CHRISTOLOGY
His Nature
I believe in the preexistence of God the Son, coeternal with, coequal with, and of the same nature as the Father so that he is fully God (Jn 1:1, 8:58, 10:30; Co 2:9).
I believe that the Son in willful, humble obedience to the Father’s will for redemption took upon himself a fully human nature in addition to his own divine nature so that he is fully human as well (Jn 1:14; Php 2:5-11).
I believe that now even as the Trinity is one nature with three persons, God the Son continues to exist as one person with two natures. Neither the humanity nor the divinity overshadows the other such that Jesus is fully God and fully human (Heb 4:15-5:10).
His Work
I believe that God the Son is the agent of the original Creation (Co 1:16).
I believe that in the Incarnation Jesus for a time laid aside all rights to using his divine nature and powers. I believe that the evidence of divinity seen in his life came through his total reliance upon the will of the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit (Mt 12:28; Jn 5:30, 8:28f.; Ac 2:22; Php 2:6-7). Nevertheless, I believe that Jesus was fully aware of his divine nature, his pre-existence with the Father, his messianic role, and his future glorification (Mk 14:61f.; Jn 4:25f., 8:58).
I believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, by the Holy Spirit, and therefore unscarred by original sin (Mt 1:25; Lk 1:34f.; Heb 4:15; 1Jn 3:5). I believe that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless, perfectly faithful life: obedient to the Father and reliant on the Holy Spirit. He had the capacity to sin but the free will not to sin; he hypothetically could have sinned, but he never did and never would. Thus, he succeeded where Adam failed and is the agent of a new creation, the author, perfecter, and model of the Christian life (1Co 15:45-49; 2Co 5:17; Heb 4:15, 12:1,2; 1Pe 2:22).
I believe that Jesus was put to death by Roman crucifixion and was buried in a borrowed tomb. I believe that Jesus’ death pays the penalty for sin, provides atonement before God, and redeems believers from slavery to sin into the family of God. This atonement is sufficient for the sins of the whole world but applied only to those who believe (Jn 1:12; Ro 3:25; 10:9f.; 1Jn 2:2).
I believe that God raised Jesus back to life on the third day through the power of the Holy Spirit, vindicating his claims, initiating the new life believers may experience now, and promising the reality of future resurrection for all. In this way Christ is also the agent of a new creation (Ro 6:4; 1Co 6:14; 2Co 5:17; 1Pe 3:18).
I believe that Jesus ascended into heaven and remains in the presence of the Father where he ensures the salvation of the believer by making intercession as Mediator and Priest (Ro 8:34; 1Ti 2:5; Heb 7:25).
I believe that Jesus will return someday to judge the living and the resurrected dead, to take unto himself those who have believed, and to finally establish the Kingdom of God in all its fullness with the Father as King (Dan 2:44; Jn 14:3; 1Co 15:22ff.; 2Ti 4:1, Rev 21:6ff.).
That is a wonderful post and testimony of faith. It is reminiscent of the Apostles’ Creed, which I think every Christian should understand. I don’t think that it should necessarily be dogmatically recited, but the ideas, thoughts, and faith explained in such should be in the heart of every believer. For those readers who may be unfamiliar with it I will paste it here. One note: where is says the “holy catholic church” it is speaking of the Christian church grown out of the original apostles, not the Roman “Catholic” (big ‘C’) church.
I believe in God, the Father, almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the virgin Mary,
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead and was buried;
he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Sprit,
the holy catholic church,
the communions of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.