What Christians Believe

The following is a meditation on the Apostle's Creed, traditionally taught to those who wish to be baptised.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
Everything that exists has a Creator.  The world did not come into existence by chance.  Neither did we.  There is a purpose behind the universe.  This Creator, Who gives everything its existence, is not a blind, impersonal force, but a loving Father, individually concerned with every person and every part of His creation.

I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord.
The mystery of the Godhead is such that the one eternal God exists as three persons, united in love, and manifesting that love to the created world.

Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit.
One person of the eternal uncreated Godhead entered our world and became one of us.

Born of the Virgin Mary,
While eternally being the Son of God, Jesus was born and remains a human being just like us.

Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
There was nothing illusory about Christ's humanity.  He experienced life as we experience it.

Was crucified, died and was buried.
God made human beings in His own image to enjoy eternal life with Him.  Humanity rebels against God and we cut ourselves off from the life which is His gift.  God therefore endures our death in order to give us the gift of life restored.

He descended to the dead.
There is nowhere His love cannot reach. He even takes the Good News to the "spirits in prison."

On the third day He rose again.
God, goodness and life inevitably win out over the Devil, evil and death.

He ascended into Heaven.
Jesus the Man has opened the way to Heaven to everyone who believes in Him.

He is seated at the right hand of the Father.
All our prayers reach God through Jesus, Who also Himself prays for us.

And he will come to judge the living and the dead.
This world will come to an end, but Jesus will always be there.  We shall have to account to God for what we have done with our lives.  We can rely on His mercy to forgive us what we have done wrong.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.  Amen.
God sends His Holy Spirit into the world - the third person of the Holy Trinity.  With God's Holy Spirit in us, we are forgiven and sanctified and united in communion with Christ and all who believe in Him on earth and in Heaven.  We have the gift of eternal life which is the same thing as the knowledge of God.

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