Apostles creed Archives - Faith Lutheran Church, Wesley Chapel

Kurt Steinbrueck May 11, 2021

Blog 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, Apostles creed, blaspheme, death, deny, heaven, life everlasting, Polycarp, Resurrection, risen, worship

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I Believe In the Life Everlasting

“I believe in … the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.” – The Apostles’ Creed

What will happen when you die?

One of the truths that change the life of a Christian is the coming resurrection and the fact that our lives are eternal. We do not simply die. We are promised that through faith in Jesus Christ we will be raised to eternal life, just as Jesus was raised from the dead.

“So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

This changes our perspective on everything.

We do not need to fear death.
We can live boldly for Christ, even when that brings persecution.
We understand that suffering and illness are temporary.

While we still mourn the loss of loved ones, we do so with hope for those who die in Christ.

There is a church tradition that tells of the martyrdom of Polycarp, a student of the Apostle John. He was arrested for being a Christian and refusing to worship Caesar, a crime that carried the punishment of death.

Polycarp was 86 at the time and the proconsul didn’t want to execute him. The proconsul pleaded with him to simply say something in the worship of Caesar and he would let him go.

“86 years have I have served him (Jesus),” Polycarp declared, “and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”

The proconsul told Polycarp he would be burned to death and Polycarp responded,

“You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour and is then extinguished, but you know nothing of the fire of the coming judgment and eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly.”

The Persecution of Christians Still Exists
Countless other Christians have also faced persecution and death and refused to deny Christ. Today, there are still many who live under this threat. It is the power of the Holy Spirit and our belief in the resurrection and eternal life which allows us to face death and remain faithful. We fear not the judgment of men for we are chosen by the one who will judge the world.

Yet, it’s not just persecution for which this matters. We need not fear the terminal illness for we know we will be raised in bodies that will not know disease or injury. As we lay to rest our Christian friends and family, we miss them, but we know death has no hold on them and we will see them again.

To proclaim the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting is to proclaim the victory of Jesus over death and hell and our trust that He will bring us to be with Him forever.

So, let us proclaim the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting boldly. Let us proclaim it to ourselves in our suffering and let us proclaim it to the world that has the terminal illness of sin.

Dear Jesus,

You walked the hill of Calvary and suffered death that we may live. When we suffer or even face death, remind us of the hope we have in You and give us peace, comfort, and strength.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck May 10, 2021

Blog Apostles creed, forgiveness, god, jesus, sin

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You Are Forgiven

“I believe in…the forgiveness of sins,“ – The Apostles’ Creed

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

What do you do when someone wrongs you?

Sin is a big problem. Sin isn’t just about making poor choices or not doing the right thing. It is rebellion against God. It breaks our relationship with God. It breaks our relationships with each other. It’s a serious thing and it needs to be dealt with.

That’s OK.
I remember an incident from a couple of years ago. I was cooking dinner and my two kids were playing in the living room. My daughter, Kaylee, was building a train track with a bridge out of blocks while my son, Eli (2 at the time), was bouncing from one toy to the next. At one point Eli decided he wanted to build a tower with the blocks. So, he walked over to Kaylee’s bridge, knocked it over, and grabbed the block he wanted.

As you might expect, my daughter was not happy with that. I went over to them from the kitchen and saw the destruction. Kaylee told me what happened. So, I went to Eli and told him what he had done was wrong. He shouldn’t just take something someone else was using and shouldn’t have knocked the bridge over.

I told him to tell Kaylee he was sorry and give the block back to her. He gave her the block and said, “Sorry Kaylee.” Kaylee responded, “That’s OK.”

No, That’s Not OK!
I hear that phrase all the time these days. Someone wrongs someone else. They apologize and the response of the person who was wronged is, “That’s OK.” or something similar. I understand the sentiment, but the truth is it’s not OK. Damage was done. Someone was hurt. That’s not OK.

I understand that “That’s OK” is just a colloquialism and I don’t think my daughter or anyone else is doing anything wrong to say that nor do they intend to minimize sin. However, that is essentially what’s happening. We make it as though sin is not so big a deal.

We do this in other ways in our current culture as well. We call sin a “mistake” or a “poor choice.” I’ve seen several celebrities and politicians apologize and try to distance themselves from their own wrongdoing by saying, “That’s not who I really am.” Um…Actually…it is.

God Didn’t Excuse Sin. He Paid The Consequence.
God doesn’t minimize sin. He treats it very seriously. In fact, He treats it so seriously that He gave the life of His own beloved Son because of it. He didn’t excuse it. He didn’t say, “Don’t worry about it.” He bled for it. By doing so, He removes our sin from us, completely.

