This next phrase in the Apostles’ or Nicene Creed is where churches differ in doctrine. Who’s right? Here’s where you need to go to the Gospel and seek the truth for yourself. Don’t rely on the teachings of one church. We were warned by Jesus, Paul, John, Jude and Peter many times to beware of false teachers. Most of the time they come across as very believable, but they are really doing Satan’s work of deception. Our next series will be the Book of Ephesians where we’ll touch on spiritual warfare. For now, we’ll finish deconstructing the Apostles’ Creed. There’s one more part after this…
The Apostles’ Creed Part 7
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins…
The Apostles Creed
Having to be baptized again as an adult, once I repented of my sins and invited Jesus into my heart — aka, being born again — was the one thing I couldn’t wrap my head around. I go into more detail in this article: Why do I have to be Baptized Again?
Baptism doesn’t save you. However, it is an outward showing to yourself and others that you repented of your sins; that you are going to stop sinning and commit your life to Jesus. The act of baptism by immersion shows that you died to your old life and are raised to a new life with Christ.
There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism…
Ephesians 4:5 NLT
We’re not accountable to a priest or a church. No, we are directly accountable to God for our sins — no matter how big or small they are.
We are instructed… by Peter…
“Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:38 NLT
A baby cannot repent before his or her baptism because they haven’t committed any sins YET. It’s OK to dedicate a baby to God — vowing to raise the child in a Christian home with proper Bible study. But the one Baptism happens as a adult, after the age of accountability, when the person can make a conscious decision to repent of their sins and ask for forgiveness. Then, they get baptized.
The Forgiveness of Sins
Again, I quote from the study on the Apostles’ Creed in the Bible App by Matt Chandler of LifeWay.com
Although we don’t often think about ourselves as saints, we should. God has set us apart as a holy people, the church. We’re holy, but we aren’t yet perfect in our sanctification. The Christian life is one of forgiveness. We’re justified through faith in Christ, once and for all. However, sanctification is an ongoing ethic of confession and repentance. We must continually be forgiven of our sins, and we must continually forgive those who sin against us. This is why the Apostles’ Creed affirms that we believe in—the “forgiveness of sins”.
All who are Adam’s children (all humanity) have been diagnosed with the disease of sin. All of us are rotten branches because we were born from a rotten root. Theologically, this concept is known as the doctrine of original sin (See Rom. 5:12-21). For many people, this doctrine is scandalous because they think they shouldn’t be held responsible for Adam’s sin. Yet, in your very nature you have denied God and His holiness. Yet, in Christ there is forgiveness of sins. All who come to Jesus are freely forgiven of their sin and their shame. No person is too bad or too far from God that God will not forgive them. You won’t find any exclusion from God’s forgiveness. This is the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
To experience freedom from your sin, you must admit your sin and believe you can be forgiven. There’s no iniquity, transgression, or sin that’s more powerful than the forgiveness of God in Christ. God can—and will—forgive any confessed sin of which you repent….
Matt Chandler of LifeWay.com
King David repents of his sin in Psalm 51…
For I was born a sinner—
Psalm 51:5 NLT
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 NLT
When Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished!”, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This opened the way for Jesus to meet us face-to-face with no need of protocol, rituals, laws, dogmas or priests.
Open you eyes! You do not need a priest to confess your sins to every week. Jesus absolved your sins the moment He died on the cross.
All YOU have to do is confess to Him, repent of your sins & invite Him into your heart. Then be baptized. Otherwise, you will not get into Heaven.
“Do not attempt to water Christianity down.”
C.S. Lewis
This is why it’s so important to read the Bible for yourself! What many churches teach nowadays is a watered-down version of the Gospel. Furthermore, the problem is that you don’t know any better until you start not just reading, but studying the Gospel daily. Ask God to open your eyes, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to you. Hey, don’t even take my word for it! Read it for yourself!
Even when I was in the progressive church, something was telling me — nudging me — that what I was hearing was not right. For the longest time, I was walking around with a false sense of salvation.
Jesus is the ONLY WAY!
If you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven and that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, this is what you have to do…
Believe. Repent. Be Baptized. Receive the Holy Spirit.
- Believe — have Faith — that Jesus is the Christ and He died taking your sins away forever and that He rose from the dead 3 days later.
- Repent of your sins — stop sinning! Do a complete 180-degree turn in your life and surrender your life to Him. When you ask Jesus to forgive you He will. ALL your sins will be wiped clean — past, present, and future! And All means ALL!
- Be Baptized by water baptism — show the world and yourself that you have died to your old life and are born again in Christ.
- Receive the gift of Holy Spirit in your heart.
Invite Jesus into Your Heart and Receive the Gift of Grace, Joy, Peace, and the Confident Hope of Eternal Life…
Pray this prayer humbly and wholeheartedly…
“Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for my sins. Please forgive me. Right now, I turn from my sins and open the door of my heart and my life to you. I confess You as my personal Lord and Savior. I surrender my whole life to you and I will follow you for the rest of my life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Next Steps in Your New Walk with Jesus…
- Start reading the Bible daily to get to know God. If you don’t have one, I recommend the YouVersion, Bible.app and Through the Word app — both are free and have a lot of great Bible studies.
- Pray every day. Talk to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you daily.
- Find and join a Bible-believing church — preferably a non-denominational one and be baptized!
My Testimony…
- From Catholic to Prodigal: Surviving College
- From Prodigal to Progressive: Surviving Hurricanes
- From Progressive to Born Again Christian: Surviving Unemployment
Jesus Christ is coming back soon! Are you ready?
Soli Deo Gloria — To God Alone Be the Glory!
