I believe in God, the eternal, perfect Father, the only triune God.
He created heaven and earth in inconceivable beauty, harmony and complexity.
In nature and in everything created we can see his generous and beautiful being, his creativity, his attention to detail, his lavish abundance and love. His humor as well as his greatness and omnipotence. His tenderness as well as his power and authority.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son. He was with the Father from the beginning and is God's Son, in Him and with Him. He came to earth Himself to reveal to us perfectly the Father, whom no one has ever seen. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, He was fully God and fully man on earth- neither prophet, nor ascended master- but Messiah, Savior, God as man.
In him we recognize the way, the whole truth and the life, because he is the only way. He died on the cross of Golgotha for our sins and ended all bondage with Satan and his claim to power over us. He accomplished everything, there is nothing to add to that.
On the third day he rose from the dead and took back his life. On the third day he triumphed over death, which seems so final to us. He showed himself to his disciples, he ate and drank and barbecued with his friends. He restored, he announced the Holy Spirit and gave the Great Commission. His life, his parables, his way, his commandments of service, of love of God and neighbor-all this teaches us the way. His heart, his love and his acceptance of the path that was marked out for him, his obedience until death (and resurrection) are the guidelines of our life.
Jesus promised to be always with us until he comes back to establish his kingdom on earth. He will restore everything - in original beauty and perfection. He is coming soon. Very soon.
He is seated at the right hand of God, and out of that empowerment He is even more powerful, more radiant, more wonderful than anything we can recognize of Him on earth.
He comes back as a righteous judge, as justice itself. Every knee will bow before him.
I believe in the Holy Spirit given to us, in whom we are sealed and anointed in new birth. I believe in the new covenant, the law written in the heart, the new heart, the new spirit of all children born anew in the Spirit.
I believe and confess that the Holy Spirit is our Advocate, Comforter and Teacher-that He is the third person of God, and that He lives in us. I believe and confess the efficacy of all spiritual gifts, under God's guidance and according to God's will alone ("The Spirit blows where He wills"). I believe in restoration in the Holy Spirit toward the original creation and in the healing of the inner man through knowledge of God's love and truth.
I believe that we are one in Christ-all those who confess Him with their lips-AND believe in Him from the heart, with the heart, undivided. Believe him to be real. Love Him and do what He tells us to do:
Love in the ways he teached us, being true und speaking truth, bringing life.
The church is us believers-, not a building, not a denomination. In this sense I believe in the "holy catholic (universal)" church.
I believe in the communion of saints- that Jesus is in the midst of us, where we come before him in one mind and one desire. I believe in the power of prayer and that the authority and efficacy of prayer rests with God as the hearer and listener and not with the person praying.
I believe in the bondage of the world in sin, in the fallen world. I believe and confess that we do not have to struggle with flesh and blood, but with mighty and powerful ones, with the lords of the world who rule over this darkness, with the evil spirits under heaven. (Ephesians 6:12ff). I believe and confess that Jesus, however, won the victory over Satan once and for all on the cross, and that we can therefore flee from evil in the confession of His authority- in personal responsibility and self-examination, in confessing and praising God's greatness, and in trusting God's Word. We are placed as God's children.
I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the necessity of confession, and the liberating and restoring, reconciling power of the cross. I confess to be saved by grace alone- neither by works nor by my own righteousness. But because Jesus has become my righteousness, I am adopted as a child of God for eternity. And I am grateful for this undeserved grace. But because Jesus saved me, I follow Him and His desires in joy and freedom.
I believe in eternal life- the life that never ends for those who are in Jesus Christ. I believe in full restoration, I believe and confess that in God there is no change nor darkness. I confess that God is perfect love that casts out the fear of punishment.
I confess the cross, resurrection and ascension and the personal return of my King. I follow Jesus Christ the Nazarene- the Messiah, the King of Kings and He is Lord of my life, loving Father of my soul, Friend and Love of my life. For it is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
As I confess this, I also confess that the Bible is the only holy Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit - Old and New Testaments - leading to the Christ, His coronation and the restoration of the world under His glorious reign of love. Maranata.
Amen.