Author	Thread: A Consensus on Christianity
NRSV1953 View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 11 Feb, 2013 02:54 PM This question is for women and men: When you boil it all down, what does a Christian really have to believe? Can you list the one or two criteria that are absolutely required for someone to be considered a Christian? I am curious to see if such a diverse group of Christians can come to a consensus about the most basic requirement for being a Christian. Remember, Jesus may be reading this too! Post Reply
View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 11 Feb, 2013 05:43 PM Faith In Jesus alone. Narrow is the way that leads to life....Jesus is the way the truth and the life.....No one comes to the father but through Him. Chrisitan the word means follower of Christ. To follow Christ one must trust and have faith in His leadership. Faith being the one thing that pleases God. Post Reply
Mike_1986 View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 11 Feb, 2013 08:01 PM I completely agree with letthismind2's comments. I think the two simple truths we must believe is that we are inherently sinners (born with sin passed from Adam) and therefore require the gift of salvation which only comes through Jesus Christ. The rest of the doctrine hangs on those principles, with the greatest commandment being love. It's good to have these things clear in our minds, so thanks for the good question! Post Reply
osol_letse View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 11 Feb, 2013 08:15 PM regeneration of the spirit in Christ and justification by faith in Christ Post Reply
DontHitThatMark View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 12 Feb, 2013 05:43 AM I'd say that a christian only has to believe what the thief on the cross did to be saved. I'd also say that, unless you immediately die afterward like the thief did, you need more than the thief. For example, I believe the beatitudes are a progression of the christian life. The thief starts at the first beatitude, and someone like Paul or John would be at the last one, where they are so close to Christ that the devil doesn't want them alive anymore. At the beginning and the end of the beatitudes, both groups of people have the kingdom of heaven in their possession, but it is a progression. We are justified by Christ, but we are also sanctified. If we claim the name of Christ, but deny his power to change our life into one of holiness, then we might be in trouble. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." :peace::peace: Post Reply
View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 12 Feb, 2013 01:54 PM That my sins have earned me the death penalty, but God loves me so much Jesus was willing to take my place. Now my sins have been paid for in full and I have been redeemed. Everything else is a response to that simple truth. Post Reply
View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 13 Feb, 2013 09:54 AM I certainly do not like any consensus or anything that has to be believed, as Christianity is better being divided since so many are so very wrong in their beliefs. How a person lives and how they act are far more important than whatever anyone might believe. I am the kind of Christian that respects all other religions so I do not object to being a Muslim or Hindu or Shaman or any faith including any version of Christian as long as they act right, and I usually respect them even when they do not act right. Many if not most Christians view me as a heretic (or worse) so I figure that I would fail any such consensus test or belief qualification, but even that is okay by me. What I hope to find is an open minded Christian Lady that has grown past the old traditional ideas of Christianity. James Post Reply
NRSV1953 View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 13 Feb, 2013 10:21 AM If I am interpreting what each has to say on this topic, there appear to be two ideas represented as necessary to be called a Christian. 1. Faith in Jesus Christ 2. All are born into sin While I completely agree with #1, if I'm not mistaken, some Christians do not espouse the idea of #2. Without getting into a lengthy discussion of Original Sin, can someone be a Christian and ONLY believe #1? Post Reply
Apostelle View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 13 Feb, 2013 12:48 PM Yes, you can believe in only #1 and still go to Heaven. A six month old child is sinless and God would not hold him or her accountable for the "original sin". To claim otherwise would be to deny the mercy of a just and loving God. Post Reply
View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 13 Feb, 2013 02:39 PM Not born into sin per se, but certainly born with a sinful nature - how many children do you need to teach to misbehave?! Re the previous response: if faith in Jesus is required then how can a 6mth old qualify? But now we are talking semantics. The original question is what defining belief makes a Christian, not who will enter heaven. If you've ever committed a sin, as defined by the spirit (quite literally!) of the law, then you're saddled with a debt you can't pay. For those whose hope is in Christ Jesus, that debt was "paid on the nail" and the bible doesn't record any other way out of that particular pickle! For many this is a hard teaching that is at odds with their (mis)conceptions of God, but people forget that God is not only loving, but also just and that means punishment has to be real too. To be honest, this question really ought to be in the biblical discussion part of the forum - it's not really something specific to guys, though it would be interesting if the genders majored on different aspects... Post Reply
Apostelle View Profile History	A Consensus on Christianity Posted : 13 Feb, 2013 05:43 PM Children must reach the age of accountability before they are judged by God, as adults are judged. Also, lets be clear. Orginal sin is a concept of man. It did not come from God, Jesus, or the apostles. God punished Adam and Eve for their sins. Some of those punshments are carried by us. Painful childbirth, the earth not giving its full bounty, etc. But original sin is a 2nd century construct. Post Reply

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