I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Christian Church, the
communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins, the
resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
Coming to a close on this
teaching here with the final lines of the Creed.
1. Holy Spirit
2. Universal Church
(Body of Christ)
3. Communion of Saints
4. Forgiveness of Sins-basis for Faith
5. Resurrection of the Body-Blessed Hope
6. Life everlasting-and the story goes on, and on and on…
•I believe in the Holy Spirit From
the Hebrew word for WIND, we get our Old Testament word for the Holy
Spirit. In the New Testament, the Holy
Spirit is used from the Greek word, I am told, for breathe or breeze. “The Breathe of God.”
Many have associated or thought of the Holy
Spirit as a THING rather than a Person as in the God Head: Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. In my youth, I remember hearing
and using the term “Holy Ghost” and was confused
with that term as it conjures up in my young head something like Casper, the
friendly ghost cartoon. Something of a
strangeness or even dark. Using the King James Bible, as most of us did back
then, well, there was no other option for us.
This Ghost was a thing and not a person—as a ghost is not a person but maybe once was—couldn’t be more from
the truth. The Holy Spirit is a Person
with whom we want to have a relationship with as with the Father and the Son.
As part of the God Head, the Holy Spirit has
a distinct personality that He shares with the other two in the Trinity. (The
word Trinity does not appear in the Bible but the teaching is very clearly
shown that Creator God is in three persons.)
The Apostles taught it that way and because of the location of this
phrase in the creed, shows me, at least, that it was not an issue with
them. The Creed starts with “I believe in the
Father…and the Son…(and now) the Holy Spirit.”
The Godhead shares at least five distinctive
qualities. (Because He is God, this is only
a short list.)
a)
Omnipotent ~He
is ALL-powerful
b)
Omnipresent ~God can be in ALL places at the same time.
c)
Omniscient ~He is ALL knowing
d)
Eternal ~He is eternal
e)
Equal ~He is equal within the
Trinity
Some will doubt this but it is the teaching
of the Bible and foundational with the teaching of the Apostles.
The Holy Spirit was part of the Creativeness
of the Godhead. Genesis 1:1 The
Hebrew word here is elohiym (can be found in most Bible
research pages…not that I know Hebrew) and it is a plural form of God. The Holy Spirit was present and active at the
creation of all that is. “In the beginning
God created the heaven and the earth.”
There are three very simple facts to
remember when you consider the Holy Spirit.
• 1. He
is a person—not a force. He is a distinct Person within the Godhead. He is not a thing.
•
2. Our
focus is not to be on Him alone as His role is to reveal Jesus…and Jesus’
mission is to reveal the Father. And the
Father has given to His Children the Holy Spirit so that we can come to Him
through His Son.
• 3. The Holy Spirit gives Spiritual Gifts
to Believers to be used in Ministry and empowers effective ministries.
Maybe at another time we can look more into
this but for our Creed study, let’s move on to the second phrase: • the Holy Christian Church or
the Universal
Church the Body of Christ.
Again, I grew up in a Roman Catholic/Baptist
home. At the age of 5 or 6, my Mom left
the Roman Catholic church and embraced the church home of my father. Back then in Rhode Island, there was a great
deal of religious hate and anger. Even
gangs were set apart. Certainly the,
so-called Christian community was divided.
If you were a Protestant, then you were in the right. If you were a Roman Catholic, you were in the
right. If you ate fish on Fridays, you
were a good Catholic. If your Lord’s Prayer
lasted longer than other’s Lord’s Prayer, you were a Baptist. Wine was served in the “higher”
church’s communion service.
In our church, back then, when we said the
Creed—which was not very often as it was looked upon—wrongly—as a Roman
thing—we NEVER would say “Holy Catholic Church” but something else—I don’t
remember really. The “Universal”
word was not used as it sounded like the Universalist Church name. In short, we all were working with broken
definitions. In truth, the words we used
today in the Creed show a more ‘universal’ meaning and closer to what the
Apostles had in mind in their teaching.
The Body Of Christ—worldwide. We
believe in the Body of Christ! We
believe in the Church that He started and lived for and died for! We believe in the Church.
