Week 31 Question:

What do we believe by true faith?

Week 31 Answer:

Everything taught to us in the gospel. The Apostles’ Creed expresses what we believe in these words: We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

Week 31 Verse: Jude 1:3

Commentary

But what is faith? Not an opinion, no more than it is a form of words; not any number of opinions put together, be they ever so true. A string of opinions is no more Christian faith, than a string of beads is Christian holiness. It is not an assent to any opinion, or any number of opinions. A man may assent to three, or three-and-twenty creeds: he may assent to all the Old and New Testament, (at least, as far as he understands them) and yet have no Christian faith at all…. Christian faith…is a divine evidence or conviction wrought in the heart, that God is reconciled to me through his Son; inseparably joined with a confidence in him, as a gracious reconciled Father, as for all things, so especially for all those good things which are invisible and eternal. To believe (in the Christian sense) is, then, to walk in the light of eternity; and to have a clear sight of, and confidence in, the Most High, reconciled to me through the Son of his love.

John Wesley (1703–1791). An English preacher and theologian, Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles, with founding the English Methodist movement. He travelled generally on horseback, preaching two or three times each day, and is said to have preached more than 40,000 sermons. He also was a noted hymn-writer.

From “Letter to the Rev. Dr. Middleton” in The Works of the Reverend John Wesley, Volume 5 (New York:Emory & Waugh, 1831), 757.

Video Commentary

NCC Q31: What do we believe by true faith? from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Supporting Scriptures

Below you will find OT and NT references to back up the words of the Apostles Creed.
I believe
(Hab. 2:4; Rom. 4:5)
In God
(Deut. 6:4 1 Cor. 8:6)
The Father
(Psalm 89:27; Matthew 7:11)
Almighty
(Genesis 7:1; 2 Cor. 6:18)
Maker of heaven and earth
(Psalm 33:6; John 5:17)

And in Jesus
(Zech 9:9; Matthew 1:21)
Christ
(Daniel 9:24; John 3:34)
His only
(Zechariah 13:7; John 1:14)
Son
(Psalm 2:7; Matthew 16:16)
Our Lord
(Jeremiah 23:6; John 20:28)
Who was conceived
(Jeremiah 31:22; Luke 1:31)
By the Holy Spirit
(Daniel 2:45; Matthew 1:20)
Born
(Isaiah 9:6; John 1:14)
Of the Virgin Mary
(Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:43)
Suffered
(Isaiah 50:6; Luke 23:25)
Under Pontius Pilate
(Psalm 2:2; Luke 18:32)
Was crucified
(Psalm 22:17; John 3:14)
Died
(Daniel 9:26; Rom. 5:8)
And was buried
(Isaiah 53:9; John 12:24)
Descended into hell
(Psalm 16:10; Ephesians 4:9)
And on the third day
(Hosea 6:2; Matthew 26:32; Acts 10:40-41)
He rose again from the dead
(Isaiah 63:1; 2 Timothy 2:8)
Ascended into heaven
(Psalm 68:19; Col. 2:15)
And sits at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty
(Psalm 110:1; Mark 16:19)
From thence he will come
(Isaiah 66:15; Acts 1:11)
To judge
(Wisdom 6:6; Acts 17:31)
The living and the dead
(Daniel 12:2; 1 Cor. 15:51)
I believe in the Holy Spirit
(Zechariah 12:10; John 15:26)
The holy
(Psalm 45:14; Ephesians 5:26)
Christian Church
(Psalm 22:26; Matthew 16:18)
The communion of saints
(Exodus 19:5; Ephesians 4:3)
The forgiveness of sins
(Psalm 32:1; Acts 10:43)
The resurrection of the body
(Isaiah 66:14; John 5:28)
And the life everlasting
(Psalm 16:11; 1 Peter 1:4)
Amen!
(Psalm 72:19; 2 Cor. 1:20)

Prayer

Thy Holy Spirit, for all that we know, and for all that we do not know, of the seen and of the unseen benefits that are come upon us…. We also, O tender Lord, cry and say: Holy Thou art and All-holy, Thou and Thine Only-Begotten Son and Thy Holy Spirit. Holy Thou art and All-holy, and great is Thy glory: Who didst so love Thy world as to give Thine Only Begotten Son, that every one that believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life…. Remembering…all that came to pass for us, the Cross, the Tomb, the Resurrection on the third day, the Ascension into the heavens, the Throne at the right hand, the second and glorious Coming again…thee we hymn, thee we bless, to Thee do we give thanks, Lord our God. Amen.

John Chrysostom (347–407). Archbishop of Constantinople, John was born in Antioch. He was given the title Chrysostom which means “golden mouth” because of his eloquent preaching. He is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church as a saint and Doctor of the Church. Chrysostom is known for his Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom(from which this prayer is taken), and his vast homiletical works including 67 homilies on Genesis, 90 on the Gospel of Matthew, and 88 on the Gospel of John.

From The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Archbishop of Constantinople (London: Joseph Masters, 1866), 61–63.