2. The Trinity: One God existing in three distinct forms and personalities. If someone were to pull the plug on God then all three persons would disappear in an instant. God has revealed Himself to human beings as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.The human brain cannot fathom the complexities of God, but this is how God has revealed Himself to the world. Jesus is fully divine and as eternal as God the Father, but with His own distinct function and role in the God head. To deny the full divinity of Christ is to deny the one and only true God.

3. The Blood Atonement of Jesus. Jesus died in our place on the cross of Calvary. This is the central doctrine of Christ and the Apostles. This does not take a Ph.D. in biblical theology to understand and God does not require a five page essay on the person and work of Christ on the cross, but there is a basic truth that must be accepted that is easy to understand: Jesus died in our place for our sins. Without the cross there is no resurrection, no Christianity, no salvation for humanity, and no basis for our faith as Christians.

4. Righteousness by Faith. What does God require for us to have the assurance of salvation? God demands that we accept Jesus as the full substitute for our sins. There is no condition for salvation other than simple faith and trust in our divine savior as prophesied in the Holy Scriptures. We are declared righteous the instant we place our faith in Jesus. We deny Christ when we worship other Gods or if we pervert the truth of the Gospel by adding or subtracting from the basic truth of God’s word.

5. The Second Coming. To be a Christian we must believe that Jesus is coming back to provide eternal life for his followers. It is not essential that we all agree on the when and how of the second coming, but the second coming is an integral part of the plan of salvation. To deny the reality of the second coming would be to deny the major promise that Christ left his disciples–He would return to earth to set up his earthly kingdom.

All Christians must accept these five major teachings of Jesus Christ as revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures. These are non-negotiable teachings of the Bible that are simple enough for any Child to understand, but that also leave us with a complexity of understanding, depth of knowledge, and profound thought that will never be fully exhausted by an eternity of study.

Stephen Beagles (2020)

Nothing is more disheartening than to be faced with a wide range of opinions in the world and to be persecuted for standing up for what you know as truth. The only way to overcome this is to accept the Bible as the word of God and to follow it closely. The power of the truth will comfort the afflicted and will afflict the comfortable. To wage war against the devil we need to confront his lies with the truth of God’s word.

The Breast Plate of Righteousness

The truth of God’s word will always lead us to a knowledge of righteousness by faith. As a breast plate covers the vital organs, the truth of the gospel will shield us from self-righteousness and pride. It reminds us of our natural weakness apart from the righteousness that Christ offers as a gift for all who place their trust in Him. Even though we are weak on the inside, we are made strong as we trust in the breastplate of His righteousness.

Feet Fitted with the gospel of Peace

When God calls us into His army, He issues the gear that we will need to survive the rough and rugged terrain of our sinful environment. He calls us to take the gospel to every part of the world. A sturdy boot that protects our feet is essential for traveling long distance over land. A knowledge of the gospel of peace is essential to accomplishing our mission.

The Shield of Faith

Doubt is the preferred weapon of our enemy. If the devil can get us to doubt the word of God then he has us in his grasp. When ever we are exposed to the lies of Satan we must extinguish them by refusing to doubt the truth of God’s word. We must allow ourselves to study differences of thought and opinion, but it is essential to become more familiar with the truth. Exercise genuine faith in the promises of God. Refuse to doubt.

The Helmet of Salvation

We must never go anywhere in battle without our helmet. It is designed to protect our brain in the event of a bullet or an explosion. The deep and holy assurance of salvation will help to protect our minds from the deadly deceptions of the evil one. If we lose that assurance for even a second then we might be impacted and subjected to eternal loss. We are not safe for a second without the helmet of Salvation.

The Sword of the Spirit

This is our only offensive weapon. The word of God must be proclaimed. The word of God itself is powerful enough to neutralize error. We should never argue or debate with the devil, but we should be ready to answer all charges with a plain thus saith the Lord. The word of God is powerful and must be presented accurately There is nothing more powerful than the truth of the gospel to win souls for Christ.

(to be continued…)

Stephen Beagles (2020)

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

Jesus bore the penalty for all sin at the cross. People who place simple faith and trust in Christ have the verdict of the pre-advent judgment and the assurance of salvation. Christians are never without sin in this lifetime due to complications of the sinful nature. The Holy Spirit has promised to help us overcome deliberate sins and to keep our faith strong, but there is nothing in the Bible to suggest sinless perfection on this side of heaven.

Salvation is a free gift provided for all who trust Christ for salvation. We are declared righteous the instant we accept the forgiveness he has to offer. Once we have faith in Christ then the Holy Spirit works to make us holy as we mature in the faith, but this is a work of a lifetime. Christians do not reach sinless perfection until the resurrection of the righteous at the second coming of Jesus. We will all receive glorified bodies and sinless natures prior to the entrance into the heavenly kingdom.

Stephen Beagles (2020)