When I was pastoring I wanted to read a blessing over the church that would remind all of us of our new life in Christ. So I wrote this new life creed and every week I would read it and remind us of what Christ had done for us.
We gather together as believers professing our great need
We acknowledge that we have fallen short
We confess that we are rebels who have gone our own way
Apart from Christ, we stand condemned, guilty, and unable to save ourselves
But what we are incapable of doing, God did
In his infinite love, God made a way of salvation for all who would believe
Jesus willingly laid down his life and received the just punishment we deserve
So that could walk in new life
So yes, we confess our great need
We humbly recognize that apart from Christ we are incapable of any good thing
But we also proclaim that because of the finished work of the cross we will never be apart from Christ
We are forever secure in the love of the Father
We have been sealed by the Holy Spirit
All because of the sacrifice of the Son, Jesus Christ.
We are no longer in bondage to sin
We are no longer facing righteous wrath
We have been declared holy by our King
And nothing on heaven or earth will change that reality
This gathering is a testimony to our redeemed state
We pursue holy living to be an authentic demonstration of the love we have for Christ
We believe that we have been empowered by grace to meet our every need
And we gladly anticipate the complete fulfillment of our adaption and the remaking of this world at the coming of our Lord
To Christ be glory forever and ever
Amen