When we say we believe in the forgiveness of sins, we acknowledge the seriousness of our sin, but also claim the promise that, out of God’s great mercy, our sin is gone. We have been purified by the grace of Jesus Christ. With our sin removed, we are once again made right with God. Our relationship has been restored.

We Also Forgive
Now, having been forgiven of so much, we can forgive each other. We can acknowledge the seriousness of the wrongdoing and let the other person know we forgive them. When we sin against someone else, we can confess our sin and receive the comfort of their forgiveness.

This is a great gift of God that heals wounds and restores relationships. It can transform people and bring peace not only to the one who has done wrong but the one who has been wronged.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think it’s time to buck culture a bit. Next time someone wrongs you and confesses, rather than saying, “That’s OK,” try saying, “I forgive you.”

Heavenly Father,

I confess that I have not only sinned against you, but my heart is prone to sin. I am truly sorry. Thank you for sending Your Son to die for me. Please forgive me and help me to forgive those who sin against me, just as you have forgiven me.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck May 8, 2021

Blog Apostles creed, body of christ, church, jesus, religion, The Church

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You Don’t Have to Go It Alone

You Don't Have To Go It Alone

“I believe in the…holy Christian Church,” – The Apostles’ Creed

Are you a part of a church congregation?

I remember when I was growing up occasionally hearing people use the phrase, “Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater.” It’s a strange phrase in today’s society, as we have lost the context of the idiom.

Why are people throwing out bathwater?

How are they accidentally (or purposely) throwing the baby out with it?

I finally looked it up one day and found someone claiming the phrase came from the bathing habits in the 1500s where a whole family would use the same bathwater to bathe from oldest to youngest. Thus, by the time the baby was washed, the water would be so murky you couldn’t see the baby was still in the water and could accidentally throw the baby out with the bathwater.

This brought up several more questions/thoughts in my mind, like,

“Wait, is the baby underwater?!!”

and

“Ugh!! Gross!!! Who wants to bathe in water used by several other people?”

Thankfully, it turns out that isn’t actually the origin of the phrase. It came from a German book of proverbs called “Narrenbeschwörung” (Appeal to Fools) by Thomas Murner. The phrase quickly caught on and was even used by Martin Luther.

The lesson of the phrase is that while we should discard the useless and filthy, we shouldn’t throw out what is valuable with it.

“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:22-25

In the past few decades, church has become somewhat unpopular a concept. This is not true just among non-Christians, but among Christians as well. They site the mindless religious acts of some or the corruption of certain church leaders and decide to throw the whole thing out.

“I have my personal faith, I don’t need the church.” some may say.

That, however, isn’t true. This is a case of throwing out the baby (the valuable church) with the bathwater (the corruption and empty religion).

Flawed, but Holy and Needed
It is true that the church has its issues. It makes sense, though. After all, it is filled with flawed and corrupt sinner people. We are selfish and greedy. We gossip and slander. We lust and steal and covet. When we gather with other believers, that behavior comes too.

However, our sinfulness is also why we need the church. We need each other’s encouragement. We need others to correct us when we go astray. We need to comfort each other. We need to hear the forgiveness of Jesus from each other. We need the church.

The church is not just some human institution like the rotary club.

It was created by God and Jesus is its head. God gave us the church because this life of faith can be hard and full of suffering.

Jesus told us that He would be there with us in the church. “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.” (Matthew 18:20) He comes to us in the Word and sacraments He gave the church.

The church is precious and valuable. It is here so you don’t have to go it alone. You can walk with others who strengthen you.

“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:12

Together we are the body of Christ, designed to work together to the glory of God.

So, let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Instead, let’s cherish the church and the blessings God gives us through His church. Let’s discard the corruption and empty religion and walk together in the faith, encouraging and admonishing one another, and forgiving one another as Christ has forgiven us.

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Your church. Thank you for the Christian brothers and sisters you have placed in my life to encourage and strengthen me and even correct and forgive me. Help me to value the church and be that encouragement to others.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck May 7, 2021

Blog Apostles creed, believe, god, holy spirit, jesus

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I Believe in the Holy Spirit

“I believe in the Holy Spirit,“ – The Apostles’ Creed

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” – John 14:26

When you think of the Holy Spirit, what do you picture in your mind?

The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is perhaps the most difficult for us to comprehend. The idea of a God that creates things and rules over us (the Father) we get. Jesus came in the flesh which we can certainly relate to. However, the Holy Spirit can seem much more ambiguous.

