Today Daily Devotional

In Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

— Romans 12:5

Many years ago I heard someone say, “I believe in the communication of the saints.” While good communication is essential in all kinds of relationships, our connectedness in Christ goes beyond communicating well with each another.

When we say, with the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in . . . the communion of saints,” we are saying that through Jesus’ blood we not only belong to him but also to each other. Our blood relationship in Jesus transcends even the real blood we share with our own family members.

And our communion with each other is more than just a statement of fact. Paul goes on to explain that belonging to one another has a crucial function. Each of us has been given gifts by the Holy Spirit. Though our gifts vary, the purpose for them is the same: to build one another up in service to the Lord and for the benefit of all. Using our gifts leads to all kinds of ways in which we can show God’s love to one another and to all the people around us.

The gifts we have may include preaching (prophesying—bringing God’s Word to people), teaching, leading, serving, giving, or a number of other abilities. Jesus wants us to use these gifts with thanksgiving and love to strengthen his body so that all can join in the communion of saints.

Lord Jesus, just as we belong to you, we belong to each other. Help us to use our gifts faithfully to build up your body and share your love with everyone. Amen.

There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb.

— Revelation 7:9

The Christian faith is deeply personal. At the same time, it is also deeply communal. When we say, with the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in . . . the holy catholic church,” we are declaring that the church, the body of Christ, includes all who belong to the people of God throughout history.

Let’s be clear, though, that this statement does not single out or promote a particular church within the body of all who believe in Christ. The word “catholic” here means “universal,” indicating that the church of Christ includes all of God’s people from all times in history. The breathtaking vision in Revelation captures the scope of Christ’s church gathered “from every nation, tribe, people and language.” Can you imagine a more awe-inspiring sight?

And what unites this astonishing multitude of people from every time and place? Since the early centuries of the church, the teaching of statements like the Apostles’ Creed has played a central role in uniting Christians around the true faith anchored in Scripture and inspired by the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

May the truth and witness of the universal church comfort, encourage, and challenge you to love and serve the God whom countless believers have served through the ages.

Lord, we are humbled and grateful to belong to your church, and we look forward to praising and serving you forever. Amen.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

— 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Paul’s words to Timothy here offer practical advice for godly living.

From an early age, Timothy had learned the truth found in the Scriptures. And here Paul encourages him to continue to read, learn from, and trust in God’s Word, which helps every believer focus on living God’s way for full, meaningful life. God’s Word can be trusted because it is not the mere words of imperfect human beings; it is the truth of the eternal God himself.

When we confess, with the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” we affirm that the Holy Spirit worked in and through the people who wrote down the words of Scripture to reveal God’s design and purpose for us. Paul describes the Spirit’s work as “God-breathed.” Just as the Holy Spirit breathed life into the first human being (Genesis 2:7), so the Holy Spirit breathed into the work of the Bible’s human authors, making the Scriptures full of life and giving all that we need for faithful living.

Do you want to know how to live for God today? Look no further than the inspired and infallible words of the Bible. The Holy Spirit gave it to us so that we can glorify God and serve him.

Holy Spirit, author of the Scriptures and provider of new life, breathe into our hearts today, that we may glorify God and serve him in the world. Amen.

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”

— John 14:16-17

Sharing a last meal with his disciples just hours before his betrayal and death, Jesus drops a bombshell. He tells his disciples that he will soon be leaving them. Jesus assures his followers, though, that he will give them an “advocate to help” and counsel and comfort them.

The original Greek word here for “advocate” (parakletos) refers to someone like a lawyer who provides counsel in ­legal matters. Our Bibles today translate this word using “advocate,” “counselor,” “comforter,” and other terms. When we say, with the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” we are taking comfort that the Spirit is our advocate and counselor.

Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit offers us great comfort. We are not alone. Though he is not physically present with us, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to counsel and comfort us, leading us into truth. The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father and the Son to live in us, helping us to serve the Lord each day. Jesus provides the Holy Spirit to his followers, saying, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. . . .”

Are you obeying the teaching of Jesus? If not, repent and turn to him, and the Holy Spirit will comfort and guide you. Lean on him, rest in him, and be guided by him in your walk with Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit. May he work in our lives as our counselor and comforter, as we seek to follow you today and always. Amen.

[God has] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

— 2 Corinthians 1:22

When we buy electronics, cars, and many other things, they often come with a warranty. This is sort of a guarantee, a promise that the item can be repaired or replaced if it doesn’t work right.

When we say, with the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the Holy Spirit,” we assert that the Holy Spirit is our guarantee.

The Bible declares that God will keep every promise he has ever made. Most importantly, God has promised that he has forgiven our sins through his Son, Jesus. God has also promised that he hears and answers our prayers and that that he will never reject or abandon us.

These are wonderful promises. Yet we can sometimes have doubts. Do you ever doubt what the Bible teaches? Do you ever wonder if you’re real­ly saved? Do you wonder if God really hears and answers your prayers?

God’s children have an eternal guarantee, and it’s been purchased for us through the blood of Jesus. After ascending to heaven, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our living guarantee. Now the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts, assuring us in all circumstances that we belong to God.

Doubts and temptations will come. When they do, listen for the gentle promptings of the Holy Spirit in your heart. The Spirit is our unshakable guarantee that God loves us. Listen and follow him.

Holy Spirit, thank you for living in our hearts. Assure us of God’s love, and lead us in following and serving Jesus. Amen.

The earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

— Genesis 1:2

After stating, with the Apostles’ Creed, that we believe in God the Father and in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, we now follow up with a declaration about the third person of the Trinity: “I believe in the Holy Spirit.”

