Core Beliefs

THE ESSENTIALS OF THE HISTORIC CHRISTIAN FAITH ARE NOT ONLY THE CORE SPIRITUAL BELIEFS AND DOCTRINAL STATEMENT OF THE MINISTRY OF IDOL KING, BUT ARE THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIANITY.

IK hears a lot of discussion about essentials and non-essentials, but what are the essentials of Christianity?

The essentials of Christianity is THE BODY OF DOCTRINE that MUST be believed to be a Christian, for it is these CORE BELIEFS along with the PURSUIT of holy living in EVERY area of the Christian’s life (DESPITE OUR IMPERFECTIONS), that SEPARATE Christianity from the CULTS of the world.

When Christians talk about the essentials of Christianity, we are referring to the basic elements that make up and characterize our faith, and which of course, separate it from other beliefs. Let’s peep these doctrines.

1) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE that the Bible is the ONLY book that is God’s Word.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES in the authority of Scripture, which is another way of saying that the Bible is God’s verbally inspired, infallible, inerrant and God-breathed (in the original writings), Word and revelation of God. It is completely trustworthy in all areas in which it speaks and is the ultimate source for knowledge about God, as well as the definitive guide for the Christians daily life. The Holy Scriptures are comprised of the Old and New Testaments, and its central salvation message and essential teachings are clear and accessible to all who follow the standard and self-evident rules of literary interpretation. It is therefore the supreme, unmediated, and final authority of faith and practice for every TRUE believer in Jesus Christ (Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21).

2) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE that God manifest Himself in Three distinct Persons a concept known as Trinity or Tri-unity.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES there is only one eternal, Almighty, and perfect God. Within the being of this one true God exists Three eternally distinct and coequal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons are the One and only true God. PLURAL YET SINGULAR. THREE WHOs, but ONE WHAT. This truth is known as the Trinity or Tri-unity, and while neither of these words appear in the Bible, proof of this doctrine is based on the evidence of this teaching as taught in the Bible (Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:7; Isaiah 6:8; Matthew 3:16; 28:19; John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 20:28; Acts 5:3,4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 5:1-8). This God is self-existent, eternal, unchanging, omnipotent, omnipresent, holy, righteous, and loving. God created the universe from nothing and He rules over His creation sovereignly including both human and angelic beings.

3) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE that Jesus is the Eternal God-Man and Second Person of the Triune God.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES in the Deity of Jesus Christ – His virgin birth; that He is the incarnation of the Father—God manifested in the flesh, for whom and by whom all things were created (John 1:1-14; 1 John 4:2,3; Matthew 1:23; Col. 1:16). Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, who took upon Himself human flesh through the immaculate conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He who is the true God became true man, uniting two natures in one person forever.

4) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE Jesus’ death atoned for the sins of mankind.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES Jesus’ death on the cross provided a penal substitutionary atonement for the sins of humanity, in which He, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man, and that all must be born again or are forever lost (Hebrews 2:9; John 6:44- 69; John 3:1-18). Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Therefore, in salvation we are rescued from God’s forthcoming wrath by His unmerited grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone.

5) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE Jesus resurrected from the dead bodily and spiritually; and will return to the earth.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES in the physical and spiritual resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that He ascended bodily and spiritually into Heaven where He is now at the right hand of God serving as mankind’s only Mediator, High Priest, and Advocate (Acts 3:12- 26; John 20; Hebrews 9:24; 1 Corinthians 15:12-28). He will return bodily, spiritually, and visibly to the earth as King of kings and will judge every human being who has ever lived (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55; Revelation 19:19-20; Revelation 20:1-6).

6) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE that all men, women, and children are born sinners.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES in the universality and exceeding sinfulness of sin (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 3:1-26; Romans 6:23) that man is a physical and spiritual being who is created in God’s image. By “image” it is meant that man shares in a finite way the communicable attributes of God, including personality, spirituality, rationality, and morality. However, because of Adam’s sin or transgression, man has lost his fellowship with God.

Since the fall of Adam, that image of God in humanity has been defiled, although not eliminated. Every human being is radically corrupt and estranged from God. God condemns human beings because of their descent into sin, both through their relationship to Adam and through individual choice. The extent of sin is so great that its effects continue to this very day in the form of racism, cruelty, suffering, and death. The desperate need of humanity is forgiveness of sins and consequent restoration of fellowship with God. Yet subsequently, humans remain totally unable to atone for and restore themselves.

7) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE that all true believers are a part of the Church and should maintain good works.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES the Christian church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Corporately and individually, its members strive to worship, serve, and glorify God through prayer, praise, diligent study and application of the Scriptures, evangelism (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:8), sanctified living, maintaining good works (Ephesians 4:1-32; Titus 2:1-5; Titus 3:1-11), and observance of the rites of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The ultimate mission of the church is the discipleship of all nations not only the saving of souls (which is primary) but also bringing the gospel to bare on every aspect of life and thought until the Lord returns. In short, true Christians are no longer robots to sin, but are free to live as they ought: responsible and accountable to God and to mature believers.

8) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE in a literal heaven and a literal hell.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES that those who have received the free gift of salvation will live forever in the fellowship and Kingdom of God (Heaven a literal place). Conversely, eternal conscious punishment apart from the fellowship and Kingdom of God (Hell, which is also a literal place), is the ultimate destiny of unredeemed humanity, Satan, and his entire fallen angelic host. (2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Revelation 20:1-15; Revelation 21 and 22).

9) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE in the Holy Spirit and His ministry.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for all Christians, one baptism, but many fillings (daily control) (Romans 8:14-27). The Holy Spirit is the eternal Third Person of the Triune God, the Regenerator and Sanctifier of the redeemed, the Bestower of spiritual fruit and gifts, and the abiding Advocate who empowers believers for godly living and service.

10) HISTORICALLY, TRUE CHRISTIANS BELIEVE in a literal Satan.

THE BIBLE TEACHES, THEREFORE IDOL KING BELIEVES in the personality and reality of a fallen angelic spiritual being once called Lucifer, but now known as the Devil or Satan (Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; John 8:44; Revelation 12:9-10). Some believe Satan is the corporate evil of man. Others say he is a cerebral evil plan created to manipulate man. Still others say he is an illusion, a superstitious designation Christians have created for all the evil in the world. However, the Bible makes it clear that Satan is the leader of an army of malignant beings called demons whose chief purpose is to tempt and persuade mankind to sin against God, yet many refuse to believe that when difficulty occurs in their life that they are under any kind of spiritual attack. Needless to say, the Bible is clear that mankind has a spiritual enemy, and that this adversary is very real and is not an illusion.