What do Christians believe? Many churches and individuals today identify as Christians but believe and practice differently from one another. Some of these differences are essential, some are not.
Amidst the diversity of Christian denominations and churches today, there are six basic truths of the Christian faith—or sets of truths—that true Christians believe.
1. God
The Christian faith presupposes that there is a God. While many people deny God’s existence, Christians believe that there’s plenty of evidence that God exists. But although nature is enough proof that God exists, the strongest evidence for God is the indwelling illumination of the Holy Spirit. God Himself works out faith in individuals, making us believe and be certain that He exists (cf. Romans 1:19-20; 8:15-16).
God as the Creator and a Personal God
Christians understand that God is the Supreme Being who created all things in heaven and earth. Everything we see and do not see exists through God’s almighty power. Because of this, God is holy—different from and transcends all His creatures. He can’t be identified with the sun, moon, rivers, or the human king who sits on a throne. He’s the Creator, not a creature.
But his holiness and transcendence do not mean He’s too distant from His creatures. He’s also a personal Being involved in His creation, makes Himself known to us, and relates with us. That’s why the Christian faith recognizes God’s attributes—such as His power, wisdom, goodness, and love.
Given all this, Christians believe in God’s sovereignty and providence. As the Creator, He’s the sovereign Ruler causing everything and allowing everything to happen according to His will, wisdom, and power—for His glory and the well-being of all believers.
God as the Triune God
Furthermore, fundamental to the Christian faith is the recognition of the Trinity or the Triune God. There is only one God but in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are not three Gods, but only one God who exists in three persons. One ancient creed of the Christian church explains this well: the Athanasian Creed. Christians understand this truth is beyond human comprehension, but we recognize that this is how God revealed Himself in Scripture (cf. Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; Luke 1:35; 1 Peter 1:1-2).
2. Bible
Another basic truth of the Christian faith is that the Bible is the Word of God. While God also makes Himself known through nature, we could only get a clearer and more accurate understanding of God and His will through the Scripture. Nature reveals God as Creator; Scripture reveals God as Redeemer as well (cf. Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:19-20; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Bible is Inspired, Inerrant, Authoritative, and Sufficient
The Reformed confessions of faith affirm:
“the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life is expressly set down in Scripture… or deduced from Scripture.” Even the “entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length”
(Westminster Confession of Faith 1.6; Belgic Confession Art. 7).
With the illuminating work of the Spirit within, Christians believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Across generations, God used men to communicate truths He intended to reveal to us. Although written by men, Scripture contains the very words of God. It is divine; it is Holy Scipture.
Therefore, these 66 books—written over 1,500 years by 40 human authors from different walks of life—have one ultimate Author and one overarching truth. From Genesis to Revelation, God reveals His work of creation and salvation for sinners.
So the Christian faith believes that since God is the ultimate author of Scripture, it is without error and will not mislead us from the truth. It is authoritative and sufficient for everything we need to know about God, ourselves, and life here and beyond.
To know the truth—we go to the Bible.
3. Creation
Another basic truth of the Christian faith concerns nature and reality. The Bible declares that God created everything—both seen and unseen, physical and spiritual. He created everything in the beginning as good and without corruption (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Gen. 1:31).
Man Created with Dignity
At the pinnacle of God’s creation is mankind. God created everything else just by the power of His word. He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. But God formed mankind and breathed His spirit of life into man (Gen. 2:7).
Unlike trees and animals, God fashioned man in His image, made in His likeness (Gen. 1:26-27). He created us to reflect His wisdom, power, goodness, righteousness, and love. As bearers of God’s image, we’re moral creatures able to think, desire, and will. And God desired that we exercise those faculties for His glory and the good of creation.
Moreover, God commissioned mankind as the steward of creation. Instead of being ruled, man shall have dominion and cultivate the whole creation on earth (Gen. 1:28).
These are the fundamental basis for human dignity. We’re not germs; we’re not animals. Higher and more valuable than they, we possess the image of God.
Man as a Fallen Creature
But the Bible testifies that this good and glorious design of God for man was corrupted by sin. In Genesis 3, the first man and woman disobeyed God and received its consequences. Hence, the Christian faith recognizes that man became sinful, corrupt, and alienated from God—even since birth (Psalm 51:5).
As the saying goes, we are considered sinners not because we sin or sinned. We sin because we are by nature sinners.
