Mark A. Smith
- Jan 4
- 2 min read

LORD Over All But Father Only Through One

The Nicene Creed

The Father Almighty

As in the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed exclaims the Father as the Almighty. This speaks of the transcendence of God’s power over all things created (Ex.6:3). Therefore, the Father has the right to judge, but God is only the Father of the children of His light (James 1:16-18; 1Jn.1:5-10). Therefore He is Judge over the children of wrath who were conceived through the seed of the serpent (Eph.2:1-3; Jn.8:44; 1Jn.3:8-10; Gen.3:14-15; Matt.15:13; Ps.51:5). The world without the Father (1Jn.2:15-17), on the day they meet the Almighty (Rev.20:11-15; 1Cor.13:12), will meet God not as the Father but as the Judge (1Jn.2:21-23).

Therefore, to us who believe, God is the Father (1Jn.2:24), which is why I presuppose the Apostles’ Creed states the spirit of her faith this way: “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” That is very different than this Nicene creed, which joins the spirit of her faith in God as Father together with His transcendence as one complete human thought as she prays to think her thoughts after God. While both these statements are divinely true, however we should choose to confess Him; the Christian never possesses the Father as a distant Judge when He is as near as Christ is to us by the Spirit of the Word made flesh in us (Jn.17:10-11, 20-23, 26; Ps.145:18; Isa.50:8).

Therefore God is Almighty over all (Jer.23:23-24), but over us, God is the Father (Ps.34:18; 85:9); and to us (Jn.3:16), He has given the Son that we may draw near through His love for the Son (Col.1:13-16); and by drawing near through the glory of Christ (James 3:17-18; 4:7-10), the Father manifests His love to us through the Spirit of Christ (Jn.14:21-23), by which we call God Abba Father (Mk.14:36; Rom.8:15; Gal.4:6). This is a very intimate confession in comparison to drawing near to Him as the Almighty Father (Jn.5:17-18; Jer.3:9; 31:9). Nevertheless, we must be made to confess Him Almighty before we are made to confess Him as Father (Jn.5:21-23; 8:15-16; Lk.23:35-43 /emphasis: vs.40-41), for He is the Father only through the Son because He is a just judge (1Chr.28:6; 29:10; Isa.63:16; Lk.18:1-14; Ps.7:11; 50:6; Gen.18:25; Lk.11:11; James 1:17), for there is only one begotten Son (Dt.32:6; Jn.4:22). We are adopted sons through Christ alone (Jn.1:12-14; 14:6). The world cannot know Him as Father until they have known the Son as Lord and Savior (1Jn.3:1; 4:14-15). Therefore, we confess Him as Almighty and as our Father with a conscience cleansed by the blood of Christ and our bodies washed with water to distinguish us from the children of wrath whose father is the devil (Heb.10:22).

This is a subject which calls for rather careful examination. There can be no doubt (the argument of the present chapter should serve to substantiate it) that creeds have, historically speaking, been intimately associated with baptism1

1 J. N. D. Kelly, Early Christian Creeds, Third Edition. (London; New York: Continuum, 2006), 30.

Comments

Quote of the Month

The Glory of Christ
Christ's Glory as God's Representative

In fact, the light of faith is given to us chiefly to enable us to behold the glory of God in Christ (2Cor.4:6). If we do not have this light which is given to believers by the power of God, we must be strangers to the whole mystery of the gospel. But when we behold the glory of God in Christ, we behold Christ's glory also. This is how the image of God is renewed in us, and how we are made like Christ. Anyone who thinks that this is unnecessary to Christian practice and for our sanctification does not know Christ, nor the gospel. Nor has he the true faith of the universal (catholic) church. This is the root from which all Christian duties arise and grow and by which they are distinguished from the works of heathens. He is not a Christian who does not believe that faith in the person of Christ is the source and motive of all evangelical obedience or who does not know that faith rests on the revelation of the glory of God in Christ. To deny these truths would overthrow the foundation of faith and would demolish true religion in the heart. So it is our duty daily to behold by faith the glory of Christ!

John Owen; pg. [22]