Paul was very strong in this area. When he spoke of families and of husbands and
wives, he would end up speaking about, as he would say, “what I am really
talking about is the Church!”
He loved the Body of Christ and gave
himself to the growth of that Body to become a healthy, growing, forgiving,
active, loving community. When you come
on Communion Sunday, and you take the elements offered, I know for me, it is a
blast! I so look forward to the next
time to share in this Lord’s Table.
The Body of Christ is active when her
members respond to the call of God to live as Children of the Light. Showing those around how much God’s love has
changed them. Not in a bragging way, but in a honest, caring faction. The old song put it, “You will know we are Christians by our
love.”
•the communion of saints, We believe in the community of
the Believers who had lived, are living now and will be enjoying the Grace of God.
These are the “Faithful
ones” or the “great cloud of witnesses” that surrounds us who
are in the Faith. Hebrews 12:1.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great
cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that
so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us, ヘブル人への手紙 １２章:1 こういうわけで、このように多くの証人たちが、雲のように私たちを取り巻いているのですから、私たちも、いっさいの重荷とまつわりつく罪とを捨てて、私たちの前に置かれている競争を忍耐をもって走り続けようではありませんか。
Our Heroes of the Faith. Those who have gone
down the road you are going down at present and have made it to the other
side—all the while—trusting in the Same Savior you have the joy of trusting
right now.
Picture if you will an arena in which we are
running the race of life that is “marked out for us,” with the multitude of
faithful men and women who have run before us…urging us on to faith and
victory. Their run of Faith becomes entwined
with our run of Faith and may even remain dependent upon US since, as it says
in Hebrews 11:40 “…only together
with us would they be made perfect.” 40 since God had planned something better for
us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. ヘブル人への手紙11:40 神は私たちのために、さらにすぐれたものをあらかじめ用意しておられたので、彼らが私たちと別に全うされるということはなかったのです。
Makes
you wonder doesn’t it. How you run makes
a difference in those who ran before you.
You are not alone nor are you insignificant! We need to depend on one another for
Spiritual growth and success in the Walk of Faith. Don’t let them down! They had done their part—now it is our turn!
We get the chance to participate in the Son
of God by the Spirit of God in a communion of the saints with all Believers.
•the forgiveness of sins “[Christ] in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7). Forgiveness is the
cornerstone of the Christian Faith. Here
in Christ, anyone can find forgiveness for their sins—no matter how bad they
were. According to the riches of His
Grace…therefore, all sin can be covered.
It is offered openly, without cost, yet it did cost God His own
Son.
I believe that this is the most
misunderstood doctrine of the Christian Faith.
The TWO most difficult teachings Believers have a hard time with is:
• 1) his sins have been forgiven—completely and eternally
forgiven and
• 2) this forgiveness needs now to be extended to others. Been forgiven and forgive.
Why is that so hard? Because we are human and there are times we
forget God is not. He is Divine and He
forgives. And this forgiveness that the
Creed teaches about is basic in the Bible and can reveal a great deal of hurt
and pain.
All of us needs to grow in this
understanding. Things done in our past
that we just can’t forgive are areas of great need for our own
forgiveness. John 20: 23 “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do
not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” ヨハネの福音書 ２０章: 23 あなたがたがだれかの罪を赦すなら、その人の罪は赦され、あなたがたがだれかの罪をそのまま残すなら、それはそのまま残ります。」
•Eph
4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you. エペソ人への手紙 ４章: 32
お互いに親切にし、心の優しい人となり、神がキリストにおいてあなたがたを赦してくださったように、互いに赦し合いなさい。
• Col 1:14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. コロサイ人への手紙 １章: 14 この御子のうちにあって、私たちは、贖い、すなわち罪の赦しを得ています。
• Col 2:13
When you were
dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive
with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
コロサイ人への手紙 ２章: 13 あなたがたは罪によって、また肉の割礼がなくて死んだ者であったのに、神は、そのようなあなたがたを、キリストとともに生かしてくださいました。それは、私たちのすべての罪を赦し、
• Col 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. コロサイ人への手紙 3章: 13 互いに忍び合い、だれかがほかの人に不満を抱くことがあっても、互いに赦し合いなさい。主があなたがたを赦してくださったように、あなたがたもそうしなさい。
• Romans 4:5-8 5 However, to the one who does not work but
trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of
the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose
transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is
the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” ローマ人への手紙 ４章: 5 何の働きもない者が、不敬虔な者を義と認めてくださる方を信じるなら、その信仰が義とみなされるのです。6 ダビデもまた、行いとは別の道で神によって義と認められる人の幸いを、こう言っています。7 「不法を赦され、罪をおおわれた人たちは、幸いである。8 主が罪を認めない人は幸いである。」.
