Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
- John 1:12
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
- Hebrews 11:1-3
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
- James 2:19
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
- John 20:30-31
“Q. Are all men, then, saved by Christ just as they perished through Adam?
No. Only those are saved who by a true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his benefits.
Mt 7:14; Jn 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; Rom 11:16-21.
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question 20
“Q. What is true faith?
True faith is a sure knowledge whereby I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in his Word. At the same time it is a firm confidence that not only to others, but also to me, God has granted forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation, out of mere grace, only for the sake of Christ’s merits. This faith the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the gospel.
Jn 17:3, 17; Heb 11:1-3; Jas 2:19.
Rom 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb 4:16.
Gal 2:20.
Rom 1:17; Heb 10:10.
Rom 3:20-26; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-10.
Acts 16:14; Rom 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor 1:21.
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question 21
Q. What, then, must a Christian believe?
All that is promised us in the gospel, which the articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith teach us in a summary.
Mt 28:19; Jn 20:30, 31.
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question 22
Q. What are these articles?
I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, our Lord; he was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell. On the third day he arose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit;
I believe a holy catholic Christian church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
- Heidelberg Catechism, Question 23
The Message
Ephesians 2:8-9 talks about salvation being by faith alone, no works or we might boast. Paul even says that our faith is a gift from God. He sought us. We rebelled. And He fought through our objections and our doubts. But in the end, we follow Him willingly.
C.S. Lewis said that he was the most reluctant convert to Christianity. There are a lot of us like Lewis. It’s about the same as when Paul called himself the chief of sinners.
We are in a rebellious state. We chase sin, not God. Yet, in some way God got our attention, and He made it clear that what we need here on earth and the only way to avoid the second death was to accept His Son, Jesus.
I have read that the Greek word used for “believing” in John 3:16 means both a belief and trust. C.S. Lewis talked about two ropes. One was the cord that you tie a box with before shipping it. The other is a rope that is your lifeline as you dangle over the edge of a cliff. I have rappelled. You must trust the rope with your life. That is the kind of faith we must have in Jesus, a life giving and life preserving faith.
And the last of these questions is the Apostle’s Creed. This version of the creed differs a little from the oldest manuscript, but this is roughly the version that I used in the Vespers services prior to this series. It ran from March 25 through July 29. You can find these posts buy using the magnifying glass feature and look for “Vespers – Apostle’s Creed.”
The Apostle’s Creed was originally written to fight heresies that were creeping into the church. The statements made can be found in Scripture, but this use of the Heidelberg Catechism does not list any. The posts that I wrote have biblical proofs.
And now let us sing.
Here is Stand in Faith sung by Danny Gokey. “I don’t need to see it to believe it. I stand in faith. I believe! I believe! I believe! I believe!”
Closing Prayer
Dear Lord,
We believe in You. Lord Jesus, You died on the cross for us. You ask us to have faith in You. But what is that faith? We must trust in You like there is no tomorrow and if tomorrow comes, we need to spend tomorrow praising You. You do not simply add something to life, You are life. Thank You, Lord Jesus.
In Thy name we pray,
Amen
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
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