What Bible Truths are Most Important to You?

[JoeMo]

There have been some rather passionate discussions on Adventistan lately specific Bible teachings that some people may think are sufficiently critical to be deemed critical" by some (based in thread activity); and don't even arouse the curiosity of others (based on lack of activity).  Examples are the discussion on the nature of the Holy Spirit and an earlier discussion on universal salvation vs. salvation by choice. I infer that we each put varying levels of criticality on certain articles of faith.  What is most important (or "salvational") to you?  I ask this simply out of curiosity; not fuel for argument.  God works with each of us differently; and I believe has given each of us a priority list to oberve which is different that that of anyone else.  Nonetheless, there may be certain "universal truths" which are common to all Christians.  What is most important to you?  No criticism of others list, please; just sharing opinions.  I'll start.

I believe that to be saved, all Christians must worship Yahweh/YHVH/Jehovah to the exclusion off all other divine beings.  In reading the OT, in spite of giving 10 (or more) direct commandments, God tolerated a lot of non-compliance with all of the commandments except one - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me - I am a jealous God

[JoeMo]

16 minutes ago, JoeMo said:

I believe that to be saved, all Christians must worship Yahweh/YHVH/Jehovah to the exclusion off all other divine beings.  In reading the OT, in spite of giving 10 (or more) direct commandments, God tolerated a lot of non-compliance with all of the commandments except one - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me - I am a jealous God

The other "gods" of the OT were not just mere graven images.  Those "images" represented the real supernatural beings (sons of God) who rebelled against the true God and became principalities over other countries.  God gave a bunch of commandments, but it seems to me that the one on which He was a stickler was idolatry.  He frequently put up with adultery, fornication, stealing, murder, revenge, lying, cheating, and deception; but idolatry consistently brought domination over Israel.  On at least one occasion in Judges,, God told the Israelites to call upon the the pagan gods they had patronized to deliver them. It didn't happen.  So to me, unwavering faith and unwavering loyalty to the God of heaven - YHVH, Yahweh, Jehovah - is an absolute requirement for salvation.

[8thdaypriest]

In my opinion - "soul-sleep" and with it, the understanding that the "second death" is annihilation.  Why?  Because believing that Yahweh would allow a human being He has created to exist in unending conscious torment, engenders such FEAR, that trust and love are impossible.  I could not love someone I believed capable of torturing me for 5 minutes - much less for eternity.  

No one can pray to God as to a Father, if she believes that He may consign her to unending torment.

[JoeMo]

8 minutes ago, The Wanderer said:

Now in regards to the "most important" belief that you have opined with in the OP, why would that be so important? Are you, with that statement, telling God what you think He should be, or be like? Are you telling us how He must appear to us in form and verity, or does your statement covet the prize of cornering those who would counter this with a much different viewpoint of God? Infact, my "why" to you on this becomes even more daresayed because of your use of those four upper caps to state God's name "better." Is that an attempt to describe God better?

No - not in the least.  I used the 4-upper cap name because some people prefer it to just "God".  I am not stating how God should be; I'm simply stating how important worshiping Him alone is to me.  Not an effort to start a controversy; just a statement of how important that "God is God and there is no other" is to me.  As Joshua once said:

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Josh. 24:15)  To me this is one of the most important pieces of advice in scripture.  I'm with Joshua here.

Another salvational point to me is that Jesus is the only Name under heaven by which we can be saved.  Our works mean next to nothing as far as salvation goes.  Paul emphasizes this in Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, and Hebrews:

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who then is the one who condemns?  No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 8:31-39)

" For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph. 2:8-9)

^"You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." (Gal. 5:4)  (Can't un-bold this!)

" It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace."  (Heb. 6:4-6)  How are they crucifying the Son all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace? By confessing with our self-righteous deeds that Jesus did not do a good enough job on the cross to save us; that we have to "help" Him save us.  Also see Hebrews 10:26-30.

Again, these are my personal musings; it is not my intent to try to convince anyone that I am right.

 

[8thdaypriest]

18 hours ago, The Wanderer said:

There are so many different names for God in the Bible, I don't see how "YHVH" would tell anyone, anything meaningful about God. I hope you realize that I am working on an idea, and not on you.

I took Joe's use of YHVH to be saying that the "God" he worships, is the One described in the OT, who led Israel from Egypt, and spoke His covenant from the Mount.