Share YOUR Statement of Faith

ortho_cat said:

That doesn't really say anything about Jesus though....

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no, but jesus said it was good enough!


Steve

p.s. all doctrinal positions are open to debate... i hate monolithic belief systems, they are neither adaptable nor honest.

katherine2001 said:

The Nicene Creed is my statement of faith:

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible;

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, True God of True God, begotten not made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. The third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose Kingdom shall have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

And I believe in one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.

I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

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^This

To those who simply posted an established creed, I would highly recommend writing out a creed from your heart. It's not that those older creeds are bad- they are the golden standard to which we will always return- but you can learn a lot about yourself and what you really believe by writing it out in words, even if it is just a rephrasing of the creed of the Apostles. I was asked to do so as an assignment when I was training to be a pastor at the seminary, and I have always remembered and appreciated the experience.

DailyBlessings said:

To those who simply posted an established creed, I would highly recommend writing out a creed from your heart. It's not that those older creeds are bad- they are the golden standard to which we will always return- but you can learn a lot about yourself and what you really believe by writing it out in words, even if it is just a rephrasing of the creed of the Apostles. I was asked to do so as an assignment when I was training to be a pastor at the seminary, and I have always remembered and appreciated the experience.

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I have highlighted the parts of your statement that seem to indicate an expectation of pietism.

If the historical and universal creeds are "not ... bad" why would I ever begin to think that I could do any better at creating a statement that sums up the entire teaching of Holy Scripture? I'm supposed to be able to improve on almost two millennia of faithful confession by injecting into the mix the feelings and experiences of my own personal and extremely fallible self?

Not bad indeed. The three ecumenical creeds have been universally recognized by orthodox Christianity as statements of the sum and essence of pure Christian doctrine. They are not true because of who wrote them, they are true because they faithfully carry forward the truth of Holy Scripture.

Oh, I forgot. Christianity is about me, about what I really believe, about my own experience. Not about faithful confession.

Silly me. Somehow I got the distinct impression that Christianity was about Christ, about the Triune God and what he has done for me and for my salvation.

Tangible said:

I have highlighted the parts of your statement that seem to indicate an expectation of pietism.

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Thank you! I feel like I'm in Systematic Theology all over again!

If the historical and universal creeds are "not ... bad" why would I ever begin to think that I could do any better at creating a statement that sums up the entire teaching of Holy Scripture? I'm supposed to be able to improve on almost two millennia of faithful confession by injecting into the mix the feelings and experiences of my own personal and extremely fallible self?

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That is not the goal of such an exercise. Do you think the Scriptures and the traditions of the church discourage self-reflection? I assure you that they do not.

Oh, I forgot. Christianity is about me, about what I really believe, about my own experience. Not about faithful confession.

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It's not either/or.

Silly me. Somehow I got the distinct impression that Christianity was about Christ, about the Triune God and what he has done for me and for my salvation.

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It is. And this paragraph, reflecting on what your faith means to you personally and how you would restate it in your own words, is exactly what I am encouraging you to do. You are not a heretic simply because you have learned the truths of Scripture well enough to cite them without reciting them! Though if I may say so, it might be more enlightening to engage in this sort of reflection out of a desire for learning and refining what you believe, rather than as a cudgel to win an argument on the internet with.

DailyBlessings said:

To those who simply posted an established creed, I would highly recommend writing out a creed from your heart. It's not that those older creeds are bad- they are the golden standard to which we will always return- but you can learn a lot about yourself and what you really believe by writing it out in words, even if it is just a rephrasing of the creed of the Apostles. I was asked to do so as an assignment when I was training to be a pastor at the seminary, and I have always remembered and appreciated the experience.

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I think this is a really good idea- after all, faith is all about your personal relationship with God, and a good way to express what that relationship is all about is to be able to state, in your own words and from your heart, what it is you believe.

The opinion of someone who spent several rather intense years trying to figure out what was central to the Christian faith on her own:

I believe we can get a lot further down the road by meditating on what the creeds tell us about God than we can by trying to reinvent the wheel. And it's a whole lot less dangerous!

