Reading With the People of God #13 Nicene Creedਨਮੂਨਾ

Focus of the month: Nicene Creed

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

What We Value, We Become

Have you ever met someone who MUST be in control of everything? They are rigid, getting upset when anything deviates from their plan or expectations. They value having everything in its place so nothing can surprise them. Except, they are always angry because they inevitably are caught off guard with something they didn't plan for. The only certainty is that everything changes and predicting every possible variant of every situation is not only exhausting, it's humanly impossible. What about the person who is the exact opposite, unable to commit to anything? They don't want anyone asking too much of them or depending on them for putting in time and effort towards anything that might trap them into an obligation. Wishy washy and unreliable, always looking for the next best thing afraid of missing out on something better. They value having options and freedom from guilt to bail at any given moment, hopping on the train they think will take them to something more enticing. Or the person who is obsessed with everything being “fair”. Having a skewed vision of justice, where they determine in their own understanding what they and others deserve. Becoming indignant and bitter when they witness prosperity and poverty occurring outside their scale and narrow scope. How about the person who values money and the comfort of financial freedom? They will sell out their best friend if it means they don't have to live without. Valuing excess, perceived power, and despising lack, all based on standards that have no inclination of Heaven; our eternal inheritance.

All of these examples stem from a worldly mindset, indicating a corrupt, deceitful, and evil heart. Every single one of these examples I have personally participated in prior to knowing, loving, and surrendering my heart to Jesus Christ.

These examples are but a few that demonstrate what we value within the secret place of ourselves truly matters. The inner running dialog we have within our hearts stems directly from our identity, revealing where it is anchored. When our identity comes from self and not our creator, there will always be anger, hostility, and deception. Acting and lashing out when anything different comes along, threatening our self-made idols and identities.

When we come to the end of self, we are in a primed position to be filled with The Truth. Jesus is Truth, He is Life, and when He speaks, even the darkest, most corrupt hearts see. My dark, corrupt heart was never the same after my Jesus encounter. Jesus has methodically stripped away my old sin man and given me a new identity. Taking me back to the beginning showing me through His Word that I belong to God. Knowing this, I am now positioned to give back to God what is rightfully His.

We are image bearers.

What would it look like to live like you actually belonged to Him, The One who created our image?

*Primer contributed by Ardena Hamill, Celebrate Recovery encourager.