06 Sep God the Father For You

During our Sunday worship services and even our Wednesday chapel services with both preschool and school students, we recite the Apostle’s Creed. This creed is all gift! Every point of this apostolic confession of faith is about what God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have done, is doing, and will do for you. Over the next few weeks, I will share each article of the Apostles Creed along with Dr. Martin Luther’s explanation of what this article of faith means for you. Here is the first article:

The First Article

Creation

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

What does this mean?

I believe that God has made me and all creatures;

that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members,

my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.

He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home,

wife and children, land, animals, and all I have.

He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.

He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil.

All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

This is most certainly true.

What we confess here is how we are called to believe what God the Father is doing for you and me. May God grant us the strength of faith to live by, in, and under these “first article” gifts that our Father richly gives to us daily and for as long as we remain here this side of heaven. Truly we are “graced.” 

-Pastor Darrin Sheek