about words. They were fighting to preserve something as precious as a wedding vow, as vital as a birth certificate, as transformative as a love letter from God Himself.
Charles Spurgeon said it wonderfully:
“Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.”
You might visit lots of places - restaurants, hotels, friends' houses - but you live at home. Home is where you can be yourself, where you know every corner, where you find rest. That's how we should approach these essential doctrines. While we might read many spiritual books and learn from various teachers, these core biblical truths should be our spiritual home. When life gets hard - and it will - God’s Word is your lifeline. When your health fails, you can trust a God who knows human suffering firsthand. When relationships break, you can lean on a God who is perfect relationship in Himself. When you feel lost, you can follow a Savior who came specifically to find you.
Thank you for exploring these essential Christian doctrines with me today. I know we've covered a lot of ground, but I hope this has helped you see how these truths can transform your daily life. If you found this helpful, I'd love to have you join me every week as we tackle common questions about Christianity, faith, and the Bible. Each week, we'll explore a new topic just like this one - taking complex theological ideas and breaking them down in a way that's both faithful to Scripture and practical for everyday life.
Next week, we'll be looking at "What is the biblical definition of faith?" where we'll explore what real faith looks like and how it's much more than just positive thinking or blind belief. And if you know someone who might be wrestling with these questions, feel free to share this with them.
Thank you again for being part of this journey of faith and understanding. I'll see you next week as we continue exploring Word for Word.
