If you should find yourself in a position where you are listing out what you believe, a good place to begin is with your beliefs on God. That is what happens here in the Smalcald Articles. And what we see is a very nice summary of the Christian belief about who God is.
We see the trinity mentioned, although the word is not used. But this is one of those mysteries that is truly and deeply awe inspiring. God is so big and so beyond us that we cannot even begin to fathom him. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. We will not be able to figure him out or understand him. But what we know about him, he has revealed to us in his word, and so we go with that.
He created heaven and earth. He is active and involved in his creation. He brought it into existence out of nothing. He spoke and it happened. He cares for his creation and is not only working to sustain it, but to reconcile it back to himself.
He did this through the incarnation. Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. He lived the perfect life, suffered and died on the cross and rose again from the dead. All so that we could have forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. So if you thought it was amazing that God would even consider us, how much more amazing is it that he would become a human being and die, so that we could have life?
And not only did he make it possible for us to have that forgiveness and life, but he sends his Spirit to be with us. So that we are never alone. We have all that we need to do what he has given us to do.
It is really an awesome thing. The words of Smalcald sum this up much better than I could here. But spending some time this week thinking about just how awesome our God. How much we loves and values you, and his creation. And just what does all that mean for our daily lives?
May it be for you a constant source of peace and comfort.
Sincerely,
Pastor CJ
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