What must you believe to be a Christian?

A man was on a bridge, intending to jump and end his life. Another man saw him and cried out, "Don't do it! God loves you. Do you believe in God?" The conversation then went on like this:

Second man: “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

Second man: "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?"

Second man: "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?"

There was then a slight pause, after which the second man shouted "Die heretic!" and pushed the first man off the bridge.

Maybe it’s Premillennialism vs. Amillennialism. Or Arminianism vs. Calvinism. Or young earth vs. old earth. Or ransom theory of Christ’s atonement vs. penal-substitution.

Take your pick, debates and divisions occur all the time in Christianity over matters of doctrinal belief. But when it comes to true saving faith, is there a must-have set of things a person must believe to be saved?

Moreover, once you settle on what a person must accept to be a Christian, then you’re staring the next question right in the face: why do you believe that? And then comes the final question: what difference does that make in your life?

When it comes to what teachings a person must hold to be saved, the answer isn’t as hard as you might imagine. While there are a number of doctrines that form the foundation of Christianity, they all contribute to one high-level belief.

What does a person have to believe in order to be a Christian? They must believe the Gospel.

When I was saved at age 19, I had no deep understanding of the divinity of Jesus, the inspiration of Scripture, the virgin birth, creation out of nothing, etc. But what I did get was John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

In a very real sense, my experience was like the tax collector Jesus describes in Luke: “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified” (18:13-14).

Of course, understanding all the doctrines that contribute to and support the Gospel message (e.g. divinity of Christ, inspiration of Scripture, etc.) are vitally important, but a deep understanding of them typically comes later for most people as the Holy Spirit teaches them through God’s Word and via great Bible teachers. But as for the Ground Zero of saving faith, the Gospel message is it.

So, the Gospel is what we believe to be saved, but why do we believe that? What are the necessary and sufficient conditions that make believing the gospel message credible?

Just like the answer to what a person must believe to be a Christian is simple to understand, the response to the question of why a person is justified for believing in the Gospel is equally straightforward. When anyone asks me why I am a Christian, I tell them it’s because:

If those two truth claims are correct, then Christianity is true and all other teachings opposed to it are false. Like with the Gospel message, of course there are a lot of supportive teachings, questions, facts, and more behind the existence and identity of God, His Son, and the Resurrection. But from a high-level perspective, when everything is boiled down to the absolute essentials as to why Christianity is true, these are it.

This leads to our final questions of, so what? If the gospel message is true, and the core reasons for believing it are correct, what difference does that make in our lives?

Surprisingly, the ones who have best articulated the answer to the “so what” question of Christianity are the atheistic existentialist philosophers. For example, Nietzsche had the courage to admit that the rejection of God ends in nihilism. Another, Jean-Paul Sartre, well describes existence without God with the chosen title of his book Nausea and the portrayal of life as “an empty bubble floating on a sea of nothingness”.

Sartre’s study partner, Albert Camus, tells us in “An Absurd Reasoning” (contained in The Myth of Sisyphus: And Other Essays) that a God-less life leads to there being “only one really serious philosophical question, and this is suicide. Judging whether life is or is not worth living amounts to answering the fundamental question of philosophy.”

But life with God? Then we have actual purpose and meaning in life, real moral values, a path worth living, and the promise of eternity where “God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away. And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new”” (Rev. 21:3-5).

So, in the end, the answers to some seemingly weighty questions about Christianity and belief are relatively simple.

Why is the Gospel worthy of belief? Because God exists, Jesus exists, and Christ rose from the dead.

Why does all this matter? It gives us true purpose, an objective moral path to follow, and meaning in this life as well as glorifying God both now and in eternity.

Robin Schumacher is an accomplished software executive and Christian apologist who has written many articles, authored and contributed to several Christian books, appeared on nationally syndicated radio programs, and presented at apologetic events. He holds a BS in Business, Master's in Christian apologetics and a Ph.D. in New Testament. His latest book is, A Confident Faith: Winning people to Christ with the apologetics of the Apostle Paul.

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church has an English translation of the Nicene Creed. It goes as follows:

We believe in One True God,
The Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible;
And in the One Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all world, Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten, not made, being of one essence with the Father, and by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven;
†And was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and of the Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and became man;
†And was crucified for us in the days of Pontius Pilate and suffered, and died, and was buried;
†And on the third day, He rose again according to His will, and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again in His great glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end;
And in the one Living Holy Spirit, the life-giving Lord of all, Who proceeds from the Father, and Who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets and apostles;
And in the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church; and we confess one baptism for the remission of sins, and look for the resurrection of the dead and the new life in the world to come. Amen.

The biblical answer to the question is in 1 John:

1Jo 4:1

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

This was pretty much confirmed by Jesus when He asked Peter who he said He was... to assure Peter of his status after his betrayal.

