Believe it or not, there is a definition for being a Christian. A Christian can be defined as someone who holds to the Essential Doctrines of the Christian faith. If we go back to the beginning of the Christian church, there are specific doctrines that have always been universally accepted. Whether you were Roman Catholic, Protestant, or Eastern Orthodox, they all subscribe to these Essential Doctrines also known as church dogmas. This is the Biblical position Christianity has always maintained. Someone who claims to be Christian, but rejects any of the Essential Doctrines, is not Christian. An example of this would be the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witness.

These are the Essential Doctrines with a brief description:

  1. MONOTHEISM

    Monotheism is the belief and worship in ONE God. The opposite of Monotheism is Polytheism which is the belief in many gods. Christianity is not polytheistic. Christianity is strictly Monotheistic. Christianity is an offshoot of Judaism which is strictly Monotheistic as well. Refer to Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!”

  1. THE TRINITY

    The Trinity is the belief that God exists as a unity of three distinct, simultaneous persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is 3 Persons in 1 Being. It is 3 Who’s in 1 What. The Trinity is not the belief in 3 separate Gods, that would be Polytheism. One of the main things that the non-Christian cults will do first is reject the Trinity. The word “Trinity” does not appear in Scripture but it is logically inferred. Meaning, if Jesus is God (John 8:58), the Father is God (Philippians 1:2), and the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4) and there is only 1 God (Duet. 6:4), the name coined for this union is “Trinity.”

  1. THE DEITY OF CHRIST

    The Deity of Christ is also known as the Incarnation. This is the belief that God became a man. The Incarnation is when Human Nature (Jesus the man) was added to the nature of God the second person of the Trinity. The Deity of Christ is the belief that Jesus is FULLY-God and FULLY-man. It is not the belief that Jesus is half-God and Half-man or Part-God and Part-man. Jesus had two natures, Divine and Human and this is known as the Hypostatic Union.

  1. THE VIRGIN BIRTH

    This doctrine is more important than it seems. It was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14 that the Messiah would be born of a Virgin. The Gospel of Matthew records Christ’s birth as being the fulfillment of this prophesy (1:25). The Virgin birth affirms both Christ’s Deity and His Sinless nature. He was born without win because He was conceived through the Holy Spirit.

  1. THE INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE

    This is the doctrine that the Bible is God-Breathed (Inspired). When talking about the Inspiration, we are referring to the original manuscripts. The original manuscripts were 100% Inspired and without Error (Inerrant). This does not necessarily mean that the Bible has errors today. The errors that do exist are transcribal errors such as misplaced periods. If you were to compare the Bible you have in your hand with the oldest manuscripts we have in existence today, they would be 99.5% identical. There is not a single error that has any affect on any Christian doctrines or beliefs. For more information on the Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture, click here.

  1. CHRIST’S BODILY RESURRECTION

    When Christ died, He rose again three days later BODILY. He did not raise from the dead a Spirit. He rose in the same body that hung on the cross. This doctrine is essential to the Christian faith because as Paul states in Corinthians 15, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” Christ’s Resurrection is the heart of Christianity. There are many cults out there, such as the Jehovah’s Witness, who reject the bodily resurrection of Jesus.

  1. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

    This is the doctrine in reference to the future return of Christ. Christ’s first appearance was the Incarnation, and His Second Coming is referred to in many different ways in the New Testament: Advent, Imminence, Parousia, Revelation of Christ. Christ’s first coming was to bring salvation, but His second coming will be to bring Judgement. Here are some references to His second coming: Matthew 24:30; 25:31; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; 2 Timothy 4:8; Titus 2:13; Revelations 1:7.

  1. SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

    This is the belief that only God can save you and He does so not because you earned it. You are saved by the grace of God through faith in His only Son Jesus Christ. Everyone is under the righteous judgement of God but you are delivered from that righteous judgement through faith in His Son who took our sin upon Himself. He took our punishment. We do not deserve forgiveness for our sins, but through Jesus Christ, we have been given salvation. This is grace. Jesus is the Only Way.