What do we believe by true faith?

Q: What do we believe by true faith?

A: Everything taught to us in the gospel. The Apostles’ Creed expresses what we believe in these words: We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into 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. We 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.

Jude 3 ESV

3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.

INTRODUCTION

LW: “character” of biblical faith vs. this week “content” of biblical faith.

Illustrate?

WE BELIEVE IN GOD

We believe that God is Triune.

“We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, … We believe in the Holy Spirit…”

God reveals himself to us as one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Spirit.

Christianity is Trinitarian worship. There is no Christianity without belief in the Trinity.

We believe that God is the creator and sustainer of all things.

“…Maker of heaven and earth…”

Genesis 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Colossians 1:17 ESV

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Because God is the creator, he is in control. (Who shall fall on bended knee? ALL CREATURES…)

Because he is the sovereign sustainer, all things work toward his will and design.

We worship one true God who is outside of and in control of spirituality, nature, and history.

We believe that God is the author of salvation.

“…and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.”

Romans 5:8–9 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Christians confess that we are truly sinners and unable to do anything about it.

Christianity proclaims that God has accomplished our salvation through the sacrifice of his own Son.

We believe that God is making all things new.

“…He ascended into 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… We believe in…the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.”

Revelation 21:5 ESV

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

God’s plan for the world ends in the glory of Christ, the resurrection of his people, the judgment of sin , and the eternal peace of his kingdom.

“J.R.R. Tolkien, who was deeply Christian, infused his work with the concept of "eucatastrophe"—a sudden, miraculous grace that turns despair into profound joy. The line reflects his belief that in the end, all sorrows, pain, and brokenness will be healed and made right.”

“Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue?”

The promise of God is that everything sad is going to come untrue.

WE LIVE FOR GOD

The Bible teaches us that our faith motivates our choices and actions. If we believe the Apostle’s Creed, what does it do to our lives?

“Christian faith . . . is a divine evidence or conviction wrought in the heart, that God is reconciled to me through his Son; inseparably joined with a confidence in him, as a gracious reconciled Father, as for all things, so especially for all those good things which are invisible and eternal. To believe (in the Christian sense) is, then, to walk in the light of eternity; and to have a clear sight of, and confidence in, the Most High, reconciled to me through the Son of his love.” John Wesley

We live for God by faith.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

We depend on Christ for life and walk in Christ through our circumstances.

We live for God in hope.

Hebrews 6:19–20 ESV

19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, 20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

How are we engaging culture and the times we live in? With anger, with apathy, with fear? How does our faith in Christ “anchor” us in hope?

We live for God toward eternity.

Mark 8:36 ESV

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

On insurance commercials and our fear of the future.

It is easy to get caught up in the dream: gather what will make you feel stable (stuff, relationships, influence) and insure that you won’t lose it.

The promise of the gospel offers us a much better hope.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Jude 24–25 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

COMMUNION

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 ESV

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.