Nicene Creed - God the Spirit part 1

“And we believe in the Holy Spirit,

      the Lord, the giver of life.”

                - Nicene Creed (325 A.D.)

“Now this is the catholic faith:

That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity,

neither blending their persons nor dividing their essence.

        For the person of the Father is a distinct person,

        the person of the Son is another,

        and that of the Holy Spirit still another.

But the divinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is one,

        their glory equal, their majesty coeternal….

Thus the Father is God,

        the Son is God,

        the Holy Spirit is God.

Yet there are not three gods;

        there is but one God.”

– Athanasian Creed (Fifth Century A.D.)

During his earthly ministry, Jesus told his disciples that a Comforter, Counselor, and Guide would be given to them when he departed (John 14:15-21, 16:4-15). After his resurrection, right before he ascended Jesus said the disciples should wait until they received power (Acts 1:8). However, it is not until the day of Pentecost that understanding, and power came to the disciples in the Person of the Holy Spirit:

Acts 2:1–4

[1] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. [2] And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. [3] And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. [4] And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (ESV)

The Christian faith is a unique in its claim to believe in one God (monotheism) who is revealed in three persons (Trinity). Understanding the Trinity is difficult to comprehend with our finite minds, and yet it is this revelation of the nature of God that reminds us that our God is Other, mysterious, and glorious. Throughout church history, much has been said, preached, and written about the Father and the Son, but, in some circles, the Holy Spirit is often overlooked or misunderstood. Even in the development of the Creeds, the earliest creeds mention the Holy Spirit’s existence, but not his divinity. This is why the Nicene Creed develops the understanding that the Holy Spirit is Lord. 

There is much to learn about and seek to understand about the Holy Spirit and his ministry to us. Next week we will look into the relationship the Holy Spirit has with the Father and the Son, this week we are looking at who the Holy Spirit is and his interactions with us. Jesus said, “it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). Have you ever just thought, “this would be a whole lot better if Jesus was standing right here?” I have. Wouldn’t it be easier to pray if you could see Jesus? Wouldn’t it be easier to trust if he could hold your hand as you walked through difficulties? Wouldn’t be easier to feel forgiven and loved if he were present to embrace you in a secure hug? 

So how could it be to our advantage that Jesus leaves? It is so that the Holy Spirit could come and indwell believers. I can’t say that I fully understand the economies of God and adequately articulate his movements. The Trinity has existed from before time began, but it is only through the progressive revelation of God that we learn of each person and their individual work. In the Old Testament, we see the Father as the primary focus of God’s interaction with his people. In the Gospels, we see Jesus, the Son of God, as the primary person fulfilling the redemptive plan. After the ascension of Jesus, the Church age commenced, and the Holy Spirit becomes the primary agent of the Trinity working directly in and through God’s people. 

The Holy Spirit is God. He is actively working in the Church. And if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit is actively working in you. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sins, reveals to us our need of a savior, opens our eyes to who Jesus is, and secures our salvation. The Holy Spirit helps us pray and prays for us. The Holy Spirit gives ever believer a gift to be used for God’s glory and the benefit of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit emboldens us to carry the message of the Gospel to others. The Holy Spirit empowers us to say no to sin and yes to godliness. The Holy Spirit is God and he indwells believers, so he is “Other” and he is near. 

Read more: Gen. 1:2; Ex. 40:38; Num. 11:16-25; Matt. 3:16; Acts 2:1-4; John 4:23-24; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Rom. 8:9-11; Rom. 8:26-27; John 16:7–15; Acts 1:8

Nicene Creed - Son of God 2

   

  For us and for our salvation

           he came down from heaven;

           he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary,

           and was made human.

           He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate;

           he suffered and was buried.

           The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures.

           He ascended to heaven

           and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

           He will come again with glory

           to judge the living and the dead.

           His kingdom will never end.

                                                            - Nicene Creed

Today’s excerpt from the Nicene Creed focuses on the purpose and passion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Last week, we learned the backstory to Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus is co-eternal and co-substantial with the Father, God of very God, begotten not made. To summarize, Jesus is God. 

This section is about our salvation that has been purchased by the God-man on our behalf. Salvation meaning the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to the Father by the finished work of Christ. 

This salvation was accomplished through the divine work of the Holy Trinity. The Father sent the son to be the savior of the world (1 John 4:14). The power of the Holy Spirit incarnated the Son of God within the womb of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35). The Son of God joyfully (Heb. 12:2) obeyed the Father in leaving heaven to redeem mankind (Phil. 2:5-11). This all happened according to Scripture demonstrating fulfilled prophecy (1 Cor. 15:3).

