The Fundamentals of the Christian Faith: Biblical Basics That Everyone Should Know

Contents

Preface

1

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

(the Messiah)

2

The Atoning Blood

of Jesus Christ

3

The Divinity and

Messiahship of Jesus Christ

4

The Incarnation and

Resurrection of Jesus Christ

5

The Second Coming

of Jesus Christ

6

The Position and

Walk of the Believer

7

Sanctification and the

Spirit-Filled Life of the Believer

8

The Eternal Security

of the Believer

9

Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Canonicity (How We Got the Bible)

10

The Trinity

11

Heaven, Hell, and Judgment Day

Glossary

Recommended Reading for Further Study of Theology and Apologetics

All Scripture quotes are taken from

the Authorized King James Bible.

THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH

First Edition

Copyright © 2001 by Steve Urick

This book is a compilation of 11 Soul Seeker Tracts

from the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith series,

written between 1989—1996.

Other paperbacks and

booklets by the author include:

Acts One Dispensationalism

Christian Discipleship and the Local Church

Evangelism and Christian Apologetics

Practical Christian Living

Major Cults and False World Religions

False Teachings and Divisive Movements

The Church in the Coming Great Tribulation

Signs of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ

and the End of the World

Nowmillennial Dispensationalism

(A Biblical Examination of the Millennium and the Kingdom of God)

The Truth About Roman Catholicism

The False Gospel of Sacramental Salvation

The Person and Atoning Sacrifice of Jesus Christ

Crash Course Training in One-on-One Evangelism

Copies and information can be obtained by contacting:

Gospel Press

P.O. Box 100092, Cudahy, WI 53110 U.S.A.

www.gospelpress.org

or check:

www.authorhouse.com

www.amazon.com

This book is dedicated to my son, Jesse.

Let these truths be firmly rooted in you so

God can bear much good fruit through you.

May the Lord bless and guide you and

use you greatly to spread the Word.

(John 15:1-11; Romans 12:1-2)

Preface

Many unsaved people today are skeptical about God. Like the man who denies the ocean has water, the atheist denies his own conscience, thus commits spiritual suicide (Ps. 14:1-4). Others are like a selfish child who blames his parents (and consequently God) for all the hurts and evil in the world, instead of taking responsibility for his own bad and sinful choices he has made in life. Billions of other sincerely religious but lost people, led by spiritually blind leaders, have settled for false religion instead of the true God and gospel of Christ (they know about Jesus, but they do not know Him personally).

The whole world is coming together under an ecumenical delusion that says all religions are of God (universalism) and lead to heaven. Many say Jesus was "a way, not the way, or that He was merely a good messenger-prophet, or a higher-enlightened" teacher. Thus, they deny Jesus is the Christ, the divine Son of God, who came in the flesh to die for sinners. This is the spirit of antichrist that the apostle John warned us about (1 John 2:18, 22). Therefore, it is necessary, more than ever in these last days, for Christians to be grounded in the fundamentals of the faith, and be reminded from time to time of these basics (sound doctrine), and strengthen what remains.

"Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in

remembrance of these things, though ye know them,

and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it

meet [proper], as long as I am in this tabernacle [body],

to stir you up by putting you in remembrance."

2 Peter 1:12-13

1

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

(the Messiah)

REBELLION AGAINST GOD

Though made in the image of God, man has turned to his own way. This assertion of independence from our Creator to do our own thing, in place of God’s will, is the heart of sin. This self-idolatry has brought destruction and misery, degradation and strife to all mankind.

The Bible says, God is angry with the wicked every day (Psalm 7:11) and He "now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness …" (Acts 17:30-31).

God will take vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord… (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

Man is Weak and Sinful

Ever since the moral fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26—3:24), man has persisted in sin by fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind (Ephesians 2:3). This produces all sorts of sins, such as:

1. MENTAL ATTITUDE SINS: Pride, arrogance, apathy, jealousy, bitterness, hatred, envy, greed, lust, coveting, and selfishness.

2. SINS OF THE TONGUE: Maligning, judging, backbiting, gossiping, lying, swearing, filthy language, verbal abuse, blasphemies, course jesting, dirty jokes, foolish talking, and so on.

3. OVERT SINS: Murder, rape, extortion, robbery, theft, fornication (i.e., sexual immorality: sex outside of marriage, homosexuality, adultery, pornography, prostitution, bestiality, etc.), drunkenness, violent outbursts, false worship, heresies, witchcraft, sorcery (illicit drug-use) and the occult (astrology, mediums, channeling, tarot cards, etc.).

