ONE GOD OF ORTHODOXY’S CREED
Some say: “Well there is one God so they believe in the same God as we do.” Such an idea is erroneously held by some of our noble bishops, but this idea is far from the truth. For example, we could make a single idol of a single god and say we believe in one God like the Orthodox, but it remains a man made idol. A God that is not definable as the true God cannot be the true God. Without defining God as He was revealed we cannot say that we know Him or worship Him. Here is how the true God in whom the Orthodox Christians believe is carefully defined in very great detail in our Creed:
CREED (partial)
I believe in one God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. Begoptten of the Father before the ages. Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father through whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit, and of the Virgin Mary and became man.
And He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And rose on the third day according to the Scripture
And ascended into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father.
And He shall come again to judge the living and the dead, whose Kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who together with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified who spoke through the prophets.
As can be readily seen, a large portion of our Creed defines who God is, and offers details of the three persons and this demonstrates that there can be no other God, nor can anyone who rejects the definitions of the true God in our Creed, believe in the same God who is further defined as follows:
He is one God.
He is the Father Almighty.
He is the Creator of heaven and earth.
He is Creator of all things visible and invisible.
He is one Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the only begotten Son of God.
He is begotten of the Father before the ages.
He is Light from Light,
He is True God from True God,
He is begotten not created co-essential with the Father.
He is the one through Him all things were created.
He is the one who for us men and our salvation,
He came down from heaven.
He was incarnate of the Holy Spirit.
He became man.
He was crucified under the reign of Pontius Pilate,
He suffered and was buried.
He arose on the third day according to the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven,
He sits on the right hand of the Father.
He shall come again in glory to judge the living and the dead.
His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit,
The Lord and Giver of life,
Who proceeds from the Father,
Who together with the Father and the Son,
Who is worshiped and glorified,
Who spoke through the prophets.
There is but one God, and how obvious is it that Holy Orthodoxy, with the information bestowed on her from above, accurately defines the God in whom we believe and who can never be confused with any other god or gods.
Behold how it begins with “I believe in one God” , and then goes on to define the three persons of the Trinity:
“The Father Almighty,” “One Lord Jesus Christ,” “In the Holy Spirit the Lord, the giver of life.”
The Creed was organized during the First (325 AD) and Second (381 AD)Ecumenical Synods of the Orthodox Church, where great and holy Fathers in Holy Spirit, gathered it into its present form. It is the fundamental document of Orthodox Christianity, preserved for over 1600 years and is always filled with power and authority. When you hear someone say that “they worship the one God as we do, this document should remind you of truth.
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