Delivered on June 26, 2005, Melana

continues a look at the Apostle's Creed.

This is the fourth in a series dealing with

topics requested by the congregation.

I Believe....                                             Isaiah 53:1-6 & I Corinthians 15:1-11

This morning we are looking at the second half of the last articles of the Apostles’ Creed.

        Remember that last week I began by saying that it is important to recognize that often creeds are written to make clear what the church does not believe.  The creed would state clearly what the orthodox belief was, over against the heresy that was prevalent at a specific period of time.  That is going to be particularly important as we look at the statements this morning.  These were all statements that were made to prove what the “correct” belief was as opposed to the teaching of some popular group of the day.  The creed provided a way for people who did not read nor have access to books, to learn the theology of the church before their baptism.

        So, this morning, we look at the last three phrases of the Apostles’ Creed to see what they tell us about what the church believes about the Holy Spirit and what it means to be part of the church of Jesus Christ.

4)”the forgiveness of sins...” - This phrase was one of the last to be added to the Apostles’ Creed.  This became important during the persecutions of Christians in the 3^rd and 4^th centuries.  Many Christians believed in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins - but the question came up - what happens if one renounces faith in Jesus Christ in order to save one’s life.  Was it possible to give in to the powers of the world - the persecutions - and then come back to the faith?  The orthodox church wanted people to understand that through Jesus Christ our sins are forgiven - not just once, but over and over again.  Another problem that this phrase addressed was an ideology that was prevalent in the early centuries of the church, called Gnosticism.  Gnosticism taught that humanity’s goal was enlightenment - that we could come to know all that we needed to know in order to rise above our human limitations.  The church wanted to teach people that what we needed most was forgiveness and a new way of life in Christ.  In today’s society we have lost a sense of moral certainty - morality today is often situational - and the ethics of those situations is becoming more and more complex.

        We need to be reminded that we are a forgiven people - forgiven each and every day for our gaps in right thinking and living.  Many times people have said to me that they did not think they lived a good enough life to merit going to heaven.  That is what this phrase is about - Jesus Christ came because not one of us lives well enough to merit God’s love and grace - it is a freely given gift.  We believe in the forgiveness of sins - not once - but over and over.

5) “the resurrection of the body...” - In the next two phrases I might answer some of the questions people felt I left unanswered a few weeks ago.  This is a difficult phrase because of the very prevalence of beliefs that I spoke about when we talked about what happens when we die.  The Greek idea of a body/soul split is still so common, that it is difficult to explain this “body” idea.  This phrase is in the creed precisely because of the prevalence of the idea that the soul was better than the body and that at death, the soul, which did not die, merely left the body and ascended to heaven. In the 15^th chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians Paul deals with resurrection and his understanding that because of what Christ has done and because Christ was raised, then we will all be raised.  Paul was trying to combat the idea that some part of us is immortal and that our souls live on.

        We will not be ghosts or spirits floating around.  I would really like you to hear this - this soul/body split is not a Christian understanding of what happens when we die.  This phrase is in the creed because we need to be reminded that God created humanity in God’s own image and we are who we are - body, mind, spirit - all one, no separation, no immortality.  As Christians we believe that we will die - no part of us will continue to live forever except by God’s grace - that is the promise of the resurrection.  We believe that God will raise us from the dead and we believe that God will do this with a body because that is part of who we are.

        Now, it will not be this body - I don’t want this body forever - none of us do - we don’t want the throbbing knee or the pain in the back that we have lived with for years.  Don’t worry - it won’t be this body.  How do I know?  I know because people who had been with Jesus for three years did not immediately recognize him when they saw him after the resurrection.  Mary Magdalene recognized him when he called her by name.  The disciples on the road to Emmaus recognized him when he broke the bread with them at dinner.  People could touch him and he ate with them - he had a body after the resurrection.  Now he could walk through walls and suddenly appear in their midst, but he clearly had a body. 

        Where our resurrected bodies will be, I have no idea.  We have tended to think that heaven was somewhere “up there.”  But as we have discovered space, that concept has changed.  I don’t know where heaven is and it is not something I spend a great deal of time contemplating - I just believe that we will be raised from death by God’s grace and will live eternally.

Which brings us to the last point.

6) “the life everlasting...” - The most well-known verse in Scripture gives us this belief.  John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  I do not know what everlasting life will look like exactly, but by reading God’s word, I have a few clues.  As I mentioned last week, I believe that we will recognize people who have been important to us, people we have loved, people who have influenced us.  I do not think we will carry with us any of our grudges or anger toward others.

        A few years ago a movie came out called Cocoon.  I have forgotten many of the details, but what I do remember is that the characters in the story are transported to a planet where they will live forever.  I remember thinking that I would not want to live forever in this life - it is too painful too often.  The life everlasting that God is offering will be something more - we will know God as God knows us - we will live in the midst of unconditional love and grace.  The rest is mystery - but that is okay with me.  To live forever is God’s presence, feeling God’s love and grace, surrounded by the communion of saints - that is worth believing.

“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.”  I don’t understand all of it - I will be surprised by the immensity of God’s grace.

I don’t understand it, but I believe it.

 

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in the 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 saint, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.


 

© Melana Scruggs 2005

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