If you and I disagree whether Christians must undergo a baptism by immersion or sprinkling, I can agree to disagree. It is not a deal breaker for me or for most Christians, for that matter. You are my brother or sister in Christ, no matter what mode of baptism you affirm.
If you say Jesus Christ is literally, physically present (rather than spiritually present) in the consecrated elements of bread and wine during the Lord's Supper, we can still break break together on our knees.
There are some doctrines, though, that are essential for the Christian faith. On these doctrines, there can be no turning or wavering; they define the one, true Church.
One of those essential doctrines is the Trinity. Following is what I believe about the Triune God:
"There is one God revealed in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This Trinitarian formula is more than doctrine, though; it is the wonderful way through which God has chosen to the reconcile the world to Himself.
"God the Father sent his one and only Son to the world to save the world through Him (John 3:16). Jesus is God incarnate, the eternal Word of God become flesh (John 1:14). In Christ, all the fullness of Deity lives in human flesh (Col. 2:9). And now, from the birth of the Church at Pentecost to the present, Jesus continues to live through the Church, His Body on earth.
"This happens through the person of Holy Spirit, who indwells each believer. Holy Spirit is a deposit, "guaranteeing our redemption." (Eph. 1:14). Ultimately, Holy Spirit will return us, in Christ, to the Father, "without stain or wrinkle or any ohter blemish, but holy and blameless." (Eph. 5:27)
So what do you think about this short sample from my personal credo? Is what I believe consonant with the historical teachings of the Church? Is the doctrine of the Trinity just some esoteric mumbo jumbo, or do you agree that it has practical implications for our lives?
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