Blog Archives: January 2018 — December 2018

Question 31: What is effectual calling? Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel. In Jesus' encounter with Nicodemus he taught him that he must be born again. Nicodemus protested that he could not enter his mother's womb a second time, and Jesus explained that this second birth was spiritual. He explained it like ...

Question 29: How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit. Question 30: How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ? Answer: The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. The last several questions of the catechism have been taken up with the person and work of Jesus ...

Question 28: Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation? Answer: Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. Philippians 2:5-8 teaches the humiliation of Christ; Philippians 2:9-11 continues with the exaltation of Christ. "Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and ...

Question 27: Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist? Answer: Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time. There is no better introduction to this topic than Paul's instruction in Philippians 2:5-8. "Have this mind among yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with ...

Question 26: How doth Christ execute the office of a king? Answer: Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. Of the three offices described in the catechism, king is the one that sounds the least religious. We can understand the meaning of this word without any reference to Christianity, but simply by looking at political realities. The words that the catechism uses to describe Jesus' kingship - subduing, ruling, defending, ...

Question 25: How doth Christ execute the office of a priest? Answer: Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. A priest is someone who is able to stand as a mediator between God and people, appealing to God on behalf of the people. The catechism emphasizes two aspects of Jesus' priesthood: offering a sacrifice and making intercession. Hebrews 8:3 tells us that "every high priest is appointed to ...

Question 24: How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet? Answer: Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. A prophet is someone who authoritatively speaks the word of God. At the outset of his ministry Jesus declared his prophetic status: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor." (Luke 4:18) The gospels summarize Jesus' ministry as a ministry of preaching and teaching (Matthew 4:23, Luke 4:15), and ...

Question 23: What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer? Answer: Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation. An office can be defined as "That which a person does, either voluntarily or by appointment, for, or with reference to, others." (thefreedictionary.com) This definition helps us to understand how appropriate this question is. We have said that Christ is a Redeemer: he purchases his elect from their estate of sin and misery and ...

Question 22: How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man? Answer: Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin. Having introduced the doctrine of Christ, the catechism now focuses in on a particular issue. How is it possible that this one person Jesus has two natures? How did the eternal Son of God become man? This carefully crafted answer is any many ways a response to ...

Question 21: Who is the Redeemer of God's elect? Answer: The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, forever. This initial statement about Christ summarizes the doctrine of the Incarnation, a doctrine which has been repeatedly attacked and then defended since the beginning of Christianity. The result of these battles has been the development of careful and precise wording that accurately ...

Question 20: Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? Answer: God, having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer. The questions and answers that immediately precede this one are true, but not pleasant. They are truths that could sink us into the depths of despair, were it not for the good news of Jesus Christ. But sin ...