One of the things that makes the Spirit more difficult for us is that He often hides Himself. Sure, at Jesus’ baptism He descended in the appearance of a dove, and on Pentecost, there were what appeared to be tongues of flames above the disciples, but mostly He works in the background. Yet, we dare not dismiss the Spirit or underestimate Him.

Even though we can’t see the Holy Spirit directly, He is at work…a lot!

He moves people.
He creates faith through the proclamation of the Word.
He comforts us.
He reminds us of Jesus and what Jesus said.
He changes us, producing fruit in our lives which we could not produce on our own, but which externally appear to come from us.
I could go on…

The Spirit has been active from the beginning.

He was a part of creation, hovering over the waters. It is the Spirit who carried people along to write Scriptures. It is He who gives us life-giving faith. He moves through the church. He advocates for us, comforts us, gives us words to speak, and so much more. And, of course…

The Holy Spirit is God.

He is co-equal with the Father and Son. He is one with the Father and Son. He rules with the Father and Son and Saves with the Father and Son.

When we proclaim our belief in the Holy Spirit, we proclaim the one who enables us to proclaim our faith in the Triune God. We proclaim the one who reveals the truth to us. We proclaim the one who moves in us to live our Christian lives for God.

Holy Spirit,

Thank you for creating faith in me. Move through me and purify me of all unrighteousness. Produce your good fruit in my life that I might glorify God.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck May 6, 2021

Blog acts, Apostles creed, I Am, i believe, john, Matthew

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He’s Coming … Watch Out!

“From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.“ – Apostles’ Creed

“And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.” – Acts 10:42

Has this ever happened to you?

Some people were coming over soon, so I was cleaning up in my living room and came across something that belonged in my bedroom.

So, I went to my bedroom to put it away and found the area where it belonged was in disarray. So, I started cleaning that area. While cleaning that area I came across an old receipt for a refrigerator filter and remembered I was supposed to have ordered a new filter last week.

So, I went to my computer and ordered a new filter, but while I was there, I saw an email and decided to respond to it. Then I started responding to other emails and working on other stuff.

Before I knew it, the people were supposed to arrive in 5 minutes. Thankfully, my wife had stayed on task and finished the living room, no thanks to me.

I forgot what I was supposed to be doing. I forgot about the impending deadline and then it was almost too late.

Life can be like that sometimes. We get so caught up in the various aspects of life that we forget Jesus is coming.

Similar to the story of my soon-to-arrive guests, we are all in a situation where we need to be cleaned up, not from toys, bills, and misplaced items, but from our sin. Unlike our living rooms, however, we cannot possibly clean our lives up ourselves. Thankfully, Jesus does this for us when we receive faith in Him. He cleans us by His very blood which He shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

It’s not about what good works we’ve done or how clean a life we’ve lived. For all have sinned and fallen short. It’s about faith.

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” – John 3:18

For those who believe in Jesus, on that final day, He will say to us,

“Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” – Matthew 25:34

For those who have rejected Jesus, however, it’s a very different story.

“Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” – Matthew 25:41

So, I pray we will not be distracted by the events of the day. I pray that today and every day we would hold to the promise of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ so that judgment day is a day of joy. I pray that we would also share that Good News with our family, friends, and neighbors that they may be prepared for that day of judgment.

Dear Jesus,

You are both judge and savior. Help us to trust in Your saving work on the cross. We pray for those who do not, yet, believe. Send us to them with Your Gospel. Create faith in their hearts.

Amen

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck May 5, 2021

Blog Apostles creed, hebrews, honor, I Am, Matthew, power, psalm, romans

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All Power and Honor

“He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty.“ – Apostles’ Creed

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:2

Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All power in heaven and on earth has been given Him. He rules. What a wonderfully comforting and emboldening truth. The one who has overcome death and hell, the one who for the joy set before Him died on the cross for you, rules all things.

You’ve heard the saying, “I’ve got friends in high places.” Well, you have a friend in the highest place. As Romans 8:31 puts it:

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”

What can we face, that God cannot handle? Even death, itself, has lost its sting for us because of Jesus Christ.

How boldly can we now go forth?

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20

As you wake up each morning. Remember that the one who sits on the right hand of the Father, almighty, is with you. Whatever struggles you face, He is in it. Whatever opportunities arise, He goes before you. You can live in His grace and freedom knowing that Jesus is able to deliver on all His promises.

This enables us to find rest…rest from worries and rest from our works. This allows us to live lives of praise. For He is truly worthy.

“Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” – Psalm 29:2

Jesus, my Lord and my King,

All glory, laud, and honor are Yours. You are holy. You are mighty. You are eternal. May the prayer of my heart and the words of my lips ever praise Your name.

Amen.

If you have a few minutes, I invite you to listen to one of my favorite songs, Is He Worthy.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck May 3, 2021

Blog 1 Peter 3, Apostles creed, Colossians 2:15, death, Faith, god, hell, hope, jesus, victory

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The Trip To Hell

Who goes to hell?

“He descended into hell.” – Apostles’ Creed

This is one of the lesser-discussed lines of the Apostle’s Creed, but one which we say every time we profess the creed. So, what are we saying when we proclaim Jesus descended into hell?

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison” 1 Peter 3:18–19

The Proclamation
This is one of the headlines the day after the Nazi surrender, marking the end of World War II in Europe. The war was over and victory was being proclaimed.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross to save us from our sins. It was on that cross that He paid the price for our sins. Just before He died, He said, “It is finished.” His sacrifice was complete. Then, He was buried in the tomb.

After this, 1 Peter 3 tells us Jesus was made alive in the Spirit and then He descended into hell, proclaiming His victory.

Colossians 2:15 says:

“He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.“

Christ’s Exultation
This is the first act of Jesus’ exultation. Jesus, at His incarnation, was in a state of humiliation (humility). The God of the universe became man, lived in perfect obedience for us, served us, and then suffered and died for us.

Now, having completed His work of redemption, Jesus enters into His exultation where He is made alive the Spirit, descends into hell to proclaim victory, appears to His disciples to show His resurrection, and then ascends to heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.

Think of His descent into hell as a victory lap. I like how it’s stated in the Solid Declaration (from the Book of Concord)

“We simply believe that the entire person [Jesus Christ], God and man, descended into hell after the burial, conquered the devil, destroyed hell’s power, and took from the devil all his might” (Solid Declaration, Article IX)

What Does This Mean to Me?
Imagine living in war-torn France and seeing the headline above that victory was theirs and the war was over. What comfort and relief they must have felt, What joy!

1 Peter 3 is being written to Christians suffering under persecution. Christians who may face death, itself, for their faith. Peter is proclaiming the hope and victory of Jesus Christ into their situation. Jesus suffered and died so we wouldn’t have to go to hell.

In Christ’s descent to hell, we find great comfort and joy. Jesus has defeated death and hell. He was able to go in there, declare victory, and leave. This is the authority and power of our Lord and savior. No matter what your situation, if Jesus is for you, who can be against you?!

Dear Jesus,

Victory is Yours! You also share that victory with us. When we face trials and suffering in life, remind us of Your resurrection. Remind us of Your descent into hell. Remind us of your victory and that we have victory in You.

Amen

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck May 1, 2021

Blog Apostles creed, crucifixion, forgiveness of sins, it is finished, jesus

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He Suffered, Died, and Was Buried

“And in Jesus Christ…who…suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried.” – Apostles’ Creed

Do you consider Good Friday good or bad?

It was only a few weeks ago that we observed Good Friday. As we were preparing for the church service, one of the youth asked me, “Why do we call it Good Friday if Jesus died on that day?” That’s a great question and one which I completely understand.

The day is a day of mixed emotions for me as well.

I am greatly saddened by the suffering Jesus endured and I am ashamed of my sin which required Him to die. At the same time, I am filled with joy that my sin has been forgiven and my punishment was taken from me. I am overwhelmed by the love the Lord Jesus showed us by suffering and dying for us.

Of course, it is not just one day out of the year that we should remember Jesus’ sufferings and death. We remember it daily. As we daily confess our sins and hear the Word of God tell us that our sins are forgiven, we face the cross once again with both sorrow and joy.

The Most Expensive of Gifts
I’ve heard it said many times that the gracious salvation of God is a free gift. Certainly, it is true, that our salvation cost us nothing. However, what comes to us as a free gift, came from Christ at great expense, His own life.

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” – Isaiah 53:4-6

I thought I’d finish today’s blog post with one of my favorite songs, “By His Wounds.” It is almost word for word from Isaiah 53.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck April 30, 2021

Blog Apostles creed, god, jesus, Joshua 24:15, king, lord, Matthew 28:18, ruler, submission

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My Lord and My God

Who do you serve?

