Brief Thoughts on the First Article of the Apostles' Creed

Author’s note: This post is a deviation from my standard posts which have historically been mostly technology-related. I have been a Christian for effectively my entire life, though I rarely talk about it in depth on my website. However, I like to use my website as a way to link others to my thoughts on various topics, and this post felt like one I both needed to write, and that I may want to share.

Over the past few days I’ve been reading, and digesting, the book A Simple Way to Pray by Martin Luther, as translated by Matthew C. Harrison. It’s a short and fairly simple book to read, at only 32 pages in length, but has caused me to pause and think a number of times. This morning I read through a portion on praying through the Apostles’ Creed, and the following thoughts on the First Article caught my attention.

First off, here is the First Article:

“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.”

And now, Martin Luther’s commentary:

You are God’s creation, workmanship, creature, and work. In and by yourself, you are nothing. You know nothing and you cannot do anything. What were you 1000 years ago? Where were you 1000 years ago? … What you are, what you know, and what you are capable of, that is God’s creation. … And so before God you have absolutely nothing to boast about. For you were nothing at all. He is your Creator and in the blink of an eye can render you nothing again.

Wow. I mean, as a confessing Christian I would say that I fully agree with Luther’s commentary, and have known that probably my entire life. But is that how I act when I come before my Lord? Do I give thanks to Him as His creation? Or do I view Him as just a being who is perhaps greater than I, but ultimately on the same playing field? Do I come before Him in reverence, as creation to Creator? Do I worship Him as Lord of all?

Far too often I fear that I forget both my place in creation, and my position in regards to God. It is true that I am an adopted child of God, but I am also His creation, and not only pale in comparison to Him, but am nothing. It is only by His grace and mercy that I exist.