Essential Truth

An essential truth is an element of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Meaning of “Essential”

A person is saved only if he believes the Gospel. Gospel truths are “essential” in the sense that they define the Gospel. If a person denies an essential truth, then he does not really believe the Gospel, and so he is not saved.

Identifying Essential Truths

The Bible defines several truths as essential by indicating that a person must accept it in order to be saved. Examples of essential truths include:

• Jesus’ Death and Resurrection. The most important truth of the Christian Faith is that Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3–4). So, if a person does not believe this, then he is not saved.
• Salvation Only in Jesus. A person can only be saved by believing in Jesus (Acts 4:12), and not by doing good works (Rom. 4:5; Eph. 2:9). So, if a person relies on anything else other than Jesus for his salvation, then he is not saved (Gal. 2:16).
• Jesus’ Deity. Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I am he, then you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24) “Dying in one’s sins” is not something that will happen to a saved person. So, if a person does not believe that Jesus is God, then he is not saved.

An idea that contradicts an essential truth of the Christian Faith is a false teaching.