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WHAT WE BELIEVE
How near is God?

Reuben Pauls

“You prefer to worship God intensely and up close,” Phil said. “I, and those in my tradition, prefer to think of God as somewhere out there.” As he waved his hand toward the sky, he continued, “You have made Him much too personal for me.”

This conversation occurred about two Sundays after Phil had prayed to receive Christ as personal Saviour at our church’s Christmas banquet. Earlier, he had attended services on special occasions, mostly as a favour to me, his friend. When he died suddenly about seven months later, his mother, in her 90s, made virtually the same comments to me after I served at his funeral. She added light to the earlier comments. Phil’s father had been a vicar in the Church of England. Prior to our meeting in a library in our city, Phil had only attended “high church” services.

These different understandings of God among Christian denominations are reflected in their Confessions of Faith. The Confessions of Faith of most Christian denominations begin with an Article about God. Churches with a commitment to “systematic theology” often begin their Confessions with a listing of God’s characteristics – omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (all present), omniscient (all knowing), immutable (unchanging), transcendent (distant) and immanent (near). Mennonite Brethren, with a commitment to “biblical theology”, have avoided such terminology. In the revised 1999 MB Confession of Faith, it is the relational aspects of God that are stressed. God is portrayed as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The term “Trinity”, which is not found in the Bible (although the concept is), is not part of our Confession.

In our Confession, there is an attempt to balance the distant (transcendent) aspects of God’s character with the nearness (immanence) of God. Faith begins with a necessary confidence in God as Creator, but our Confession quickly moves beyond that to an understanding of God as vitally interested in humanity. As God the Father, God is described as providing the Holy Spirit for His children. As God the Son, His work includes reconciling humanity to God. As God the Holy Spirit, His task is to help His children in their weakness and to intercede for them. The approachability of God is further emphasized in our Confession by references to Him as a counsellor, a loving mother, a caring father and a faithful spouse, persistent in love.

Another aspect of this Article is the stress on the work of Jesus Christ, sent “for the salvation of the world”. Among other denominations there may be a bias toward God as sovereign or to the Holy Spirit as giver of gifts. In contrast, we are “Christologically anchored” – a necessary foundation if it is true “that Christology will be a future battleground for theologians” in the next several decades.

This focus on Jesus Christ includes a deep commitment to “the way of the cross”. Historically, we have been people of the cross; we have had a theology of suffering. This may explain why our mission efforts have been most successful in countries where there is turmoil and war. This reference to the way of the cross lays a foundation for statements about peace, love and nonresistance later or in the Confession.

Article 1 sets the stage for the rest of our Confession of Faith. Most of the other Articles flow out of this understanding of God, who desires closeness with us. This is precisely what the world needs – in a world that regularly experiences brokenness, it is good news that God is near.

CONFESSION OF FAITH OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADIAN CONFERENCES OF MENNONITE BRETHREN CHURCHES Article 1

God We believe in the one, true, living God, Creator of heaven and earth. God is almighty in power, perfect in wisdom, righteous in judgment, overflowing in steadfast love. God is the Sovereign who rules over all things visible and invisible, the Shepherd who rescues the lost and helpless. God is a refuge and fortress for those in need. God is a consuming fire, perfect in holiness, yet slow to anger and abounding in tender mercy. God comforts like a loving mother, trains and disciplines like a caring father, and persists in covenant love like a faithful husband. We confess God as eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God the Father God the Father is the source of all life. In Him we live and move and have our being. The Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth, and hears the prayers of all who call on Him. In the fullness of time, the Father sent the Son for the salvation of the world. Through Jesus Christ the Father adopts all who respond in faith to the gospel, forgiving those who repent of their sin and entering into a new covenant with them. God gives the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, to all His children. God’s creative and redemptive love sustains this world until the end of the age. God the Son The Son, through whom all things were created and who holds all things together, is the image of the invisible God. Conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, Jesus took on human nature to redeem this fallen world. He revealed the fullness of God through his obedient and sinless life. Through word and deed Jesus proclaimed the reign of God, bringing good news to the poor, release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. Christ triumphed over sin through His death and resurrection, and was exalted as Lord of creation and the church. The Savior of the world invites all to be reconciled to God, offering peace to those far and near, and calling them to follow Him in the way of the cross. Until the Lord Jesus returns in glory, He intercedes for believers, acts as their advocate, and calls them to be His witnesses. God the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit, the Counselor, is the creative power, presence and wisdom of God. The Spirit convicts people of sin, gives them new life, and guides them into all truth. By the Spirit believers are baptized into one body. The indwelling Spirit testifies that they are God’s children, distributes gifts for ministry, empowers for witness, and produces the fruit of righteousness. As Comforter, the Holy Spirit helps God’s children in their weakness, intercedes for them according to God’s will and assures them of eternal life. Genesis 1; Exodus 15:2-3; Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Psalm 8; Psalm 23; Psalm 139; Isaiah 55:8-9; Isaiah 66:12-13; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hosea 11:1-4; Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 5-7; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 4:18-19; John 1:1-18; John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-4; Romans 8:1-17; 1 Corinthians 12:4-7; 2 Corinthians 13; I Corinthians 15:3-8; 2 Corinthians 1:22; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:15-2:22; Ephesians 3:14-21; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Timothy 6:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; Hebrews 12:7-11; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 1 John 2:2; Revelation 5:5-6, 9-10. View complete Confession of Faith

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Last modified November 30, 2001.

© 2001 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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