Lesson
2: I Believe…
I
believe in God, the Father, Almighty, maker of heaven and earth;
And
in Jesus Christ, his only son, our lord;
Who
was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
Born
of the virgin Mary,
Suffered
under Pontius Pilate,
Was
crucified, dead and buried.
He
descended into hell,
And
on the third day he rose again;
He
ascended into heaven,
Where
he is now seated at the right hand of God, the Father, Almighty,
Whence
he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe
in the Holy Spirit,
The
holy, catholic church,
The
communion of saints,
The
forgiveness of sins,
The
resurrection of the body,
And
the life, everlasting.
Amen.
John 6:47
Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in
me has eternal life.
James 2:26
For as the
body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is
dead.
BELIEVE
In theology, to believe sometimes expresses a mere assent of the
understanding to the truths of the gospel; as in the case of Simon.
Act.8. In others, the
word implies, with this assent of the mind, a yielding of the will
and affections,
accompanied with a humble reliance on Christ for salvation.
John 1.12. 3.15.
"believe." Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of
the English Language. 2014.
http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/believe
(11 November 2014).
FAITH
4. Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent of the
mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's
testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or
approbation of the heart; an entire
confidence or trust in God's character and declarations, and
in the character and doctrines of Christ, with
an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and
dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that
firm belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which
influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for
salvation.
"faith." Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the
English Language. 2014. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/faith
(11 November 2014).
The Main
Points for This Lesson:
What we believe. As
we said in the first lesson, we will use the Apostles' Creed to teach
the essential teachings of the Christian faith, that is, we will use
it to teach what we believe.
“I believe” and
living truth. The first words of the Apostles' Creed are “I
believe.” These words are of great importance to the Apostles'
Creed and to us as we consider the essential teachings of the faith.
In reading the writings of the apostles and prophets, we do not find
the important teachings of the faith simply listed out as statements.
Rather, they are presented as living truths to be held by the living
faith of God's people. And so in the Apostles' Creed, “I believe”
makes this more than a mere list of statements. It becomes a
confession of what we believe is true.
The meaning of “I
believe.” What are we really saying when we say, “I believe”?
The meaning of “I believe” includes at least two things:
Assent or agreement. To believe is to agree and to be sure of the
thing believed. We read that “faith is the assurance of things
hoped for...” (Hebrews 11:1). We agree with and are sure of the
statement that God is the Father, he is almighty, and is the maker of
heaven and earth.
Surrender of our will. While believing includes agreement, it does
not end there. To believe must also include a surrender of our will
to God in keeping with what is believed. In other words, if we agree
with and are sure that God is almighty, then we will live in keeping
with this belief. We will not fear man who is mere dust, but we will
fear almighty God, and trust him who is almighty to provide and
protect in all circumstances. The three friends believed God was
almighty when they did not fear the king or the fiery furnace, but
chose to obey God rather than men (Daniel 3:16-18).
With that in mind,
we will look at the rest of the lessons with two questions in mind.
What do we believe, and what does it mean to believe it?
Suggestions:
Open each lesson
with prayer for the teacher and the students and this class time.
Begin by explaining
that we will be teaching them the important teachings of the
Christian faith using the Apostles' Creed. Read through the Apostles'
Creed with the children.
Ask the children
what the first two words of the Apostles' Creed are. Talk with them
about why these words are important to the rest of the creed. Without
the “I believe” at the beginning, it would be like getting a car
without the keys to the car. It may look nice in the driveway, but it
would be of no practical value. In a similar way, the teachings of
the faith without our “I believe” at the beginning are of no real
value.
Talk with the
children about the meaning of the phrase, “I believe.” Ask them
what it means to believe something. How do you know if someone else
believes something? Consider this illustration: A dad tells his son
to do something. The son hears and answers, “Yes, Dad.” How do
you know if the “Yes, Dad” means something? You know it means
something if the son then does what his dad told him to do. Just as
the “Yes, Dad” and the obedience are both important, so God's
people should both confess with their mouth and obey with their
hearts and lives.
Read Hebrews 11:1-19
with the children. As you read, especially point out Noah and Abraham
who acted upon their faith. Ask the children questions such as: How
do you know that Noah believed God? How do you know Abraham believed
God would take care of him when God called him to leave his home?
