That Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sins, that Jesus rose again on the third day, and that Jesus is Lord of all creation?
Salvation is rooted in
Romans 10:8-9 (KJV)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
It isn't based on the fine details of how what Jesus did was effective. The simplicity of salvation is based on two elements of faith.
Believe in every word concerning Jesus, in essence His whole being.
Believe down deep (in the heart), not just mentally, that God raised Jesus from the dead.
Paul preached about Jesus, and so did others. They all delivered the Word of God. What is recorded of Jesus in the scriptures is to be believed, not at all doubted. There is no good in cherry picking the parts one likes best. We receive Jesus "as is" the way the apostles did, or we have no part in Him.
Jesus was raised from the dead for our own hope of eternal life. Without that act all Christians would be most miserable creatures. Otherwise each of us would be destined to be dead like an autumn leaf, nonexistent in eternity, and lacking an interest in living now for eternal life through the righteousness of Christ.
One passage should be taken as a pattern for life that solidifies our two major elements of faith, keeping our faith alive and growing. That is
2 Peter 1:1-11 (KJV)
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that
pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make
you that ye shall neither
be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Those are not a list of required works unto salvation, but describe what every believer can do to remain in faith, not neglecting faith unto salvation as many do over their years of living in the flesh. I look at this a like establishing a vegetable garden, then maintaining it by watering, weeding, feeding, harvesting appropriately. The more one learns of that process, the better the future harvests. But neglecting the vital parts results in a failing garden suffering from neglect.
The "fruit of the Spirit" is what God is looking for, the true harvest of His garden.
Galatians 5:22-26 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
What Peter wrote is what promotes those values that Paul verified.
If you plant a peach tree but never return to it to maintain it, you might have a tree, but no fruit worth harvesting. Nice peaches require a maintenance, like watering, pruning excess flowers and inner branches, thinning excess fruit to control the weight-carrying ability of each branch.
The issue is "Do you know Jesus and believe His good news, that He is master (Lord) instead of you owning yourself in self confidence; and since (not "if") God raised Him from the dead, you too follow Jesus from death to eternal life in Christ?"
So believe the New Testament and live it's precepts however you can all the days of your life to live a full and pleasing living sacrifice to God. Be an ambassador for Lord Jesus, king of kings, Lord of lords.
Avoid spreading out Jesus' lordship all the way back to Genesis. Mos people become Christians without an Old Testament knowledge. What matters is Christ in you today, every day.
