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The Apostles' Creed -- The Second Article
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. What does this mean? I believe that Jesus Christ ... has redeemed me ... that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness....

Many people wonder what God is doing these days. Earthquakes, hurricanes, famines, wars, ethnic cleansing, recession, and many other evils weigh heavily on many people's minds, including many Christians. A look at the letter Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what God is doing. In the opening lines of his letter, Paul offers these words of encouragement: "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe." I would like to focus on the last of those three blessings, "his incomparably great power for us who believe."

When Paul speaks of power, he is talking about the ability to get things done. Electrical power toasts bread and lights rooms. Nuclear power creates the electricity. Paul speaks of God's "incomparably great power for us who believe." It is as though God is the power that makes all things possible. That power is used for Christians. I discovered how in the words that follow in Paul's letter. First, Jesus Christ has this power. Second, Jesus is the one who uses this power to take care of us in a miraculous manner.

Jesus governs with God's power. Paul writes, "That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." Take what all the most powerful people or angels can do. Jesus is able to do more. Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father. That is the Bible's way of saying that Jesus is as powerful as God the Father. How powerful is God the Father? Paul says, "that power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms." The same power that God used to raise Jesus back to life is the power Jesus has now that he sits at the Father's right hand. That means that when God wants something done, He turns to Jesus, who carries it out with the same ability God could use to do the job. For example, Jesus is busy right now holding the atoms together that make up your body, mine, as well as all the other things of the whole creation.

Jesus takes care of his church. Paul reminds us what Jesus is doing with all that ability. "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." In the same way we use every ability we have to take care of ourselves, Jesus uses His abilities to take care of the Christian church, which He treats as though it were His own flesh and blood. So, all good things are from Jesus to bless us who belong to His church.

But on the other hand, no evil happens to us that Jesus won't use it to bless us as well. Nothing happens to the church that doesn't bless it. Another way of saying that is that everything that happens blesses the church. Take the war fought in the Persian Gulf. No matter what your political beliefs are about who was right and who was wrong, and no matter who you may think won the war, consider a couple of facts. Before the war, no Christian missionaries were allowed into Saudi Arabia. But suddenly, by invitation of his royal highness the king of Saudi Arabia, thousands of Christian missionaries moved in. Sure, they were dressed in desert camouflage, but Christian soldiers and chaplains left the gospel of Jesus all over that country. Consider also the witness Christian soldiers were able to give to men and women facing danger and death in that land, a witness that would not have been as powerful if given back here in the States. The church of Jesus won that war, as it wins every war.

Jesus is no ordinary king. He is God, who set in motion plans to rescue us from this evil world long before this world existed. He is God, who manages everything that happens so that our life under Him will be blessed, both now and forever. What we do for Jesus Christ we do because He makes it possible. We can now serve Jesus in "everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness."

Prayer: Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, Master of history and Ruler of the universe: Hosanna in the highest! Words cannot tell what we owe You for all that You have given us and done for us. All we can do is ask that You would help us live lives worthy of such blessing. When times are good, help us be thankful. When times are bad, help us look past them in faith to wait for the blessings sure to follow. Give us greater faith to live free from fear of what seems to be going on around us. Inspire us with the hope You have given us, so that we will draw others into Your circle of friends and citizens. Amen.