We believe in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
three persons living in the unity of love.
We praise God the Father:
in love he created the universe through his eternal Word and Spirit;
by his power he sustains and directs it.
He has made us his sons and daughters,
to share his joy and to live together in peace.
We confess Jesus Christ, God the Son:
in love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became one of us;
to fulfil the promise to Israel and to reconcile the world with God.
In his life he was obedient to his Father's will;
he forgave sinners, brought hope to the lost,
healed the sick, and set free those who were oppressed.
In his death on the cross he bore the sin of the world;
on the third day he was raised from death by the power of God.
He triumphed over all the powers of evil;
now he reigns in heaven, sharing his risen life with us.
We trust God the Holy Spirit:
in love he calls the Church into being.
He unites us to Christ, in whom we are justified.
He guides our understanding of the Scriptures,
as he also guided and inspired their writers.
He sanctifies us in sacraments,
and imparts to the faithful the fullness of Christ.
He assures us of forgiveness.
He empowers us to be disciples,
embodying the love of Jesus in the Church and in the world.
We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
We hope for the coming resurrection, through the resurrection of Christ.
We look for his coming again in power and glory,
to judge the world and to make all things new.
Then all creation shall rejoice in communion with the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God blessed forever.
Amen.
The Apostles' Creed
The Church of Scotland believes in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit and proclaims Jesus Christ crucified, risen and glorified.
Our standards of belief are to be found in the Old and New Testament (the Bible) and in the Church's historic Confession of Faith. For a brief summary of our beliefs, it is useful to look at the Apostles' Creed, which is used by many churches in declaring Christian faith:
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth and 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.
"I believe in
the Holy Ghost;
the Holy Catholic Church;
the Communion of Saints;
the Forgiveness of Sins;
the Resurrection of the Body;
and the Life Everlasting."
Amen.
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The essentials of Christianity:
First, we believe in the authority of Scripture, which is another way of saying that the Bible is God's inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word. It's the ultimate source for knowledge about God, as well as the definitive guide for our daily lives.
Next we affirm the existence of a triune God or one God in three distinct persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This God is self-existent, eternal, unchanging, omnipotent, omnipresent, holy, righteous, and loving. God created the universe from nothing and He rules over His creation sovereignly including both human and angelic beings.
We also hold that man is a physical and spiritual being who is created in God's image. But because of his sin or transgression, man has lost his fellowship with God. The extent of sin is so great that its effects continue to this very day in the form of cruelty, suffering, and death.
By God's grace, Jesus Christ - Who is fully God and fully man - was sent to save us from our bondage to sin. We believe that Christ was born of a virgin, died for our sins, physically rose from the dead, and will one day return to judge the world and deliver His people. Faith in Christ is the only means by which mankind can escape eternal damnation and judgement.
Finally, we recognise the church as God's ordained institution headed by Christ. The church is composed of all believers, and is organised for worship, for fellowship, for the administration of the sacraments, for spiritual growth and support, and for evangelizing the world.
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