WHAT I BELIEVE

When I was in college I learned The Apostles' Creed - but it wasn't until about 10 years ago that I realized it is not accurate in what it confesses. I wrote a statement then - but don't know where it is - so this week I wrote another one. The following statement is my 'brief' statement of faith expanded from the Apostles’ Creed.

I believe in GOD Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, Creator of the universe. I believe in God the Word, who spoke the world into existence. I believe God represents the fullness and Truth of Who He is in three very specific aspects of ‘person’: God, the Father; God, the Son; and God, the Holy Spirit, who together are one God and therefore present and active in creation.

I believe in God the Father, who sent His only Son to be the payment for mans’ sins. I believe God the Father is a Spirit, and that those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. I believe He is visible, but not to man, for our physical bodies could not bear the brilliance of His magnificence. (He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve; he shielded Moses from His full presence as he passed by, but allowed Moses to see a bit of the train of his garment.)

I believe in God the Son, who is God Incarnate, the living Word, the promised Mashiach (Messiah), who became flesh and dwelled among us. I believe that God through the Holy Spirit conceived Yeshua and instructed his earthly parents to give him that name at his birth. I believe that God Himself took on the form of man, and called that physical form, Son. I believe that the Messiah who was ordained before the foundations of the world was God becoming man to build a bridge for us to be reconciled to God.

I believe that to accomplish that, He who knew no sin became sin for us. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully human, was born of the virgin Mary. He remained sinless throughout his time on earth; ministered; performed miracles; and discipled followers. In obedience to God’s will, Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried, the final and complete sacrifice for Sin. He went to Paradise, where all the faithful saints throughout the preceding ages waited. On the third day He rose again, victor over the grave, and victor over Sin.

He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Second Coming, and believe that it could be very soon. I believe that is when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Yeshua is the Mashiach*, and that He will reign King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I believe in God the Holy Spirit, the third ‘person’ of the triune God, and that He is the promised Comforter and Counselor. I believe that once we accept Jesus as Savior, He lives in us through the power and work of the Holy Spirit. I believe the Holy Spirit convicts man of sin, is active in drawing us to repentance, then remains active in our lives, growing us to be conformed to the image of the Son.

I believe in the holy brotherhood of the church made up of Christ’s true followers. I believe in being part of a church community; in the forgiveness of sins through Jesus the Messiah’s shed blood; in healing by the stripes he bore in his person; in the resurrection of the body and in life everlasting, where those who have repented and accepted His mercy will live and reign forever with the LORD.

*Yeshua ha Mashiach (Hebrew)
Jesus the Messiah, Jesus Christ (English)
Iesous Christos (Greek)
Isa al Masih or Maseeh (Arabic)
Jesu Christo or Jesus (Spanish) (The J is pronounced H, and the e like a)
(i.e., every language has its own name….)