Discipleship Class – ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES – CHRISTIANITY 101 | dc20260920

What are the essential doctrines of Christianity?    

From the GCI article, The Importance of Doctrine, by Joseph Tkach …

Our church also has a Statement of Beliefs, developed through much discussion in our doctrinal team. This provides a list of basic doctrines. It doesn’t include everything, but even our Statement of Beliefs is longer than a list of what is essential to Christian faith. We have therefore developed a shorter list of essential beliefs, which we call a Doctrinal Summary.  These are the core doctrines.  These could form the basis for a series of sermons, and would provide a stable doctrinal foundation.  Here is the Doctrinal Summary:

We believe:

• • There is one God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • God the Father made all things through the Son, sent the Son for our salvation, and gives us the Holy Spirit.
  • The Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully human, and is the perfect revelation of the Father and the perfect representative of humanity. He suffered and died on the cross for all human sin, was raised bodily on the third day, and ascended to heaven. Standing in for all humanity before the Father, Jesus Christ provides the perfect human response to God. Since he died for all, all died in him, and all will be made alive in him. 
  • The Holy Spirit brings sinners to repentance and faith, assures believers of their forgiveness and acceptance as God’s dearly loved children, and works in them to conform them to the image of Jesus Christ.
  • The Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God that testifies to Jesus Christ. The Bible is fully authoritative for all matters of faith and salvation.
  • Salvation comes only by God’s grace and not by works, and it is experienced through faith in Jesus Christ.  Christians respond to the joy of salvation when they gather in regular fellowship and live godly lives in Jesus Christ.
  • We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come.

Friends, I hope that these doctrines never become boring and never seem irrelevant. Granted, we human speakers can sometimes make them sound boring and irrelevant, but the doctrines themselves are vital for us all. These are short and inspiring doctrines. I am thankful that God has given his truth that is worth teaching again and again, as we follow the Teacher, Jesus Christ.

Author: Joseph Tkach

CHRISTIANITY 101  

1. There is only ONE GOD.   
2. The lostness of HUMANITY  
3. The INCARNATION of the Word  
4. The Deity of Jesus … JESUS CHRIST IS GOD  
5. The ATONEMENT secured by Jesus Christ … AND ITS SCOPE.  
6. The RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST  
7. SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE  

CHRISTIANITY 101 

1.  There is only ONE GOD.   

The Trinity: There is one God in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are united in love. [1, 2]

• What do we understand the term GOD to mean?  
• Can there be more than ONE God?  
• Why should anyone believe in God?  
• What is it about the creation that proves there is a God? 

2.  The lostness of HUMANITY  

• Are HUMANS different from animals? 
• How are HUMANS different from animals?  
• Why do you think HUMANS are different from animals?  
• Where do you think HUMANS came ?  
• Do you think there is a purpose for HUMANS on earth?  
• Do you think HUMANS would ever come to understand the purpose for their lives? 
• How do you think HUMANS would come to understand that purpose?  
• What does the word SIN mean to you?  
• Do you think SIN has anything to do with the relationship between GOD and HUMANS?  
• What happens to HUMANS after they die? 
• Do you think there is any relationship between SIN and DEATH? 
• Do you believe there is life after death?  

3.  The INCARNATION of The Word

• What does the “incarnation” mean?  
• What does the Bible tell us about the Word?  
• According to the Bible, what did the Word do?  
• Whom did the Word come to earth as?  

4.  The Deity of Jesus … JESUS CHRIST IS GOD  

Deity and Humanity of Jesus: Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully God and fully human, born of the virgin Mary. [1, 2]

• Who was JESUS of Nazareth?  
• How was JESUS different from other humans?  
• What does the Bible tell us about Jesus?  
• What does the Bible tell us about Jesus’ death?  
• What does the Bible tell us happened to Jesus after His death and burial?  

5.  The RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST  

• What happened to Jesus’ body after He was buried?  
• What does the word “resurrection” mean?   
• Why do Christians believe Jesus?   

6.  ATONEMENT secured by Jesus Christ … AND ITS SCOPE.  

Vicarious Humanity and Atonement: Jesus represented all humanity in His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, atoning for all human sin. [1, 2]

• What did Jesus accomplish by His death?  
• What did Jesus accomplish by His resurrection?  
• For whom did Jesus die?  
• What does that mean for you?  

7.  SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE  

Salvation by Grace: Salvation is a free gift from God received through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by human works. [1]

• What is salvation?  
• What does it mean to be saved?  
• What does the word “grace” mean?  
• What does it mean to be saved “by” grace?  
• Do “saved by grace” and “saved through faith” mean the same thing? 
• Is that the same thing as being saved “through” faith?  
• What does it mean to be saved “through” faith? 
• When Apostle Paul refer to “works”, what is he referring to?  
• What does it mean to be NOT saved by works?  
• Does that mean that “works” are not important for Christians?  

For further reading …  

… The Importance of Doctrine, by Joseph Tkach …  

… Our Values, by Joseph Tkach  

… Renewed in Christ … by Greg Williams