How to determine if we are on the same 'team'
In Sunday's teaching on John 14:1-6 we discovered that Jesus is THE way, THE truth and THE life (14:6). Jesus says, 'NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me'. As we discovered this is a very exclusive and could be offensive statement by Jesus. It leaves no room for any other 'way' to salvation, any other 'truth' contrary to the Bible, and any other 'life' or idea of what is life.
We also discussed the implication of this verse in our own lives and in our church as we cannot join into the big ecumenical push so prominent these days. Sincerity is not enough, talk of and professed love for God is not enough, a devotion to unity and peace is not enough, and a push to just want us all to 'get along' so we can be more effective in outreach is not enough.
We MUST hold to the core elements of the gospel - what it is to be a Christian. Unless one holds to, embraces fully, the core essentials of the NT one is NOT a believer and therefore is not in the same camp, on the same team, or in unity with us. There is only ONE way - the way of Jesus, and only ONE truth - what the Bible and specifically the NT teaches about salvation, and only ONE life - eternal life which comes via Christ and the cross.
In light of this I thought it would be good to suggest some 'essentials' as we would understand them. What this means is that we think these are the absolutely core or essential things one must hold to in order to be considered Christian gospel or truth. Deny any of these and you are not in 'the way', not speaking 'the truth' and not headed to 'the life'.
In one way you could even summarize what is below into two simple beliefs; the authority of Scripture and the necessity of the gospel. However, more needs to be spelled out than this so here you go ...
Norm
1.
One God – eternally existing as three persons –
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
2.
The eternal deity of Jesus Christ – always was
God, became man through the virgin birth, and never lost his deity as He was the God/man
3.
The sinfulness and lostness of all mankind apart
from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
4.
Salvation by grace alone through faith in Jesus
Christ alone or you could say it as justification by faith alone through grace alone. Not through faith
and anything else like the church, a priest, good works, etc.
5.
Jesus died a Substitutionary death under God’s
wrath and punishment to atone for our sin and he rose bodily from the dead and
will return again
6. The authority and exclusivity of The Bible (66 books) - it alone is the source of God's divine revelation to man regarding sin, salvation and who God is.