What I Believe

I had a wonderful conversation with my pastor yesterday during our time discussing what we will preach this Sunday (yes, I preach). After discussing our sermon topic, I disclosed to him some things I have been struggling with in regards to American Christianity, especially evangelicalism and my endeavor to understand the Gospel in it's simplicity. The first Ancient Creeds of the Church are a great summary I what I believe. What I do believe:


"Jesus is Lord", the earliest creed of the Church.

The Apostles Creed

I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, 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 sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. AMEN.

The Nicene-Constantanopolitan Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
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.
We 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 worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

What I've come to reject are some Evangelical shibboleths.

The Holy Scriptures:

I believe, without a shadow of doubt, in the authority of the Holy Bible. I do not subscribe to the doctrine of inerrancy as stated in The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. I still have trouble with many Protestant confession statements featuring an article on the Holy Scriptures before the articles on the Godhead.

Eschatology:

I do not believe in the Rapture, at least as taught in in the Left Behind Series and dispensationalism. I believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The idea of Rapture is taken from 1 Thessalonians 4.17, but in the context of this passage this "caught up" experience of the living happening on the Day of Resurrection when the dead in Christ shall rise (v.16). I maybe be wrong but thank God this is secondary non-essential issue in the Church, except in some circles.

Heaven:

I do not believe that the righteous shall go and spend eternity in Heaven. I believe the righteous are resting in Christ until the Day of Resurrection. The righteousness shall spend eternity with their God in the age to come in the new earth and new heaven. All in all, Heaven will descend from Glory and be right on earth, God dwell with renewed humanity. Now, that's heaven.

Creation:

I do not believe that the six-days of creation in Genesis were 24 hours as we understand days to be today.

Politics:
I do not believe that being a evangelical means to vote Republican. I learned that the hard way.