Saturday, January 23, 2016

Apostles' Creed: Conceived by the Holy Spirit

"He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary."

If you are recovering, then it is critical that you believe God the Son came to earth as a baby.  He was the only sinless human being.  Conceived by the Holy Spirit, he did not have two sinful parents.  Being born of Mary, he was completely human.

As the only sinless human, he is the only one we can look to for salvation from our sins.  If you have been saved and still struggle with a sin, then look to him.  Make confession to him.  He is the mediator between God and man.  To look to another for that is a blasphemy and insult against the gift he has given us.  No other religion has this privilege, therefore they do not lead to the same God.  To come to the true God, you have to come through Jesus as this is the only way God sent to himself.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Apostles' Creed: Jesus

I haven't read my previous post about God the Father Almighty, Maker in heaven and earth.  However, I think that I said that if you have a hurt, habit, or hang-up, then it is good to remember that God made you and that you have sinned against him.

Why is that good news?  Because of the solution, Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.  God did not leave his beloved people in their sins.  He sent Jesus, God the Son, to be both man and divine.  He lived a perfect life that I never lived and died the brutal death that I should have died.  Knowing that, I can move on from whatever mistakes I have made and the serious errors in which I have ruined lives.

He did not send another way for salvation.  I must believe in Jesus to be saved from God's eternal wrath.  I cannot get to heaven by being a sincere Muslim or by joining a cloister or being a member of my church (though if I am saved, I will belong to a church).  People outside of Christianity do not know Jesus and do not worship my God.  But the good news is that they can come to Jesus to be saved.  It's not a judgment but an invitation!  Receive this invitation and come to know Jesus through the Scriptures and through his Body in a believing church.