This salvation was accomplished within human history. Mary, a young virgin girl, was faithful and obedient to the will of God (Luke 1:38) who lived during the time of Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1). The crucifixion of Jesus happened during the reign of Pontius Pilot (Matt. 27:2). Jesus’ life, death, burial, and resurrection happened according to Scripture (1 Cor. 15:4). These points are relevant in demonstrating that Jesus is a real historical person who lived in a specific place, during a specific time, and accomplished these specific things. 

This salvation began the eschatological mission, or the redemptive story of God. Eschatology is the not just the study of future things, but the study of God’s work throughout history. The incarnation of the Son of God was a huge event in the human timeline, which is why our modern calendars are centered on the life of Christ using “BC” and “AD” as descriptors. “AD” has been used to mean “After Death,” but really stands for “Anno Domini,” which is short for “anno Domini nostril Jesu Christi” which is Latin meaning “in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So, “AD” refers to “in the year of our Lord.” “BC,” before Christ, is from the Latin “ante Christum natum/ante Christum” which literally means “before the birth of Christ.” This calendar, established in 525 by Dionysus Exiguus continues to be used today, although there is an attempt to eliminate the use of Christ from the dates by using “CE,” common era, and “BCE,” before common era. The question is, what event separates CE and BCE? Yep, the birth of Christ. 

The resurrection of Jesus is what sets him apart from all other religious influencers. His resurrection demonstrated that he was who he claimed to be, the Son of God, God of very God. His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9) resulted in the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7) and began his mediatorial work on our behalf (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:14-16). One day he will return to put an end to sin and usher in everlasting joy (Rev. 21).

These few lines of the Nicen Creed pack in so much truth about who Jesus is, what Jesus has done, and what Jesus will do. The question before us is, do you believe it? Do you believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ to overcome sin and provide salvation to those who believe? 

Nicene Creed part 3: Son of God 1

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to take a team of youths and young adults to Slovakia. As an experienced world traveler and an overprotective youth pastor, I was very watchful over my group, especially as we left the airport. Thankfully there was an Ukrainian leader, a fellow believer, who met us and helped us find our way through the airport, on the bus, onto the train, and stayed with us throughout the trip. It was nice having another adult joining us, but I still felt the need to be very vigilant and protective of our group. As the protector, I wanted to be between my team and any potential threat, make sure the stayed in twos, and hover a bit until we were all safe at our destination.

I enjoyed talking with my new Ukrainian friend in our travels, but it wasn’t until we arrived at our destination safely that I felt at ease enough to have a casual conversation with him. You know how you size up people and make an assumption about who they really are, and often apply your own biases in your perception of them? I had made up my mind that this guy was fun and likable. He was helpful, especially with the language barrier and directions. But there was more to him than I could have perceived with my own senses. It was at this moment that he shared that he was the reigning Ukrainian kickboxing champ! 

As that revelation dawned on me, I realized I had been stressing over safety of my team all day in our travels and not knowing that I had a kickboxing champ leading our way. A sense of relief came over me that our safety was not solely on my physical strength and awareness. I had a champion on my side!

As I recount this story, it causes me to consider how we often come up with assumptions about Jesus. Many of us have heard about him since childhood and become overly familiar with terms and titles that they can almost become meaningless to us. As I did with my kickboxing friend, we make up preconceived notions about God and Jesus, which really begins to define him according to our standards. This leads us to a place of stress and anxiety, such as I had in our travels, not realizing that the Champion is with us, and we are carrying a burden that he will happily take for us (Matt. 11:28-30). It was when my friend self-disclosed, revealed, that he was a champion that it brought me peace. The Bible is God’s self-disclosure, revelation, of who he is. Let’s read about Jesus, the Son of God:

Read Colossians 1:15-20; John 1:1-14; Hebrews 1:1-3

There is more to Jesus than we can perceive on our own. It takes his willingness to reveal who he is, through his Word, by his Spirit, for us to understand the truth. Is Jesus the Picture Bible Jesus? Is he the Buddy Jesus? Is he the Hippie Jesus? Is he the Revolutionary Jesus? All these caricatures miss the point. They are developed by our biases and our preconceptions. It is only coming to the Word of God that we will find clarity and truth.

The Nicene Creed draws from Scriptures like we just read to summarize the revelation of who Jesus is: 

And (WE BELIEVE) in one Lord Jesus Christ,

      the only Son of God,

      begotten from the Father before all ages,

           God from God,

           Light from Light,

           true God from true God,

      begotten, not made;

      of the same essence as the Father.

