R. Albert Mohler Jr.'s Blog, page 195

The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits

Below is an excerpt from my new book, The Apostles’ Creed: Discovering Authentic Christianity in an Age of Counterfeits. I will be doing a book signing at the LifeWay Christian store on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary on Thursday, March 28 from 11:30-1:00. 

It began as an assignment. It ended as a milestone in my Christian life. My church history professor assigned the class to memorize the Apostles’ Creed. Obediently, I began to memorize this historic affirmation of the Christian faith word by word, phrase by phrase, truth by truth. Within a few hours I had committed the Apostles’ Creed to memory, ready when called upon in class to recite it. But even at that time I knew that something else had happened.

As a young man I realized that this ancient confession of faith is Christianity. This is what Christians believe—what all Christians believe. The Apostles’ Creed collapses time and space, uniting all true believers in the one, holy, and apostolic faith. This creed is a summary of what the Bible teaches, a narrative of God’s redemptive love, and a concise statement of basic Christianity.

All Christians believe more than is contained in the Apostles’ Creed, but none can believe less.

Ancient Christians honored this creed. Martyrs recited this creed. The Protestant Reformers continued the use of the Apostles’ Creed in worship and the teaching of believers. There is such power in knowing that when we confess the Apostles’ Creed, alone or in corporate worship, we are declaring the truth of the Christian faith with the very words that gave early Christians hope, sent martyrs confidently to their deaths, and have instructed Christ’s church throughout the centuries.

It was the most important class assignment I ever had.

I believe. These two words are among the most explosive words any human can utter. They open the door to eternal life and are the foundation of the Christian faith. Belief stands as the very center of Christian faithfulness and is where Christianity begins for the Christian. We enter the faith and find eternal life in Christ by responding to the truth with trust—that is, with belief.

But Christianity is not belief in belief. It is belief in a propositional truth: that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and savior of sinners. We do not believe in a Christ of our imagination but in the Christ of Scripture—the Christ believed in by every generation of true Christians. Furthermore, beyond belief in Christ stands belief in everything Jesus taught his disciples. Matthew recorded that Jesus instructed his disciples to teach others to observe all that he had commanded them (Matt. 28:18–20). Therefore, there is no Christianity without belief, without teaching, and without obedience to Christ.

But where do we turn in order to know how to believe and what to believe? We turn first, of course, to the Bible, the very Word of God. The Bible is our only sufficient source and unerring rule of faith, and the Christian reflex to turn to the Bible is always right. The Bible is without error, totally trustworthy and true. It is the verbally inspired Word of God. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. When we read the New Testament, we find the faith handed down from Christ to the apostles, those who were taught by Christ himself. Any form of belief that does not agree with the teaching of Christ to the apostles is false—a religion that cannot save.

The New Testament refers to authentic Christianity as “the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Real Christianity is Christianity resting on truth—a faith of definite beliefs cherished by believers throughout the ages and once for all given to the church.

This is one of the great wonders of Christianity and explains why all true Christians hold to the same essential beliefs and have done so for two thousand years: as Christians, we believe what the apostles believed. And we want to hand that same faith to the next generation.

Further, we want to worship like the apostles and preach and teach like them. To do so, we turn first to the Bible, but we also turn to the historic and faithful summaries of the Christian faith, the most honored, historic, and universal of which is the Apostles’ Creed.

From its earliest beginnings the church has faced the dual challenge of affirming the truth and confronting error. Over the centuries, the church has turned to a series of creeds and confessions of faith in order to define and defend true Christianity. The confession of faith we know as the Apostles’ Creed is one of the most important of these confessions. For long, unbroken centuries it has stood as one of the most crucial teaching instruments of the Christian faith—along with the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer.

The Apostles’ Creed was not written by the apostles, but it does reflect the early church’s effort to express and summarize the faith given by Christ to the apostles. Early Christians called the creed “the rule of faith” and turned to it as they worshipped and taught the faithful…

In light of this reality, Christians must stand firm and stand together on the essential truths of Scripture. The church fathers understood this fact, which is why they labored so diligently to give the church faithful summaries of Scripture’s teaching, like the Apostles’ Creed.

