Focusing on this Key question:
What does it mean to be a Christian?
“Christian” has become diluted
- Christian in name only
- Cults call themselves “Christian”
Right Thought + Right Action = Christian Faith
Let’s define “Right Thought”
Right Thought = Knowing and understanding Truth
- Believing the right thing about God and ourselves
- This is the starting point for everything
John 14:6
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- Truth is more than just “The right way… It’s the right Person.”
Now let’s look at “Right Action”
Right Action = Doing what God says we should be doing
- Obeying God’s commands
- Doing what Christians are called to do
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commands.
James 2:14
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?
Here’s why this is so important…
Right Thought + No/Wrong Action = HYPOCRITE
- “Do as I say, not as I do.”
But there’s also…
Wrong Thought + Right Action = EMPTY RELIGION
- “It doesn’t matter what we believe as long as we are doing the ‘right thing”
So we can say it this way…
To be a Christian is the Marriage of Right Thought + Right Action.
So let’s talk about the “RIGHT THOUGHT” of being a Christian
- This is our main focus today…
What is a Christian Creed?
A concise summary of essential Christian beliefs, serving as a statement of faith and a tool for teaching, unity, and protection of the church
This is the “RIGHT THOUGH” of being a Christian…
- The “FENCE OF FAITH“
Let’s take a look together…
Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
Christian Essential #1: We believe in ONE God who created everything
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Deuteronomy 6:4
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
What religions are NOT monotheistic?
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Mormonism
Nicene Creed
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten from the Father before all ages, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made; of the same essence as the Father. Through him all things were made.
Christian Essential #2: We believe Jesus has ALWAYS existed as the Son in the Godhead
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Begotten not made…
“Begotten” implies a unique relationship between the Father and the Son, where the Son shares the same divine nature as the Father.
Almost every religion likes the “IDEA” of Jesus, but none call Him Lord…
- Islam
- Mormonism
Nicene Creed
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; he became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, and was made human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; he suffered and was buried. The third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will never end.
Christian Essential #3: We believe Jesus was God in flesh, really died for our sins, and really rose from the dead
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
Jesus was not just a “MORAL TEACHER”
- He came to be the final payment for the sin and shame of humanity
Nicene Creed
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and the Son, and with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified. He spoke through the prophets.
Christian Essential # 4: We believe the Holy Spirit is God, but distinct from the Father and the Son. He is active in the life of every Christian believer.
John 14:26
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
The TRINITY = 3 in 1
GOD = The Speaker
JESUS = The Words
SPIRIT = The Breath
Nicene Creed
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We affirm one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and to life in the world to come. Amen.
Christian Essential #5: We believe that God’s Kingdom is both present now in the life of His church and a future reality at the second coming of Christ Jesus.
Matthew 28:16-20
18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
How can I know I’m saved?
Romans 10:9
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Further Resources: