The Nicene Creed: Part 2

What Do We Believe?

by Brandon Jubar

"What do you believe? If you've been a Catholic all your life, you must be able to share with me your understanding of our Savior."

It had caught me off guard, forcing a brief pause while I collected my thoughts. What do I believe? It had only taken a moment to come to me, and then the words just rolled off my tongue.

But those words, which I had spoken a thousand times, seemed to take on new meaning as they spilled forth. I thought about each line... each word... as I continued through my profession of faith:

"...the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen."

The Father, the Almighty

Many religions view God as the Father, yet our understanding is unique in that we believe in the Holy Trinity. Thus it is that we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit -- not in their names. Yet we do view God as our Father, and He indeed cares for us as a father cares for his children.

"...and I will be your father, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:18)

God loves us unconditionally and will always do so. If we open our hearts to Him, our Father will care for us and provide for us. And like a father, He will stand by His children through thick and thin, guiding us when we are lost and supporting us when we are weary.

God is capable of this because He is omnipotent -- all-powerful -- so with the Lord, all things are possible. He has created everything and He therefore rules everything, and He can do everything.

In fact, the almighty nature of God is the only divine attribute that is mentioned in the Creed. For if we do not believe that God is almighty, then how can we possibly believe that the Father can create us, the Son can redeem us, and the Holy Spirit can sanctify us?

Maker of Heaven and Earth

Obviously, one of the reasons we call God "Father", is due to the fact that He started it all! In the beginning, God created something out of nothing. He brought order out of chaos and created the universe (including the earth) and all of the creatures in it.

Yet God did not stop there. He created life and the universe as we know it, but he also created heaven. The earth is the world of men, while "heaven" or "the heavens" refers to God's own place in things. In fact, the Nicene Creed goes on to clarify that God is the creator "...of all that is, seen and unseen."

That's pretty powerful stuff. To think that our Father created it all! And this Almighty Father loves and cares about each and everyone one of us, His children. For each of us are special creations: "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27)

We are all created by the Father, and we are all his children. The Bible does not say that God created "Christians" in his image -- or "Jews" -- or "Muslims" -- or "Buddhists" -- or "Catholics" -- or "Baptists" -- nor any other man-made division. God made all humans in his image. And the incredible diversity present in the human race is yet another testament to the unfathomable nature of God. We are so very different, yet all have been created in the image and likeness of God. Again -- with the Lord, all things are possible.

So Many Words

As I stood there reciting the Nicene Creed in response to the question put to me by this Christian Rock guitar player, I noticed a slight change in his demeanor. I continued through the Creed as he nervously shifted from foot to foot -- back and forth from left to right. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind. Was he thinking that I truly believed what I was saying to him? Or was he judging my reply as being just so many words -- memorized and hollow in their recitation? I had a feeling that I would know soon enough.

Life Applications:

When you think of God, what comes to mind?
How would you explain the Holy Trinity to someone of another faith?
If we are all created by God, in his image, why do we so often judge people by the way they look?

Copyright 2001-2009 by Brandon Jubar
All rights reserved.