Who do YOU say that Jesus IS?

That is the test of one’s belief.

The One True Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church founded by Christ Jesus
, that built Christendom(western civilization.)

          The Nicene Creed
          I believe in one God,
          the Father almighty,
          maker of heaven and earth,
          of all things visible and invisible.
+10 One God
          I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
          the Only Begotten Son of God,
          born of the Father before all ages.
+15 Christ Jesus
          God from God, Light from Light,
          true God from true God,
          begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
          through him all things were made.
+ 1 Consubstantial with the Father
          For us men and for our salvation
          he came down from heaven,
+ 1 For our salvation
           and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
          and became man.
+ 1 Virgin Birth
          For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
          he suffered death and was buried,
          and rose again on the third day
          in accordance with the Scriptures.
+10 Suffered, Died and Rose
          He ascended into heaven
          and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
+ 1 Ascended, Seated
          He will come again in glory
          to judge the living and the dead
          and his kingdom will have no end.
+10 Come Again in Glory to Judge
          I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
          who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
          who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
          who has spoken through the prophets.
+10 Holy Trinity
          I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
+10 One Visible Church
          I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
+ 1 One Baptism
          and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
          and the life of the world to come.
+10 Resurrection of the Dead

          The Ten Commandments:
          1. I am the LORD your God. You shall worship the Lord your God
              and Him only shall you serve.
          2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
          3. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day.
          4. Honor your father and your mother.
          5. You shall not murder.
          6. You shall not commit adultery.
          7. You shall not steal.
          8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
          9. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife.
          10.You shall not covet your neighbor's goods.
+10 The Ten Commandments

          The Greatest Commandment
          1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy
               whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength
          2. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
+ 2 The Greatest Commnadments

          The Seven Sacraments Catholic Church:
          1. Baptism.
          2. Eucharist.
          3. Confirmation.
          4. Reconciliation.
          5. Anointing of the sick.
          6. Marriage.(XY+XX, Till death do us part)
          7. Holy orders.
+ 7 The Seven Sacraments

          The Precepts of the Catholic Church:
          1. You shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation
               and rest from servile labor.
          2. You shall confess your sins at least once a year.
          3. You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the
              Easter season.
          4. You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by
               the Church.
          5. You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church.
+ 5 The Precepts

          The seven chief corporal works of mercy:
          1. To feed the hungry.
          2. To give drink to the thirsty.
          3. To clothe the naked.
          4. To visit the imprisoned.
          5. To shelter the homeless.
          6. To visit the sick.
          7. To bury the dead.
+ 7 Corporal Works

          The seven chief spiritual works of mercy:
          1. To admonish the sinner.
          2. To instruct the ignorant.
          3. To counsel the doubtful.
          4. To comfort the sorrowful.
          5. To bear wrongs patiently.
          6. To forgive all injuries.
          7. To pray for the living and the dead.
+ 7 Spiritual Works

Pro-Life - From Conception Until Natural Death
+10 Pro-Life

          _____ How Catholic am I?
                                   >15 Praise God!
                                   16-87 Good Candidate for RCIA
                                   88-100 Impressive
                                   > 100 You are on the Way.

>>> So, it is enough to confess that Jesus is come in the flesh and is of God and still not believe everything ELSE the Bible teaches

According to the word, one cannot confess Jesus is God come in the flesh except by the Spirit of God.

I would say that coming to the realization and belief that is described in 1 John is not even possible until one first realizes their own condition (sinner), and see’s Jesus as their only chance at salvation. (Jesus’s deity and perfect sacrifice)

Once ANYONE comes to this realization, everything else falls into place because Jesus makes them a new creature when they place their faith in Him for their salvation. Their changed lifestyle is EVIDENCE of that change which already occurred, not a re-requisit to salvation, which would make that salvation by works.

Those who remain in un-Godly lifestyles see no need for their salvation, so their sins remain.

There is a big difference between christians who still struggle with sin, and those who say they have none.
For the latter, the truth is NOT in them.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9

Why is it not by any works?
1. Because if someone could boast about having something to do with their own salvation through works, then God would be sharing His glory with a creature.
2. Because if a person could boast about having something to do with his own salvation, pride enters the picture.
3. Because if a person could boast about having something to do with their own salvation, it diminishes the work of the cross, where Jesus declared it is finished.
4. Because if our salvation depends (even partially) upon our own effort, we can never have assurance of our salvation. This is why when you ask most Catholics if they will go to heaven when they die, the best they can respond is "I hope so". Why is that? Because no one know how much works is enough. It becomes a points-based system where you have to do more good than bad. The bible says in multiple places we can have assurance of our salvation, because we are putting our trust in Him. I won't even get into the false teaching of that "safety net" called purgatory.

I am so grateful to the Lord for rescuing me from the Church of Rome.

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