Woodmen Valley Chapel

Matt Heard
The Apostles' Creed
"I believe." It's a phrase we use often about things of little consequence or importance. It's also a phrase we use about matters of great and eternal significance.

The Apostles' Creed is a very important resource for those interested in ultimate realities because it is a summary of what the Bible teaches. It is a summary of who God is and His activity in this world—specifically His work of amazing grace on our behalf. Authentic followers of Christ of all cultures and ages hold these convictions in common:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to hell. 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 there, He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy, universal Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen


The Creed begins with that simple yet vitally important phrase, "I believe," because it is indeed a summary of what a human being is to believe in order to appropriately and authentically relate with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But what does it mean to say, "I believe?" Too many confuse belief with a tip of our intellectual hat to some tidbits of religious information. Others would offer that it doesn't matter how you define belief as long as you are sincere, or that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as you believe it.

So what is involved with believing?

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