Whose Creed Are You Following?
A creed can be defined as a set of fundamental beliefs or a guiding principle.
In the history of the Christian Church, creeds served as a way to describe and define a set of beliefs that declared what the church believed was right and true. Creeds like the Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed became dividing lines, revealing authentic believers from false converts and heretics who twisted the Bible.
But the idea of a creed can go beyond the statement of a church council. A creed can simply be understood as a guiding principle. When we get down to it, the reality is that we all live according to something, even if that something is individualism or relativism.
In our world today, many creeds and beliefs rule people’s lives. But these are nothing new to humanity.
Here are the three most significant examples of creeds that we see throughout the Bible:
Satan's Creed: "Did God actually say ...?”
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1)
Satan calls into question everything God tells his people. This is because Satan is a liar whose primary task is to keep one from believing God’s truth.
2. The World's Creed: "What is truth?"
Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” (John 18:38)
The world calls into question anything that places authority over what one wants or desires. Apart from God’s word, humans pursue what they believe to be truth and call into question anything that opposes it.
3. Jesus's Creed: "Believe in God, believe also in me"
Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1)
As the incarnate Son of God, Jesus calls people to believe in God and in himself. Indeed, to believe in Christ as the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world is to believe in God. There is no better truth; there is no clearer creed to follow.
Whose creed do you live follow?
