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The Nicene Creed: Part IV

What Do We Believe?

by Brandon Jubar

<'); document.write('p>"Through him all things were made."

"Wait a minute," he interrupted. "I asked you what you believe. All you\'r'); document.write('e doing is reciting the Apostle\'s Creed. Is that all Catholic\'s can do? Memorize a few prayers?"

His comment b'); document.write('roke my train of thought. We were standing backstage, and only a handful of stage hands shared the theater with us. As'); document.write(' I stopped and looked at this Christian Rock guitar player, he gave me a condescending look and shook his head in disgus'); document.write('t.

"It\'s the Nicene Creed," I stated. "And it\'s what I believe. I just stood here for five minutes, listening '); document.write('to you quote scripture to me from memory. Is that all you can do? Memorize a few passages from the Bible?"

He '); document.write('started to speak, but I cut him off. "Now you wait a minute. I let you say your piece. And I really listened to what '); document.write('you had to say. So do the same for me and let me finish. And try to really listen."

He took a half-step back a'); document.write('nd looked down his nose at me. It was obvious that he wanted to say something more, but his mouth closed tight. I paus'); document.write('ed briefly, and then continued...

"For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the p'); document.write('ower of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man."

Jesus Christ... Come On Down'); document.write('!

Have you ever wondered why God would even bother to become man?

The answer, of course, is in our prof'); document.write('ession of faith. God became man in order to bring us salvation. It was the only way for us to be reconciled with the Fat'); document.write('her. Because Jesus is both the son of God and the son of man, his very existence is a reconciliation of God and man.

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Who better to mediate between two parties than someone who is affiliated with both? In the person of Jesus, we have'); document.write(' such a dual affiliation. Jesus has both a human nature and a divine nature. His divinity was not absorbed by his humani'); document.write('ty... the two natures are perfectly balanced in Jesus.

Mother of God

Mary was chosen from the moment o'); document.write('f her conception to be the mother of Jesus. She was shielded from the stain of original sin. And throughout her life, sh'); document.write('e was protected from personal sin. She stayed pure, remaining a virgin, through conception of her Son, pregnancy, birth,'); document.write(' nursing... ever a virgin. Ever pure.

And Mary truly is the "Mother of God". Though it was Jesus to whom she gav'); document.write('e birth, he is one with the Father and the Holy Spirit. A triune God. One God with three natures... but one God nonethel'); document.write('ess. So, when we speak of Mary as the Mother of God, it really does make sense.

Jesus is one with the Father and'); document.write(' one with the Holy Spirit. Mary gave birth to him, so she is the mother of Jesus. Yet because of Jesus\' nature, it is ev'); document.write('en more appropriate for Mary to be called the Mother of God.

Who\'s the Man?

Mankind was drifting. We w'); document.write('ere getting further and further away from God. So God, through the Holy Spirit, sent us his Son -- the ultimate mediator'); document.write(' between God and man. And to this day, the only way to reconcile ourselves with the Father is through Jesus.

"I '); document.write('am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me."

As I paused momentarily, the wor'); document.write('ds rang in my ears.
"...he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man."


Life Applications:

W'); document.write('hat do you think of when you hear the word "salvation"?
Do you think you are a good person? Is being a "good person'); document.write('" enough to guarantee your salvation?
What do you think Mary was actually like?
How would a person act who is '); document.write('truly without sin? Would you know that person if you met her or him?


Copyright 2001-2009 by Brandon Jubar'); document.write('<'); document.write('br>All rights reserved.


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