THE APOSTLES' CREED (Part 6)
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-We are looking at creeds and confessions of the faith which help churches to define important theological truths that are touched upon throughout Scripture, giving statements that summarize what the Bible teaches about important topics of faith and practice. We are looking at the Apostles’ Creed which gives a bare minimum look at what an orthodox faith entails. It is split into three sections, each corresponding with a member of the Trinity. There is first a section on God the Father as Sovereign Creator and Sustainer. Then there is a section on the Son, Jesus Christ, and we have spent several weeks looking at what it says about His person and His works. Let’s look at what it says in these first two sections.
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only-begotten Son, our Lord;
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born of the Virgin Mary;
Suffered under Pontius Pilate;
Was crucified, dead, and buried;
He descended into hell;
The third day he rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
-We have previously considered His names and titles which bear witness to His nature and person. Then the creed highlights important events of His life which bear witness to His essence and important work in God’s plan of redemption. His birth bears witness to His uniqueness as the God Man. His death is the substitutionary atonement for our sins. Then the creed reminds us that Jesus rose again, ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God and He is going to return one day just as He came.
-Jesus bodily rose from the dead, which is an important part of the gospel. The Scriptures represent the cross and resurrection as one unified saving act.
22 That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”
23 But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,
24 but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord,
25 who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.
-When Paul summarizes the gospel, it always includes those two aspects. For example:
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
-Calvin explains why the cross and resurrection go together, and how what they theologically mean for us when he says:
Institutes of the Christian Religion 13. “On the Third Day He Rose Again from the Dead”
Sin was taken away by his death; righteousness was revived and restored by his resurrection.” For how could he by dying have freed us from death if he had himself succumbed to death? How could he have acquired victory for us if he had failed in the struggle? Therefore, we divide the substance of our salvation between Christ’s death and resurrection as follows: through his death, sin was wiped out and death extinguished; through his resurrection, righteousness was restored and life raised up, so that—thanks to his resurrection—his death manifested its power and efficacy in us.
-The resurrection demonstrates the satisfactory character of Jesus’ sacrificial death, and it is the power of our justification and regeneration. There is no salvation without the resurrection just like there is no gospel without the resurrection. Jesus died for our sins, but He did not stay dead, He is alive. But Jesus did not stay on the earth. The Scriptures testify that Jesus ascended into heaven.
9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.
10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,
11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
-Jesus returned to the heaven from which He left. But it was not merely a change of address for Jesus. His going to heaven was His coronation to the glory, supremacy, and exaltation of being crowned King of kings and Lord of lords. The right hand of God is a metaphor for power and authority that has been given to Jesus. Jesus is given supreme authority over all of creation. Paul describes this:
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
-By seating Jesus at the right hand, God the Father affirms that everything that Jesus did accomplished what He set out for Him to do. Jesus carried out the redemptive plans of God to perfection, and everything is brought to fulfillment. There is a new kingdom of God, and it is through Jesus Christ alone, who is the one that sits on that throne.
-But not only does the ascension inaugurate Christ’s authority, it also reminds us that Jesus Christ sits as our advocate before the Father for all of eternity. He is ever interceding on the behalf of those who come to faith in Him.
-Listen to this:
23 The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office,
24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever.
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.
28 For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,
-The job of a priest is to be the go between of God and the people. Jesus is the High Priest who does that for us always. His priesthood is permanent, so is advocacy for believers is permanent. The apostle John concurs:
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
-Jesus satisfied God’s justice and advocates for God’s children. Therefore, we cannot be condemned no matter what accusations fly our way (and usually the accusations are true). But, because Jesus ascended and advocates for us, we cannot be condemned
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.
-So, the ascension is important because it reminds us of the certainty of our salvation, and we can live boldly for God on this earth knowing we are secure in Him no matter what might happen on this earth.
-But Jesus will not remain where He is all the time, because the Father will send Him back to earth to get His bride, to defeat His enemies, to usher in a new heaven and new earth, and to judge the world. The creed tells us that Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. That covers every human who exists or whoever existed. You are either living or your dead—either way, you will be judged by Christ. Those who have believed in Christ will be judged for their reward, and those who did not believe in Christ will be judged for their condemnation, This is depicted for us in:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?
38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?
39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’
45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
-Jesus will give out perfect justice—it will have fallen on Himself for those who believe, or it will fall on the head of the offending part for those who did not believe. Al Mohler gives three reasons why the final judgment must come:
First, this judgment will display God’s sovereignty and his glory cosmically, so that every single human being—past, present, and future—comes face-to-face with the reality of the display of God’s glory in the judgment of the Son.
Second, this judgment is necessary because, as Scripture makes clear, God will judge through Christ in such a way that there are gradients to his judgment by means of blessings for the redeemed and judgments upon those who did not believe.
Third, it is necessary that this judgment take place because there is a necessity for personal judgment. It’snot just judgment against groups or nations. It is judgment of every single human being. A verdict will be declared for every single human being. For those who are in Christ, the verdict (by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ) will be unto salvation and eternal life. For those who are without Christ, the verdict will be damnation.
-This is not a popular teaching, but it is the truth and needs to be shared. We all will give an account, and if you are not covered by the blood of the lamb, you will pay for your sin.
-Even so, even Christians must consider themselves and what they might lose of reward because of unfaithfulness. So, we leave here tonight considering our lives. First, have we believed and is Jesus our advocate? If not, then believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. And we also consider how are we living our lives in light of these truths?