Introduction
You did not receive life from your parents only. You have received life from the same One who brought the world into being and who gave life to your parents and your parent’s parents. You are not the product of blind chance (evolution); God is your Maker.
The First Article
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
What does this mean?
I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my reason and all my senses and still preserves them; that He richly and daily provides me with food and clothing, home and family, property and goods, and all that I need to support this body and life; that He protects me from all danger, guards and keeps me from all evil; and all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I am in duty bound to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
- Why do you call God your Father?
I call God my Father not only because He is my Father through Crhist, but also because He has created me and faithfully cares for me.
- Why do you Call God the “Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”?
I call God the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth because in six normal days He created all things, visible and invisible, by His almighty Word. (See “evolution” in the Glossary.)
- Which are the most important creatures of God?
The most important creatures of God are the angels and man. - What are the angels?
The angels are spirit beings of great number and great power, who were created in holiness ot praise God, fulfill His commands and serve believers.
- But are there not also evil angels?
There are also many evil angels, who have fallen away from God and are doomed to eternal punishment. Under their prince, the devil, the continually oppose God and His Church. (See the Sixth Petition and Seventh Petition of the Lord’s Prayer.)
- What is man?
Man is the most important visible creature, who is different from the animals, in that God created him in His own image, give him an immortal soul and made him rule over all the earth.
- What is the image of God?
The image of God is the true knowledge of God and the perfect righteousness and holiness which our first prents, Adam and Eve, possessed before the Fall.
- What blessings did man enjoy while he possessed the image of God?
While he possessed the image of God- man loved God,
- peace and joy filled his hearts and
- sorrow, sickness and death were unknown to him.
- Why did man not continue to live in this blessed state?
Man did not continue to live in this blessed state, because our first parents yielded to the temptation of the devil, fell into sin and completely lost the image of God. (See Question 95.)
- What is our natural condition since the Fall into sin?
Since the Fall all our spiritual understanding is completely darkened; we are- enemies of God,
- afraid of Him and
- subject to sorrow, sickness and death. (See Questions 97, 98 and 103.)
- What was the effect of the Fall upon the whole visible creation?
When man fell into sin, the whole visible creation came under God’s curse and was made subject to corruption and decay.
Conclusion
The Triune God created all things out of nothing. By His almighty Word He made a perfect creation: man and all things visible; angels and all things invisible. However, through their Fall into sin, our first parents lost the image of God for the whole human race. As a result, people created and experience all kinds of trouble; some even claim that the world came into being by chance and that it continues to exist by itself.
Hymn
We all believe in one true God,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
Ever-present Help in need,
Praise by all the heav’nly host,
By whose mighty pow’r alone
All is made and wrought and done. (ELH 37:1)Bible Readings
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