Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
In our study of the core elements of the Christian faith as outlined in the Apostles’ Creed, last Sunday we considered the statement, “I believe in Jesus Christ, His (God’s) only Son, our Lord.” We saw that to believe in Jesus, most importantly means to believe in the saving work He accomplished at the cross, leading to the forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. That Jesus is God’s only Son actually highlights His eternal being within the Trinity. To confess Jesus as “our Lord” affirms our loyalty and obedience to Him.
As I pointed out, this section of the Apostles’ Creed focusing on Jesus highlights what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. There are certain elements of the Christian faith that other religions hold to as well, such as belief in a Creator God, the power of God, the importance of loving others and caring for those in need. But the heart of the Christian faith is Jesus – who He was and is, and what He did for us. This distinguishes Christianity for all other religions.
The outstanding Christian theologian John Stott put it like this: “If the uniqueness of Christianity is the uniqueness of Christ, wherein does his uniqueness lie? Historically speaking, it is found in his birth, death, and resurrection. As for his birth, he was ‘conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary,’ and therefore is both God and man. As for his death, he died for our sins, in our place, to secure our salvation. As for his resurrection, he thereby conquered death and possesses universal authority.”
None of these are true for any other person in all history. It is through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus that God worked to bring us forgiveness and eternal life. This is why Jesus could say, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Only Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the dead, so only Jesus is qualified to be the Savior. May gratitude fill our hearts for the grace of God offered us through Jesus!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob