Apostles’ Creed
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:10
Every Sunday morning we stand up to say together, “I believe.” Most often we do it in the form of the Apostles’ Creed. Many of us are well acquainted with the Apostles’ Creed not only because we say it in church dozens of times a year, but also study it in Luther’s Small Catechism before we are confirmed.
Confirmation students are surprised when they are told that the creeds are not prayers. Adults can forget that, too. Even though we stand when we say it and say “amen” at the end, and even though most people bow their heads and fold their hands–it’s not really a prayer. It is a confession. It is a statement of faith. When we say the creed we are declaring what we believe based solely on what God’s Word tells us. We also remind ourselves of the truths of God’s Word which we believe unto righteousness.
The word “creed” comes from the Latin word credo, which means “I believe.” In the early Christian church, there was a practice of having an adult make a statement of his faith before being baptized. And it’s easy to see the connection between baptism and our creeds. We baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We confess that we believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit that we believe and confess the truths of God’s Word. But the Holy Spirit doesn’t stop there. He sanctifies us and causes us to put that faith into action. This week we will consider ways in which the Apostles’ Creed applies to our Christian lives. May the Holy Spirit instruct us to live our lives in confession of the God of our salvation.
We All Believe in One True God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Ever-present Help in need, Praised by all the heavenly host,
By whose mighty power alone All is made and wrought and done.
The Lutheran Hymnal 252:1