Sermons

Our Faith expressed in the Christian Creeds

The word 'creed' derives from the Latin expression 'credo' which means, "I believe" and from a Christian perspective, it presupposes that it is a statement of Christian belief understood and professed by Christ's twelve apostles and is expected to be professed and recited by Christians then and now. The Apostles Creed, probably formulated in the fourth century, was used not only to profess the central beliefs and works of the Triune God, but to affirm the Christian ideal to those who sought to challenge or discredit the Christian faith, for example, heretics. This affirmation sought to solidify Christianity in which all Christians were and are expected to boldly confess the creed with all sincerity and conviction.

The Anglican church professes three creeds regarding its faith in God who manifested as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Apart from rendering the fundamental beliefs of God, the Apostles Creed, the first and most widely expressed creed, is used to remember our baptismal agreement with God. This creed is based on the great commission by Jesus to his disciples in Matthew 28:19 which says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of The Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit."

Secondly, the Nicene Creed, formulated by the ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., is still used today to show the unification of christians worldwide. Thirdly, the Athanasius Creed is used, although less frequently, to describe the incarnate Lord and Triune nature of God.

We as Christians must take our Christian faith seriously by professing such creeds with vigor, excitement and meaning. Simply mumbling these words and reading them quickly is not going to sharpen our faith. If we continue in such a lax way, our inward vision of Jesus and his saving mission would continue to be blurred and distorted.

We must be mindful that faith is:

1. Confidence that God will deliver on his promises if we only believe so and be willing to exercise such faith, allowing it to grow.

2. Belief that our Triune God is real and not imaginary and can and will save and sanctify us, supplying our daily needs.

3. Knowledge that the God we serve will hear our many prayers and petitions giving such answers as Yes! No! or simply Wait.

So when we see our creeds again written down, let us prayerfully and reverently reflect on the words of the faithful who went before us. You will be surprised how such reflection brings us Newer and Fresher understandings from such declarations of faith.

Practice what you supposedly believe!