Sunday, November 02, 2014

CREED: I Believe… IN GOD THE FATHER 

One of my e-mail signatures is "Serving Jesus Christ and those who are His by Redemption and/or Creation.
This all flows out of my belief that GOD is "The Father".
(And in the act of Creation as one God, performed the work, with Jesus, making man "in our image".) 
First, to be a Father means to have at least one child. This is defined very specifically later when the Creed states that [I believe in] "Jesus Christ His only Son, our Lord".
This sets out the conviction of the Trinity, the eternal Father, who of necessity must have an eternal child, and specifically Jesus, the "pre-incarnate only begotten son". This establishes personhood and personality, and relational completeness. God, as a triune "person" is Personal and complete without any need for creation. But we come back to this as we go on to speak in the creed, specifically of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
But when I say "I believe in God the Father, (Almighty, maker of heaven and earth)" I am also declaring that He is the "Father" of all creation, and specifically of mankind. Hence I am, as far as the So What? question is concerned, counting myself, as a finite created being, to be related to all other humans throughout all of history and in all corners of the globe. I am a brother to them by virtue of having the same Father, as I am physically descended from Adam. 
Then, in confessing Him to be the Father in the Biblical, and Christian context, I am speaking of the more "personalized" sense that "To as many as received Him, He gave the power (authority) to become the "sons of God", different than Jesus THE Son of God, but different also than those who are "sons" (children) because they are created "in His image". Hence I am a spiritual descendant of Jesus, (the second Adam.) 
So when I come to identify my "purpose" in the e-mail signature as one who is "Serving Him and His" or as I have posted in my workplace "Serving Him - Serving You" I am reminding myself, and proclaiming to those who may take notice, that I am aware of a twofold responsibility.
One, because He is My Father, both by Creation and by having redeemed me through the Sacrifice of Jesus, then I serve Him when I serve anyone, in any measure, because they are His, and I am related to them on two levels. Some only because they are created in His image, and some because in addition to the "common brotherhood" of man, I am also a brother "In Christ", as a "close relation'.
If I rightly understand "family relationships" I must understand that these "siblings" "in the flesh" and/or "in the faith", are my brothers and sisters, no matter how weird or wonderful their behaviour, AND no matter how much I agree or disagree with their particular views. 
This declared belief on my part, as far as the "So what" question is concerned should mean very specific responsibilities in my "social" conduct, or even, or maybe especially, my political commitments. 
Saying in the Creed, "I believe in God the FATHER" and the responsibility that places on me, of necessity" must catch up with me when I come to pray "Our Father... forgive us our debts as we forgive those who trespass against us", or any of the other entreaties I make therein.
But the God I confess is not just the "Father" but the "Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth"! 
So What?
I'll meditate on that in the next entry.

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