Although God’s image remains, the whole of human nature was corrupted by sin. Our spiritual thoughts are twisted. Our religious affections diverted. Our good works are compromised with imperfections and selfish motives. Instead of seeking God, we run after sinful pleasures. Instead of worshipping God, we idolize ourselves and other things. We love ourselves more than God and others (Romans 3:10-18).
Depravity as Universal Condition of Mankind
Scripture affirms this as the natural condition of every person. We’re considered dead in our sins, hostile to God and others, and unable to please Him (Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 8:7-8). This explains why there’s much evil, corruption, war, and suffering in this life. The ultimate problem is not government policies or poverty, but our sinful hearts.
To make matters worse, the Bible warns that God will judge and punish sinners in the last days. The wage for sin is death, and God will throw sinners into hell to suffer away from His presence forever (Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
Because of these truths, Christians believe we can’t save or change ourselves unless God shows mercy. We’re hopeless until God gives us hope.
And yes, He did.
4. Salvation
The next basic truth of the Christian faith affirms that while it’s perfectly just for God to punish sinners, He’s also merciful and gracious by giving salvation to those He desired to save. Right after man’s fall into sin, God promised a Savior who would destroy the devil (cf. Genesis 3:15). From generation to generation, God kept giving promises, anticipating the work of His Anointed One—the Messiah.
This Messiah is Jesus Christ, born more than 2000 years ago.
Salvation in Jesus Christ
Biblical authors testify that Jesus is the promised Savior. The whole revelation of God in the Old Testament was fulfilled in Jesus Christ (John 20:30-31; Hebrews 1:1-2).
While men failed, Christ did everything necessary to satisfy God’s justice and secure forgiveness of our sins and eternal salvation. Christ achieved this through a series of works.
Being the eternal Son of God, He incarnated in the human flesh—becoming God and man. The Christian faith recognizes that this is one of the greatest miracles of God which surpasses human understanding. Being both God and man, Christ was able to fulfill salvation. As divine, He is almighty and perfect in all respects, able to bear man’s sins, endure the Father’s wrath, and overcome death. As man, He represented us perfectly, being like us in all things except for sin.
The Bible testifies that Jesus Christ lived in perfect obedience to God’s Law for our sake, fulfilling the righteousness God demands from us. He suffered death on the cross as God’s curse and punishment for our sins. On our behalf, Christ atoned for transgressions.
He died but on the third day rose again from the tomb. The Christian faith affirms that Christ’s resurrection is true based on Scripture and history. Afterward, Christ ascended to the heavens and promised to return soon (cf. Acts 1:11).
Christians understand that Jesus did all of this for our complete salvation. Christ’s righteousness, death, and resurrection make us forgiven and righteous in God’s sight. His resurrection from the dead and ascension to heaven give us new life and the guarantee of our glorious resurrection. Christ and His work become the basis for God’s saving benefits to sinners (Rom. 5:1, 15-21; Gal. 3:13-14; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 6:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Cor. 15:42-57).
But how does Christ’s work become ours? How is Christ’s work more than 2000 years ago applied to sinners today?
Christ’s Saving Work Applied by the Holy Spirit
An essential truth of the Christian faith is the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. God the Father ordained and promised salvation; God the Son fulfilled salvation; God the Spirit applies salvation.
Salvation is through faith alone, not by works. God forgives sinners and counts them as righteous only when they put their faith and hope in Christ and His work on their behalf (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9).
How does this exactly happen? We refer to the order of salvation.
Christians believe in the Holy Spirit’s work of giving a new nature to the sinner. We call this regeneration, rebirth, or more commonly known as being “born again.” Once a sinner is regenerated, he begins to understand Christ’s gospel, repent, and believe in Him. The mind once darkened is now illuminated; the heart once hard and dead is now moved and affected; the will once stubborn is now ready and happy to pursue Christ and follow God’s will (Ezekiel 36:25-27; John 3:3-6).
With repentance and true faith, the sinner becomes converted to Christ. He’s now a Christian. That faith is God’s instrument for applying Christ’s merits upon the person. He credits the perfect righteousness of Christ to the believing sinner—as if he’s the one who fulfills God’s demands and deserves the reward. We call it justification by faith.
This is the core teaching of the Christian faith: everyone who believes in Christ shall be saved. Sins are forgiven, unrighteousness cleansed, and eternal life begins (2 Cor. 5:17; John 3:16; 1 John 1:8-9)
The Christian Life: Saved and Being Sanctified
Being righteous in God’s sight, there’s no longer condemnation for every believer. He’s comforted that God is no longer angry at him—both now and on the final judgment day. Instead, the Holy Spirit assures the person of being an adopted child of God. Christians believe God is our Father who cares for us, listens to our prayers, and does everything for our good (Rom. 8:1; John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:16, 28; Matt. 7:11).
