These are the three core Christian doctrines required for salvation:
1 Only God must be highest in your life
2 Jesus is the only way
3 We are saved by grace and nothing else
These three core Christian doctrines encapsulate the foundation of salvation in Christianity. Below is an expanded explanation of each, along with supporting Scripture references.
1. Only God Must Be Highest in Your Life
(Exclusive Devotion to God – Worship Him Alone)
- Commanded in the Greatest Commandment:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37) - Idolatry Forbidden:
"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3)
"Little children, keep yourselves from idols." (1 John 5:21) - Serving Two Masters is Impossible:
"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24)
Putting God first means trusting Him above all else, obeying His will, and rejecting anything that takes His place (such as materialism, power, self-reliance, or false beliefs).
2. Jesus Is the Only Way
(Salvation Comes Through Christ Alone)
- Jesus Declares He Is the Only Way:
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) - Salvation is Found in No One Else:
"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) - Eternal Life Comes Through Knowing Christ:
"Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent." (John 17:3)
Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), and His death and resurrection are the sole basis for reconciliation with God.
3. We Are Saved by Grace and Nothing Else
(Faith in Christ Alone, Not Works, Saves Us)
- Salvation Is a Free Gift of Grace:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9) - Not Justified by Works of the Law:
"We maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." (Romans 3:28) - Righteousness Comes by Faith, Not Effort:
"To the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness." (Romans 4:5)
Salvation is 100% dependent on God’s mercy and grace through faith in Jesus—not on human effort, religious rituals, or personal merit.
Summary
- Worship God Alone – He must be first in your life.
- Trust in Jesus Alone – He is the only way to salvation.
- Rely on Grace Alone – Salvation is a free gift, not earned.
These core doctrines define the true Gospel and separate it from false teachings that add works, alternative saviors, or divided worship.