The fundamentals of the Christian faith are pegged on a believer’s faith in God through Jesus Christ. When an individual attains the knowledge and acknowledged Jesus Christ and Lord and personal savior, he or she receives salvation and overcomes the imminent perishing that awaits those who do not believe. Through the disobedience of Adam as an impact of the treachery of Satan also delineated as the serpent, sin and death came into the world and all men born out of the lineage of Adam are considered sinners. However, through faith in Christ Jesus, the curse of sin is broken and behold there is forgiveness and eternal life. The purpose of this paper is to expound on key doctrinal issues that form the foundation of the Christian statement faith.
The doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit is a key pillar of Christianity. The Holy Spirit was a promise given to believers by Jesus Christ as a helper, teacher, and as one who convicts men of sin. As stated above, the roles of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer cuts across an infinite spectrum. Firstly, He convicts men of their sins, guides them in paths of righteousness, and reminds them of judgment and thus strengthens their faith and belief in Jesus Christ (Graham, The Work of the Holy Spirit, 2011). Secondly, he reminds and assures believers of the promise of salvation they have in Christ Jesus. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit sanctifies a believer by setting him or her apart from the law of sin and death and helps the believer to submit to the law of the Spirit which gives life. Finally, the Holy Spirit guides the believer in all truth, helps him/ her in prayer, as well as in the areas of service to God (Graham, The Work of the Holy Spirit, 2011). According to Ephesians chapter 1 verses 13-14, the promise of the Holy Spirit is assured to anyone who receives Christ as Lord and savior. In fact, the very moment an individual receives Christ He/ she receives the infilling presence of the Holy Spirit (Graham, 2009).
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With reference to the story of Job in Job chapter 1, we can be rest assured that Satan is not able to act without God’s approval. For instance, before Satan could take a step to tempt Job, he had to petition God for his actions and he only carried out only what God permitted. Furthermore, Lamentations 3:37 says “Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?”(GOD’S WORD® Translation). Therefore, not even Satan would do anything without God permitting it. And in all cases, if at, God would permit Satan’s intents to prove that only He God is God over all. God also ensures that as much as Satan may carry out his intents over a believer, he does not have authority to harm a believer (Watson, 2015). He requested to touch Job and the apostles when they had been sent out by Jesus.
Adam is regarded as the father of mankind. Considering that Adam disobeyed and sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, all men born of his lineage are born sinners. They have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). In fact, David says in Psalms 51 that “I was conceived in sin.” Sin is imputed on all men on the account of being the descendants of Adam and Eve. Sin is only atoned for through faith in Jesus Christ, His suffering, His death and His resurrection. Therefore, man cannot work out righteousness by his own effort to attain liberty from sin. Righteousness is only credited by faith in Christ Jesus.
The teachings in the Bible were written by men and women who were inspired by God. Therefore, every teaching thereof is true. Therefore when it is written of God saying “let us make man in our own image” in Genesis chapter 1 and verse 26, it is credible that man was made in the image of God. In addition, when that same Bible, says that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will not perish but shall have everlasting life, it is with the same authority of God’s inspiration that this teaching is equally believable.
As a point of emphasis, faith plays a monumental role in the life of a Christian believer. Importantly, a believer in Christ is regarded as a sheep in God’s pen. It is important to God that all men are saved as well as guard those who have already been saved from falling back to sin. However, it is profound that God will do whatever it takes to bring them back to his side. Jesus shows this in John 17 as he prays for the disciples that none can pluck out of His hand that which the Father has committed to Him. In addition, God engages the body of believers which is also the church to engage actively in evangelism and discipleship for the sake of lost or backslidden souls (Challies, 2017). By doing this the church takes up its role as the salt and light of the world.
The church is also meant to be the exemplary center stage through which the doctrines and practices of Christianity are exemplified. For instance, the church should be an important pacesetter in practices such as baptism and sharing of the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is the public confession of a person’s faith in Christ. It is the participation in the burial of Christ where the old self is done away with and one arises in the newness of life (Williams, 2015). Only a believer can be baptized and the baptism should be by immersion in water (Williams, 2015). On the other hand, the Lords Supper is a tradition that Christ had with his disciples where they broke bread and took wine. On the last supper, Jesus called the bread his body and the wine his blood (Mathison, 2006). Believers ought to take the Lord Supper as often as possible to proclaim and remember his birth and resurrection. This breeds love, fellowship, and unity of the believers (Mathison, 2006).
Other fundamental teachings in the Christian faith include the aspects of the will of God, rapture, the great tribulation, the second coming, as well as heaven and hell. The will of God is that every person should obey God’s His word which sets out the roadmap for a faithful Christian life (Ortberg, 2016). God’s word is useful in helping believers to come to the full realization of the of their lives purpose in God even as they wait for the end times. One of the anticipated events of the end times is the rapture. The occurrence of the rapture will be characterized by the ascending to heaven of righteous men and women while the rest are left behind (Rhodes, 2012). Those left behind will experience a period of three and a half years of tribulation that will end with the second coming of the Christ (Rhodes, 2012). Christ will then rule for 1000 years and restore the kingdom back to the God after the second resurrection will take place followed by the final judgment (Rhodes, 2012). At the judgment, the righteous will be welcomed into heaven to inherit the kingdom of heaven and be with the father forever while the sinners will be taken to hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt, 2017).
- Challies, T. (2017, September 29). What’s the Purpose of … the Church?
- Graham, B. (2009, April 30). Does the Holy Spirit Live in You?
- Graham, B. (2011, February 10). The Work of the Holy Spirit.
- Mathison, K. (2006, November 1). Calvin’s Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper.
- Matt. (2017, January 8). The Reality of Heaven and Hell.
- Ortberg, J. (2016). What Is God’s Will for My Life? Colorado: NavPress.
- Rhodes, R. (2012). The End Times in Chronological Order: A Complete Overview to Understanding Bible Prophecy. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers.
- Watson, C. (2015, April 14). Does the devil need to get God’s permission to attack a believer? Williams, B. (2015). A Study of Baptism.