Sometime about two years ago, I was asked (politely) to explain why the Lutheran church felt it was necessary to read “creeds”, and mainly the “Apostle’s, Nicene, and Athenasian Creed”. At the time, I never really had a response to his question, and took the easy way and said, “Oh they’re just confessions of our faith”, to which he replied, “Oh well my church believes in DEEDS before CREEDS”. At the time, I had no quick comeback to his sanctamonious response, because it sounded rather enticing to my ears. “What is a creed good for anyway?! We just stand up and read it, and then sit back down, parrot talk, that’s what it is”; until recently I had the incident stored in my head locked safely away, but today it surfaced while I read through Luther’s explanation of the Apostle’s Creed, and today I have a proper response to my friend. By the way, Isn’t that how it always is? You never know what to say until the moment has long passed. Never the less, I have my response.
Let me analyze his motto of “Deeds before creeds”. Deeds could mean anything really; acts of kindness towards the ones we love, and especially the ones we “hate”, or deeds could be seen as work righteousness. Meaning, my deeds buy me favor. Either way, his motto is completely out of order.
“Creed” on the other hand is taken from the latin word “Credo” which means “I Believe”. Here is the Apostle’s Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
Notice the Christocentrism of the Creed? It is all about Jesus, and practically an ancient Gospel presentation; it discusses Jesus’ life, work, death, resurrection, and most importanly the new life we have on behalf of our redemption through Christ. Luther’s explanation of the Second article provides the greatest illustration to my point:
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won [delivered] me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, in order that I may be [wholly] His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.
To say “Deeds before Creeds” is a gross delusion of the Law, and an improper understanding of the Gospel. What we believe effects how we act, and it is not the other way around. Without constantly preaching the Gospel to ourselves, we are all too eager to forget it, and we lick our lips at the prospect of taking the crown of Christ and placing it upon our self-reliance, and work righteousness (yummy). The Law (deeds) was never meant to justify and redeem; only the sweet message of the Gospel can grant us such things. So, if I act without truly understanding the Gospel, all I’m really saying is, “I work for God’s Grace”, and that is a lie from the pit of our sinful nature. Rather, God’s redemptive act in Christ allows me the ability to love others, to serve others as Dr. Luther says, “in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness”. Yes, when all of the flashy “purpose-driven/WWJD” rhetoric burns away, all we are left with is Law or Gospel. By God’s Grace I don’t live the Gospel, but rather, I find my life and salvation in the promises of the Gospel. It is in the living Christ where I am rescued from the harsh coercion of the Law, and free to serve my neighbor with a happy and thankful heart towards the One who cried “It is finished.” If we do not know the redemption that flows from the mercy and grace of Jesus Christ, then we are not even free to do the work of God (deeds). So please, don’t tread on my creeds!
If I had the opportunity to travel back in time and correct my friend, I would have said something to this effect, “Creeds before deeds! I can’t do anything pleasing without the freedom bestowed to me in the Gospel. That is why we joyfully recite the Apostle’s creed in the Lutheran church. Your “good deeds” testify to your own virtue, and the message of Christ gets lost in your actions. Our creeds testify to the one who gave us life through His death and resurrection, and that is who we stand behind. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.”
VERBUM CRUCIS DEI VIRTUS
The word of the cross is the power of God–
Planet Augsburg 
April 3, 2008 at 7:49 pm
You are quite right.
I’ve been thinking about this in terms of , which is without doubt the most active of any denomination, yet has lost its way and is adrift in a sea of bad doctrine.
The more I understand of the Bible, the more I realize it’s really about believing the right things. It’s what Paul, and John, and Peter and Jude and the rest wrote about – believing the right things (okay, so there’s James too). They spent their time dealing with heresies and bad teachers as the foundation of their writings. If this what God wants us to know by including it in his Word, it must be important. There are too many opportunities to fall out of the narrow way.
Once you are on the right road, the works are wide open to you as a mark of your salvation. But until you have right doctrine, the works are futile.
Thanks be to God for the marvelous and unexpected ways by which he has made things work.
April 3, 2008 at 7:50 pm
sigh. first paragraph “In terms of [denomination x]. Those less than and greater than signs are dangerous….
April 3, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I just want to say, I agree with you 100%! But my real comment is to Jank-o. It’s to my understanding, there are no [works] to be done at all. Our Lord did it all on the cross!! I think it’s about the [desire] to love people, and the deeds will follow. As a matter of fact in my opinion, the word [works] is a very bad description of the whole idea.
April 4, 2008 at 6:10 am
Very Good thoughts (from Janky-o and Daniel)….Let me toss this out:
Fellowship with Christ will bring forth fruits of good deeds (No doubt). But, we must never seek consolation, hope, or comfort from the “fruits” of our new life. In a sense it would be “idolatry” because one would be honoring the “gifts” over the Giver (the Lord and giver of life who proceeds from the Father and the Son…). It’s the boastful prayer of the pharasee all over again, “See what I do for my neighbor, I pray for him, I feed him. Look what I do for you my God, I tithe, I pray to you, and I share the Gospel. I must be truly saved because I’m bringing forth such good fruit, unlike so many other false Christians, who show no signs of being saved”. This is simply seeking one’s justification through sanctification (the cart before the horse).
In reality, our life should mirror something like this prayer, “I have been baptized, Christ said ‘It is finished’, He lives and intercedes for me, He does not lie but fulfills all His promises, therefore I am saved. O God, I am but an unworthy servant, a wicked man who is justified through your eternal mercy in Christ, the ‘Chief of sinners’ purchased by the ‘Redeemer of sinners’. May I never know the fruit you bring forth in me, lest I take credit and wear my own crown of righteousness. Forbid it Lord and keep me ever mindful of my sin, for you dwell only in sinners. With gratitude I say, ‘You are my righteousness, you are my clothing, you are my salvation, and you only are the assurance I have in life and in death.’ ” Amen
April 4, 2008 at 9:28 pm
How about:
“His deeds ARE my creed.”
Very good discussion all the way around.
April 4, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I love that! We are very much all hitting the nail on the head here.
June 21, 2011 at 11:11 am
Would you be ok if I post this on my blog with reference to your blog, http://truthclaimsexamined.blogspot.com/
June 21, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Hi Vince, you certainly may reference, quote, and do as you please with this post. The Truth is public domain.
“Catechismatic 95”
June 6, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Deeds before creeds means actions are more powerful than words and no theology is ever going to change that. Nobody feeds a starving child, cures a life threatening disease, or builds a simple shelter via professions of any belief. Those are things that weren’t finished on a cross. If God is love then be love centered. Otherwise, you’re just a source of noise pollution.
August 2, 2019 at 4:48 pm
What a wonderful offering. Thank you. Amazing how this comes up in my search so many years after it was written, but the church – especially Evangelicalism – is riddled with Rick Warren’s “deeds WITHOUT creeds” meme. Sadly, as Lutheranism becomes in 2019 more evangelicalized and unionistic, the apostasy going on in ALL the churches leans ever more toward synchretism and “Interfaith” dialog toward a one world religion.
August 2, 2019 at 5:19 pm
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