Why are creeds important?"No creed but Christ" Over the years that is a phrase I have heard during more than one sermon.
Many tend to view creeds as "head" knowledge and not "heart" knowledge. Some would say, "Why spend so much time arguing about doctrine that isn't important, when God just wants us to worship Him?"
My answer? Christ said we should worship him in "spirit and in TRUTH"? Truth should be BOTH head knowledge and heart knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge(truth) in action.
If I have the knowledge that a “stop sign” means that I should STOP, but I do not have the wisdom to STOP, someone gets hurt. But if I don’t even know what the “stop sign” means, I am even worst off and have no business driving at all.
Both knowledge and wisdom are essential. Action without knowledge is dangerous. Try performing the action of heart surgery without the knowledge from medical school.
OK, let us relate this to God. Without knowledge of who God is, how can we worship Him? If we do not know who it is we worship, are we really worshiping the true God or just a figment of our own imagination?
With that said, this book is a study of the Apostles Creed. It is a study to show us who God is and what He has done. It is short but consists of some great teaching. Mark G. Johnston takes us phrase by phrase through the creed in a series of chapters that would be great for Sunday school or Bible study. At the end of each chapter there are questions for discussion.
I wished 27 years ago, as a new Christian, my church would have taken me through a study like this. They were worried about getting me saved but I was to fend for myself when it came to doctrine.
Paul said we are to study to show ourselves approved. He also said that God gave teachers for the building up of the Church. If God gave teachers to us, He means for us to learn from them.
In a world where information is at our finger tips, the Church is void of it’s own history and teachings. I remember a person who had been in church for years asking me – “Do you mean to tell me that Jesus is really God? I have never heard that before” We need more Biblical knowledge and Johnston fills that gap with this excellent book.
I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*I received this book, free of charge, from P&R Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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