The Apostles’ Creed, this most venerable of creeds, exposits the fundamental core of the Christian faith. It contains within its affirmations spectacular and eternal truths. Indeed, wrapped up in the Apostles’ Creed is nothing less than the unfathomable riches of our God, the surpassing knowledge of Christ, and the true theological identity of Christ’s people. That is why we must consider each phrase of the creed, one by one, in order to mine its glorious riches…

To read more, purchase your copy of The Apostles’ Creed at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or ChristianBook.com.

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Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Religious liberty is challenged again as the moral revolution targets religious schoolsCourier Journal (Allison King) — The Louisville archdiocese forced me to resign because of my gay marriageIndianapolis Star (Vic Ryckaert) — A second Roncalli counselor has been told she will lose her job over same-sex marriage

Can a religious school actually operate by its own religious convictions? Increasingly, our society is shouting “No."New York Times (Tammy La Gorce) — She Was Given a Deadline, but Married on Her Own Terms

Despite the defeat of the Islamic State, the greatest threats of the Caliphate—its theology and ideology—remain

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Monday, March 25, 2019

With the findings of the Mueller report now released, what should Americans look for as we examine the special counsel’s report and the political responses to it?New York Times (Peter Baker) — A Cloud Over Trump’s Presidency Is Lifted

The moral dimension of politics: Why did some Americans want the President of the United States to be accused as a criminal?Washington Post (Randall D. Eliason) — Mueller’s investigation is over. Americans should breathe a sigh of relief.Los Angeles Times (Virginia Heffernan) — No matter your politics, you have to hope the Mueller report finds Trump blameless

Where are we as a culture? Even eating a chicken sandwich can be an act of resistance to the moral revolutionNew York Magazine (Chris Crowley) — The Great New York Chicken Sandwiches That Aren’t From Chick-fil-ANew York Magazine (Chris Crowley) — Chick-fil-A Donated $1.8 Million to Anti-LGBTQ Groups in 2017U.S. News & World Report (Alexa Lardieri) — Chick-fil-A Banned From Opening in San Antonio Airport

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Friday, March 22, 2019

Just months after reinstating a ban on romantic LGBT relationships, Azusa Pacific University once again strays from the historic Christian understanding of romanceSan Gabriel Valley Tribune (Christopher Yee) — Azusa Pacific University lifts LGBTQ relationship ban (again)National Public Radio (Tom Gjelten) — Christian Colleges Are Tangled In Their Own LGBT PoliciesZU Media (Katrina Williams and Cynthia Arroyo) — A Case of Opposing Freedoms: Can LGBTQ Rights Coexist with APU’s Institutional Values?ZU Media (Micaela Ricaforte and Brenda Covarrubias) — Azusa Pacific Removes Ban on LGBTQ+ Relationships, Creates Program for Students

Azusa Pacific tries to affirm irreconcilable positions: Why condoning LGBT romantic relationships necessarily implies condoning LGBT sexual relationshipsInside Higher Ed (Jeremy Bauer-Wolf) — Christian U Flip-Flops on Gay RelationshipsSan Gabriel Valley Tribune (Christopher Yee) — Azusa Pacific University Board Members Resign Amid LGBTQ Policy Turmoil

How Azusa Pacific’s policy reversal reminds us that every Christian institution will have to choose whether to face the consequences of not surrendering to the sexual revolution or of abandoning Christian convictionsAzusa Pacific University — Human SexualityReligion News Service (Kevin Singer, Alyssa Rockenbach, Laura Dahl, and Matthew J. Mayhew) — Most evangelical college students appreciate LGBTQ people even if trustees don’tZU News (Brenda Covarrubias) — “Sense of Belonging” lecture gives data on Christian LGBTQ+ circles

Cyclone Idai: How the reality of natural evil calls for Christians to pray and care for our neighbor, even when that neighbor is across the globe

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Does God Really Kill People?

