When Jesus ascended to heaven, He left behind one church. But soon there were
disagreements about things like circumcision or what food Christians could eat. In some
cases, Christians could agree to disagree, but other times it was clear that certain beliefs
were no longer Christian. It is the same today. On many issues, such as worship, spiritual
gifts, and church government, Christians disagree but still call each other Christian
brothers and sisters. But some issues are so central to Christian belief that they cannot be
compromised.
Mostly, what defines Christian belief is about Jesus. Christians disagree about many
things, but they all agree about who Jesus is, what He did, and what His death and
resurrection means for us. Two-thousand years ago, some people denied Jesus had a
physical body or said His death did not pay for all our sins. Peter, John, and Paul rejected
these so-called Christians. Today, some of the same issues are around. That is why
Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christian, even though they also read the
Bible. These religions do not believe Jesus is the One True God.
A good rule to use to determine Christian belief was created very early in Christian
history, as early as the middle of the second century. This confession is called the
Apostle’s Creed, and it is the basis for many denominational statements of beliefs,
including that of our own church:
Finally, it’s important to note that what a person believes doesn’t make them a
Christian. It’s who you believe in. To be a Christian, a correct knowledge about Jesus is
not enough—we must have a correct relationship with Jesus!