More Than a Creed
Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong! (1 Peter 3:17)
When unjust suffering seems unbearable, remember the crucifixion. I know you’ve heard that before, but it is something we cannot be reminded of too often. It can be a wonderful comfort. It is remarkable how focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ’s body hanging on the cross as a payment for sin really does help alleviate the pain in my life. About the time I start thinking my suffering is terribly unjust I turn my attention to what He endured; that does a lot to ease or even erase any sense of bitterness or resentment within me. And so, when unjust suffering seems unbearable, remember the crucifixion.
When the fear of death steals your peace, remember the resurrection. There is nothing quite like the hope we derive from our Lord’s resurrection. Every Easter we celebrate it. In fact, every Lord’s Day we’re to be reminded of it. Certainly, the Apostles’ Creed reinforces it.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, 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 sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
Despite the all-encompassing truths contained in these concise words, the most personal and crucial part of the creed is the first two words, “I believe.” Without them, it’s just a statement someone originated—a statement many worshipers recite every week without ever having any kind of personal relationship with Christ. A body of bright, godly, religious-minded men honed that statement to put in simple form the salient features of our faith. But without our faith, it’s still just a creed—a statement of their faith. What we need most is a firm hope beyond any creed we may recite.
The question is, do I believe the truth of that statement? Do you believe it? If you do, there is hope for you beyond it or any other creed. And that hope is a heavenly home reserved for you.
Taken from Hope Again by Charles R. Swindoll. Copyright © 1996 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. Used by permission of HarperCollins Christian Publishing. www.harpercollinschristian.com
