Falling in Love -- First Sunday of Advent 2021

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. The season of Advent is the time in the church calendar when many Christians try to reflect on how we can better imitate Jesus to our family, friends, neighbors, and strangers. It’s a season during which many Christians try to step back from their routine day to day activities and prepare their hearts for the day on which we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

 

I’ve heard it said by those in the Church that EVERY day is the day in which we should prepare our hearts for the Lord. Every day is the day in which we should better reflect Jesus. And that is true. And I have said such things myself.

 

But God gave the Church – as He gave to ancient Israel – various seasonal celebrations to serve as reminders that we can all do better in our relationship with God. We can all do better in reminding ourselves of His presence with us at every moment of our day and night, hearing every thought, watching our every action.

 

Listen, we can all always do better practicing obedience to His whispering voice.

 

Some think all that is required to be a Christian is to be baptized, or to go down to an altar and make a confession of faith. But that viewpoint has no basis in Biblical truth. Salvation cannot be reduced to a simple baptism, or a confession of faith at an altar. Such a shallow idea of conversion devalues the cost of the cross. It cheapens what Christ did on Calvary.

The Christian walk is a continual, daily walk. Jesus told us, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23). A daily walk means obediently following Jesus in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, in times of wealth and times of poverty, when it’s convenient and when it’s inconvenient. God did everything He possibly could to save us. For us to reduce His sacrifice of His beloved Son to a once-in-a-lifetime commitment to Jesus demonstrates just how little we consider the cost of the cross of Jesus.

That our walk with Christ is an ongoing journey is a critically important biblically based concept. Those who ignore that truth, or make light of it, may find themselves at the Judgment Seat of Christ, hearing Him say, as He said to those who thought they were Christians, “Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.” (Matthew 7:21-23. Matthew 25:31-46; and Luke 13:24-28).

 

So, on this first Sunday of Advent, as we consider how we might better prepare ourselves for our Bridegroom, I want us to focus on a text in Luke’s gospel: “And he [John] came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight. (Luke 3:3-4)

 

And so, how might we be a people doing a better job preparing ourselves for the Lord and making our own paths straight as we follow our Shepherd?

 

I think many of us, either unconsciously or semi-consciously – are far too willing to make excuses for our sins – especially sins of our thoughts and our tongues. We too easily rationalize them as simply part of our sin nature – and then we move on with other things in life. I know what I am talking about, because I do that too often in my own life.

 

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is not inclined to let us get away with any of our excuses and rationalizations. He gives us several lists of sins to which we must remain constantly vigilant. However, I will not take time talking in any detail about those sins. Everyone in this room knows intuitively what constitute sin – such as immoral thoughts, lying, pride, gossip, and an unwillingness to forgive others, having a critical spirit toward others, promoting ourselves at the expense of others. The lists go one, as you well know.

 

That is why the Holy Spirit warns us through St Paul’s pen: “Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Galatians 6:7-8).

 

Reaping and Sowing. That’s why preparation for the Lord Jesus requires “cleans[ing] ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and perfecting holiness in the fear of God,” as the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

 

Reaping and sowing. Don’t think for a moment Satan is not aware of that spiritual principle. That’s why he tries his best to first twist our understanding of God, planting lies and half-truths in our hearts, because if he is successful in corrupting our thoughts about God as our heavenly Father, it becomes like child’s play for him to reap disaster in our thoughts and lives.

 

What is that lie Satan wants to plant in our hearts? It’s the idea that paints God as an angry, capricious, and hard taskmaster who stands in front of His throne with a whip, watching our every move, eagerly waiting for you and me to mess up so He can lash into us.

 

Such a dark view of God, in many cases, is rooted in the experiences of some who had earthly fathers just like that. Mean-spirited. Critical. Always finding fault. Nothing they ever could do was good enough for their earthly father. And so, for many, they transfer their childhood experiences with their earthly father to their heavenly Father. And Satan, having planted that lie about their heavenly father in their minds, he reaps a damaged soul who cowers from the One whose arms are spread apart on that wooden beam, inviting them into His embrace.

