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The Apostles’ Creed I:I Believe

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+I. Does it matter what you believe?

If 1 + 1 = 3

If the world was flat

“Radical Grace” Theology

+Radical Grace Theology

Proposition: “Because of grace believers only get blessings, they do not need to be concerned about sin, or God’s chastening. Grace has done away with the law where judgment and punishment are found. ALL our sins, past and future were forgiven at the cross for the believer, therefore repentance or confession of sin is not necessary.”

“Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour will not only save you from hell, but also give you health, joy, peace, love, hope, unconditional acceptance, favour, the power to get wealth — every good thing that you can think of and more!”

+All have sinned …

“There is no one who is righteous, not even one …” Romans 3:10

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

+The wages of sin is death …

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

+Christ’s death erased all our sins ...

“And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14.

+That we may walk in newness of life …

“What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:1-4.

+But we are works in progress …

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we CONFESS our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” I John 1:8-10.

The he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them DENY THEMSELVES and TAKE UP THEIR CROSS DAILY and follow me.” Luke 9:23

+II. What does it mean to believe?

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples which are not recorded here. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

+a. To believe in the Head

Faith means “acknowledging the fact/reality”.

“To believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”

BUT: Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Mark 1:23-24

BUT: You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren? James 2:19-20.

+b. To believe in the Heart

Faith means “trust”

“to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God”

Relationship

+c. To believe with Hands and Feet

Faith means “commitment and obedience”

“that by believing, you may have life in his name/him.”

Hebrews 11:1-12:3 e.g. Abraham 11:8. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set

out for a place … not knowing where he was going. 11:9-10. By faith he stayed in a foreign land, in tents … 11:11-12. By faith, he received the power of procreation … 11:17-19. By faith Abraham offered Isaac when put to the

test …

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Faith informs us Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God

Faith draws us into a relationship Believe in him

Faith transforms us Have life in his name

+III. The Apostle’s Creed

Creed = Credo in Deum (Latin)

Apostles = apostolic faith/teachings OT, Jesus, NT (early)

Our modern Apostles' Creed dates from the eighth century. It is a revision of the Old Roman Creed, which was used in the Western Church by the third century. The Old Roman Creed had roots in the New Testament itself and the Early Christian Church.

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NT References Calls to be “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38;

8:12; 10:48), or “in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 8:16; 19:5).

The Christian is one who “receives Jesus Christ as Lord” (Colossians 2:6)

Earliest Christian creed : “Jesus is Lord”. Romans 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; 2 Cor. 4:5; Phil. 2:11

Other Creeds Nicene Creed: Arian controversy re: divinity of Jesus. Council

of Chalcedon, AD 451. Athanasian Creed: controversy re: Trinity

+The Purpose of the Creeds

To provide a summary of the core beliefs of our Christian faith

To allow us to recognize and avoid inadequate or incomplete versions of the Christian faith E.g. lopsided emphasis on the Father, Son or Holy Spirit

To remind us that to believe is to belong to a community which stretches all the way back to the Upper Room (John 21).

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The Apostle’s Creed by 6 teenagers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLU9RP5khyQ&feature=related

The Creed by John Michael Talbot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciKYB0tpkBI