I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, the Father. He was with God in the beginning, and was God. For Him and by Him the world was made. He was born to the Virgin Mary, fully God and fully Man in nature, came to give light and salvation to the world, and to give His life for us. He was crucified, and three days later rose again, that whoever believes in Him should not die, but have eternal life. He is the Holy One, the Saviour, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him. He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will never end.

In life and in death we belong to God.
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit,
we trust in the one triune God, the Holy One of Israel,
whom alone we worship and serve.

We trust in Jesus Christ,
Fully human, fully God.
Jesus proclaimed the reign of God:
preaching good news to the poor
and release to the captives,
teaching by word and deed
and blessing the children,
healing the sick
and binding up the brokenhearted,
eating with outcasts,
forgiving sinners,
and calling all to repent and believe the gospel.
Unjustly condemned for blasphemy and sedition,
Jesus was crucified,
suffering the depths of human pain
and giving his life for the sins of the world.
God raised Jesus from the dead,
vindicating his sinless life,
breaking the power of sin and evil,
delivering us from death to life eternal.

We trust in God,
whom Jesus called Abba, Father.
In sovereign love God created the world good
and makes everyone equally in God’s image
male and female, of every race and people,
to live as one community.
But we rebel against God; we hide from our Creator.
Ignoring God’s commandments,
we violate the image of God in others and ourselves,
accept lies as truth,
exploit neighbor and nature,
and threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.
We deserve God’s condemnation.
Yet God acts with justice and mercy to redeem creation.
In everlasting love,
the God of Abraham and Sarah chose a covenant people
to bless all families of the earth.
Hearing their cry,
God delivered the children of Israel
from the house of bondage.
Loving us still,
God makes us heirs with Christ of the covenant.
Like a mother who will not forsake her nursing child,
like a father who runs to welcome the prodigal home,
God is faithful still.

We trust in God the Holy Spirit,
everywhere the giver and renewer of life.
The Spirit justifies us by grace through faith,
sets us free to accept ourselves and to love God and neighbor,
and binds us together with all believers
in the one body of Christ, the Church.
The same Spirit
who inspired the prophets and apostles
rules our faith and life in Christ through Scripture,
engages us through the Word proclaimed,
claims us in the waters of baptism,
feeds us with the bread of life and the cup of salvation,
and calls women and men to all ministries of the church.
In a broken and fearful world
the Spirit gives us courage
to pray without ceasing,
to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior,
to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,
to hear the voices of peoples long silenced,
and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.
In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit,
we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks
and to live holy and joyful lives,
even as we watch for God's new heaven and new earth,
praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

With believers in every time and place,
we rejoice that nothing in life or in death
can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Brief Statement of Faith — Presbyterian 101 — Mission and Ministry — GAMC

My statement ...

The creator is my Lord and God . He desires a relationship/friendship with all humans . His Son , Jesus , died and was raised to provide a way back into that relationship . He showed me through the Holy Spirit these truths and , through the Holy Spirit , provides the means to maintain that friendship .

joyfulthanks said:

The opinion of someone who spent several rather intense years trying to figure out what was central to the Christian faith on her own:

I believe we can get a lot further down the road by meditating on what the creeds tell us about God than we can by trying to reinvent the wheel. And it's a whole lot less dangerous!

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I don't think this sort of exercise has to be a matter of trying to re-invent the wheel though. If done properly, it is more like when you try write an essay on a topic after having listened to the lectures. It isn't that you are trying to say something new, you are trying to explain what you understand. Actually trying to formulate that can be very enlightening - sometimes you can discover you don't know what you believe as well as you thought.