 

Jesus, through the ages, even to this very day, invites all of us, each of us, into His embrace.

 

Many years ago, when I was stationed with the navy in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, I lived with two other guys in a two-bedroom house. Neither Jeff or Gary were Christians, but of the two, Jeff was the atheist. He always found a reason to poke fun at my faith.

 

One Sunday morning as I dressed for church service at the base chapel, Jeff asked, “Hey, where’re you going? On a date?”

 

I remember being taken aback with the question. In all my years as a Christian, I’d never thought of going to church as going on a date with the Lover of my soul. But with Jeff’s question came the sudden realization – yes, I AM going on a date. I am meeting my Bridegroom, my Lover, my Lord, my best Friend.

 

And that is what I told him: “Yes, I am going on a date to meet Jesus.”

 

And the point of my story? You and I are betrothed to our Lord Jesus Christ. You and I are the Bride of Christ. Let me remind you of only one passage of Scripture that speaks of our marital relationship with our Savior. It’s from Ephesians 5:

 

“So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” (Ephesians 5:28-33)

 

This biblical principal of our marriage to our earthly spouse forms the basis of the God-centered relationship with Christ by which, and from which, we should prepare our hearts for His coming – that being the love and devotion of a bride for her beloved.

 

What faithful bride-to-be would corrupt herself with another man? What faithful bride-to-be would live in a morally cavalier fashion? The answer is, of course, none. All brides in love with their groom keep themselves morally pure, perfecting their own holiness in anticipation of being joined with her beloved.

 

And THAT is the reason we want to live holy lives – not out of fear, but so we can please our Groom because we love Him. We adore Him. We want to exalt Him.

 

So, what are some ways in which we can conduct our lives so that we are preparing ourselves for the Lord, moving toward holiness and pleasing our Groom? How might we better cleanse ourselves of all defilements of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear and reverence of the Lord? The answer is not as difficult to uncover as one might think. Much of it rests in the principal behind this simple song we’ve sung to children: O be careful little eyes what you see. O be careful little ears what you hear.

 

You’ve probably heard the axion: Garbage in – Garbage out. Or as St. Paul warned in Galatians 6:7-8) “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

 

Can we watch television shows or movies that promote violence, anger, hatred, greed, and lusts and not be dirtied or burned? Can we night after night watch the news and not find our attitudes becoming consumed with anger and frustration? We can’t walk through mud and not get our shoes dirty. We can’t put our hand onto a hot stove and not be burned.

 

There is a better way to live. A better way to prepare ourselves for our Groom. A better way this Advent season – and throughout the year – to prepare our hearts for our Lord.

 

What is that? Fall deeper in love with Jesus. Keep seeking, every day, keep seeking the Holy Spirit to draw you to fall deeper in love with Jesus.

Roman Catholic priest, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, learned the answer to the question we’ve been looking at this afternoon: How can we prepare ourselves afresh for the Lord’s Advent into our hearts? Here is what you and I need to discover ourselves:

 

Nothing is more practical than finding God, that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you will do with your evenings, how you will spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love and it will decide everything.

Falling more deeply in love with our Groom is the only right answer to the question, “How can we better prepare ourselves for His coming afresh into our hearts?” And how do we fall deeper in love with Jesus? In much the same way as any bride learns to fall more deeply in love her spouse:

 

Number one (and these are not in any particular order): Turn off the TV. Turn off the computer. Open your Bible. Read it slowly. This is not a sprint, to see how much of it you can read in a sitting, or a month, or even a year. Meditate, ruminate on what you are reading.

 

You might find it helpful to keep a notebook with you and write out in long hand what the Lord teaches you. Write out any verse that speaks to you, and then spend some time praying back to God what He just showed you in scripture.

