What are the essentials of the Christian faith?

The Bible itself reveals what is essential to the Christian faith. The essentials are the resurrection of Christ, the gospel, the deity of Christ, salvation by God’s grace, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, monotheism, and the Holy Trinity. These are the basic doctrinal elements that we should understand and believe if we are followers of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.

The resurrection of Christ. Christ’s resurrection is one of the essentials, if not the essential, because it is so basic to the Christian faith. Perhaps no other event in the Bible is as significant as the resurrection. Without the resurrection of Christ, we are without hope for eternal life: “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). With His resurrection, Christ proved that He had made a satisfactory payment for sin, that His victory over sin and death was literal and complete, and that He has the power to save. The Lord Jesus could not stay in the grave, because, as the Son of God, He has “life in himself” (John 5:26). It’s a life He shares with those who trust and follow Him: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). God promises a resurrection for all who are in Christ.

The gospel. The message of the gospel, or the good news, is that Jesus died for sinners and rose again the third day. Paul spells this out in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4. Paul also warns against false gospels that replace Christ’s work with our own or in some other way lead the unsuspecting away from the cross and empty tomb. “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” (Galatians 1:8–9). The pure gospel of Jesus Christ—His death on the cross and His resurrection to everlasting life—is an essential of the Christian faith. More than that, “it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

The deity of Christ. Quite simply, Jesus is God. While Jesus never directly says, “I am God” in Scripture, He makes it clear that He is God in the flesh. Jesus taught, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and in this way He claimed deity. On occasions when people called Him “God,” Jesus does not deny it. An example is John 20:28, when Thomas addresses Jesus as “My Lord and my God!” Jesus accepts the title because it is an accurate description of who He is. His resurrection from the dead is one of the main proofs of His deity.

Salvation by grace. We are all sinners separated from God and deserving of eternal punishment for our sin. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for the sins of mankind—the just died for the unjust (1 Peter 3:18). Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf, we can be forgiven and have an eternal relationship with God. God did not have to do this for us—we were unworthy of such love—but He sent His only Son as an act of grace, or undeserved favor. Scripture emphasizes the goodness and grace of God: “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). There is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor or gain access to heaven. Salvation is all of grace.

Salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Some people wonder, “Don’t all roads lead to God?” At least in one sense, all roads do lead to God—everyone will face Him in judgment after death. But not everyone will be saved. For most people, the judgment will be a terrible occasion, as they will not know Jesus as their Lord. Those who do not have faith in Christ will have the lake of fire as their final destination. There is only one way to avoid that fate: faith in God’s Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16–18). Jesus is the only savior: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is our only remedy for sin. His resurrection is our only hope for eternal life. Jesus’ own words on the matter are quite exclusive: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Monotheism. Monotheism is the belief that there is only one God to be worshiped and served, and that belief is an essential of the Christian faith. Monotheism is taught throughout Scripture, starting with the law (Deuteronomy 6:4) and continuing through the prophets: “This is what the LORD says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). The New Testament affirms the same truth, and a Christian knows there is only one true God, despite the many wannabes: “For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many ‘gods’ and many ‘lords’), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” (1 Corinthians 8:5–6).

The Holy Trinity. A doctrine basic to Christianity is that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all the one God. The concept of a “three-in-one” God is not taught in a single verse or passage, but Scripture repeatedly alludes to His triune nature. In Matthew 28:19, all three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All three Persons of the Trinity are also present at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:16–17). Christians may not be able to adequately explain the Trinity, but they believe that God is triune.

Any discussion of the basics of Christianity must include a mention of faith. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6), and so faith is one of the essentials. As Christians we trust in a God we cannot see. We yearn for a home we’ve never been to. We place confidence in outcomes that defy all odds. And we would choose death over giving up any of the above essentials.