We Believe in the Spirit, the Church, and the Life to Come

In the final section of the Nicene Creed, we confess our faith in the Holy Spirit and in the promises that flow from His work: a holy Church, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets.

And we believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

This closing section is not an afterthought; it’s a vision of what the Triune God is doing in the world and what He will do in the end. It reminds us that Christianity is not just a private faith; it’s a communal, global, and eternal reality.

We Believe in the Holy Spirit

The Spirit is not an impersonal force or a mere influence. He is the Lord and giver of life. He proceeds from the Father and also from the Son, meaning that He shares fully in the divine essence and mission. He is not a junior member of the Trinity, but is to be "worshiped and glorified" alongside the Father and the Son.

The Spirit is the one who gives new birth (John 3), who fills and empowers the church (Acts 2), who convicts the world of sin and reveals the beauty of Christ. He is the one who inspired the prophets and who opens our eyes to understand the Word today.

We Believe in the Church

The Creed describes the Church as "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic." These are not denominational labels, they are biblical marks:

• One: because Christ has one body (Ephesians 4:4)
• Holy: because we are set apart by God
• Catholic: meaning universal, united across time and nations
• Apostolic: rooted in the teaching of the apostles

Note: It is worth noting that as a church we are going to be reflecting on these two labels; catholic and apostolic, on the 21^st and 28^th of September respectively, during our Lord’s Day morning worship services.

When we gather as a local church, we join in something much larger than ourselves. We stand with the saints of all ages, proclaiming one Lord, one faith, one baptism.

We Believe in the Life to Come

The Creed concludes with great hope: "We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come." Christianity is not about escaping the world but about the renewal of all things. We are awaiting a bodily resurrection, a new heavens and new earth, and eternal fellowship with our Lord.

This hope gives courage to the suffering, endurance to the weary, and motivation to the mission. We live in light of what’s coming. We live as those who believe that the end of the story is not death, but life.

Let these truths steady your heart and stir your imagination. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation now dwells in you. The same Church that was born at Pentecost is alive today. And the same Christ who rose from the dead will return and raise us with Him.

We believe. And we wait with joy.