Faith |
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OUR BELIEFS
An official statement of the Church's faith
This creedal statement was approved by the General
Assembly of 1992. A version more suitable for people
to read together is printed in the Church's worship
book, Common Order. It is used alongside the Apostles'
Creed and the Nicene Creed, ancient creeds of the church:
We believe in one God:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
three persons living in the unity of love.
We praise God the Father:
in love he created the universe through his eternal
Word and Spirit;
by his power he sustains and directs it.
He has made us his sons and daughters,
to share his joy and to live together in peace.
We confess Jesus Christ, God the Son:
in love, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he became
one of us;
to fulfil the promise to Israel and to reconcile the
world with God.
In his life he was obedient to his Father's will;
he forgave sinners, brought hope to the lost,
healed the sick, and set free those who were oppressed.
In his death on the cross he bore the sin of the world;
on the third day he was raised from death by the power
of God.
He triumphed over all the powers of evil;
now he reigns in heaven, sharing his risen life with
us.
We trust God the Holy Spirit:
in love he calls the Church into being.
He unites us to Christ, in whom we are justified.
He guides our understanding of the Scriptures,
as he also guided and inspired their writers.
He sanctifies us in sacraments,
and imparts to the faithful the fullness of Christ.
He assures us of forgiveness.
He empowers us to be disciples,
embodying the love of Jesus in the Church and in the
world.
We rejoice in the gift of eternal life:
We hope for the coming resurrection, through the resurrection of Christ.
We look for his coming again in power and glory,
to judge the world and to make all things new.
Then all creation shall rejoice in communion with the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Holy Spirit, one God blessed forever.
Amen.
Congregations of all ages
give thanks to God through worship
The Apostles' Creed
The Church of Scotland believes in God, Father, Son and
Holy Spirit and proclaims Jesus Christ crucified, risen
and glorified.
Our standards of belief are to be found in the Old
and New Testament (the Bible) and in the Church's historic
Confession of Faith.
For a brief summary of our beliefs, it is useful to
look at the Apostles' Creed, which is used by many churches
in declaring Christian faith:
"I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker
of Heaven and Earth and in Jesus Christ His only Son
our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into
hell.
"The third day he rose again from the dead,
he ascended into Heaven, and sitteth on the right
hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall
come to judge the quick and the dead.
"I believe in
the Holy Ghost;
the Holy Catholic Church;
the Communion of Saints;
the Forgiveness of Sins;
the Resurrection of the Body;
and the Life Everlasting."
Amen.
Westminster Confession of Faith
A full copy of the Westminster Confession of Faith is
available to download on our extranet site, which has
been written primarily for staff, office bearers and those
in the ministries.
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