 

For example, this passage in Psalm 119 caught my attention: “With all my heart I have sought You; Do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. (Psalm 119:10-11)

 

And so, I prayed: “Lord, do not let me wander from your commandments. Help me to treasure your word in my heart.”

 

Another time I read this verse in Luke 6:  “It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles.”

 

So, I prayed, “Lord, I also want to always be Your disciple, always sitting at Your feet and learning from You. Please always draw me to Yourself that I might always learn from You.”

 

Number two: Be quick to repent. Ask the Holy Spirit to train your spiritual ears to better hear His voice, and when He tells you that you have done something wrong, repent. And determine with His help to not do it again.

 

Number three: Be quick to FORGIVE others who have hurt you, or offended you, or used you. If you’ve consistently read your Bible over the years you know as well as I do, Jesus REQUIRES us to forgive others their sins against us. It was He who taught His disciples to pray: Forgive us our SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US (Matthew 6:12). He then added two verses later: For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. (Matthew 6:14-15)

Number four: Try to make a conscious effort through the day, and especially at the end of the day, to thank God for the big things and the little things that happened in your day. I have a small notebook in which I record things that day for which I am thankful.

 

We have entered the season of Advent. Yes, many of you prepare your hearts every day through the year for the coming of our Lord. But you and I can still do better. And yes, there are some here who might not prepare your heart through the year for a deeper relationship with the Lord. But you can do better. Why not start today, on this first Sunday of Advent?

God's Heart for Unity - Part Three

 (Based on a sermon I preached at a 55+ community)

Sermon November 21, 2021

A Plea for Unity

Part Three

 

During the last two weeks I appealed for unity among all Christians, regardless of our church labels. It is the unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed in His High Priestly prayer. You will find it in John 17:22-23. Further, the Lord Jesus warned us: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Matthew 12:25) And Satan has used that principle of division since the earliest days of the church.

 

I demonstrated from the Scriptures that neither the Lord Jesus, the prophets, nor the apostles EVER compromised essential Biblical truths for the sake of unity. But that begs the questions: What ARE those essential Biblical truths essential to salvation? And who has the authority to decide what are those essential truths?

 

I also demonstrated how God established the Church councils, beginning with the first council in Jerusalem, to protect the Church, which is His Body, from heretical teaching.

 

St. Peter was one of the apostles who warned the church of the first century to be on guard against false teachers who would rise up even from within Christendom. Peter wrote: “False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; (2 Peter 2:1-3)

 

In the next chapter of his epistle, Peter warned about those who misrepresent what the apostle Paul wrote in his letters, saying: “the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:13f)

 

It was BECAUSE of such distortions and misrepresentations that the later church councils convened. Which brings us to the Nicene-Constantinople Creed of A.D. 325 and 381.  These two councils came about because of a demonic-inspired heresy that nearly took over the early church. A bishop names Arius had amassed a huge following by teaching that Jesus was a created being and not Jehovah God in the flesh.

 

Were it not for the early councils such as Nicene-Constantinople councils, the work of Christ on the cross would have been in vain. Christianity would have disintegrated into various heresies, such as typified by the modern Jehovah Witnesses, denying the deity, co-eternality and the co-existence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit with the Father.

So, here again is the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. I read it to you last week, and will do so again today for context of today’s message. It is this creed in particular that set out what was considered orthodox Christian faith, essential for all Christians to believe for salvation. It was the Nicene Creed which also provided a basis for Christian unity among the diverse churches scattered throughout the Roman Empire.

 

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consub-stantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Let’s now look at this one line at a time. Of necessity, because of our time limitations, I will be brief.

 

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

 

One aspect of Christian unity is rooted around the belief in one God who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Why? Because according to the Scriptures and the early teaching of the church councils, those who do not believe in the Triune God are not, by definition, Christians. They might be nice people, but they are walking along the broad road toward the wide gate that leads to eternal destruction.

