The 5 Core Truths In The Bible
The Bible is full of wisdom, stories, poetry, and life lessons that Christians have turned to for guidance and truth for over 2,000 years. But within its pages, there are 5 core truths that rise above the rest as the central teachings that Christians build their faith upon.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: the 5 main truths in the Bible are that there is one God, Jesus Christ is the Son of God and mankind’s savior, humanity is fallen and sinful, salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ will return again.
There is Only One God
The Bible clearly teaches that there is only one God, who is the eternal, all-powerful creator of the universe. Though God is one, He exists in three persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is one of the foundational truths of Christianity.
God is the eternal, all-powerful creator of the universe
Throughout Scripture, God is described as the sole creator of the heavens, the earth, and everything in them (Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 42:5, Revelation 4:11). As creator, God has complete authority and sovereignty over all of creation. He exists outside of the universe, unbounded by time or space.
In fact, God created time and space! He is eternal, with no beginning and no end (Psalm 90:2). He is all-powerful, having unlimited might and ability to do all that He desires (Jeremiah 32:17). These attributes set God apart from His creation and confirm that He alone is God.
God is three persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Though God is one divine being, He exists eternally as three equally divine persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity has distinct roles and functions, but all three are undivided in nature, essence, and attributes.
For example, God the Father orchestrates redemption (Ephesians 1:3-6), Jesus the Son accomplishes redemption through His death on the cross and resurrection (1 Peter 2:24, Romans 4:25), and the Holy Spirit applies redemption to believers’ lives (Titus 3:5-7).
Their roles are distinct but harmonious as they work together to fulfill God’s perfect plan of redemption for humanity.
The fact that God is triune underlines God’s relational nature. Before creation, God enjoyed perfect love and fellowship between Father, Son, and Spirit. God’s triune nature also makes salvation possible, as each member of the Trinity plays an integral role.
Understanding the Trinity is foundational to properly knowing and worshiping God.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior
Jesus is fully God and fully human
According to the Bible, Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, which means He shares the same divine nature as God the Father (John 10:30). Though fully divine, Jesus is also fully human. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38).
As a human, Jesus experienced hunger, thirst, tiredness and other human limitations, yet He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). This qualifies Him to serve as the perfect mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).
By becoming human while remaining fully God, Jesus bridges the gap between the divine and human realms.
Jesus died on the cross and rose again to save humanity from sin
The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and deserve death and separation from God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). But because of His great love, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross and rise again, paying the penalty for human sin (John 3:16).
Jesus willingly laid down His life on the cross as the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice for sins (1 John 2:2). His resurrection proved His victory over sin and death, and demonstrated His divine nature and power over the grave.
As Paul states, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). Through faith in Christ’s sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, sinful people can be reconciled to God and receive eternal life (John 11:25).
Jesus is the only way to the Father, the truth about salvation, and the giver of eternal spiritual life to all who place their faith in Him (John 14:6).
Humanity is Fallen and Sinful
Adam and Eve’s disobedience led to the fall of man
According to the Bible, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden. He gave them the freedom to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. However, Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit.
This act of disobedience, known as “the fall”, resulted in sin entering the world and a break in the relationship between God and humanity (Genesis 3).
Some key consequences of the fall include:
- Physical death entered the world
- Pain in childbirth for women
- Difficulty in work for men
- The entrance of sin into human nature
The fall illustrates that humanity is prone to sin and rebellion against God. It set the stage for God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. The effects of the fall are still evident today through suffering, evil, and separation from God.
All people are born with a sinful nature that separates them from God
The Bible teaches that as descendants of Adam and Eve, all people inherit a corrupted sinful nature (Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:12). This means everyone is born with an innate tendency to rebel against God and his ways.
Some key passages on humanity’s sinful nature include:
- “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9)
- “None is righteous, no, not one…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:10, 23)
This sinful nature results in separation from God, which the Bible calls spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1-3). On our own, there is no way for humanity to restore the broken relationship with God. This is why people need the salvation and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23).
Salvation is Through Faith in Jesus Christ
We cannot earn salvation through good works
The Bible teaches that our good works cannot earn us salvation. No matter how morally upstanding we try to be, we will always fall short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23). This is because we are sinful human beings, and “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Fortunately, God loves us deeply and desires for us to be reconciled to Him. However, this reconciliation cannot be achieved through our feeble attempts at being “good enough.” Rather, it must come as an act of grace from God.
The apostle Paul affirms this truth in his letter to the Ephesians: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Our salvation does not originate from within us, but is granted by the unmerited and unconditional favor of God. No amount of good deeds and moral living makes us worthy of this gift. It comes solely from God’s generous heart, made available to us through faith.
By God’s grace, we are saved when we have faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death
The Bible clearly states that faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross is the only way to receive God’s gift of salvation. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
God’s grace and forgiveness are freely available, but we access them by putting our faith in what Jesus did for us. When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins so that we could be made right with God (Romans 5:9). If we put our trust in Him and His finished work, we are saved.
Salvation comes down to what we believe about Jesus. Who we think Jesus is and what we believe He accomplished determine whether we have eternal life or not. As John 3:16 famously states: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Our deeds and works do not save us. Our faith in Jesus as God’s Son and our Savior is what grants us salvation by God’s grace. Through faith alone, we gain access to the gift that has been freely given to us.
Jesus Christ Will Return Again
Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, ascended to heaven after his death and resurrection, but not before promising his disciples that he would come back again someday (John 14:3). This event, known as the Second Coming of Christ, is a major doctrine in Christianity and something that followers of Jesus have anticipated for over 2,000 years.
Jesus ascended to heaven but promised to return
According to the Gospels, after Jesus rose from the dead, he appeared to his disciples over a 40-day period, teaching them and preparing them to continue his mission (Acts 1:3). On the 40th day, Jesus led his disciples to the Mount of Olives, where he commissioned them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20).
As the disciples watched, Jesus then ascended bodily into heaven, disappearing into a cloud (Acts 1:9).
Just before ascending, Jesus comforted his disciples by promising, “I am going there to prepare a place for you…I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).
The angels who appeared after Jesus’ ascension also declared, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). So despite physically leaving his disciples, Jesus assured them he would return.
On Christ’s return, He will defeat evil and establish His eternal kingdom
Jesus’ return will be both powerful and triumphant. The New Testament describes Christ descending from heaven like a mighty king, with his powerful angels and the trumpet call of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16, Matthew 24:30-31).
His purpose is to judge sin, defeat Satan and all evil forces arrayed against him, and establish God’s eternal kingdom on a renewed earth (Revelation 19-22).
This kingdom is the hope of all Jesus’ faithful followers, who will live with Christ forever in resurrected bodies on the restored paradise of the new earth (Revelation 21:1-5). As the apostle Paul declared, “The Lord himself will come down from heaven, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
While no one knows the day or hour this will happen (Matthew 24:36), Jesus’ return brings hope to all believers longing to see the ultimate triumph of good over evil. His second coming assures that death, sin, suffering and tragedy will not have the final word, but instead the eternal victory and joy of Christ’s kingdom.
This truth anchors the faith of Christians, who eagerly await their returning King.
Conclusion
The Bible contains many important teachings, but these 5 truths form the theological bedrock of the Christian faith. Knowing these essential doctrines helps unlock the overarching story of the Bible and God’s plan to redeem humanity through Jesus Christ.
By believing that there is one true God, that Jesus is His Son and our savior, understanding human fallenness, trusting in Christ for salvation, and anticipating His second coming, Christians can fully embrace God’s incredible love and saving grace.
