The Apostles' Creed: The Holy Spirit as Christ Revealed
The Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit , the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.Amen.
The Word
Romans 8:9-11 (CSB) You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you.
The Belief
Believe in the Holy Spirit: What Christ has said
John 3:3–9 (CSB) Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
On Christ: The Spirit births us into the Kingdom of God
When Christ said, "You must be born again," make no mistake: you must be born again but you, yourself, cannot born yourself again. Our salvation, seeing the kingdom of God, the understanding of his word--everything--is completely 100% supernatural. No exceptions.
"You must be born again" - treat this like a command and you will fall into despair because this is a command that you and I cannot obey. The unbeliever can fool themselves into thinking that they are obeying God because it seems, on the surface, that they can do the same thing we do: read our Bible, pray, give to the poor, don't kill, steal, destroy. But there is difference that is everything: believers are born of the Spirit of God while unbelievers are born of the flesh. One is in God, the other is in himself. One believes in Christ and lives, the other has the wrath of God abiding on him. One is in the Second Adam; the other is still in the First Adam. There is no muddling between the two.
On Christ: Christ sent to the Spirit to us
John 16:7 (CSB) Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you.
Acts 1:4-8 (CSB) While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time? ” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
On Christ: The Spirit will convict the world of three things
John 16:8 (CSB) When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:
On Christ: Only the Spirit can convict of sin
John 16:9 (CSB) About sin, because they do not believe in me;
- Preaching against sin versus conviction of sin
On Christ: Only the Spirit gives us the righteousness of Christ
John 16:10 (CSB) about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me;
Romans 1:17 (CSB) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.
On Christ: Only the Spirit has the power to judge the Satan and his demons
John 16:11 (CSB) and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
On Christ: Only the Spirit guides into all truth
John 16:12-13 (CSB) “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
1 Corinthians 2:12 (CSB) Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.
our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.
1689.1.5 Inward Work of the Holy Spirit Concerning the Scriptures
On Christ: The Spirit glorifies Christ
John 16:14 (CSB) He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.
On Christ: The Spirit gives us everything the Father has given to Christ
John 16:15 (CSB) Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.
Adoption
Romans 8:14-17 (CSB) For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father! ” The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs — heirs of God and coheirs with Christ — if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Ministry
John 3:34-35 (CSB) For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.
Intercesssion
Romans 8:26-27 (CSB) In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.