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Thursday, March 21, 2019

Clarence Thomas back in the news: constitutional interpretation, precedent, the importance of understanding and applying the original meaning of a text.New York Times (Adam Liptak) — Clarence Thomas Breaks a Three-Year Silence at Supreme CourtNew York Times (Adam Liptak) — Precedent, Meet Clarence Thomas. You May Not Get Along.

Do bad people deserve good lawyers? The political left is marching onward, leaving Ronald Sullivan behind: How the Harvard Law School professor became the latest focus of moral outrageThe New Yorker (Isaac Chotiner) — A Harvard Law School Professor Defends His Decision to Represent Harvey WeinsteinThe Atlantic (Conor Friedersdorf) — In Defense of Harvey Weinstein’s Harvard LawyerWall Street Journal (Heather Mac Donald) — Triggered by Weinstein’s Harvard Lawyer

Is social media really social? A new study reveals a correlation between teen loneliness and social media engagementUSA Today (Jayne O’Donnell) — Teens aren’t socializing in the real world. And that’s making them super lonely.

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Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Surgery for the sake of selfies? What a recent trend in cosmetic surgery tells us about our self-absorbed cultureWashington Post (Daria Hamrah) — What do my cosmetic surgery patients want? To look better in selfies.

Examining the worldview of parenthood-indecision therapists: Is the decision whether or not to have children so trivial that the color of ink can help you decide?Washington Post (Caitlin Gibson) — Deciding whether to have kids has never been more complex. Enter parenthood-indecision therapists.

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Tuesday, March 19, 2019

How four new laws in Kentucky help reveal the horrifying arguments that pro-abortion advocates are makingCourier Journal (Deborah Yetter) — Kentucky is about to have 4 new abortion laws. Here’s what to know

There is no middle ground on abortion: Why trying to compromise on the sanctity of human life is completely irrational when the opposing views are consideredThe Week (Damon Linker) — Why America is becoming more polarized on abortion

Should we have fewer children for the sake of the earth? Why the Christian worldview welcomes every single human being as an image bearer of GodThe Guardian (Matthew Taylor) — Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez right to ask if the climate means we should have fewer children?Business Insider (Eliza Relman and Walt Hickey) — More than a third of millennials share Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s worry about having kids while the threat of climate change loomsVox (Umair Irfan) — We need to talk about the ethics of having children in a warming world

What are the consequences of following the example of Vermont? Examining the demographic and political makeup of America’s most European stateWashington Post (Andrew Van Dam) — The rise and fall of the most European state in the Union

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Monday, March 18, 2019

When Horror Strikes: Mass terrorist attack in New Zealand leaves the island nation and the world shocked in the face of profound loss and unquestionable depravityWall Street Journal (Rhiannon Hyle, Rachel Pannett, Adrien Taylor, and Rob Taylor) — Terror Attacks at New Zealand Mosques Leave 50 People DeadNew York Times (Patrick Kingsley) — New Zealand Massacre Highlights Global Reach of White Extremism

How the role social media played in the New Zealand terror attack reveals the fading distinction between online extremism and realized evilNew York Times (Richard Pérez-Peña) — Two New Zealand Mosques, a Hate-Filled Massacre Designed for Its TimeWall Street Journal (Jon Emont, Georgia Wells, and Mike Cherney) — Facebook, YouTube, Twitter Scramble to Remove Video of New Zealand Mosque ShootingNew York Times (Kevin Roose) — A Mass Murder of, and for, the Internet

In times of tragedy like this, Christians must understand our unequivocal call to “weep with those who weep”Wall Street Journal (Editorial Board) — Rampage in New Zealand

How a delayed obituary from Germany (Hermann Goering’s daughter) raises the biggest questions of moral responsibilityNew York Times (Daniel E. Slotnik) — Edda Goering, Unrepentant Daughter of Hermann, Dies at 80

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John 6:22-51

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