To Know is to Believe ?

To Know is to Believe ?

 

 

Belief is essential to life. 

Most of what we “know” about the world is really what we “believe” on the basis of someone else’s word. We trust the testimony of historians because we cannot personally verify world history. We trust the accuracy of maps because we cannot visit every corner of the globe. 

In almost every area of life, we rely on belief.

 

This is important to recognise. Because what we believe shapes how we live. Our beliefs aren’t neutral. They steer our decisions, hopes, fears, and habits. They form the framework by which we interpret the world and relate to those around us. Whether we realize it or not, we all run on a web of beliefs.

 

We should deeply consider, then, WHAT we believe, and WHY. Especially as Christians.

 Right belief, we learn, is central to our faith, identity, confidence and entire Christian existence.

So what do we believe, exactly?

 

To help distill this, we turn  to one of the most powerful statements of belief in Church history: the Apostles’ Creed. Rooted in baptismal confessions of the second century, and reaching its near-final form by the fourth, the Apostles’ Creed gathers the essential doctrines of Scripture into twelve articles that have been articulated, defended, prayed, and memorised for nearly 2,000 years. Together, they offer a concise narrative of God’s redemptive story.

Every stanza begins with two small but significant words: “I believe.”

 These words can change our life.

Biblically speaking, belief is more than just intellectual agreement. When we say “credo” (I believe) with the Creed, we are pledging allegiance, locating ourselves in God’s story and confessing not only what we think but what we love, trust, and are prepared to live and die for.

In a world where truth and fiction are often blurred, the Creed gives us solid ground. It’s the DNA of our faith: informative and performative, educational and sacramental, a summary of our doctrine and an invitation into God’s story all at once.

So, to begin this life- journey, pause and ask: What do you believe?

(From Digital Anvil with gratitude to the folk at the wondrous Glorify App.)