Churches come in all shapes and sizes. And, that’s a good thing.
Many variations exist, whether it's music style, ministry focus, or a number of other characteristics.
Differences in beliefs are also present between churches. The dissimilarities can be so significant that various houses of worship contradict one another. How can this be?
There are a couple of reasons. One is that there are some pretty big distinctions among denominations (i.e., baptism).
The second reason is that there are several competing viewpoints on Christianity.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a Christian as “one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ."1
Despite this commonly-held definition, there are churches bearing the name “Christian” that do not hold to the teachings of Jesus Christ.
This article aims to define the essential beliefs of all Christ-followers and explain what each tenet means.
Without a brief and concise understanding of basic essential ideologies, you could unintentionally find yourself attending a church that veers from the Bible - even if the word Christian is in its name.
Related: 4 Sects Mistaken as Christian & How they're Unsound
Since 1995, we at Grace Capital Church have been helping people understand what it means to be a Christ-follower.
If you are looking for a place to worship God, read on to find out the principal teachings of Jesus Christ.
As I go through the 3 Essential Beliefs, there are several places in the text you can click, which will bring you to BibleGateway, a website containing the Bible, available in multiple translations.
Rather than relying on the words and interpretations of others, using these links will allow you to go directly to the source of Christian doctrine, which is the Bible.
The Bible, containing 66 books written by about 40 authors, is broken into two main sections: the Old Testament and the New Testament.
During Old Testament time, before Jesus presented Himself in the form of a man, thus becoming the Word in the flesh, God spoke through prophets.
Prophecy is one of the most convincing aspects of the Bible because whether or not prophecies were fulfilled can be verified.
In the New Testament, specifically the first four books, you can read eyewitness accounts of Jesus. There are a couple of important factors about the New Testament writings when referring to reliability.
One is how soon the books were written after Jesus returned to heaven.
And the second is the vast number of ancient manuscripts. In his book The Case For Christ, Lee Strobel (2016) details how there are over 5,000 Greek manuscripts and over 20,000 in all other languages that have been found to corroborate the accounts (p. 91).2
In the remaining books of the New Testament are accounts from some of the first followers of Christ according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
It is important to note that not only did the writers of those 23 books not stand to personally gain through their testimonies, but they were putting themselves at risk of being accused, tried, and even killed by religious and political leaders.
Triune God (being three-in-one) means that God is three “Persons.”
If this is confusing to you, you’re not alone. I know Math is not my strong suit, but to say that there are three distinct Persons of God and also say that there is only One God just doesn’t add up.
This is an example where human language pales at capturing the essence of something. It also demonstrates how God is bigger than what our minds can fully comprehend.
Here is how the Bible explains it:
God is the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son.
When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the voice of God was heard saying to Jesus, “You are my Son, the Beloved."
God is our Father as well. He created us and calls all believers His children.
While Jesus was on earth, He was fully God and fully human. He willingly laid down the right to use His power so He would have the full human experience.
Claiming to be equal to God created an uproar in the Sanhedrin, the religious ruling body, leading to their request to Pilate, the Roman official, to execute Jesus for the charge of blasphemy.
When John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the Spirit of God was seen descending upon Jesus.
Later, at the last meal Jesus shared with His disciples, He told the disciples that the Holy Spirit would be sent to them to indwell and guide them.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s one and only commandment, sin entered the world and began being passed down from generation to generation. Short-term and long-term implications took effect. Immediately, shame was felt by Adam and Eve, so they attempted to hide from God and each other.
Transparency and vulnerability were replaced by separation and fear.
From that point on, life was different.
People began trying to hide their full true selves from one another.
Religious practices were enacted - the two biggest being that communication between God and people had to go through priests and regular ritual sacrifices (i.e., a lamb without blemish) needed to be made to atone for the people’s sin.
There is a penalty for sin.
But, God loves us so much that He sent us His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins so we can live forever in God’s presence and in relationship with Him.
We are saved by grace.
We can’t earn our way to heaven by doing enough good things. Perfection is the requirement, and Jesus is the only one who met that standard. Jesus is the only way to heaven.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He conquered sin and death and saves all who receive this free gift from God. Jesus’ sacrifice allows us to live eternally in heaven.
But going to heaven someday is not the only gift we get through Jesus’ sacrifice.
Receiving forgiveness from sin protects us from becoming consumed by feelings of guilt and allows us to live in grace as well as confidence that we are fully loved.
And, receiving the power of Jesus over sin empowers us to be set free from repetitive sins that can overtake us (i.e., addiction or violence). God gives us strength and guidance in choosing a life of soul satisfaction.
Because we are saved by grace and not by our own works, we can be confident that we will go to heaven rather than wondering if we’re doing a good enough job.
Knowing the three essential beliefs is important for finding a church. Being in a church that teaches that you can rely on the Bible, be saved from sin and shame, and have a personal relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit will allow you to thrive and enjoy the abundant life He desires for you.
Related: 6 Tips for Choosing the Right Church For You
Read the list of beliefs of the church you are attending or considering. The information is typically available on their website. If anything on the list is confusing or sounds different than what you understand, ask a church staff member or leader for more explanation, as well as for the Bible verses that support their statements.
Use BibleGateway to compare accepted Bible translations. Be aware that, between translations, wording will vary, but the core message of the text remains the same.
And beware that there are instances where churches calling themselves Christian have changed textual meaning through keyword edits in seemingly small ways like, for example, removing capitalization.
Works Cited
Check out these articles:
Do you want to learn more about the reliability of the Bible? Check out these articles:
Got questions? Comment below or reach out to us directly. We’d love to hear from you!
Are you looking for a church in the Concord, NH area? We invite you to check us out. Grace Capital Church is located at 542 Pembroke Street in Pembroke, NH.