“In the essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love.” —– Attributed to St. Augustine.
The essentials define us.
The Essentials:
The Bible is God’s Word.
“16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” —2 Timothy 3:16-17
Jesus is Fully God and Fully Man.
“14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” —John 1:14
“15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.” —Colossians 1:15-16
“9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” —Colossians 2:9
God is One in Three Persons.
“19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” —Matthew 28:19
“14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” —2 Corinthians 13:14
We Are All Broken by Sin.
“23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
—Romans 3:23“12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.” —Romans 5:12
We Are Saved by Grace, Through Faith.
“8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” —Ephesians 2:8-9
Jesus Died for Us and Rose Again.
“3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.” —1 Corinthians 15:3-4
“25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.” —Romans 4:25
The Non-Essentials Don’t Divide Us.
“Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 2 For instance, one person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. 3 Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval.” —Romans 14:1-4
“13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.” —Romans 14:13
The Non-Essentials:
Worship tyle, Bible translation, End Time views, Politics, Baptism method, Role of women in the Church, Spiritual Gifts, Communion frequency, etc.
The Gospel is Our Filter.
“4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.”
—Ephesians 4:4-6