1. I believe in the Father who is God John 3:16, the Son (as God) Philippians 2:5-8, John 1:1, and the Holy Spirit who is God Acts 5:3,4
2. I believe we are all sinners. Romans 3:23
3. I believe those who have not accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior will go to Hell. Because we all sin. But Jesus died for our sins. We can be forgiven for sins past, present, and future. Romans 10:9, Acts 2:3,8, Romans 6:23, Mark 16:6 (It goes on and on )
4. All sin is equal in God's eyes. There is only one unforgivable sin, which is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:31
5. I do not believe that those who do not understand sin will go to Hell. Deu 1:39, Mat 18:2, Mat 18:3, Jer 19:4, Jer 19:5
6. We should all try to live like Christ. 1 John 4:16
7. I believe in creation. Genesis of course

I liked doing this because it forced me to look up scriptures and really think about what they mean. I'm not done yet but these are the important ones.

Tangible said:

I have highlighted the parts of your statement that seem to indicate an expectation of pietism.

If the historical and universal creeds are "not ... bad" why would I ever begin to think that I could do any better at creating a statement that sums up the entire teaching of Holy Scripture? I'm supposed to be able to improve on almost two millennia of faithful confession by injecting into the mix the feelings and experiences of my own personal and extremely fallible self?

Not bad indeed. The three ecumenical creeds have been universally recognized by orthodox Christianity as statements of the sum and essence of pure Christian doctrine. They are not true because of who wrote them, they are true because they faithfully carry forward the truth of Holy Scripture.

Oh, I forgot. Christianity is about me, about what I really believe, about my own experience. Not about faithful confession.

Silly me. Somehow I got the distinct impression that Christianity was about Christ, about the Triune God and what he has done for me and for my salvation.

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Apart from your sarcasm, you make an honest point from the perspective of the uncreative. And, in my honest opinion, it is quite alright to pursue Jesus in an uncreative way.

However, what your sarcasm demonstrates is your unwillingness to open your heart to the possibility of your brothers and sisters allowing their creativity to come alive in their heartfelt worship of their Savior by experimenting with their own creative thoughts on who God is and what they believe.

Is creativity somehow a perversion to you? If not, then why the sarcasm regarding it. I mean, if you don't want to participate in the exercise, that's entirely okay, but why come here and snap sarcastically at DailyBlessings as if to indicate he is doing something inappropriate? I just don't understand why you, or anyone else, would do that.

joyfulthanks said:

The opinion of someone who spent several rather intense years trying to figure out what was central to the Christian faith on her own:

I believe we can get a lot further down the road by meditating on what the creeds tell us about God than we can by trying to reinvent the wheel. And it's a whole lot less dangerous!

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I suppose it depends on the road, doesn't it? As you indicate, you were looking for what was central to the Christian faith. I think the OP was hoping to hear the results of people who were looking for what was central to their own personal faith. That's not to criticize you, though. It is just an observation.

I am intrigued by your concept of danger regarding this issue. What threat do you perceive? What danger lurks in the heart of one who searches creatively to describe their true feelings about God? I wonder.

I do respect your confidence and commitment to your faith in the old creeds. May God bless you in that faith, and may you not take any observation I've made here as a criticism that you are somehow doing anything wrong. I support your devotion to those creeds, and wouldn't want you to think otherwise.

DailyBlessings said:

To those who simply posted an established creed, I would highly recommend writing out a creed from your heart. It's not that those older creeds are bad- they are the golden standard to which we will always return- but you can learn a lot about yourself and what you really believe by writing it out in words, even if it is just a rephrasing of the creed of the Apostles. I was asked to do so as an assignment when I was training to be a pastor at the seminary, and I have always remembered and appreciated the experience.

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I definitely agree. The all-caps "YOUR" in the title made it pretty clear to me that the OP wasn't looking for the cutting and pasting of other people's creeds, but wanted to hear something original.

-I believe in God ( Or whatever name you choose to call this Higher Power as Creator of ALL things seen and unseen )

-I believe in the Son of God Jesus Christ as the Savior of ALL men who took away ALL the sins of the world.

-I believe in the restitution of ALL things and ALL things being made new eventually by the power of God. I believe in the New Heaven and New Earth in which all things will be NEW.

-I believe it is by Grace we are saved and faith in Christ ( which God gives each man a measure of faith) not of ANY works on our part.

