“Christian, what do you believe?”
Each Sunday at Seven Mile Road Church, we get to answer this question together. With our voices united as one, we profess the faith handed down to us, the faith without which we are hopelessly lost. During the minute or so it takes to answer this fundamental question, the entire church is able to join together to witness to the character and work of God. To show my hand, answering this question with each of you is one of my favorite moments in our gatherings. It is particularly exciting when I see and hear your children say these words! Well done!
But what’s interesting is that the answer to this question never changes–each and every week, fifty-two times per year, we give the same answer to the same question:
I 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, dead and buried; he descended to the dead. On 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 thence he shall come to judge the quick 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.
This answer is known as the Apostles’ Creed. Why do we do this? Is it for its mystical quality? Does it make us closer to God? Is it some traditional thing all churches do? Are Binu and Ajay trying to bore us before the sermon?
The real answer is that the Apostles’ Creed summarizes the central concerns of Christianity. It is a beautiful confession of faith both in its brevity and its clarity: one cannot say, hear, or read the creed without grasping something of the essence of the Christian faith. From the character of God to the declaration of the sufferings and glories of Christ, the Apostles’ Creed beautifully captures what it means to be a Christian.
The Apostles’ Creed serves at least two important purposes for the church. First, it answers the fundamental question to those outside the church.Imagine an unbelieving friend or coworker asked you, “So what do you Christians actually believe?” What would you say? If you know the creed, then you’ve got a great, short, and comprehensive way to answer! Second, the creed reminds and instructs Christians. The creed reminds us each time we say it what we believe about the Triune God and his work. A popular phrase today is “Preach the gospel to yourself daily.” Want to know a good way to do that? Say the creed!
This summer, we’ll be working through a small group study in homes of the Apostles’ Creed. If we say it each week together, we should learn what it is we actually mean when we say things like “he descended to the dead.” Through six, biweekly sessions, we’ll explore and learn about each word and phrase of the creed to get a better handle on what is central to the Christian faith. We’ll look at the Bible itself to understand what the creed means, because the creed is nothing more than a summary of the Bible. So, not only will we learn about the creed, we will learn the story of the Bible and how to read it for all it’s worth.
I invite you to join us this summer. Take this summer to grasp your faith, to understand the depth and beauty of our God’s wisdom, work, and might as expressed in the Apostles’ Creed. We will dive into some theology, but don’t let that scare you. Think about it this way: a husband or wife can’t really love their spouse without knowing things abouttheir spouse–in the same way, we can’t love our God without knowing things aboutour God.
Take this opportunity as well to invite your family, friends, or coworkers. This course is for everyone in all walks of life, Christian or non-Christian, to be exposed to and to learn about the truth of Christianity. I encourage you to signup today and join us as we answer the question again, “Christian, what do you believe?”
by Ajay Thomas
Ajay lives in Philadelphia with his wife Shainu and their kids Hannah and Micah. He is responsible for preaching and vision as a pastor at Seven Mile Road.