The Christian life is filled with trials, afflictions, and even persecutions. Believers understand we’ll never escape sorrows and temptations in this earthly life. But that is God’s way of purifying us, molding us to be like Christ, strengthening our faith, and fixing our hope beyond this passing world. This is sanctification and the perseverance of the saints. Through the inward work of the Spirit, God will complete the good work of salvation He already began in us (John 10:27-29; Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:38-39).
5. The Church
Another basic truth of the Christian faith is the church. God didn’t save us so we could be isolated from one another. Rather, everyone Christ saves belongs to His body—as one body and household of God called the church. So Christians believe that ultimately the “church” refers not to a building you enter every Sunday. It’s the people. It’s the assembly of people who profess faith and hope in Christ and worship God (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Rom. 12:4-5).
The Nature of the Church
Basic to the Christian faith is understanding the two-fold natures of the church: The universal and local church, and the invisible and visible church. The church is not exclusive to a certain place or time. There are Christians then and now; there are Christians in America, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world. It is a universal church, united in one faith and one Spirit (Eph. 4:4-6). But this united church also gathers in local communities as brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as God gathered a church in Galatia, Ephesus, Corinth, and Rome, God gathers His people in local churches in different cities and countries today.
We also affirm the invisible and visible nature of the church. The invisible church is composed of true believers alone. Since we can’t see the minds and hearts of men, only God knows who belongs to Christ and His church through saving faith. But the church will always take a visible form through the gathering of professing believers and their families. The essential difference is that in the visible church, there are true believers and hypocrites. There are true converts and mere professors of faith (cf. Acts 5:1-11; 8:9-24).
This doesn’t mean we should inquire and investigate who are the hypocrites inside the church. But this gives proper expectation that not all inside the local church are true Christians. Pastors must always preach the gospel and call hearers to repent and believe in Christ. Likewise, members shouldn’t be surprised when issues, conflicts, and disappointments arise.
The Necessity of Belonging to a Local Church
But although not every member of a visible church is a member of the invisible church, it’s impossible for any member of the invisible church to not belong to a visible church. There’s no such thing as a church-less believer or a lone-ranger Christian. Everyone united to Christ is united to His body, and such union is demonstrated in communion with other believers in a local and visible church (cf. Hebrews 10:24-25).
In the church, God uses His means of grace to create and nourish faith. Through the regular preaching of the Word, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, prayer, and fellowship—Christians grow and persevere in their faith and life.
6. The Last Days
The final basic truth of the Christian faith concerns the future state of reality and human life. Christians understand that this world is passing away. Life on earth is temporary, and we’re all heading to the next life beyond this world.
Man’s Eternal Destiny
There are only two ways we get there: We die now before Christ returns or Christ comes in our lifetime. When we die, our bodies get buried but our souls continue—either in a state of blessedness or condemnation. We call this the intermediate state. Once Christ returns to consummate everything, our bodies will be resurrected and reunited with our souls. Then, we’ll stand before God for the final judgment. Believers in Christ shall enter and enjoy heaven forever, while the wicked and unbelievers shall suffer in hell forever (John 5:28-29; 2 Thess. 1:8-10; Rev. 20:11-15).
Christians recognize this as one reason we share the gospel with others. Life is short and there are only two roads to take: One heading to life and another to destruction.
Views on the Last Days
Many Christians struggle to understand how exactly these things will come to pass. When will Christ return? What will be the signs? In modern times, various Christian traditions and denominations suggest different millennial views. Pre-millennialism. Post-millennialism. Ammillennialism.
While all these perspectives have a biblical basis in one way or another, some essential truths are clearer and more certain for every believer:
- Christ will return in a visible way
- He’ll return at a time people do not expect
- He’ll return to punish the wicked and reward the believers
- We should be ready anytime.
These realities keep Christians hopeful for better things and busy preparing themselves to meet the Lord (2 Peter 3:14).
What is Basic in the Christian Faith?
The Christian faith is not a mere religious movement. Christians believe in truths based on the reality concerning God, mankind, salvation, and future state. But it’s not just knowing and believing these basic truths. It’s also living according to it.
By understanding these basic truths of the Christian faith, we make sense of this world and live accordingly. It’s that important.
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