BASICS OF THE FAITH

BASICS OF THE FAITH

KNOWING THE BASICS

WHY ARE THE BASICS OF THE FAITH IMPORTANT? 1 John 2:18-29

"You must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will continue to live in fellowship with the Son and with the Father". (1 John 2:24)

THE BASICS PROTECT US FROM ERROR (1 Peter 1:3-16)

Think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you at the return of Jesus Christ. Obey God because you are his children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God-who chose you to be his children-is holy. (1 Peter 1:13-15)

These Christians had heard the gospel, very likely from John himself. They knew that Christ was God’s Son, that he died for their sins and was raised to give them new life, and that he would return and establish his kingdom in its fullness. But they were being infiltrated by teachers who denied these basic doctrines of the Christian faith, and some of the believers were in danger of succumbing to false arguments. John encouraged them to hold on to the truth they heard at the beginning of their walk with Christ. It is important to grow in our knowledge of the Lord, to deepen our understanding through careful study, and to teach these truths to others. But no matter how much we learn, we must never abandon the basic truths about Christ. Jesus will always be God’s Son, and his sacrifice for our sins is permanent. No truth will ever contradict these teachings in the Bible.

THE BASICS ARE NEVER  OUTDATED.

Outstanding coaches constantly review the basics of the sport with their teams, and good athletes can execute the fundamentals consistently well. We must not neglect the basics of our faith when we go on to study deeper truths. Just as an athlete needs constant practice, we need constant reminders of the fundamentals of our faith and of how we came to believe in the first place. Don’t allow yourself to remain bored or impatient with messages on the basics of the Christian life. Instead, take the attitude of an athlete who continues to practice and refine the basics even as he learns more advanced skills.