Tuesday, December 7, 2010

My Personal Creed

Personal Creed
In equality of all the created, be it spatial, living or non-living, I issue this declaration as follows:

I, as a living creation, believe in the one true God, the Great Creator of all things, the King of all kings, the Lord of all Lords, the Father and the Mother.

As the one true God, He is the only one who is powerful and mighty, and He created all including those which are seen and are unseen. As King and Lord of all, He is the Supreme Being and Ruler, and His power and majesty are unmatched.  As the Father God, He demanded the utmost attention of His children to all His commands which also corresponds discipline to those who do not pay attention to it. But at the same time He is also the Mother, who, like a mother bereft to her infant, showered Her love to Her children without any hesitations even to a point where the children rebel against Her.

I believe in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, the prophesied Messiah. Who, being in the nature of God and of one being as the Father, and for us and our salvation, came down from heaven, was born of the Virgin woman named Mary, through the Holy Spirit. Being made in human likeness, he lived among the people, later rejected by the people and suffered death by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, was buried, but on the third day was resurrected in accordance with the Scriptures; that, after being seen by his apostles and the more than five hundred witnesses, he then ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

Jesus Christ, in John 3:16, is the begotten Son of God. In Philippians 2, He is to be proclaimed as Lord. He is the prophesied Messiah in accordance to the Old Testament prophesies regarding the coming Savior of God’s people, particularly in the book of Isaiah, Micah, and  Zechariah. The prophesy of the coming Savior became a reality with His birth through the Virgin Mary. Though He is God, Jesus Christ took the nature of a servant (a carpenter) and lived among the people. And because He was just a carpenter, he was rejected and crucified under Pontius Pilate. This event with Pontius Pilate became a very significant one to prove that it did happen historically. And add to that the more than five hundred people who witness his resurrection and his ascension to heaven.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the giver of life, who is also one with the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified. Who, in a formless state, has spoken to the prophets, and also to all people, regardless of belief or culture.

The Holy Spirit was responsible when the Father breathe the breath of life to Adam during the creation of man. With that, it’s obvious that the Holy Spirit was also present before time with the Father. The Holy Spirit also is glorified and worshipped when we worship and give glory to God. The Holy Spirit also cannot be seen but IT is the ONE who spoke to the prophets what to tell to the people of God, and IT is responsible for the conviction of people to accept the truth about God. And IT doesn’t limit itself to Christians but also to those people unreached by Christian missionaries.

I believe that I, created in the image of God, convicted to eternal damnation, but saved by the blood of Christ as ransom to death, is responsible for my fellow and the earth’s welfare. Who, though being limited in capacity, can cross different boundaries to reach out to all people and spread the Scripture, thus fulfilling the great commission.

In Genesis, God created man in His own image. Humans were created free from sin. But because of selfish desire, the first couple sinned. And for that, we were convicted to eternal death. But because of the love of God for His created, especially human, He sent His only begotten Son to the world and through the Son’s blood, we were ransomed from sure death and were saved. The Son then gave us responsibility to carry our brother’s burden. And not only that, we are to care for the earth that we live in since caring for it will likewise means caring for each individual. And before Christ ascended to heaven, we were commanded to spread the Good News to the entire world. Therefore, it is, but important, for humans to follow this command. And I am deemed to follow this responsibility, not by force, but out of my free will, as empowered by the One who gives me strength.

I believe in one universal and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism as a public testimony symbolizing the forgiveness of sin through Christ. I look forward for the second coming of Christ, who will judge both the living and the dead, and for the life of the world to come. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The Church should be based on the consensus of the Community of Faith about the doctrine of Christ. Through this doctrine, baptism follows after a person acknowledged that Christ is the Savior and God. Baptism also is a public testimony to show to the people that Christ is now central in your life, and it is not to be considered as a prerequisite for salvation. It is also an act symbolizing that you are one in Christ during His death, His burial, and resurrection. As Christ had promised, we are to be alert always since He will come back anytime soon to judge the people of all ages (that’s including those who are dead) of this world. Further, we are to ready ourselves for the life we are to live after the judgment. And all these things will happen for the glory of our God.