 

This is an important point for Christian unity, because there are many well-known religious clergy who will tell you other faiths are saved simply because they are of Abrahamic faith, such as Jews and Muslims. Jesus and the apostles and the early church councils tell it differently. “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus said. “No one comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6). St. Peter declared to the Jewish religious leaders, “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

 

So, those – and only those – who believe the Biblical teaching of one God in three persons are united in at least that point. Which means we can move forward to the next:

 

The Nicene Creed declares that the one God is the “Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.” All Christians unite around this statement as well.

 

Focus with me for a moment on the word ‘Father’ in this phrase. While God is Creator of all humankind, He is Father only to those who by faith in Jesus’s sacrifice for their sins follow Him in obedience. St. John is not the only apostle to proclaim that point: “But as many as received [Christ], to them He gave the right to be called children of God, even to those who believe in His name’ (John 1:12) Again, this is yet another scriptural point of doctrine around which all true Christians, regardless of their denominational label, agree – that being, only those who receive Christ as their God, their Lord, their savior, their atoning sacrifice for sins – only those are united in that essential doctrinal point, and can move further still in unity.

 

As an aside, though, when the Creed addresses God as Father, it is good to ask, “What was your father like? Did you even have a father in your home?” Sadly, many men and women did not have a good relationship with their father. Their fathers were cruel, or distant, or absent. I know people in our age group whose father never – or only rarely – hugged them. Or encouraged them. Or spent more than a few minutes with them in any given week.

 

For those children now grown into adults, the concept of God our Father is not so endearing an idea. That is tragic. And it must breaks God’s heart when our image of God is so spoiled and tainted by our own bad life experiences.

 

But I am here to remind us – our Father in heaven is nothing like our earthly fathers. Even those who had the best of dads, our heavenly Father is infinitely kinder and compassionate and loving and protecting and nurturing than even the best of earthly parents.

 

God is loving and compassionate. And He longs to be our Father. How can that truth become part of our psyche? Only by the supernatural grace of God through the Holy Spirit. And may the Holy Spirit cause us all to imitate him better.

The next thing on which I want us to focus in this section of the Creed, and around which all early Christians united, is this: Our Father is the one who created heaven and earth, and everything visible and invisible.

 

That means, if you are a Christian, your Father – and once again, only Christians have the right to call God their Father – your Father is utterly sovereign over every person, every event, every atomic particle of His creation. There is not one electron out of place. There is not one person among the 6 billion people living today – including political giants – not one who can take his or her next breath without our Sovereign God’s express permission.

 

“The king’s heart,” Scripture tells us, “is like channels of water in the hands of God. He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1)

There is not a person reading this who does not know that fear has spread like a gangrenous cancer throughout our society. And if we are as close to the second coming of Christ as many Christians believe, then no one should expect the global fear to dissipate. It will only increase, and the love of the many will grow cold and colder.

 

And THAT is why God commands us in Isaiah 8: “You are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it. It is the Lord of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. Then He shall become a sanctuary.” (Isaiah 8:13-14a)

 

What powerful national leader was not subjected to God’s control? For example, Pharaoh and his government forced God’s chosen people into cruel subjugation. But here is what God told Moses about the pompous Pharaoh: “[F]or this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16)

Israel believed Pharaoh was too powerful to be vanquished. But He was not. Many Jews probably believed God had abandoned them. But He had not. He was just waiting for the right time according to His timetable – and His timetable alone – to bring their deliverance AND to demonstrate across the millennia even to us in the 21st century that the mighty ones who think of themselves as gods are nothing more than tools in the sovereign hands of the Almighty God.

The same can be said about the Babylonian tyrant Nebuchadnezzar some 900 years later. If you remember the story, God reduced the pompous pagan king to the level of a beast eating grass in the fields.

