B.A.S.I.C.S. part 2

This month we conclude our overview of the essential doctrines of Christianity using the acronym B.A.S.I.C.S. as we examine the last three letters.

I - Isaiah 7:14 / Incarnation

The letter I can stand for one of two things: Isaiah 7:14 or Incarnation. Isaiah 7:14 speaks of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. It reads: "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel." (NASB)

Incarnation is a fancy word that means God becoming man. That¹s what happened. Jesus took on human flesh. He took on a second nature. He became 100% human - except he never sinned (Heb. 4:15).

So why is the virgin birth, and thus Jesus becoming fully human, an essential doctrine. Because in order for Jesus to be 100% our representative on the cross he had to be 100% human. Jesus did not become an angel and redeem angels. He became human to redeem humans. For further commentary on this, read Hebrews 4:14-16 and Hebrews 2:14-18.

C - Colossians 2:9 (and the Trinity)

Jesus is God

The C in B.A.S.I.C.S. reminds us of Colossians 2:9 which reads: " For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form[.]" (NIV)

Not only is Jesus fully man, but He is also fully God. He is the God-man. Pseudo-Christian movements almost, if not completely, always tamper with the deity of Jesus Christ. There are many verses that teach that Jesus is God. One of the clearest is Romans 9:5: "Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." (NIV)

Let's look at a way to present the deity of Jesus in a formal, logical way.

John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (NASB)

John 1:1 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (NASB)

Verse 1 tells us the Word is God. Verse 14 tells us the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Who became flesh and dwelt among us? That can only be Jesus. So, Jesus is the Word.

Now you can build what is called in formal logic, a categorical syllogism:

The Word is God. (Major premise)

Jesus is the Word. (Minor premise)

Jesus is God. (Conclusion)

Trinity

Just as pseudo-Christian movements tamper with Jesus' deity, they also tamper with the Trinity. This can be by outright denying it, or by pouring a different meaning into the word, thus redefining it. That being said, let¹s look at a simple, three part definition to get a basic understanding of the Trinity.

There is only one God.

Three persons are called God - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The three persons are co-equal and co-eternal.

The Trinity is a mystery. It is not a logical contradiction, but it is a mystery. Some object and would say it is a contradiction. Objectors will say things such as, ³one god and three gods is a contradiction!² Orthodox Trinitarians teach that there are three persons in the one god. We don¹t say there are three god and one god, or three persons and one person. That¹s why it is a mystery. We live as one person per human. We don¹t have three persons in one human. We cannot fully understand the Trinity therefore experientially, only theologically. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) tries to escape the mystery by saying that the three persons are three gods. They claim to be Trinitarian, but what they are really teaching is tritheism. Other groups, such as the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (Jehovah's Witnesses), just deny the Trinity. They do this by claiming that Jesus is not the God of the Bible, but a god. They redefine the Holy Spirit by claiming that He is the impersonal force of God rather than being an actual person Himself.

Second Coming of Jesus

The second S in B.A.S.I.C.S. reminds us of the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is essential because it is the guarantee that God will make all things right again some day. Why worship a god that cannot overcome a rebellion against Him by His created angels and men? God will conquer and He will restore all of His creation minus those who do not align themselves with Him.

Christians disagree on many aspects of the second coming. We disagree about if the millennium in Revelation 20 is a literal millennium. We disagree about whether it is in the future, or describing the time we are in now. We disagree about whether there will or will not be a seven-year time of trouble. Those who agree that such a time is coming disagree whether the Christians will be taken up in an even known as the rapture at the beginning of that time, halfway through it, a little more than halfway, periodically throughout it, or at the end of it. Some well-respected Christians today even disagree whether or not there will be an eternal state for those who have not received Jesus Christ! These are all issues that we should feel free to be passionate about, debate vigorously with each other even, but we should never allow the debate to interfere with our love for our fellow brothers. We should also never allow the debate to become heated in anyway that would create a bad witness with those who do not know Jesus personally.

There are many things about the second coming that believers do agree about. We all agree that there will be a future and final judgment. We agree that that will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. We agree that we will be ushered from this temporal state into an eternal state. Lastly, we agree that Jesus' second coming is essential no matter when or in what manner that will be.

Final Thoughts

The main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things. These doctrines are the plain teachings of Scripture. Learn them, know them, love them, and defend them. Ultimately, they are just a stepping-stone to knowing, understanding, and loving God more. Theology, essential or non-essential, is not the end. It is the means to the end of having a better understanding of God and thus a better relationship with Him.

May God richly bless you, make His face shine upon you, and give you peace.

Sources Used & Recommended Reading

Ressurection by Hank Hanegraaff
Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
The King James Only Controversy by James White
A General Introduction to the Bible by Norman Geisler and William Nix
The Forgotten Trinity by James White
Moody Handbook of Theology by Paul Enns
Christianity In Crisis by Hank Hanegraaff