ESSENTIAL BELIEF ASSESSMENT #3
ANSWER GUIDE
1 Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God.
False,
Jesus openly and unambiguously taught that he was God. Therefore, if one believes him to be a great teacher, then his most important teaching that all other teachings pointed to makes him a liar. Hence, there are two options – He’s God or a liar.
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2 Even though God isn't required to, he is faithful to rescue, redeem, and restore his rebellious creation.​
True,
God is under no obligation to save his rebellious creation. However, God’s steadfast love and faithfulness is unconditional despite creation’s faithlessness. (2 Tim. 2:13; Ps. 33:4; Deut. 7:9; Romans 5:8)
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3 The Holy Spirit can tell me to do something which is forbidden in the Bible.​​
False,
Since God is triune – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will do nothing that contradicts the inspired, inerrant word of God aka the Bible. Rather, the Holy Spirit will remind and call to memory the teachings of the Bible in one’s time of need. (John 14:26)
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4 Jesus Christ's death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.​
True,
There is no one else who could pay the price for the sins of the world to reconcile humanity to God. Jesus is the only sinless, perfect, and divine person to walk earth who could defeat sin, death, and Satan. (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; Heb. 5:9)
Article: “Substitutionary Atonement" - Moody Bible Institute
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5 There will be a time when Jesus Christ returns to judge all the people who have lived.​
True,
(2 Cor. 5:10; Acts 17:31; Matt. 19:28; John 5:22, 27; Rev. 19:11)
6 The Bible, like all sacred writings, contains helpful accounts of ancient myths but is not literally true.​​​
False,
The Bible itself claims to be inspired, without error, authoritative, and fully sufficient for today. (2 Tim. 3:16; Prov. 30:5; Ps. 119:160; Matt. 24:35)
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Article: "How do I know the Bible is not just Mythology?" - Got Questions.org
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7 Gender identity is a matter of choice.​​
False,
God created male and female. He formed and knitted each individual person together in their mother’s womb. Gender is gifted by God and not something to alter in his design of an individual. (Gen. 1:27; Ps. 139:13-14)
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Video: "A Beautiful Design" - Matt Chandler
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8 Learning about theology is for pastors and scholars only.​​
False,
Everyone is a theologian. Theology simply means, “What you believe about God.” Truly, every single person believes something about God. However, it’s simply a matter of whether their belief about God is accurate or inaccurate, true or false, right or wrong. Knowing God more is for everyone.
(2 Peter 3:18)
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)
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Article: "Is Theology Only for Pastors?" - Ligonier Ministries​
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Video: "Should Everyone Study Theology" - Dr. Stephen Nichols
9 Abortion is a sin, but not unforgivable.​​
True,
Taking the life of an unborn baby is a sin; however, at the same time, it is not an unforgivable sin that separates one from the love, grace, and mercy of Christ for eternity. It is good to not compromise on this topic; however, it is just important to not divorce God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness from the conversation to those who have had an abortion. (Ps. 139:13-14)
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10 God will always reward true faith with material blessings in this life.​​
False,
God does not always reward true faith with material blessings. This is known as the “Prosperity Gospel.” Jesus refers to John the Baptist as the greatest among men. Despite John’s faithfulness, he is beheaded for being faithfully obedient to God. Most of the twelve disciples were persecuted and martyred for faithfully obeying God. Any scripture used to support the idea that true faith is always rewarded with material blessings is twisted out of context. A theological view such as this can wreck massive harm to people’s lives who feel like they don’t have enough faith to obtain wealth or health.
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Article: "What does the Bible say about the Prosperity Gospel?" - Got Questions.org
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Video: "What's so Dangerous about the Prosperity Gospel?" - Isaac Adams