The Athanasian Creed

Consider me odd, but I love creeds. A brother who filled the pulpit for our pastors this past weekend recited the Athanasian creed in his fine sermon on Jn. 1:1-18, which recitation lit a fire in my soul. If you want a good sermon to listen to on what Christmas is all about, or if you want a good message on the deity of Jesus to meditate upon, you could do much, much worse than this one. And if you do listen, you'll hear, amid much solid instruction, the profound and stirring stuff of an ancient creed proclaimed.

I reproduce the Athanasian creed now for the good of my soul and yours (just as it is printed in the edition I'm citing from). It's worth memorizing.

1. Whosoever will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic Faith:
2. Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled; without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3. And the Catholic Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
4. Neither confounding Persons: nor dividing Substance [Essense].
5. For there is one Person of the Father: another of the Son: and another of the Holy Ghost.
6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.
7. Such as the Father is: such is the Son: and such is the Holy Ghost.
8. The Father uncreate [uncreated]: the Son uncreate [uncreated]; and the Holy Ghost uncreate [uncreated].
9. The Father incomprehensible [unlimited]: the Son incomprehensible [unlimited]: and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible [unlimited, or infinite].
10. The Father eternal: the Son eternal: and the Holy Ghost eternal.
11. And yet they are not three eternals: but one eternal.
12. As also there are not three uncreated: nor three incomprehensibles [infinites], but one uncreated: and one incomprehensible [infinite].
13 So likewise the Father is Almighty: the Son Almighty: and the Holy Ghost Almighty.
14. And yet they are not three Almighties: but one Almighty.
15. So the Father is God: the Son is God: and the Holy Ghost is God.
16. And yet they are not three Gods: but one God.
17. So likewise the Father is Lord: the Son Lord: and the Holy Ghost Lord.
18. And yet not three Lords: but one Lord.
19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord:
20. So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion: to say, There be [are] three Gods, or three Lords.
21. The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten.
22. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created: but begotten.
23.  The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten: but proceeding.
24.So there is one Father, not three Fathers: one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Ghost, and not three Holy Ghosts.
25. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after another: none is greater, or less than another [there is nothing before, or after: nothing greater or less].
26. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal.
27. So that in all things, as aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped.
28. He therefore that will be saved, must [let him] thus think of the Trinity.

29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation: that he also believe rightly [faithfully] the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30. For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;
31. God, of the Substance [Essence] of the Father; begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the Substance [Essence] of his Mother, born in the world.
32. Perfect God: and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
33. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead: and inferior to the Father as touching his Manhood.
34. Who although he be [is] God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ.
35. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking [assumption] of the Manhood into God.
36. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [Essence]: but by unity of Person.
37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and Man is one Christ;
38. Who suffered for our salvation: descended into hell [Hades, spirit-world]: rose again the third day from the dead.
39. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father God [God the Father] Almighty.
40 From whence [thence] he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;

42. And shall give account for their own works.
43. And they that have done good shall go into live everlasting: and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
44. This is the Catholic Faith: which except a man believe faithfully [truly and firmly], he can not be saved.

—Philip Schaff, ed., The Creeds of Christendom (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), 66-70.

Christian's Charity

C. H. Spurgeon sees Christian in Pilgrim's Progress as an example of being charitable toward all who profess to be Christians. In the words below, he's referring to the time when Christian met Formalist and Hypocrisy:

Well, these two men drew up apace to Christian, and he saluted them, for it is not Christian's duty to suspect anybody; and when he finds people in the right road, he must treat them as if they were sincere until he has proof to the contrary. If it is the law of England that every man is to be accounted honest, till he is proved to be a rogue, it should certainly be the law of the Christian Church.

—C. H. Spurgeon, Pictures from Pilgrim's Progress (Pasadena: Pilgrim Publications, 1992), 96.

The Holy Spirit Versus a False Spirit

From the third division of Owen's On Communion with God, which addresses communion with the Holy Spirit, we're given this golden wisdom to help us discern the ministry of the Spirit of Christ versus a false spirit:

The Holy Ghost sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts . . . and thence fills them with joy, peace, and hope; quieting and refreshing the hearts of them in whom he dwells; giving them liberty and rest, confidence, and the boldness of children. This spirit whereof men now boast is a spirit of bondage, whose utmost work is to make men quake and tremble; casting them into an un-son-like frame of spirit, driving them up and down with horror and bondage, and drinking up their very natural spirits, and making their whole man wither away. There is scare any one thing that more evidently manifests the spirit whereby some are now acted not to be the Comforter promised by Christ, than this—that he is a spirit of bondage and slavery in them in whom he is, and a spirit of cruelty and reproach toward others; in a direct opposition to the Holy Ghost in believers, and all the ends and purposes for which, as a spirit of adoption and consolation, he is bestowed on them.

