Jesus is the true and full human, the image of God (Colossians 1:15). In Christ, our vocation as image-bearers has been reclaimed and redeemed. That’s why discipleship is central to human flourishing. The more we know Jesus and become like him, the more we join Jesus in his mission in the world. And the more we flourish as the humans God created us to be. And the more we create the conditions for others to flourish as well. Discipleship, then, isn’t only for our own sake; it’s also for the sake of the world.
The Church’s Rope
Back to the blizzard…How can we know Jesus and follow him in the swirling storm of this cultural moment? Discipleship requires a guide.
The early Christians offered a rope to help us find our way in confusing times. At the beginning of the fourth century, Christianity was growing rapidly and spreading to different regions. But false teachers also were gaining traction and popularity. So hundreds of church leaders convened to crystalize the core confession of Christian faith. We call the resulting product the Nicene Creed.
Drawing on words and phrases of the New Testament, leaders wrote the creed at the same council where they confirmed the canon of Scripture. In fact, the Nicene Creed serves as bumper lanes for reading the Bible. It prevents you from reading in a way that contradicts this confession.
For 1,700 years, the Nicene Creed has served the church as an instrument of unity. It’s a reminder of what binds us together as followers of Jesus. It’s the only “statement of faith” that Christians in all denominational streams—Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox—confess. Churches regularly use the Nicene Creed in worship, which indicates these aren’t merely cold words of doctrine to memorize. Rather, they’re an invitation into the glorious mystery of knowing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Nicene Creed is a rule of faith—a pattern of believing. Because of the good work of many Christian leaders and ministries who’ve helped the church embrace spiritual practices for discipleship, many Christians are now familiar with a “rule of life.” It’s a pattern of practices that helps us develop and grow spiritually. A rule of life is meant to be matched with a rule of faith. For Christian discipleship, we need a way to believe as well as a way to live what we believe.
Think of it this way: The Nicene Creed is the rope that leads us home. Spiritual practices are how to live in the home once we get there.
“We Believe In…”
The Nicene Creed is organized into three sections, or articles. Each begins with the same three words: “We believe in…” The first and last words of that refrain speak to two dimensions of discipleship that we desperately need today: community and proximity.
First, let’s look at the opening word, we. Throughout the past few decades of evangelicalism, one unintended consequence of emphasizing personal faith is the mistaken notion that faith is individual. We want people to come to a place where they have faith for themselves, but we’ve let them cross over into thinking they can have faith by themselves.
Dozens of people I’ve talked with over coffee or a meal or in my home or office have told me they’re not sure if they can be a Christian anymore. Often, they still feel compelled by Jesus. And the idea of God coming to forgive sins and redeem the world seems too beautiful to completely dismiss. But they struggle to get themselves to say certain lines, metaphorically speaking.