-I believe eternal damnation to be nothing more than a pagan myth as it has been proved to be, and this is 'hell' and torment right here on earth.

-I believe in the total and complete FINISHED WORK of Jesus Christ.

-I believe that by one man sin entered ALL men and by one man ALL sin has been paid for.

-1 Corinthians 15:22-For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

The Beautiful Heresy said:

-I believe in God ( Or whatever name you choose to call this Higher Power as Creator of ALL things seen and unseen )

-I believe in the Son of God Jesus Christ as the Savior of ALL men who took away ALL the sins of the world.

-I believe in the restitution of ALL things and ALL things being made new eventually by the power of God. I believe in the New Heaven and New Earth in which all things will be NEW.

-I believe it is by Grace we are saved and faith in Christ ( which God gives each man a measure of faith) not of ANY works on our part.

-I believe eternal damnation to be nothing more than a pagan myth as it has been proved to be, and this is 'hell' and torment right here on earth.

-I believe in the total and complete FINISHED WORK of Jesus Christ.

-I believe that by one man sin entered ALL men and by one man ALL sin has been paid for.

-1 Corinthians 15:22-For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

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Universalism?

Searching_for_Christ said:

Universalism?

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Absolutely.

cubinity said:

Apart from your sarcasm, you make an honest point from the perspective of the uncreative. And, in my honest opinion, it is quite alright to pursue Jesus in an uncreative way.

However, what your sarcasm demonstrates is your unwillingness to open your heart to the possibility of your brothers and sisters allowing their creativity to come alive in their heartfelt worship of their Savior by experimenting with their own creative thoughts on who God is and what they believe.

Is creativity somehow a perversion to you? If not, then why the sarcasm regarding it. I mean, if you don't want to participate in the exercise, that's entirely okay, but why come here and snap sarcastically at DailyBlessings as if to indicate he is doing something inappropriate? I just don't understand why you, or anyone else, would do that.

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Sorry for the sarcasm. I forgot how to do litotes. (No really, I am sorry.)

What bothers me very much about this kind of thing is that it is so incredibly "me"-centered. What do I really believe? How can I express it in my own words? How can I engage my creativity to communicate how I feel about what I believe?

This kind of subjectivity and self-orientation is exactly what is wrong with the Church in general today, and American Pop Evangelicalism in particular.

When you step back a look at it objectively, it's easy to see that its just mysticism, pure and simple. It isn't an exercise in writing a summary of what Christian doctrine actually is, it's an exercise of writing what Christianity mean to me.

Tangible said:

Sorry for the sarcasm. I forgot how to do litotes. (No really, I am sorry.)

What bothers me very much about this kind of thing is that it is so incredibly "me"-centered. What do I really believe? How can I express it in my own words? How can I engage my creativity to communicate how I feel about what I believe?

This kind of subjectivity and self-orientation is exactly what is wrong with the Church in general today, and American Pop Evangelicalism in particular.

When you step back a look at it objectively, it's easy to see that its just mysticism, pure and simple. It isn't an exercise in writing a summary of what Christian doctrine actually is, it's an exercise of writing what Christianity mean to me.

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I do understand what you are worried about. It is very true that a lot of things that go on in the church these days seem to be very egocentric. Not just egocentric but subtly cynical at the same time, in fact, which can be a horrifying combination because it directs the eyes inward at the same time that it veils them outward. We must be wary of this, and call out to God to keep our eyes fixed neither on ourselves nor the world to exclusion.

But it would also be a shame to let these things make us afraid of creativity or introspection. The Spirit moves in us still. And God cares for us as his precious children, and we enter the kingdom of God that way, not just as a mass of identical servants. Though of course we are and must and will be a community as well! The church was not founded by accident or to ill purpose. But when a child bursts into spontaneous song, they do not worry that someone will look at them and think they are being boastful, yet Jesus commended the Kingdom of God to the children. We too should be unashamed to let our voice sing free, especially in praise of our maker.

(And don't worry that you have offended me btw, I've been named worse things than a Pietist!)