Fast forward to 2021. For anyone paying attention with spiritual insight, it is impossible to watch world events unfold and not recognize that a supernatural evil is fast spreading across the globe. But for those with eyes of faith, united around the Scriptures as the foundation of our faith and the teaching of the early church councils that inform our faith, we MUST stand together, informing our world that it is our God alone who is in total, complete, and unassailable control of all the events of this growing darkness.

 

Don’t you know that is why Satan is working so cleverly and maliciously to keep the Church – which is, as St Paul said, “the pillar and support of Truth”? – that is why the devil works so resolutely to DIVIDE God’s children and keep us at each other’s throats.

 

And that is why God’s children must stop acting like childish teenagers fighting about whose football team is better – and unite behind those things which united the early Church – that being the inerrancy of Scripture and the teachings of the early church councils.

 

Let’s move on to the next point of the Nicene Creed which states: “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten not made, consubstantial (of the same essence) with the Father, through whom all things were made.” (For example, John 1:1-3; 8.58; 10:30; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:3-6)

 

There can only be one Lord of creation. It is illogical to think of it otherwise. And so, when the Church council referred to both Jesus, and later, the Holy Spirit as ‘Lord’ they were doubling down on their emphasis, in response to Arius – that Jesus is Jehovah God made flesh. When they formulated their litany of God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, of the same essence as the Father – they were again trumpeting their decision based on the Old and New Testament inerrant and infallible words that Jesus is Almighty God made flesh. They could not have made it any clearer.

 

To be unwilling to confess that fundamental truth about Christ was to set oneself apart from true Christian faith and place oneself on the broad path that leads to eternal damnation.

 

My brothers and sisters: We do not have time to finish talking about the rest of the Creed statements of faith, but let it suffice for now to remind us all that it was their belief in the full inerrancy and infallibility of the Scriptures, along with the teaching of the church – the pillar and support of truth – that united the early Church.

 

Why, then, is it so today that what united the early Christians – that being the ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES OF FAITH for salvation – why must it be today that those essentials of faith are not sufficient to unite all Christians today?

 

I hope you will think long about that question. As I have said in the past, I do not believe you here at Ashwood have a problem with unity of faith. Look at yourselves – Baptists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, and others. But you may have friends and family members who seem forever focused on the non-essentials of faith leading to salvation. I hope you can use this information, and what we will look at in later sermons in this series, I hope you can use this information to help unite those who live with division.

 

We continue our examination of the Creed next week, paying attention to its foundation in God’s word and how the Creed still applies to us in the 21st century.

God's Heart for Unity - Part Two

 Last week I introduced the theme of this series of messages, and that theme is a cry for unity in the Body of Christ.

It is the unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed in His High Priestly prayer. You will find it in John 17:22-23, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as I are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

The Lord Jesus warned us in Matthew 12: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Matthew 12:25) And it doesn’t require a PhD in religion or in history to recognize how deftly Satan has used that principle of division since the earliest days of the church. And, as we also saw last week, the Church is comprised of all Christians.

 

Our understanding about who makes up the Church – which is the Body of Christ – is critical to attaining unity in God’s family. The New Testament writers make it clear that ALL God’s children are part of the Body of Christ, regardless of the church group to which they belong – whether Catholic, or Methodist, or Presbyterian, or Pentecostal, of Baptist, or whatever.

 

Here is what the Holy Spirit tells us about the Church: “And [the Father] put all things in subjection under [Christ’s] feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22-23)

 

Now while we know Jesus prayed for unity, and unity should be on the hearts of all true Christians, nothing of what I said last week, nor what I will say today means I believe doctrine is unimportant to unity. Doctrine IS important to unity. Nor do I think we should ever compromise ESSENTIAL doctrine for the sake of unity.

 

The Lord Jesus, the prophets, and the apostles NEVER compromised essential Biblical truths for the sake of unity. But that begs the question: What ARE those essential Biblical truths around which we must find unity – truths essential to salvation?

 

And THAT question begs yet another question: Who has the authority to decide what are those essential truths? Certainly, it is not I. And neither is it you. And neither is it your pastor, or priest, or anyone today in any church hierarchy.

 

That decision must be left to the historic teaching of the church dating back to what the apostles themselves taught. And, after they died, how did the early Church Fathers and various early church councils interpret the apostolic teaching specifically related to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

 

Without the teaching of the Church Fathers and the early Church councils, the fledgling church would have devolved into multiple splinter religious groups, each having their own interpretation of the apostle’s teaching – and the early heresies such as Arianism and Nestorianism and Gnosticism would have destroyed the Body of Christ.

 

Scripture tells us in Acts 15 that the first Church council occurred in Jerusalem. History then tells us seven more earlier councils followed, perhaps the most important beginning at Nicaea in AD 325, followed by Constantinople in AD 381 – important because of their focus on the deity of the Lord Jesus and His co-eternality with the Holy Spirit and the Father. 

 

Their decisions about the essential doctrines of Christian faith related to the Person of Jesus became the compass early Christians used to determine their unity in the faith. And what was useful to them then ought to be useful for us now.

 

There were several creeds — statements of faith — that arose in early church history, each usually building on the one before it. Often these statements of orthodox faith developed in response to erroneous or heretical teaching circulating among the scattered churches. Ultimately, the Apostles Creed and the later Nicene Creed became the test of Christian orthodoxy. Those who did not accept those doctrines were considered non-Christians by the Christian church.

The Nicene Creed (also called the Nicene-Constantinople Creeds of AD 325 and 381 respectively) – is the more robust of any of the creeds. That is why we will focus on that creed in this message.

But, before we look at that particular statement of faith, we should first focus attention on what it was to which the various councils appealed as they formulated orthodox doctrine.

 

Each council relied on their common conviction that the Bible is the fully inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Without such agreement then or now, how can anyone expect unity of faith in the essentials doctrines? As the prophet Amos wrote: “Can two walk together, unless they be agreed?’ (Amos 3:3)

 

Listen! If we cannot agree on the inerrancy of Scripture, then how can we find agreement about any doctrine based on Scripture, such as what constitutes a holy lifestyle? Is there an eternal heaven AND an eternal hell? Was Mary a virgin when she conceived Messiah? Did Jesus really work miracles? Did He live a completely sinless life? Did He physically rise from the dead on that third day?

 

It is impossible to find unity with those who do not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture because those who disbelieve that essential truth will be quick to reject the supernatural and concoct some natural explanations for them.

 

That’s why the Holy Spirit guided the writers of Scripture to lay such emphasis on the Word of God as the firm foundation of our faith in Christ. Whenever the apostles proclaimed the gospel of Jesus Christ, they looked to the Old Testament – which should make sense when you realize the New Testament did not yet exist.

For example, Luke tells us when St. Paul and his companions traveled through the cities of Asia Minor, he went to their synagogues and “reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:1-3) What Scriptures did Paul reason from? The Old Testament, of course.

 

When the resurrected Christ met with the two disciples on their way to Emmaus, Jesus said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:25-27)

 

St. Paul referred to the Old Testament writings when he told Timothy: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.” (2 Timothy 4:1-3)

 

St. Peter urged the Church: “[L]ike newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. (1 Peter 2:1)

 

The entire 119th psalm, all 176 verses, magnifies the role of Scripture in the Christian’s life. No wonder St. Paul proclaimed: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-17

 

The Scriptures are so important to our salvation, maturity of faith, AND our unity of faith that Satan has always discouraged Christians and non-Christians from reading the Bible. He has deceived even some religious leaders into keeping their congregations from reading and studying the Bible for themselves. That’s one reason the Catholic Church – for example – writes its Catechism: The Church "forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful. . . to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. (CCC 133)

 

In other words, Jerome’s Biblically oriented point of view is that the more we know Scripture, the better we know Jesus. But the converse is also true – the less we know scripture, the less we know Jesus.

