Essential Doctrines of Christianity

by Matt Slick

The Bible itself reveals those doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith.  They are 1) the Deity of Christ, 2) Salvation by Grace, 3) Resurrection of Christ, 4) the gospel, and 5) monotheism.  These are the doctrines the Bible says are necessary.  Though there are many other important doctrines, these five are the ones that are declared by Scripture to be essential (I call them primary essentials since the Bible declares them as essential).  A non-regenerate person (i.e., Mormon or Jehovah's Witness, atheist, Muslim), will deny one or more of these essential doctrines.   Please note that there are other derivative doctrines of scripture that become necessary also and the Trinity being one.

  1. The Deity of Christ
        1. The above verse needs to be cross-referenced with John 1:1, 14 (also written by John) where he states that the Word was God and the Word became flesh.
        2. 1 John 4:2-3 is saying that if you deny that Jesus is God in flesh, then you are of the spirit of Antichrist.
      3. Jesus said that if you do not believe "that I am," you will die in your sins.  In Greek I am is 'ego eimi,' which means ‘I am.'  These are the same words used in John 8:58, where Jesus says " . . . before Abraham was, I am."  He was claiming the divine title by quoting Exodus 3:14. 
        1. The Greek Septuagint is the Hebrew Old Testament translated into Greek and done by Jews around 250 B.C.  They translated Exodus 3:14 as 'ego eimi' "I AM").
    2. Jesus is the proper object of faith 
      1. It is not simply enough to have faith.  Faith is only as valid as the person in whom you put it.  You must put your faith in the proper person.  Cults have false objects of faith (false gods); therefore, their faith is useless--no matter how sincere they are.
      2. If you put your faith in a guru, a philosopher, or a past teacher (and not Jesus) to save you from your sins on Judgment Day, then you will be in a lot of trouble no matter how sincere or strong your faith is.  You might have great faith but so what?   Faith in something false has the same effect as no faith at all.
    3. The Doctrine of the deity of Christ includes:
      1. The Trinity--There is one God who exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all coeternal and of the same nature.
      2. Monotheism--There is only one God in all existence (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6, 8; 45:5, 14, 18, 21, 22; 46:9; 47:8).  Mormons believe that many gods exist though they serve and worship only one.  Therefore, they are polytheists which excludes them from the camp of Christianity.
    4. The Hypostatic Union--That Jesus is both God and man.
      1. The sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ--The sacrifice of Christ is completely sufficient to pay for the sins of the world, and it is only through Jesus' sacrifice that anyone can be saved.
      2. As God--Only a perfect sacrifice to God is able to cleanse us from our sins.  This is why Jesus, who is God in flesh, died for us.
        1. He had to die for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). Only God could do that.
      3. As man--Jesus must be man to be able to be a sacrifice for man.
        1. As a man, He can be the mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).
    5. This means that the Jehovah's Witnesses, The Way International, Islam, etc., are outside of Christianity.
  2. Salvation by Grace
      1. This verse and its context plainly teach that if you believe that you are saved by faith and works, then you are not saved at all. This is a common error in the cults.  Because they have a false Jesus, they have a false doctrine of salvation.  (Read Rom. 3-5 and Gal. 3-5).
      2. You cannot add to the work of God.  Gal. 2:21 says, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (NIV)
    3. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin." (Rom. 3:20).
      1. "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness," (Rom. 4:5).
      2. "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God?  Absolutely not!  For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law." (Gal. 3:21).
    4. Salvation is not universal resurrection as Mormonism would declare.  Rather, it is the saving from God's righteous judgment.  Furthermore, salvation, which is the forgiveness of sins, is accomplished by faith alone (Rom. 4:1-11).
    5. Roman Catholicism denies salvation by grace through faith alone in Christ alone.  Therefore, Roman Catholicism is outside of Christianity.
  3. The Resurrection of Christ
    2. To deny the physical resurrection is to deny that Jesus' work was a satisfactory offering to God the Father.   It would mean that Jesus was corrupt and needed to stay in the grave.  But, he did not stay because his sacrifice was perfect.
    3. These verses clearly state that if you say that Jesus did not rise from the dead (in the same body He died in--John 2:19-21), then your faith is useless.
    4. The Jehovah's Witnesses and the Muslims deny Jesus' physical resurrection.  Therefore, they are outside of Christianity.
  4. The Gospel
      1. Verses 8 and 9 here in Galatians are a self-declarative statement that you must believe the gospel.  The gospel message which in its entirety is that Jesus is God in flesh, who died for sins, rose from the dead, and freely gives the gift of eternal life to those who believe.
      2. Furthermore, it would not be possible to present the gospel properly without declaring that Jesus is God in flesh per John 1:1, 14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8.
      1. Within these verses are the essentials: Christ is God in flesh (John 1:1, 14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9); Salvation is received by faith (John 1:12; Rom. 10:9-10); therefore it is by grace; and the resurrection is mentioned in verse 4.  Therefore, this gospel message automatically includes the essentials.
  5. Monotheism
    3. Mormonism, for example, is not monotheistic.  Mormonism teaches that there are many gods but only one is worshiped.  Therefore, Mormonism is outside of Christianity.

Secondary Essentials


  1. Jesus is the only way to salvation
  2. Jesus' Virgin Birth
  3. Doctrine of the Trinity
    1. Matt. 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (see also, Matt. 3:16-17; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6).
    3. The Trinity is denied by Mormonism, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, The Way International, etc.




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