• Acts
13:38-39 38 “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know
that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through
him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were
not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 使徒の働き １３章: 38 ですから、兄弟たち。あなたがたに罪の赦しが宣べられているのはこの方によるということを、よく知っておいてください。39 モーセの律法によっては解放されることのできなかったすべての点について、信じる者はみな、この方によって、解放されるのです。
It
is not a matter of “if you….then I will forgive.” That is under the Law. Now, it is “confess you sins and you will be forgiven.” Under Grace. Matthew 6:12, 14-15. 12 And forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. … 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive
others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. マタイの福音書 ６章14 もし人の罪を赦すなら、あなたがたの天の父もあなたがたを赦してくださいます。15 しかし、人を赦さないなら、あなたがたの父もあなたがたの罪をお赦しになりません。
Luke 6:37c just says
it plainly: “Forgive and you will be forgiven.” ルカの福音書 ６章: 37 さばいてはいけません。そうすれば、自分もさばかれません。人を罪に定めてはいけません。そうすれば、自分も罪に定められません。赦しなさい。そうすれば、自分も赦されます。
Luke 17:3-4 3 So watch yourselves. “If
your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent,
forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against
you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’
you must forgive them.” ルカの福音書 17章: 3 気をつけていなさい。もし兄弟が罪を犯したなら、彼を戒めなさい。そして悔い改めれば、赦しなさい。4 かりに、あなたに対して一日に七度罪を犯しても、『悔い改めます』と言って七度あなたのところに来るなら、赦してやりなさい。」
“Forgive one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has
forgiven you.” Eph 4:32.
エペソ人への手紙 ４章: 32 お互いに親切にし、心の優しい人となり、神がキリストにおいてあなたがたを赦してくださったように、互いに赦し合いなさい。Same in Col 3:13. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. コロサイ人への手紙 3章: 13 互いに忍び合い、だれかがほかの人に不満を抱くことがあっても、互いに赦し合いなさい。主があなたがたを赦してくださったように、あなたがたもそうしなさい。
With offenses done against God, note the
order:
1. Offense committed.
2. Confrontation and rebuke.
3. Repentance of offender.
4. Forgiveness extended by victim. And
5. God’s forgiveness extended.
Once we are forgiven, we are free. Thus, the
forgiveness of sins
• the resurrection of the body This is
called, once again, “The Blessed Hope!” In the
last day, those who are dead in Christ will be raised from the dead. Remember when Jesus visited Martha and Mary
at their bother’s funeral? Jesus spoke
about this there. Go to John 11: 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus,
“if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you
ask.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha
answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus
said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who
believes in me will live, even though they die;
26 and whoever lives
by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the
Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”~Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ~ Titus 2:13 テトスへの手紙 ２章: 13 祝福された望み、すなわち、大いなる神であり私たちの救い主であるキリスト・イエスの栄光ある現れを待ち望むようにと教えさとしたからです。
and the life everlasting. Life everlasting-and the story goes on,
and on and on…
He would not lie to us. When He said this in John 14:2-4,
He meant it. 2 My Father’s house
has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take
you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to
the place where I am going.” ヨハネの福音書 １４章: 2 わたしの父の家には、住まいがたくさんあります。もしなかったら、あなたがたに言っておいたでしょう。あなたがたのために、わたしは場所を備えに行くのです。3 わたしが行って、あなたがたに場所を備えたら、また来て、あなたがたをわたしのもとに迎えます。わたしのいる所に、あなたがたをもおらせるためです。4 わたしの行く道はあなたがたも知っています。
Do you believe Him?
Help for this sermon was
given from The Berean Bible Society and from the web page:
yahoo.co.jp/jusus_christ_no1
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