My response is simply this plea: O Lord, our Father, be pleased for Jesus' sake, to pour out more of your eternal love, through the pouring out of your Spirit into our hearts, as we look to the Christ in faith as our Pardon, Righteousness, Treasure, and King.  Amen.

The Holy Spirit at Work

"When we find any of the good truths of the gospel come home to our souls with life, vigor, and power, giving us gladness of heart, transforming us into the image and likeness of it—the Holy Ghost is then at his work, is pouring out of his oil."—John Owen

Content with Notions of the Truth?

"When men content themselves . . . with notions of the truth, without laboring after an experience of them in their hearts, and the bringing forth the fruit of them in their lives . . . a decay must needs ensue."—John Owen

Social Grace and Supernatural Grace

I think I've put my finger upon something about middle class and upper middle class conservative Christian society, not least of the Wheaton variety: social grace, it seems, may well be mistaken for supernatural grace.  So here's a question: Are tidy, clean-nosed Christians who live in affluent societies with significant social expectations more prone to mistake social grace for supernatural grace?  I think so.  I think it's a danger for my corner of the Christian world. 

And by the way, I'm not slamming social grace!  That can be a proper outworking of Christian faith.  However, it mustn't ever be more influential than or mistaken for supernatural grace.  A tidy, clean life can go to hell while observing all the acceptable and respectable social graces.

Marks of Authentic Faith

In Ps. 40, we see the faith of David in action.  Amid his trials and tribulations, set before our eyes are two essential ingredients of genuine faith: (1) patient waiting; and (2) confident trust.  These are even two checks to discern whether or not there is true faith in our hearts amid our trials and tribulations.  Oftentimes we think, speak, and act as though faith is just intellectual assent.  It's not less than that, of course; but it's so much more.  And without that more, there is no saving, gracious faith.

Now David's faith in Ps. 40.  First, look at verse 1: "I waited patiently for YHWH; he inclined to me and heard my cry."  Here is patient waiting for the Lord's deliverence amid evils beyond number encompassing David, amid iniquities overtaking him so he could not see (v. 12).  True faith.  This is what it looks like.  How long David waited, we're not sure.  But he had to wait.  Deliverence was not immediate.  Fill in the blank with your evils-encompassing-you-beyond-number, with your iniquities-overtaking-you-so-you-cannot-see.  And then wait patiently for the Lord's deliverence.  It will come.  Count on it.

Second, note the confidence of verse 11:  "As for you, O YHWH, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me!"  David knows his God, has tasted his ways and seen his heart, and so looks boldy for God to act in accordance with his revealed character and works.  He will do it again, David says to himself, this faithful, covenant-keeping God of steadfast love and mercy.  So as you wait patiently for the Lord's deliverance in your "pit of destruction," your "miry bog," remember who your God is and how he acts toward his own.  Consider and count on the grace, mercy, and love of God in Christ.  He'll put your feet on a rock, making your steps secure! (v. 2).  Do not doubt that!  He is faithful; he will bring it to pass.

So there it is: patient waiting, and confident trust.  The stuff of real faith.  May God be pleased to grant an increase of genuine faith in our churches.  And why do I pray this?  For the same reason David experienced deliverence in Ps. 40: that God's great deliverences might be told and sung in our congregations (vv. 9 and 10).

Do Practice and Profession Match?

Jonathan Edwards' sermon on Mt. 11:16-19 has this as its basic doctrine: "Wicked men are very inconsistent with themselves."

Here is a slice from that sermon:

"So some of them may profess that they have had great discoveries made to their souls of God's glory and excellency, and that they have seen how much more glorious God is than all earthly things.  But if it be so, why do not they cleave to God, and follow him, rather than other things?  If they have known God to be so much more excellent than the things of the world, because they have had acquaintance with God, why do they in their practice cast off God for the sake of the things of the world; why do they in their practice prefer a little of the world, a little worldly gain, a little worldly honor, or a little worldly convenience or pleasure, before God?  Certainly, if God be more excellent than the whole world, as they profess that they have seen him to be, then surely he is worth more than so small a part of the world.
      
So they may tell what love they have found in their hearts to God, how they have found their hearts drawn out in love to him at different times.  But if they love him so well, why do they take no more care to please him; why are they so careless of his honour, and of their duty to him; why do they allow themselves in practices which they know he hates, and utterly forbids?"

"They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works.  They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work" (Tit. 1:16).