A Confessional Church: Confessing Creeds

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

P.O.P

The Church is called to confess the one, true God in worship through all generations.

Kids

God tells us who He is and tells us to teach others about Him.

I believe in God the Father almighty; and in Christ Jesus His only Son, our Lord,         Who was born from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,         Who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried,         on the third day rose again from the dead,         ascended to heaven,         sits at the right hand of the Father,         whence He will come to judge the living and the dead, and in the Holy Spirit, the holy Church, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the flesh (the life everlasting).

Old Roman Creed (125-135)

I believe in God, the Father almighty,       creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,       who was conceived by the Holy Spirit       and born of the virgin Mary.       He suffered under Pontius Pilate,       was crucified, died, and was buried;       he descended to hell.       The third day he rose again from the dead.       He ascended to heaven       and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.       From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,       the holy catholic* church,       the communion of saints,       the forgiveness of sins,       the resurrection of the body,       and the life everlasting. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed (no later than fourth century)

We believe in one God,       the Father almighty,       maker of heaven and earth,       of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ,       the only Son of God,       begotten from the Father before all ages,            God from God,            Light from Light,            true God from true God,       begotten, not made;       of the same essence as the Father.       Through him all things were made.       For us and for our salvation            he came down from heaven;            he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,            and was made human.            He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;            he suffered and was buried.            The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.            He ascended to heaven            and is seated at the right hand of the Father.            He will come again with glory            to judge the living and the dead.            His kingdom will never end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit,       the Lord, the giver of life.       He proceeds from the Father and the Son,       and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.       He spoke through the prophets.       We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church.       We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.       We look forward to the resurrection of the dead,       and to life in the world to come. Amen.

Nicene Creed (451)

*Athanasian Creed (not written by Athanasius)

I. We confess the one true God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

*Historically the Hebrew scribes would capitalize two Hebrew letters (‘ayin and daleth) forming a clear acknowledgment for later readers that this was a centralized testimony or stipulation. (George Athas)

The verses start with an emphatic “Listen!”

Often referred to as the “Shema” for the first word...

In the Hebrew, this is a command to another person. Moses demands their attention with the truth He is speaking to them.

Moses does not call upon Israel to look at something, for God did not show himself at Israel, but rather made himself heard. Nor does Moses invite Israel to imagine something about God. This does not mean the law discourages Israel from making logical deductions about God. Rather, it means the starting point and controlling factor of Israel’s faith is Yahweh’s own personal revelation of himself.

George Athas

Here, Moses gives Israel the most foundational piece of truth, not only to Deuteronomy but all of Scripture, for God’s people to believe.

We worship ONE God and only one God.

Israel is not to fall into the trap of worshipping any other gods the world may tempt them with because there is only one true God.

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Deuteronomy 5:7 “You shall have no other gods before me.”

The greatest danger the Church can face is to get God wrong.

While this passage does not go into a discourse on Trinitarian theology, we understand that rightly understanding God is the center truth in the life of God’s people.

Think for a moment about what is at stake and the context in which Moses is giving them this truth:

We have this truth because God has revealed this truth...

Not contemplation and ideas we have formed of God.

Not evidence we have found in tangible ways to prove God’s existence.

Therefore, we do not form our doctrine of God based on what feels good to us.

Therefore, we do not form our doctrine of God based on what is easiest to understand.

Therefore, we do not form our doctrine of God based on what we can reason about God.

We form our doctrine of God based upon what God has revealed in His Word!

Anything short of this holds the burden of proof for we will stand on the Word of God.

Moses is preparing a people who are about to enter the Promised Land, surrounded by polytheistic people, and tempted to, at best, view the one true God as just another god amidst the others.

How much more should we be concerned as a church that we are focused on God through His revealed Word?

We cannot afford to care little about the truths of God, to care passively about the truths of God, to care flippantly about the truths of God, or to even have a carelessness about the truths of God.

As a church, we would affirm and hold to the Nicene Creed. As one of the pastors here, I am not so much concerned if you know the date of the Council of Nicea or who attended. I am not even majorly concerned that you know the conflicts that were going on to cause the meetings. While those will enhance and deepen your understanding of the creed, I am most concerned that you know and believe the truths of the Trinity found in the Nicene Creed. Not because it is tradition. Not because it is history. Not because it is cool. Because I believe it is a faithful and helpful, summary of who God has revealed Himself to be in His Word. Any belief that opposes those beliefs are false truth about God.

What makes something like the creeds useful versus mere tradition?

Tradition carries forth the creed because it is what we have always done. A healthy use of the creeds is a people who use them as a framework to teach the future generations the revelation of God according to Scripture. The creeds are insufficient to teach on their own, but using them as an outline by which we can summarize Scripture and look to then expound with Scripture we have a recipe for worship.

II. We confess our worship to God.

Deuteronomy 6:5–6 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.”

The follow-up, and linchpin, in holding this rightly in the church is if it is connected to a love for God.

A love for God will deepen our concern for knowing God.

Knowing God will deepen our love for God.

Notice how active the love is for God...” with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your might.”

If love for God contains no ounce of passiveness how can we act like our knowledge of Him should?

Notice though the aim of this knowledge of God.

The aim is not a perfect knowledge of God we are trying to claim with a finish line in view.

Knowledge of God continually opens an eternal affection for God that can never be satisfied but will be deepened and met with joy.

The truths of God are not mere head knowledge, not mere emotional knowledge, not mere facts knowledge, but knowledge that rests upon the heart of His people.

We care little for those who are orthodox Christians in creed, if it is clear they are heterodox in life.

Charles Spurgeon

May your Creed be for you as a mirror. Look at yourself in it, to see if you believe everything you say you believe. And rejoice in your faith each day.

Augustine of Hippo

III. We confess Him to other generations.

Deuteronomy 6:7–9 “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Moses speaks of an expectation that the truths of God will be taught to future generations.

Notice how and when this is to be taught:

When you sit in the house

When you walk by the way

When you lie down

When you rise

This doesn’t merely mean we just live out our faith and our actions will prove God but that the teaching of God and His truths must saturate our lives. Our lives are lived in worship of God to the point that we are always seeking to communicate God’s truth.

Understand the implication that can be found as well:

The next generation will not absorb God’s truth by osmosis. We must TEACH God’s truths to our kids, our neighbors, and our grandkids. To teach we must know. To teach in all situations and moments of love it must be driven by love and worship.