The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1963-02-22
Christian credo
Lesson for February "a. 1868

Nil
Lesson for February "a 1868
The word "Credo" comes from
the Latin and it means L be
lieve." Most Christian churches
repeat the Greed during the
Sunday worship. But a person
might know the Greed by heart
and still not really believe it.
Some Christians fly on the wings
Of others, so tc speak. They ex-
pect to go to heaven on their
grandmother's ticket" They ex-
pect to get credit for h I
Grandmother believed. It can't
be done. Some churches have nc
creed but the Bible. They fee
that nobody understands a creed
anyhow. and that creeds are
the language of men not of God
AS a matter Of fact, all Christian
creeds are based on the Bible
and it is a striking fact that
they are all much alike, and Of
zen in the exact words Of the
Bible. If a man believes just
one single thing. he has tn a
mlIch 0f q crpaI
Believing What We Cannot See
Let US look at another word.
Science. That comes from an
other Latin word, nearing q
know What is the difference
between a Credo and science?
What is the difference between
a Greed and knowledge? One
difference is this: If I say 81
know something, and l do know
it. then l can prove it to any
body who is not blind or crazy
But if I say II believe some
thing. l can be Just as sure
about it as if l knew it, and
it can be Just as true. Only. what
l believe is not public knowledge
shared by everybody. 1t is pri
vate and personal. 1t goes be
yond what any fool can plainly
see.
The most important truths il
lie are precisely those that can.
not be proved. but must be be
lleved. When a girl promises to
love and to cherish a young mar
how does he, how does any one
know she is telling the truth:
1t Is the most important thing
in his life; but he must live BY
it. not prove it. We believe that
God is love; but not every one
knows that though everybody
knows the sky is blue. You car
know that God is love not BY
having some one prove it tt
you; you have to live by faitl
that it is true.
The First Christian Creed
The first Christian creed was
probably the shortest. Jesus
asked His closest friends. Who
do men say that l am? Peters
answer is reported by Mark as
a very short one: You are the
Christ. With that single sentence
Peter registered his belief about
Jesus and his belief in j S S,
From that day to this, Christ
has held the central place. There
may be all kinds Of churches,
but one kind you will never see
is one where the people won't
say whether they believe in
Christ or not. Any Christian
who hasn't made up his mind
about Jesus is hardly ready to
be called a Christian.
Mind you, Peter did not say
all the things, he did not use all
the words. about Jesus that the
church would one day use. But
IN that simple declaration. You
are the Christ, was packed
something vitality important. Fol
ore thing. Peter places Jesus in
a class by Himself. No Jew in
those days thought there could
be more than one Christ tor
Messiah - the two titles NEAR
the same. Further. Peter mean,
TO say that Jesus was the Num-
Der One Authority over men. TIC
be Christ means to share the
sovereignty Of God Himself. How
could Peter know this was true?
he never tried to prove it, but
he dared to live by it.
Call to All, Call for All
There IS a very important fea.
ture Of Christian faith, as it,
center and heart. That is, genu-
inc Christian faith is much more
than recltlng a list of what YOU
believe. More important thar
believe-about is belief-in. There
is a poem called Not What but
Whom l do Believe it speaks
for Christians everywhere, it de,
clareS faith In a Person not II
a Proposition.
There are millions Of things
one can know or believe, with
out being changed at all. A mar
who believes oatmeal is gooc
Tor him Is lust about the same
man # be changes lis nnnd anc
concludes that oatmeal is bac
e.. H. ~