Nine Fundamental Christian Beliefs
1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God
2. The Trinity
3. The deity and virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ
4. The literal creation and fall of humanity
5. Christ is the atonement and redemption for our sins
6. The bodily resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ
7. The regeneration of believing sinners
8. The personal and imminent return of Christ
9. The bodily resurrection and assignment of all people to eternal blessedness or eternal punishment
Fundamentalism: System of beliefs in the principles that lie at the heart of Christian truth.
Atonement: An all-inclusive word that describes what Jesus Christ accomplished by His death on the cross (Leviticus 16:15-16, Romans 3:25, Ephesians 1:17, Hebrews 9:11-15).
Regeneration: The work of the Holy Spirit in salvation whereby He gives a new life and nature to the believing sinner at conversion (the moment of salvation). The new birth (John 3:1-16) is the beginning of this new nature that becomes a part of the believing sinner the instant he or she receives Christ.
Justification: The judicial act of God whereby He declares righteous the believing sinner at the moment of salvation (Romans 3:24-28; 5:1).
Sanctification: “Saint”,” sanctify”, and “holy” all drive from the same Greek root word, haglazo, “to dedicate, separate, set apart, make holy.” It is the process of being set apart unto God by the Spirit to grow out of sin and more fully into Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 Peter 1:2).
Trinity: The Godhead, consisting of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are one in essence and attributes, yet three in distinct work and purpose. They are coequal, coeternal and coexistent (Matt 28:19, 2 Cor 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2).
Holy Spirit: Third member of the Trinity. Possess personality and all the attributes of deity. Have functions distinct from the Father and the Son. He came to earth at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4, 1 Cor 12:13) to permanently indwell every believer (1 Cor 3:16) The Spirit guides, inspires, reveals, and continues the work and ministry of Jesus Christ (John 16:5-15).
Pentecost: A term delivered from the Greek pentecostos, meaning “fiftieth.” It applied to the fiftieth day after the Passover ceremony. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came in great power and brought into being the universal church (Acts 2). This occurred fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus.
