CREED OR STATEMENT OF FAITH

Creed or Statement of Faith..      Hebrews 4: 12 - 13         June 9, 2012

   “For the Word of God is quick,  and powerful, and sharper than any two 

edged sword,  piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and

of  the joints and marrow,  and is a discerner of  the thoughts and  intents 

of  the  heart.  Neither is  there  any  creature  that  is not  manifest in his 

sight:  but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of  him with whom 

we have to do."

    When it comes to a creedal statement, there are two schools of thought
abroad  in the church  today.  One holds  the opinion  that  an organization 

should maintain a creedal  statement or  statement of  faith  to  summarize 

the groups  beliefs and  standards.  The other  group, of which this author 

is  a member,  is convinced a creedal statement is,  of  necessity,  negative
and will never offer an adequate explanation of any persons or groups full
beliefs about the Kingdom of God.     

 Just one word concerning "Statement  of Faith."  This kind of document is
given to offer beliefs of an individual who has gathered them from study of
the Word of God  and life.  The "message"  is somewhat  like a  written ser-
mon, and acceptable as it lines up with God's word.  There is not, however;
 the authority as given to the Scripture.    

     The primary objection to  a  written  creed,  after we  realize it’s  weak-

ness in expressing any person’s or group’s belief system, is the fact that 

the book we would be trying to reduce to a written  creed is alive.  In  the  

King James Version of the Scripture, Hebrews states the Word of God to 

be “quick.”  The use of the word quick is the root word for “quicken,” or  

to make alive. Since God’s Word is alive,  having life in itself,  it would be 

a fools errand  to try to summarize any part of it or put it in other  words, 

as in a creedal statement.  When the words are altered there is no longer 

life in the writing and it is reduced to the work of a mere man. As seen in 

every organization having  a creed,  there  are ultimately  individuals in a 

group who take issue with part of the creed.  Since the written statement 

of faith or creed is the work of  a man or group of men, taking issue with 

such  a creed could be expected.  There would be no authority within the 

creed  to discredit such an one.  On the other hand,  if we are committed  

to the whole Word of God,  our guide for  practicing our faith, there is no

authority without the Word of  God and one who would take issue with it 

could  be  quickly identified  as  an unbeliever and discredited.  Since the 

Word of God is alive and active, God’s Word speaks  to each of us in our 

present circumstance and our individuality.  From  the same passage we 

receive  a message  directed  by God to  our hearts  and  the message is 

tailored to each need.  At  the same  time a message delivered  to one of 

us does not in any way conflict with a message  this same passage may 

convey to another.  It is not  possible for a creed, written by a mere man 

to accomplish  this kind of task.  If  man  has a  hand  in writing  such a 

document without the direct,  divine inspiration of God,  it  has no life in

itself.   It  cannot  speak  with  authority  nor with  flexibility  as  a  living 

document  having  it’s  origin  in the heart of God.  (One aside here;  At
times  men  have  tried  to  say  the Constitution of  the USA  is a  living 
document and therefore subject to alteration by the one who has made
such a statement.  If this were true, there would be no continuity of law
in our land and litigation would even be more  prevalent  than it  is now.
Do we want MORE  litigation?)   On the other  hand. since the only true
and living God is the author of the Bible, He is able to sustain His word 
with His power and wisdom and no man can alter it.  There is also this;
Our  Lord is  omnipresent.  He is here.  Wherever we may go, our God 
is in our presence.   Because of  this  He is always  available  to defend
His word from any attack of the enemy.  (Satan)  In  reality, Satan is the
only  "viable" enemy  of  our Lord, His Kingdom or His People.  He is a
defeated foe whose time seems short.

      Using  this same reasoning one might  call into question the  practice 

of expository preaching from the Word  of God.  The fallacy here  is;  the

Scripture states in Titus 1:2-3,  "In hope of  eternal  life, which  God,  that 

cannot lie, promised before the world began; but hath in due times mani-

fested his word  through  preaching, which is committed unto me  accor-

ding to the commandment of God our Savior;”  There are other places in 

Scripture validating  the preached word as a proper means of  spreading 

the gospel, but there is no basis for  the Word, summarized in writing, to 
be given authority as a creed.  Any written word of  man may well be the 

object  of disagreement by  others who may  have a different view on the 

subject.  This is as it should be,  since the only document Bible believers 

hold as authoritative is Holy Scripture.  If  it is altered, privately  interpre-

ted or enlarged upon by anyone,  we cannot hold it to be a word we may 

follow.  However;  as  in  preaching,  the  written  word  may be  used  to 

communicate truth and can be a  guide as long as the reader,  as well as 

the writer is guided by the Spirit of  God and will  be faithful as  were the 
Bereans of the New Testament in comparing it with God's Word.  We are
always to keep in  mind that our  efforts are never  to be authoritative on
their own.  Our words have power only as  they  align with God's written
Word,  the Bible, and spring from diligent study and application of  God's  
written Word.  

Thanks for enduring the poor attempt on the part of this flawed individual
to publish the things he has learned through a life dedicated to God and
His Word, Jesus Christ; God the Son... 

donporter,sr