(see v8) How do you know that Abraham believed God could raise the
dead? (see vv17-19)
If you have time,
ask the children what stories from the Bible they can think of that
show someone who had faith, who believed.
Close the lesson
with prayer related to the subject and the students. Pray the Lord's
Prayer together.
Stories:
Hebrews 11:1-19
[1] Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not
seen. [2] For by this, the elders obtained testimony. [3] By faith,
we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God,
so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are
visible. [4] By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice
than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was
righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it
he, being dead, still speaks. [5] By faith, Enoch was taken away, so
that he wouldn’t see death, and he was not found, because God
translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his
translation he had been well pleasing to God. [6] Without faith it is
impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must
believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek
him. [7] By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen,
moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house,
through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is according to faith. [8] By faith, Abraham,
when he was called, obeyed to go out to the place which he was to
receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went.
[9] By faith, he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a
land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs
with him of the same promise. [10] For he looked for the city which
has the foundations, whose builder and maker is God. [11] By faith,
even Sarah herself received power to conceive, and she bore a child
when she was past age, since she counted him faithful who had
promised. [12] Therefore as many as the stars of the sky in
multitude, and as innumerable as the sand which is by the sea shore,
were fathered by one man, and him as good as dead. [13] These all
died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them
and embraced them from afar, and having confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [14] For those who say such
things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.
[15] If indeed they had been thinking of that country from which they
went out, they would have had enough time to return. [16] But now
they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God
is not ashamed of them, to be called their God, for he has prepared a
city for them. [17] By faith, Abraham, being tested, offered up
Isaac. Yes, he who had gladly received the promises was offering up
his one and only son; [18] even he to whom it was said, “In Isaac
will your seed be called”; [19] concluding that God is able to
raise up even from the dead. Figuratively speaking, he also did
receive him back from the dead.
More Stories
and Examples:
1 Samuel 17 –
David & Goliath
Daniel 3 –
the three friends in the fiery furnace
Daniel 6 –
Daniel in the lions den
Other Verses:
FAITH
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:6
Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who
comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder
of those who seek him.
John 6:47
Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.
FAITH AND WORKS (or
FAITH AND OBEDIENCE)
Romans 1:1-7
[1] Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set
apart for the Good News of God, [2] which he promised before through
his prophets in the holy Scriptures, [3] concerning his Son, who was
born of the seed of David according to the flesh, [4] who was
declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of
holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
[5] through whom we received grace and apostleship, for obedience
of faith among all the nations, for his name’s sake; [6] among
whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ; [7] to all who
are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 14:24-26
[in other manuscripts found in Romans 16:25-27] [24] Now to him who
is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching
of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has
been kept secret through long ages, [25] but now is revealed, and by
the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the
eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the
nations; [26] to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom
be the glory forever! Amen.
Galatians 5:5-7
[5] For we, through the Spirit, by faith wait for the hope of
righteousness. [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision amounts
to anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith working through love.
[7] You were running well! Who interfered with you that you should
not obey the truth?
1 Thessalonians
1:2-3 [2] We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning
you in our prayers, [3] remembering without ceasing your work of
faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus
Christ, before our God and Father.
James 1:22-25
[22] But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding
your own selves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a
doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; [24]
for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind
of man he was. [25] But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom,
and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the
work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
James 2:14-26
[14] What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but
has no works? Can faith save him? [15] And if a brother or sister is
naked and in lack of daily food, [16] and one of you tells them, “Go
in peace, be warmed and filled”; and yet you didn’t give them the
things the body needs, what good is it? [17] Even so faith, if it
has no works, is dead in itself. [18] Yes, a man will say, “You
have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works,
and I by my works will show you my faith. [19] You believe that
God is one. You do well. The demons also believe, and shudder. [20]
But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is
dead? [21] Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in
that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? [22] You see that
faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected; [23]
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God,
and it was accounted to him as righteousness”; and he was called
the friend of God. [24] You see then that by works, a man is
justified, and not only by faith. [25] In the same way, wasn’t
Rahab the prostitute also justified by works, in that she received
the messengers, and sent them out another way? [26] For as the
body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is
dead.
1 John 5:4-5
[4] For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the
victory that has overcome the world: your faith. [5] Who is he
who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of
God?
THE TEACHING WHICH
IS ACCORDING TO GODLINESS
Deuteronomy 27:26
[26] ‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by
doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
Luke 6:46-49
[46] “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the
things which I say? [47] Everyone who comes to me, and hears my
words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. [48] He is like
a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation
on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house,
and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. [49] But
he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on
the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and
immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Romans 2:12-16
[12] For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without
the law. As many as have sinned under the law will be judged by the
law. [13] For it isn’t the hearers of the law who are righteous
before God, but the doers of the law will be justified [14] (for
when Gentiles who don’t have the law do by nature the things of the
law, these, not having the law, are a law to themselves, [15] in that
they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their
conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves
accusing or else excusing them) [16] in the day when God will judge
the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.
1 Timohty 6:3-5
[3] If anyone teaches a different doctrine, and doesn’t
consent to sound words, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to
the doctrine which is according to godliness, [4] he is
conceited, knowing nothing, but obsessed with arguments, disputes,
and word battles, from which come envy, strife, insulting, evil
suspicions, [5] constant friction of people of corrupt minds and
destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of
gain. Withdraw yourself from such.
COMMENTARY
Webster's
1828 Dictionary – Complete Definitions of “BELIEVE”
and “FAITH”
BELIEVE
BELIE'VE, v.t. To credit upon the authority or testimony of another;
to be persuaded of the truth of something upon the declaration of
another, or upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and
deductions of the mind, or by other circumstances, than personal
knowledge. When we believe upon the authority of another, we always
put confidence in his veracity.
When we believe upon the authority of reasoning, arguments, or a
concurrence of facts and circumstances, we rest our conclusions upon
their strength or probability, their agreement with our own
experience, &c.
2. To expect or hope with confidence; to trust.
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living. Ps.27.
BELIE'VE, v.i. To have a firm persuasion of any thing. In some cases,
to have full persuasion, approaching to certainty; in others, more
doubt is implied. It is often followed by in or on, especially in the
scriptures. To believe in, is to hold as the object of faith. "Ye
believe in God, believe also in me." John 14. To believe on, is
to trust, to place full confidence in, to rest upon with faith. "To
them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name." John 1. Johnson. But there is no ground
for much distinction.
In theology, to believe sometimes expresses a mere assent of the
understanding to the truths of the gospel; as in the case of Simon.
Act.8. In others, the word implies, with this assent of the mind, a
yielding of the will and affections, accompanied with a humble
reliance on Christ for salvation. John 1.12. 3.15.
In popular use and familiar discourse, to believe often expresses an
opinion in a vague manner, without a very exact estimate of evidence,
noting a mere preponderance of opinion, and is nearly equivalent to
think or suppose.
"believe." Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of
the English Language. 2014.
http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/believe
(11 November 2014).
FAITH
FAITH, n. [L. fides, fido, to trust; Gr. to persuade, to draw towards
any thing, to conciliate; to believe, to obey. In the Greek Lexicon
of Hederic it is said, the primitive signification of the verb is to
bind and draw or lead, as signifies a rope or cable. But this remark
is a little incorrect. The sense of the verb, from which that of rope
and binding is derived, is to strain, to draw, and thus to bind or
make fast. A rope or cable is that which makes fast. Heb.]
1. Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by
another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other
evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the
truth. I have strong faith or no faith in the testimony of a witness,
or in what a historian narrates.
2. The assent of the mind to the truth of a proposition advanced by
another; belief, or probable evidence of any kind.
3. In theology, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth
of what God has revealed. Simple belief of the scriptures, of the
being and perfections of God, and of the existence, character and
doctrines of Christ, founded on the testimony of the sacred writers,
is called historical or speculative faith; a faith little
distinguished from the belief of the existence and achievements of
Alexander or of Cesar.
4. Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith, is the assent of the
mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God's
testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or
approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God's
character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of
Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and
dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm
belief of God's testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which
influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for
salvation.
"faith." Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the
English Language. 2014. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/faith
(11 November 2014).
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