Apostles’ Creed creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended to Heaven and is seated at the From there he will come to judge the living and I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Apostles’ Creed teaches us the very basics of what we believe in the very simplest of words. Many children learn it by memory as part of their early childhood training in the faith.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
right hand of God the Father almighty.
the dead.
The Belgic Confession is the oldest doctrinal standard of the Christian Reformed Church. Written in 1561, during a time of great persecution, Article 13 is a statement about God’s providence. It is a great comforter in time of trial and a hope in which we can rest our hearts of faith.
“We do not wish to inquire with undue curiosity into what he does that surpasses human understanding and is beyond our ability to comprehend. But in all humility and reverence we adore the just judgments of God, which are hidden from us, being content to be Christ’s disciples, so as to learn only what he shows us in his Word, without going beyond those limits. This doctrine gives us unspeakable comfort since it teaches us that nothing happens to us by chance but only by the arrangement of our gracious heavenly Father. In this thought we rest.”
Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism is a simple plan for teaching our faith to those who have gone before and will come after us, generation by generation. The 120 questions and answers cover all the basics of what we believe. Imagine a family table or a Sunday school classroom, having what we would now call, ‘Q & A’ on questions of faith. There are days in all of our lives when we rest all we are and all we believe on the opening question:
Q: “What is your only comfort in life and in death?"
A: “That I am not my own, but belong
body and soul
in life and in death
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.”