4. SINS OF OMISSION: Laziness and failure to love God, our neighbors, even our enemies (see Matthew 5:44; 25:24-30; James 4:17).

Truly, There is none righteous, no, NOT ONE… For ALL HAVE SINNED [missed the mark of God’s perfect, holy standard] and come short [in mind, word, and deed] of the glory of God (Romans 3:10, 23).

Man is Blind and Lost

Scripture teaches that apart from Jesus Christ, man is spiritually dead and separated from God (Ephesians 2:1-5). Generally speaking, there are four types of unsaved people in the world:

1. The IMMORAL PERSON carelessly (and usually without apology) resigns himself to live a life fulfilling evil desires and passions (see Romans 1:18-32; Ephesians 4:19).

2. The MORAL PERSON rarely does anything overtly wrong or sinful. He is kind and does good things for others. His problem is he usually thinks he is so good that he doesn’t need salvation (see Romans 2:1-3; 10:1-4). His prevailing and damning sins are self-righteousness, pride, and unbelief.

3. The RELIGIOUS PERSON tries to merit God’s forgiveness. He performs rituals, repetitious prayers, good deeds, maybe even pilgrimages. He doesn’t realize that the more he works to obtain grace and mercy the more certain is his condemnation, for to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt (Romans 4:4).

In God’s divine and holy sight, all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). In other words, compared to God’s perfect righteousness, we are all unclean sinners.

4. The HYPOCRITE professes to know God in a saving way, but his whole life denies it (see Titus 1:16). He does not truly know God, nor does he follow after holiness. He is also on the broad road to destruction (see Matthew 7:13, 21-23).

Man is Trapped and Condemned

Mankind is in deep spiritual trouble and most do not realize how serious it is. How?

1. Man is TRAPPED LEGALLY. We have all broken God’s holy laws, and so, we are all GUILTY and under the judgment because Cursed is every one that continueth not in ALL THINGS which are written in the book of the law to do them (Galatians 3:10b).

For whosoever shall keep the WHOLE LAW, and yet offend [sin] in ONE POINT, he is GUILTY OF ALL (James 2:10).

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20), so that every mouth may be stopped, and ALL the world may become GUILTY before God (Romans 3:19).

In other words, anyone who tries to get to heaven by keeping God’s commandments has to be 100% perfect, 100% of the time. But no one is perfect. We ALL sin (in word, thought, and deed)! Hence, the law of God is holy but it cannot save anyone. It only shows us our sin.

RESULT: The wages of sin is DEATH (Romans 6:23a). Death in the Bible has three phases: spiritual, physical, and then eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).

2. Man is TRAPPED MORALLY. Because we all possess a sin nature, every human being sins. Paul said, For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh), dwelleth NO GOOD THING… I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me (Romans 7:18a, 21a). Jesus said, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin (John 8:34).

Sin cannot be ignored by a just God, since it is an affront to His holiness (see Romans 1:18). Being holy, God must judge all sin. Inevitably, the profane must be separated from Him forever (see Matthew 25:41; Revelation 14:9-11). Yet God is good, loving and merciful. He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). Nor does He desire to inflict punishment upon anyone. How can He judge sin without condemning sinners to the eternal lake of fire (Hell—Mark 9:42-48)?

The Good News

God has provided a WAY out of man’s lost condition and a DELIVERER out of man’s bondage to sin. The solution to man’s problem is found exclusively in the person and finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ at Calvary.

Jesus said, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

I am THE WAY, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).

In Old Testament times (before Christ died), God (Yahweh) required Jewish priests to offer male animal sacrifices, without blemish (a blemish represented sin), on behalf of themselves and then for the people of Israel (see Leviticus 16). The innocent substitute animals (lambs, goats, calves) were killed by the shedding of their life-giving blood to make atonement (payment) for sin (see the Passover story in Exodus, chapter 12). God would then spare the people by forgiving them of their sins. However, the offerings were only temporary and could not permanently take away sin; hence, the sacrifices had to be repeated again and again (Hebrews 10:1-11). But when Jesus (Gr.: Iesous; Heb.: Yeshua) came into the world, He shed His blood and died on the cross as a substitute lamb to pay for our sins, and then rose bodily from the dead on the third day (Matthew 1:18-23; John 20: 24-28; 1 Peter 1:18-19). This one-time, finished sacrifice by Jesus (the virgin born, sinless One), as God in human flesh (John 1:1, 3, 14), was counted by God the Father as perfect and permanent payment for sins, forever (Romans 3:24-25; 5:8;