Dear Saints of Valley Church,
Think about how the world has changed over the last 1,800 years. In the second century, the Roman Empire ruled most of the world (with another 800 years passing before the first European contact with North America). Not only was this a time before electricity, but even before the invention of buttons, gunpowder, the toothbrush, and toilet paper! Even the book (called a codex) was a brand-new invention back then. And yet, for 1,800 years, Christians have been reciting the same statement representing our historical faith: The Apostles Creed. For 1,800 years, Christians have declared these truths of their faith, martyrs have died for refusing to recant these truths, and churches have used these truths as a part of their worship.
As Albert Mohler explains in his book on the Apostles’ Creed, “The New Testament refers to authentic Christianity as ‘the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). Real Christianity is Christianity resting on truth—a faith of definite beliefs cherished by believers throughout the ages and once for all given to the church. This is one of the great wonders of Christianity and explains why all true Christians hold to the same essential beliefs and have done so for two thousand years: as Christians, we believe what the apostles believed. And we want to hand that same faith to the next generation” (I’d recommend getting yourself a copy of his book).
The songwriters of the song “This I Believe” were challenged to put the truths of the Apostles Creed into a contemporary musical arrangement because one of the ways we are reminded of these truths and how we pass these truths on to the next generation is through our singing. The importance of our singing as a church is exactly what we will see as we study Colossians 3:15-17 this week. We will see that Christ works in us personally through our singing that we do corporately.
Through our singing, we remind each other that we’re not alone. Sometimes, we may feel isolated. We feel like we’re the only ones who believe in our Creator God, the only ones who believe that Jesus died and rose again, or the only ones who believe that Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead. But we’re not alone. We’re reminded by the singing of our brothers and sisters of Valley Church that we’re not alone. We’re reminded by the shared declarations of Christians for the past 2,000 years (who now still testify as the assembly or “church” in heaven from Hebrews 2:23) that we’re not alone.
So, I hope you will join us this Sunday as we teach and admonish one another by singing to one another. As we sing songs like “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” we will remind each other of the glories of Christ that Christians have been singing for 300 years. As we sing “This I Believe,” we will sing the truths of the Apostles’ Creed that Christians have declared for over 1,800 years.
By His strength and for His glory,
Craig Shigyo