For Essential Beliefs – UNITY: “There is one Body and one Spirit…there is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, and one God and Father of us all…” Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)

For Nonessential Beliefs – FREEDOM: “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls…so then each of us will give an account of himself to god…So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” Romans 14:1,4,12,22 (NIV)

And in all things – LOVE: “If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains – but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NIV)

Having said these things, you need to know what I hold as Essential Beliefs:

…that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. We need to teach (as Paul said in 1 Cor 15) His life, death, burial, and resurrection “as of first importance.”

…that the Bible is the true, inspired Word of God, and is just as relevant today as it was 2000 years ago – a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)

… that we are created by God, and God pronounced His creation “very good.” But man disobeyed, and we have all fallen short of His glory. Romans 3:23 (NIV)

…that forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life are available to those who trust Christ as Savior and Lord. John 3:16 (NIV)  Forgiveness only comes through faith in Christ, but contrary to popular views, faith is more than an intellectual exercise, it is an active response (Hebrews 11).

…that our active response to the Gospel message is to repent of sins, confess our faith, be baptized into Christ, and to walk in faith. Romans 10:9, Acts 2:38 (NIV)

…that the church is the body of Christ on earth, empowered by the Holy Spirit and exists to reach the lost and edify the saved. Ephesians 4:1-16 (NIV).  The church is the body of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, given a mission to reach the lost and equip the saved for ministry. The church is also the Bride of Christ – He values the Bride so much that He paid the ultimate bride price. Therefore, we should not be spending our time denigrating the church

…that Jesus Christ will one day return and reign forever as King of kings and Lord of lords. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NIV). Jesus said to John, “Behold, I am coming again.” I am eager for that return.