Biblical Christianity 101

Basics of The Faith for a New Generation

Rick Combs

• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781647736538
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Back to basics. Today, the message of eternal salvation is muddied... unclear.

Most of the church world in our time knows next to nothing about the cross of Jesus Christ.

The subject of hell is an unmentionable word. A "feel good"/"meet my needs" message is pandering to the flesh, consigning millions of church-goers to an eternity without God. If we are listening to the wrong gospel, we are being deceived. Confusion abounds! What is salvation? Can I lose it? What are the basics of the faith? Can I trust the Bible? These and many more questions are answered in this easy-to-read book.

BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY 101

Basics of the Faith for a New Generation

by Rick Combs

Trilogy Christian Publishers

A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Trinity Broadcasting Network

2442 Michelle Drive

Tustin, CA 92780

Copyright © 2020 by Rick Combs

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references in this book are taken from the The King James 2000 Bible, copyright © Doctor of Theology Robert A. Couric 2000, 2003 All rights reserved. Used by permission of [permission grantor].

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

For information, address Trilogy Christian Publishing

Rights Department, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, Ca 92780.

Trilogy Christian Publishing/ TBN and colophon are trademarks of Trinity Broadcasting Network.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Trilogy Christian Publishing.

Manufactured in the United States of America

Trilogy Disclaimer: The views and content expressed in this book are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views and doctrine of Trilogy Christian Publishing or the Trinity Broadcasting Network.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN 978-1-64773-652-1

ISBN 978-1-64773-653-8 (ebook)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to recognize, honor, and thank the two most important

people in my life:

My mother Virginia, who turned ninety-three this year.

Thank you!

You and Dad provided my sister Cathy and me with a

solid home and the foundation of making sure

that church was a regular and important

part of our lives. This foundation

affected the rest of my life.

To my wife Judy. Thank you, sweetheart,

for being my rock and inspiration.

Your gracious spirit, unique spiritual insight,

and love for God have been a joy to me.

Sometimes you say the right thing

at just the right time.

You are so loved by me and our

entire family.

INTRODUCTION

This book began as a series of posts on my Facebook page. This was in an effort to share some of my thoughts concerning the gospel. In particular, I was concerned that the message of salvation was getting muddied; it was not clear. We can know a library full of Christian information, but if the gospel is not clear, then all the information in the world will do us no good if our soul is dragged to a devil’s hell upon death.

I have to think long and hard about the last time I heard a rousing sermon on the cross. Today, the word hell is ignored and has become “the unmentionable word.” Most of the church world in our time knows next to nothing about these subjects.

When I was a youngster playing little league baseball, my father would tell me, “Rick, always remember your fundamentals.” Whenever I was in a hitting or pitching slump, he counseled me to go back to the basics. I never forgot that wise, sage advice. It is the same thing with our Christian life. We must never forget the basics of salvation: the grace of God, our hope, sin, and the Bible… just to name a few. The problem is that confusion abounds with these subjects more and more.

I have been saved for over fifty-five years and engaged in ministry for over forty years. I have seen a lot in the church. When I attended a Bible study a few years ago at a well-known church, I was shocked that almost no one knew some of the most basic scriptures regarding a definition of the gospel. The answers were all over the place. No one was clear about anything, and many statements were contradictory. The consensus boiled down to just follow Jesus and love God. Okay, but be specific! How do you get saved? That is the big question! What does it mean to be saved? And from what? I was concerned that no real, concrete answers from the authority of God’s Word were presented on this critically important subject. The leader of this church did more to confuse us than help us.

In our day, we have a dearth of biblical knowledge. God’s Word is supposed to be guiding our lives and giving us a foundation to stabilize us. In reality, it is doing anything but—because we don’t know the Scriptures. I am not talking about being a Bible scholar or a theologian. Just the basics will certainly do.

Colossians 1:9-10, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Notice that the apostle Paul refers to the importance of “knowledge” and “understanding” filling us, so that we might conduct our lives worthy of the Lord and be pleasing to Him.

John 8:31-32, “Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

How are we set free? By knowing the truth of the Word of God.

The following verse was a part of Zachariah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah’s arrival to His people.

Luke 1:77, “To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins.”

This is where my heart is: to give the knowledge of salvation to anyone who will listen.

How to Use This Book

This book is a guide for the purpose of understanding various aspects of our eternal salvation. It can be used for personal Bible study. The chapters are short and to the point. Look up each scripture to get a biblical understanding of what that chapter is addressing. Then run references of other scriptures to get a fuller understanding. One very good online Bible resource is the Blue Letter Bible. It’s easy to use.

This book can also be used in Bible study groups and Sunday school classes for both young and old. It makes for a simple, concise curriculum on Christianity 101. Look up the scriptures and use the information for discussion. I would also encourage you to write a summary of each chapter in your own words. Can you r...

Table of contents

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS