What are some of the essential doctrines of the christian faith?

It is a catchy title!

:thumbs:

 

Only Christ
Only the Scriptures
Only Grace
Only faith

That is Protestantism; that is Christianity.

Even so, "Christian Faith that isn't Resurrection Faith, can neither be called Christianity, nor Faith" --- Juergen Moltmann. And Karl Barth: "Christianity that isn't eschatology hasn't got anything whatsoever to do with Christ." (My translation)

 

Which truth of God's Word is non-essential?

If God went to the extreme to inspire the jots and tittles, which doctrine is not important to Him?

 

GE:

I would say most good Christians would discard God's Sabbath, first of all as 'non-essential'!

 

Just now, I reckon, DHK will warn me I have 'derailed' this thread.

 

DHK must be busy warning somebody else, so I'll say it, even though I'm about as far from a moderator as one can get!
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And so you won't feel neglected! :laugh:

Ed

P.S. Anything to get back to my 3500 posts since I somehow had a couple hundered disappear, recently! :laugh:

 

Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ and replaced in the Person of Christ

Chapter 4 of Hebrews continues the warning, “How shall we escape; if we neglect so great salvation” of Hebrews 2:3. Having given us two physical examples of the spiritual reality that God is warning about (the abandonment of Christ and His finished work at Calvary by returning to Temple sacrifices for forgiveness of sin) is the same as these two examples - Rephidim and Kadesh-Barnea.

In both cases, these people manifested to God (and themselves) that they did not have faith. The principle is the same as James 2:14-20; faith that does not act upon what it believes is not faith at all. It is only words.

However, Hebrews chapter 4, even though continuing the same idea, develops another argument against pseudo-faith. In Hebrews 4:4, God develops the Sabbath Rest Type and relates it to faith in Christ.

“12 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you. 14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed” (Exodus 31:12-17).

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These verses explain God’s purpose of the Sabbath Rest. The Hebrew word Sabbath (shab-bawth’) is a word that means to “cease from works” - “stop working”. It is one of the most perfect typifications of salvation in the word of God. Sabbath keeping was not something a person did in order to be saved. Sabbath keeping was a practical testimony to what a person was trusting in to be saved.

“For He that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His” (Hebrews 3:10).

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This statement is very similar to what Paul says in other epistles. Ephesians 2:8-10 is a full statement of this principle of Sabbath keeping, as well as Titus 3:4-8.

“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

“4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men” (Titus 3:4-8).

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In Exodus 31:15 there is an emphatic condemnation on the Sabbath Breaker. This condemnation is a “death sentence” on those who are trusting in “works,” rather than in God for “Rest”. “Works” for salvation is an antithesis of real faith and a contradiction against the kind of faith that a person is saved “through.”

In Hebrews 4:1-11, God equates the person who says he believes in Jesus for his salvation (“rest”), but who continues in religious works (trusting in Moralism or religious rituals that contradict the “finished works” of Christ), as a Sabbath breaker and still under the death penalty condemnation. This portion of Scripture in Hebrews draws the same fine line that divides saving faith from pseudo-faith (false faith) that Paul does in Galatians 5:1-4.

“1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:1-4).

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Although Dr LK goes far over my head, there isn't much 'spiritually' in which I disagree with him; but 'literally' I find him quite awkwardly involved in argument with himself.

Speaking as a layman, I would guess the reason why is that Dr LK is too man-centered in his explanation of Hb4.
For example, he sees man as the doer in 4:8 as well as 10. I like to Jesus here the Subject and great Accomplisher of both the Rest and the Faith, thus supplying the very reason and thus being the very Reason of and for, the 'man-part', namely verse 9:
"THEREFORE THEN (ara - "BECAUSE" of what JESUS had done, namely, to have "given them (the People) rest" and to HIMSELF have "entered into His Own rest AS GOD in His own" --- THEREFORE THEN remains a keeping of the Sabbath Day for the People of God."

I was right; the Sabbath of the LORD your God is the first to be dumped overboard. Invariably, because it's to uncomfortable for most Christians in their resting slumber and sloth.

 

Dr LK:

" “Works” for salvation is an antithesis of real faith and a contradiction against the kind of faith that a person is saved “through.” "

GE:

Absolutely so! Yet don't forget that this same thesis "of real faith and .... the kind of faith that a person is saved “through”, realistically produces “works” OF salvation and faith that a person is saved “UNTO”.
But I don't want that to be my 'theme' or pre-occupation. I wish to busy myself with the works of God and of Christ, and to see the Sabbath in that light, primarily. I believe the Gospel-Sabbath, "The Lord's Day", New Testament!

 

That -- believing the New Testament Sabbath Day -- is truely believing all three of the Creation Sabbath, the Salvation Sabbath and the Purge Sabbath of the OT Books.

 

Christians worshipped on the first day of the week (actually the day following and succeeding or replacing the Sabbath) this now is the eighth day typifying the New Genesis (Paleogenesia; i.e. regeneration) after the conclusion of the Kingdom Age.

Have you read From Sabbath To Lord's Day edited by D.A. Carson (Zondervon Publisher)?

See also Scofield's notes on Matt. 12:1 and the marginal note on Matt. 28:1.

"Margin: end of Lit. end of the sabbaths. The sabbaths end, the first day comes."




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Oh wait - I know...

"you have to be a Calvinist -- or else!":thumbs:

In Christ,

Bob

 

Do you accept that Catholics are Christian too? Saved?

What if one person accepts perseverance of the saints while a 4-point Calvinist rejects it -- do you say that one of them can not be saved??

 

So getting back to the OP -

Praying to the dead does not disqualify them.
Worshiping images as do the Hindus does not disqualify them
Claiming to have the power to "create God" does not diqualify them
claiming to forgive sins on earh as God - does not disqualify them
Inventing Purgatory, indulgences, etc does not disqualify
Claiming infallability for an instituion that slaughtered millions of Christians..
Keeping the written word from the Christian masses does not disqualify them..

My point is not that Catholic Christians are not saved - my point is that the setting for the bar of "What false doctrines" can be held and yet the person still "saved" is allowing for a vast amount of error.

In Christ,

Bob

 

Are you saying a person need not repent of "dead works" (Heb. 6:1), that it is not necessary to understand (Mat. 13:23) and believe the objective facts of the gospel (I Cor. 15:1-3), and that one need not "obey the gospel" (Rom. 10:16, II Thes. 1:8, I Pet. 4:17) in order to be saved? Are you saying God will save those He elected by grace regardless of what they believe or do not believe?