      Through him all things were made.

Jesus, through the incarnation, became human flesh. We may not be able to understand the Trinity or the Incarnation completely, but we can understand a man. When Jesus entered into our space, he imaged the invisible God in a way that we could understand. Unfortunately, some early teachings failed to capture the significance of who he is, and they thought he was just a man. Thankfully the apostles and early church fathers preserved the truth for us in the writings of the New Testament and the early Creeds. 

The Bible reveals that Jesus is God, not a god, not a lesser god, but God of very God. How can this be? He is Co-Substantial with the Father, meaning he is of the same essence as the Father. As Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). This is huge and transformative. It was and is definitely controversial. How many people do you know who are both human and divine? Right! He is the unique Son of God, “begotten not made.” God has other children through adoption of those who believe in Jesus (John 1:12), but Jesus’ relation to the Father is unique. That is what is meant boy “one and only Son” or “only begotten.” It’s referring to his oneness with the Father, and the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus revelation that he is God means he is the Champion we need. Next week we will look at how our Champion delivers us from sin. This week our focus is on the fact that Jesus is God, one with the Father. Jesus created all things “ex nihilo” or “out of nothing!” He is the one who sustains all things and holds them all together. As the Creator, he is over creation and rules creation. As Jesus, the Creator entered into creation with the purpose of bringing the light of salvation and redemption to a lost world. That is grace and mercy personified. 

This revelation means that Jesus is the Champion. He overcame sin, death, and hell. He wants to deliver you and me from the frustrations and bondages of sin. He wants us to have confidence in this life and hope for the next. Like my spirit was lifted when I understood my friend was a champion, our spirits and souls can be lifted by knowing that Jesus is God of very God, and he is our Champion. 

Nicene Creed: God the Father part 2

The ancient roots of the Christian faith reach all the way back to the creation of the world. Christianity is not a religion that just popped up out of nowhere but is the result of Divine revelation and activity to humanity. The Nicene Creed, and the earliest Creeds of the Christian faith, acknowledge God as the Creator and maker of all things. Drawing from the Hebrew Scriptures (Gen. 1; Ps. 19, 95; Jer. 32:17) and from the Apostles teachings (Rom. 1:20; John 1:1-3; Heb. 11:3; Rev. 4:11), the early church fathers identified the importance of recognizing God as our Creator. 

The Bible explicitly states that God created all of creation, both visible and invisible substances. As an ancient book, the Bible was written in a time before modern scientific advancements, and yet it speaks to God’s sovereignty over all of it. Sovereignty is God’s reign and dominion over the created world. It teaches us that God has a purpose and a plan for everyone and everything, there are no accidents with God. 

Modern “science” claims evolution began the natural world apart from a god. The universe, the solar system, the earth, and all living things just happened to exist after a “Big Bang” and millions (now billions) of years. These evolutionary theories are being accepted and taught as fact, yet they cannot be verified or established by the actual scientific method. Evolution removes the need for a god, but it also removes the meaning of life, love, and joy. It strips humanity of dignity and purpose. It is empty and leaves no reasons for existence. If you ask me, it takes more faith to believe in evolution than to believe an all power, all knowing, benevolent God created all things. 

The Cosmological argument for God’s existence declares that everything that exists has a cause, but what was the first cause? Identifying a first cause is not enough, for what caused that? Understanding the definition of God leads to identifying God as the “uncaused cause” or “uncaused first cause.” He is before all things and in him all things hold together. 

The Teleological argument for God’s existence is an argument from design. It states that as you look at the created world you will see intentionality and design in all of creation, leading one to understand that there is a Designer. 

Both of these arguments seek to give reasons for believing in God and are consistent with what God reveals about himself. He was before all things and spoke the world into existence. He had intention and design in his creative work. Ultimately, we see his design in the imago dei as he created humanity in his image (Gen. 1:26). 

Not only did he create man in his image, but he sent his Son to become human in order to save us (1 John 4:14). Colossians 1 teaches us about Jesus role in creation and salvation. God created our bodies and our souls. Jesus took on a human body and sacrificed it to save our souls. This shows that God cares about our physical bodies as well as our souls. When Jesus rose from the dead, he rose bodily. One day, when Jesus returns, the future resurrection will be a bodily resurrection. These teachings demonstrate the goodness of body and soul. Yes, our body and soul has been corrupted by sin (Rom. 3:23; Is. 53:6) but Jesus came to redeem us, both body and soul. Read Psalm 103 and Psalm 139. Reflect on how God views his creation, our formation, and our soul.