“And (I Believe) in Jesus Christ, His (the Father’s) only Son, our Lord…”

This is the first credal statement of the Christian Church. Lord is not just some nice title that Jesus thought sounded good. It has real meaning. It means He has all power and authority. He rules over all things.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” – Matthew 28:18

Jesus, Lord of All
Sometimes, I think we use this title without really thinking about what it means. This phrase is both frightening and reassuring at the same time. Jesus’ commands are final and He is our judge, from which nothing can be hidden. He also is our savior who has the power to carry out any and all promises He makes.

I could go on about the authority of Jesus as Lord, but, today, I thought we’d focus on another aspect of this statement in the creed. Jesus is our Lord. This is both a statement of fact and a statement of submission.

Fact: On the one hand, we are saying that Jesus is, indeed, Lord. This is a fact. Nothing can change this, even if we don’t believe it.
Submission: On the other hand, we are proclaiming our full, personal submission to Jesus. Jesus is my Lord. I follow Him. I obey His commands. I trust His judgments. I rely on His promises. He has all authority not only in heaven and on earth, but in me.

This is our declaration to the world. You may serve other lords, but I serve Jesus.

It’s like Joshua said to the Israelites after having come into the Promised Land.

“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15

Dear Jesus,

You are Lord of heaven and earth and You are my Lord. All Your ways are good and Your promises sooth my soul. Help me to follow Your commands and trust Your promises.

Amen

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Kurt Steinbrueck April 29, 2021

Blog Apostles creed, athanasian creed, begotten, jesus, john 3:16, Nicene Creed, prayer

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I Believe in God’s Only Begotten Son

“And (I Believe) in Jesus Christ, His (the Father’s) only Son…”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16

How important is a person’s identity?

At Faith, a while back, we had a sermon series on identity. Discovering how to find our identity and then what God reveals about who we are is life-changing. Identity gives purpose, confidence, a better ability to form relationships with people, and much more. You can watch the sermon series here on YouTube, if you’d like.

In this part of the Apostles’ Creed, we talk about who Jesus is, His identity.

We don’t just say we believe in Jesus, we identify Him according to what He has revealed to us through the Bible. Jesus is the Son of God.

Much has been said and written about Jesus, some correct and some incorrect. In fact, each of the ecumenical* creeds addresses more and more of who Jesus is in order to correct some of the incorrect ideas about Jesus (*ecumenical means that they are widely accepted by various Christian groups/denominations).

The Nicene Creed expands on what it means that Jesus is the Son of God, saying,

“And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made;”

Jesus is the only Son of God. He didn’t have any brothers or sisters from the Father as some have claimed, though He did have earthly siblings from Mary and Joseph. He is begotten, not made. And He is one substance with the Father, meaning He is God and He and the Father are one.

The word, “begotten,” is a little strange to us. We don’t really use it much outside of church. It speaks to the uniqueness of Jesus and His relationship with the Father. He is not a creation of God, He is one with the Father and Spirit. Also, He is the only one like Him. This distinguishes us, who the Bible also calls sons and daughters of God, from Jesus. We are adopted sons and daughters.

The Athanasian Creed takes this even further as it works to explain the Trinity nature of God (3 in 1). I’m not going to go through the Athanasian Creed here because it’s long, but you can download and read a copy here, if you’d like.

This may all seem a bit trivial like it’s a bunch of theological jargon that doesn’t really pertain to your life, but it’s actually important. We live in a society where there are many different religions. Many people say they believe in “God,” but the identity of that God matters. How God describes Himself in the Bible is different from the Islamic or Hindu beliefs of God.

Even within groups who claim to be “Christian”, people have come up with some different ideas of who Jesus is.

Is Jesus truly God?
Is He human?
Was He a created being who ascended to some near-god status?
Did He have a brother from God?
Do we eventually become like Jesus?

We aren’t actually free to answer these questions however we want. There are true and false answers to these questions. When we allow the Bible to inform us on who Jesus is, we discover His true identity, the person Jesus revealed Himself to be. That is who we believe in.

Dear Jesus,

You are the only begotten Son of God. Help us to know You as You truly are. Help us to accept You and You have described Yourself. Help us to believe in You.

Amen.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Kurt

Apostles creed

I Believe In the Life Everlasting

You Are Forgiven

You Don't Have To Go It Alone

I Believe in the Holy Spirit

He’s Coming … Watch Out!

All Power and Honor

The Trip To Hell

He Suffered, Died, and Was Buried

My Lord and My God

I Believe in God’s Only Begotten Son

Faith Lutheran Church in Wesley Chapel, FL serving Lutz, Zephyrhills, Land O’ Lakes, and New Tampa, FL