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What Precisely Must One Believe About Jesus?
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In addressing this very question in 2001 at a Men`s Conference, John

MacArthur said,

And you say, Well there`s a lot of truth in the Bible, what

truth do I have to believe to be saved?` Well you have to believe
the truth of the Bible that relates to salvation. I call that the drive
train of the Bible.

You have to believe that God is the God He is and that Christ

is the Son of God that He is. And you have to believe in His virgin
birth. You have to believe in His sinless life and His substitutionary
atonement and His literal resurrection and His ascension to glory.
And you have to believe that salvation is by grace alone through
faith alone in Christ alone by God`s righteous imputation through
[sic] the undeserving sinner. That`s the essence of the gospel.

If you don`t believe God is a Trinity, then you have the

wrong God. If you don`t believe Jesus is God, then you have the
wrong Christ. If you don`t believe that the cross provided, through
grace, a full covering for sin, and it`s not at all of works, then you
have the wrong gospel...

How can you understand the doctrine of salvation if you

don`t understand your true sinfulness? So those [are the] kinds of
things that connect to salvation, and I go back again. You have to
have the right God, the right Christ, the perfect life, the
substitutionary death, the resurrection, the ascension--which is
God`s stamp of approval putting Him at the right hand, Him having
accomplished our redemption. And that that appropriation is by
faith and grace, no works, and the salvation occurs not when a
sinner earns righteousness but when, without ability to earn it, God
covers him in righteousness not his own through imputation. And
that incredible reality is clearly indicated in scripture.

I think also, as a partner to that, true Christians, by the Holy

Spirit`s work, have faith in the Word of God. I think they believe in
the inspiration and authority of scripture. I think that is the work of
the Spirit of God in them. Jesus put it this way, If you love Me
you`ll keep My commandments, you`ll respond to the Word.
That`s what you do. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the Word is
the Holy Spirit who regenerated you. The same Holy Spirit who
inspired the word and regenerated you is the same Holy Spirit who
takes up residence in you to sanctify you and so there will be