Essential Doctrine
The Four Essential Doctrines
There is room within the Body of Christ for lots of different opinions on many different doctrines. Also, person can be in error on a lot of things and still be a Christian.But there are four doctrines that the Bible clearly identifies as essential. Without a proper Biblical understanding of these four doctrines, a person cannot be saved. These four doctrines are 1.) the deity of Christ, 2.) salvation by grace, 3.) the resurrection of Christ, and 4.) the gospel.
What follows is an examination of what the Scripture says about the four essentials.
The Deity of Christ
The Bible says that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
From the first three verses in the Gospel of John we see that the Word has always existed with God, and that He is God.
The Word is also identified as the creator of the universe, and we know from Genesis 1-2 that the creator is God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. This verse identifies the Word, who is eternally existing with God, and who is God, as Jesus Christ- God in the flesh.
John 8:23-24 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
8:24 I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
John 8:56-59 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I Am.
8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Here Jesus proclaimed to the Pharisees that Abraham was witness to and rejoiced to see Christ sent into the world. The Jews, not understanding how Abraham who was dead had seen Jesus, mockingly asked how young Jesus had seen Abraham, who was dead.
Jesus then proclaimed in truth to them that "before Abraham existed, I AM." This provoked the Pharisees to attempt to stone him for blasphemy in claiming to be God.
Exodus 3:13-15 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
3:15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
We see in the passage above, that God proclaimed His name unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM, stating that this was His name forever and His memorial unto all generations.
When Jesus identified Himself as I AM, he was proclaiming that He was indeed God manifest in the flesh, the eternal I AM.
Joh 10:30-33 I and my Father are one.
10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
In this passage Jesus is claiming to be God, one with His Father, and the Jews, realizing this, have sought to kill Him for blasphemy.
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