I hope by now it is clear to us that the glue of Christian unity is the Word of God itself. However, over the millennia, the word of God has been subjected to multiple and varied interpretations. That’s why there are so many churches and church traditions – all which center around their own particular interpretations of Scripture. Which brings us back to the question – to WHOM did God grant the authority to interpret Scripture? I guarantee you, it is not I. Nor is it you, or your priest, or your pastor, or some televangelist.

 

That authority first rested in the apostles. After their deaths, the authority rested in the early church councils comprised of godly men who sought direction for the Church from the Scriptures. The first council in Acts 15 served as a prototype for what would follow under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

For example, here is St. Paul’s guidance to Timothy: “[I]n case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)

 

The Church cannot be a pillar and support if truth unless the Church is united in the belief that the Bible is the inerrant word of God.

 

To the Christians at Ephesus, Paul wrote: “And [God] gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

 

These are only a few of the dozens of Biblical examples pointing to the authority God gave to the early church councils to properly interpret and teach the apostolic faith. And as the church continued to expand, its leadership recognized the need for succinct statements of faith to maintain UNITY of orthodoxy among the varied and far-flung congregations.

 

One of the oldest well-known creeds is the Apostles Creed, which dates to around 140 AD. Although not written by the apostles, it forms the basis for the more robust Nicene-Constantinople Creed which we will look at now in some detail.

By the way, the word “catholic” in the Apostles’ and the Nicene Creed does not refer to the Roman Catholic Church. The word as used in its original meaning refers to the universal church, which as we have already seen, is defined by the New Testament as the Body of Christ.

The Nicene-Constantinople Creed came about because of a destructive heresy that nearly took control of the early church. A bishop names Arius had amassed a huge following by teaching that Jesus was a created being and not God in the flesh. Arius believed the doctrine of the trinity of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – was blasphemy. There is only one God, he said, and God is not three-in-one.

Were it not for the Councils of Nicaea in 325 AD and Constantinople in 381 AD, the work of Christ on the cross would have been in vain. Christianity would have disintegrated into the heresy similar to modern Jehovah Witnesses, denying the deity, co-eternality and the co-existence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit with the Father.

And THAT, my brothers and sisters, is one of the reasons God established the early councils of the Church – to protect true doctrine around which Christian unity must revolve. (Another role of the early Councils was to determine which of the thousands of manuscripts circulating throughout Palestine, Asia Minor, and Europe – many of which were spurious and heretical – the Councils determined which were divinely inspired by God and belonged in the Canon which we call our Bible.)

I am running out of time to give proper explanation of the Nicene Creed, so I will simply now read the Creed, and make a few final comments. Next week I will return us to the Nicene Creed and hopefully underscore just why it ought to be the basis of Christian unity today:

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consub-stantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Here is my final point: The New Testament writers and the Fathers of the early church placed supreme emphasis on the word of God. And because the church Fathers likewise emphasized the Scriptures in their teachings, they formulated their creeds around the Scriptures.

 

Therefore, since ancient church unity centered around the Scriptures AND how the early church councils interpreted the Scriptures – so should we in the 21st century. That means, if we believe the Scriptures are the inerrant, infallible word of God, then we are on the road to unity. If we believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth – then we are continuing to move toward that place of unity.

If we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God, born of the father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten, not made, consubstantial (of one essence) with the Father, then we are still moving toward unity.

Therefore, if we agree about the inerrancy of Scripture, and we agree with all the tenets of the Nicene Creed, as did ALL Christians in those early centuries – then why must we today insist on full agreement about things on which the early church did not insist necessary for salvation or unity?

 

Unity in the household of God is the only thing that will enable the Body of Christ to put up a vigorous defense and offense against the devil’s work on this planet and in our families. A house divided against itself cannot stand. But a house united is a formidable army to advance even against the gates of hell. Oh, may God help us all to unite against the true enemy of our souls.

Next week we will conclude this series with an exposition of the Nicene Creed.