The Core Issues

[McCulloch]

regarding core issues there can be no debate here is a short list that anyone claiming to be a Christian should believe.

1. LORD JESUS is the Son of GOD GOD incarnate
2. Salvation through CHRIST alone
3. repentance for sins
4. rebirth
5. Literal crucifixion
6. 3 days latter rose from the grave literally
7. To love GOD with all your heart and soul above all
8. to love your neighbor as yourself
9. to follow him in obedience to his word
10. there is a heaven
11. there is a hell

Notwithstanding drs' claim that there can be no debate, is this the list of core Christian beliefs? Can someone be a Christian and not agree with drs on one of these points? Is there something essential to Christianity that drs missed?

NB: this is in the Theology forum. The question is about what is authentic Christianity not whether Christianity is true or valid. The Bible is considered an authoritative text by many Christians, on this topic.

[McCulloch]

[Jesus said, ]
"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'

"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
"Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

It seems to me that Jesus himself missed most of the core issues.

[Slackerella]

1. LORD JESUS is the Son of GOD GOD incarnate
2. Salvation through CHRIST alone
3. repentance for sins
4. rebirth
5. Literal crucifixion
6. 3 days later rose from the grave literally
7. To love GOD with all your heart and soul above all
8. to love your neighbor as yourself
9. to follow him in obedience to his word
10. there is a heaven
11. there is a hell

I am a christian, but I differ slightly. I belive that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in fact 3 different individual personages, not one in the same. But I agree with everything else.

Can I still be Christian?

[OnceConvinced]

Ok, looking at it from the point of view of a Christian:

LORD JESUS is the Son of GOD GOD incarnate

Yes. Necessary to believe.

Salvation through CHRIST alone

Yes

repentance for sins

Absolutely

rebirth

This is as a result of the previous three. Anyone who has done the previous three with sincerity is "born again".

Literal crucifixion

I never really gave this much thought. It seems to be one of those things that all Christians believe without question. I guess it has to be believed to be able to say that Jesus died for your sins.

3 days latter rose from the grave literally

Is this a requirement for salvation? Probably not, but if he didn't rise again, he wouldn't be considered much of a God.

To love GOD with all your heart and soul above all

Not required in the sinner's prayer, but possibly a necessity. The question is how can one really be assured that they love God with all their heart and soul?

to love your neighbor as yourself

Not a requirement of salvation. But definitely something you should do as a Christian. Does not doing it mean you are not a True Christian? I doubt it.

to follow him in obedience to his word

That's the question about "Does one have to be a disciple to consider themselves saved?" There's already a thread that me and Goose discussed on this topic.

there is a heaven
there is a hell

Can't see why one needs to believe in these. This is where I stand up and say a definite "NO". It's not necessary to believe in Heaven or Hell. Would God really care? I don't believe there is any scripture that says you MUST believe in these places. I would think God would rather we worshiped him because we loved him, not because we were afraid of Hell or because we just want rewards in Heaven. That's not sincere conversion.

[McCulloch]

I am a christian, but I differ slightly. I belive that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in fact 3 different individual personages, not one in the same. But I agree with everything else.

Can I still be Christian?

Not according to Brother Drs.

[drs]

I am a christian, but I differ slightly. I belive that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in fact 3 different individual personages, not one in the same. But I agree with everything else.

Can I still be Christian?

Not according to Brother Drs.

lol are speaking for me?

[drs]

1. LORD JESUS is the Son of GOD GOD incarnate
2. Salvation through CHRIST alone
3. repentance for sins
4. rebirth
5. Literal crucifixion
6. 3 days later rose from the grave literally
7. To love GOD with all your heart and soul above all
8. to love your neighbor as yourself
9. to follow him in obedience to his word
10. there is a heaven
11. there is a hell

I am a christian, but I differ slightly. I belive that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in fact 3 different individual personages, not one in the same. But I agree with everything else.

Can I still be Christian?

Tell us what you believe

I got the first one GOD the Father

Do you believe LORD JESUS is the Son of GOD GOD incarnate?

Do you beleive the HOLY SPIRIT is GOD?

[McCulloch]

I am a christian, but I differ slightly. I belive that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in fact 3 different individual personages, not one in the same. But I agree with everything else.

Can I still be Christian?

Not according to Brother Drs.

lol are speaking for me?

Just drawing the logical conclusion. You stated that regarding core issues there can be no debate here is a short list that anyone claiming to be a Christian should believe. Slackerella stated that she differed. Since there is no debate, according your own words, I must conclude that you must consider her to not be a Christian. Either that or you did not really mean what you wrote when you stated your creed.

[drs]

I am a christian, but I differ slightly. I belive that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in fact 3 different individual personages, not one in the same. But I agree with everything else.

Can I still be Christian?

Not according to Brother Drs.

lol are speaking for me?

Just drawing the logical conclusion. You stated that regarding core issues there can be no debate here is a short list that anyone claiming to be a Christian should believe. Slackerella stated that she differed. Since there is no debate, according your own words, I must conclude that you must consider her to not be a Christian. Either that or you did not really mean what you wrote when you stated your creed.

I have asked and she is yet to state what she means.


And for there can be no debate these are GOD's truth according to scripture.

A Christian SHOULD believe these.

[Goat]

I am a christian, but I differ slightly. I belive that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are in fact 3 different individual personages, not one in the same. But I agree with everything else.

Can I still be Christian?

Not according to Brother Drs.

lol are speaking for me?

Just drawing the logical conclusion. You stated that regarding core issues there can be no debate here is a short list that anyone claiming to be a Christian should believe. Slackerella stated that she differed. Since there is no debate, according your own words, I must conclude that you must consider her to not be a Christian. Either that or you did not really mean what you wrote when you stated your creed.

I have asked and she is yet to state what she means.


And for there can be no debate these are GOD's truth according to scripture.

A Christian SHOULD believe these.

Why SHOULD a Christian believe that. Many Christians disagree with your interpretation of scripture. The fact that there are Christians that disagree DOES mean that there IS debate on it, since they are basing it 'according to scripture'.