Bare minimum requirements to be Christian

[Guest Teditis]

 

My top 3 would be:

1) Believing and confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior.

2) see #1

3) see #1

So if someone believed that Jesus didn't really raise from the dead, or die on the cross than they can be considered Christian as long as they believe and confess Jesus is Lord and Saviour?

There was a heresy in the early Church that believed that Jesus's death on the cross was just an allusion.

 

 

Fair enough... but I was meaning that we believe in what Christ said and did

in reality... we believe His whole "story"... Life, Death, Resurrection and Ascension.

(Ergo, why He is Lord of anything... missing one would negate Lordship.)

[another_poster]

 

I know what you mean about the creeds. Lutherans and Anglicans believe in the communion of saints (not the same way Catholics do) but I don't think an Evangelical would ever make that claim. And I don't believe that would make or exclude someone from being Christian.

I hear a lot of emphasis being placed on having a relationship with Christ. Not sure what that means because it's such a personal statement. To have a relationship with Christ is going to mean different things to different people.

For me I think the top three are:

Belief in the trinity

Believing that Jesus died so that our sins can be forgiven and was raised from the dead and is body and soul in heaven.

Being Baptized.

 

So what do you mean by being baptised? See if you mean water baptism then I can not agree as I don't believe that someone would not be saved if they were on their deathbed when saved and did not have a chance to be batised. Catholics have baptism by desire doctrine which says if they knew how important it was and had the chance then they would have been baptised and therefore are. I believe that is just making stuff up to fit beliefs. If you mean baptism by spirit then it would happen when you are saved (well should). Of course there is the view that God chooses to give the spirit through water.

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

I know what you mean about the creeds. Lutherans and Anglicans believe in the communion of saints (not the same way Catholics do) but I don't think an Evangelical would ever make that claim. And I don't believe that would make or exclude someone from being Christian.

I hear a lot of emphasis being placed on having a relationship with Christ. Not sure what that means because it's such a personal statement. To have a relationship with Christ is going to mean different things to different people.

For me I think the top three are:

Belief in the trinity

Believing that Jesus died so that our sins can be forgiven and was raised from the dead and is body and soul in heaven.

Being Baptized.

So what do you mean by being baptised? See if you mean water baptism then I can not agree as I don't believe that someone would not be saved if they were on their deathbed when saved and did not have a chance to be batised. Catholics have baptism by desire doctrine which says if they knew how important it was and had the chance then they would have been baptised and therefore are. I believe that is just making stuff up to fit beliefs. If you mean baptism by spirit then it would happen when you are saved (well should). Of course there is the view that God chooses to give the spirit through water.

Romans 6:1-14

Also baptism is all over the New Testament and Jesus commanded his disciples to go out and baptize.

I'm not going to debate the topic of baptism. As far as water baptism and such. There's a thread for that.

No matter where someone stands on baptism I have yet to meet someone that right out rejects baptism.

[rag4aCrown]

ones physical act of getting baptized (immersion) is a confession you know you are a sinner and you believe Jesus died for you sins and He is the Messiah.

Now, one seeks Him through faith, reading His Word fervently, didligently, renewing your mind by washing of Water by the Word. the Word is living Water to the spirit within you.

Water baptism = the Word of living Water

[Guest Judas Machabeus]

Okay, this is good. I thought that this was a given and perhaps I was wrong.

Can someone reject baptism and still be Christian??

I would say no. Regardless of what you believe baptism is/does.

Matt 28:19

19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

This verse seems to be saying that you are made a disciple by being baptism. So without baptism you are not a disciple of Christ.

Curious what other think on the subject.

[rag4aCrown]

if one has truly been baptized (He has a baptism to be baptized with), a spiritual baptism. God is Spirit. Man can not do this baptism for us, least man thinks he knows the mind of God. amen

unless one hates this world and his own life in this world, you can not be my disiciple.

unless ones hates his father, mother, brother, and sister, he can not be my disciple.

no man having put his hand to a plough (plow) and looking back, is not fit be be my disciple.

to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, ones must forsake all (life) as we know it, walk away, leave it behind and not return to it. amen

Edited December 25, 2014 by rag4aCrown

[rag4aCrown]

if one has been baptized by Him, for Him, you can not help but be a disciple of Christ. amen For His Word burns within your heart. The Holy Ghost, the only true Teacher, ministers the Word of Truth to you daily. My other comforter, the Spirit of truth, bares witness with the Holy Ghost and the spirit within me and will not allow me to recieve a lie. amen.

man, when you got Jesus in your heart, you got to tell somebody. amen.

He is in me, I am in Him, we go unto the Father. To live is Christ, to die is gain. As I live, move and breath, I do so unto God. amen

[other one]

Okay, this is good. I thought that this was a given and perhaps I was wrong.

Can someone reject baptism and still be Christian??

I would say no. Regardless of what you believe baptism is/does.

Matt 28:19

19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

This verse seems to be saying that you are made a disciple by being baptism. So without baptism you are not a disciple of Christ.

Curious what other think on the subject.

baptism does not save a person........    but a saved person will be baptized if he/she has the chance.   If you reject baptism, you are not following the commands of Jesus and have not really made Jesus one's Lord.  I don't see how someone saved could reject Jesus' command so I would also question their position as to salvation.

[Littlelambseativy]

If all that was needed for salvation was completed on the cross by Jesus when He said, "It is Finished! ". Why does that mean we need to do anything to add to the work that Jesus did on the cross? Either it is done once for all or we need to do something to work out our salvation.

[rag4aCrown]

Jesus part is finished. He is the beginning and is the end. wait, but the prophecies continue after Jesus. He spoke of many things that are still to come. It must mean we have to do something. SERVE HIM.

Be ye doers of the Word, not hearers only.

If we have never SUFFERED for His name's sake, then we have not served Him. amen