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The Apostle's Creed
I believe in the Holy Spirit . . .
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By my own ability or strength, I could not confess this creed. I could not imagine Christ as my Savior by myself and I wouldn't know God as my loving, heavenly Father. And I couldn't live a God-pleasing life.
None of this would be possible if it were not for the Holy Spirit. Who or what is the Holy Spirit? Some think that Holy Spirit is just a reference to the energy force that streams from God. Some say it's just
one of the masks God wears. Sometimes, they say, he appears as Father, sometimes as Son, and sometimes as Holy Spirit. The Bible, however, clearly says that the Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the
triune God. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as almighty, all-knowing, always present everywhere, and eternal. The Bible says he does things only God can do. Things like creating the universe and people.
Things like giving people new birth and empowering them to live for God. Therefore, when I say I believe in the Holy Spirit, I am saying I believe he is God.
But do I really need the Holy Spirit? Don't I have a free will to accept or reject Christ? No, I don't. Luther puts it this way in the Third Article of the creed: "I cannot by my own thinking or choosing believe
in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel . . ." The Bible compares my sinful nature to a hard stone, to a block of wood, and even to a wild, ferocious beast.
By nature I'm a corpse. By nature I am totally opposed to God. That I believe Jesus is my Savior and that I want to live for him is entirely the work of the Holy Spirit in me.
How does the Holy Spirit do his work? Does he come in some strange, mysterious way to those fortunate enough to be sought out by him? No. The Bible says he uses the gospel in Word and sacrament. Every time I hear,
read, or even just think about the gospel, the Holy Spirit is at work in me. The Holy Spirit works through the gospel. The gospel comes to me in words, certainly, but it also comes to me through Baptism and the
Lord's Supper in visible, tangible ways to strengthen my faith. Yes, I gladly confess my faith in the Holy Spirit. I wouldn't be a Christian without him.
© 2005 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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