The Apostles’ Creed doesn’t elaborate on the person or work of the Holy Spirit, but that doesn’t mean he’s somehow less important than the Father or the Son. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament teach that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible’s opening verses, in fact, picture the Holy Spirit hovering over the chaos of unformed matter before creation. So the Spirit, together with the Father and the Son, was there in the beginning, giving shape to the cosmos.

In addition, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and rebellion against God. The Spirit breathes life into our hearts and removes our spiritual blindness, giving us eyes of faith. The Spirit is the one who helps us see and understand that Jesus is the Savior who has shown us the grace and love of the Father. And throughout our lives the Spirit continues to work in our hearts, gradually making us more like Jesus and prompting us to serve him in the world.

Holy Spirit, you formed the world and breathed new life into our hearts. Help us to follow your promptings to love and serve Jesus. Amen.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

— Philippians 2:5

In worship services it is common to sing songs of praise and hymns to God our Savior.

In many ways, the Apostles’ Creed is like a hymn, and many songs have been composed from the words of this creed.

The Bible includes many song texts as well, and our reading from Philippians 2 includes one of them. This text in verses 6-11 appears to be a hymn (or part of one) that was recited and sung by early Christians in the first century. And the apostle Paul uses it to summarize a number of important teachings as he urges readers to “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” In some ways like the Apostles’ Creed, this ancient hymn tells us who Jesus is, what he did for us, and what will happen when he comes again.

Imagine yourself in a worship service 2,000 years ago, surrounded by sisters and brothers in the Lord and singing these words together. Then reread (or sing) this ancient hymn that has echoed down through the centuries. Reflect and meditate on the deep, life-changing truths we can celebrate because of “Jesus, Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord.”

This hymn in Scripture, like the Apostle’s Creed, allows God’s Word to settle into our hearts. And it calls us to humble ourselves like Jesus in all our relationships as we seek to live for God by loving and serving each other.

Jesus, out of love, you poured out your life for us; now help us, out of love, to pour out our lives for each other. In your name, Amen.

“At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”

— Mark 13:26

The details about Jesus’ second coming are mysterious, and there are differing interpretations of some of the Bible’s statements about end times and the return of Christ. But in teaching about Christ’s return, the Apostles’ Creed simply states this bold biblical truth: “He will come to judge the living and the dead.”

Someday Jesus will return from heaven. He didn’t say when this will be, but he did say that he will return “with great ­power and glory” for all to see.

Jesus’ coming again will be a day of great joy for all his followers, who have been redeemed through his sacrifice on the cross. For them the whole curse of death and hell has been removed (Romans 8).

But Jesus’ return will also be a day of great trembling because, as the Bible warns, he will judge once and for all the people who have rejected him.

Though believers in Christ may not agree on all the details of his return, we certainly can agree on how we should live for him. Jesus calls us to follow him faithfully, dying daily to ourselves so that we can walk in step with his Spirit, using our gifts for God’s glory and bearing fruit in his name (John 15:1-17; Galatians 5:22-26). This involves showing God’s love to everyone and sharing his desire that everyone believe in him.

Lord Jesus, we long for your return, when all will be made new. While we wait, help us to serve and love others for your sake in this world. Amen.

[In] his incomparably great power [God] . . . raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. . . .

— Ephesians 1:19-20

After declaring that Jesus ­ascended to heaven, we say, with the Apostles’ Creed, that he is now “seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.”

How do you picture Jesus seated in heaven? Do you imagine him lounging in an easy chair, resting from his hard labors on earth? Not a chance.

In heaven Jesus sits on a splendid throne at the Father’s right hand, the very highest place of honor. Sitting there is a sure demonstration that he is one with God the Father and deserving the same honor and respect. God the Father has placed all that exists under Jesus Christ’s power and authority.

Moreover, as the apostle Paul writes in Ephesians, God appointed Jesus as “the head over everything for the church, which is his body.” In heaven, as on earth, Jesus continues his ministry. As the head of the church, made up of his followers throughout the world, and through the work of the Holy Spirit, Jesus blesses each member with gifts to be used in humble service. And with his divine power and authority, Jesus protects his church from the many forces seeking to destroy it.

Just as Jesus isn’t resting in heaven, so too we are earnestly and diligently continuing his work on earth.

Jesus, thank you for your tireless work for the church, your body here on earth. Help us to trust you in all situations and to use your gifts to build your church. Amen.

While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.

— Luke 24:51

Saying goodbye can be hard. In fact, grieving loss is one of the hardest things we must do in life. Jesus’ disciples surely felt grief and sorrow as they watched him being taken up to heaven.

With the Apostles’ Creed we say that Jesus “ascended to heaven.” This happened forty days after his resurrection (see Acts 1:1-11). But this does not mean Jesus abandoned his disciples or us. No, Jesus went to heaven for us.

While the Bible isn’t very clear about where heaven is or what it looks like, it plainly teaches that heaven means being in the presence of God. In God’s presence, Jesus serves as our advocate, continuously interceding with God the Father for our every need (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2). Jesus’ presence with God also assures us that one day we will be with him in God’s presence as well (John 14:1-3). And from heaven Jesus sends his Holy Spirit as a guarantee and a reminder that he is always with us (Matthew 28:20).

Knowing that Jesus is in ­heaven for us now gives us tremendous comfort and strength as we wait for his promised return. In the meantime, as he lives in our hearts through his Spirit, Jesus calls us to share his love with a world full of sorrow and grief.

Thank you for being in heaven for us, Lord Jesus. As we wait for your return, help us to continue your work here on earth. Amen.