Displays articles in our confessions
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 30 – 82. Q. ARE THOSE TO BE ADMITTED TO THE LORD’S SUPPER WHO SHOW BY WHAT THEY SAY AND DO THAT THEY ARE UNBELIEVING AND UNGODLY?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 31 – 83. Q. WHAT ARE THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 31 – 84. Q. HOW DOES PREACHING THE GOSPEL OPEN AND CLOSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 31 – 85. Q. HOW IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN CLOSED AND OPENED BY CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINE?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 32 – 86. Q. WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FROM OUR MISERY BY GOD’S GRACE ALONE THROUGH CHRIST AND NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE EARNED IT: WHY THEN MUST WE STILL DO GOOD?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 32 – 87. Q. CAN THOSE BE SAVED WHO DO NOT TURN TO GOD FROM THEIR UNGRATEFUL AND IMPENITENT WAYS?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 88. Q. WHAT IS INVOLVED IN GENUINE REPENTANCE OR CONVERSION?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 89. Q. WHAT IS THE DYING-AWAY OF THE OLD SELF?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 90. Q. WHAT IS THE COMING-TO-LIFE OF THE NEW SELF?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 91. Q. WHAT DO WE DO THAT IS GOOD?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 34 – 92. Q. WHAT DOES THE LORD SAY IN HIS LAW?
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Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 34 – 93. Q. HOW ARE THESE COMMANDMENTS DIVIDED?
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 30 – 82. Q. ARE THOSE TO BE ADMITTED TO THE LORD’S SUPPER WHO SHOW BY WHAT THEY SAY AND DO THAT THEY ARE UNBELIEVING AND UNGODLY?
A. No, that would dishonor God”s covenant and bring down God”s anger upon the entire congregation.1 Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives. 1 1 Cor. 11:17-32; Ps. 50:14-16; Isa. 1:11-17
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 31 – 83. Q. WHAT ARE THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM?
A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.1
Biblical References:
1 Matt. 16:19; John 20:22-23
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 31 – 84. Q. HOW DOES PREACHING THE GOSPEL OPEN AND CLOSE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN?
A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to each and every believer that, as often as he accepts the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all his sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God”s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony.1
Biblical References:
1 Matt. 16:19; John 3:31-36; 20:21-23
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 31 – 85. Q. HOW IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN CLOSED AND OPENED BY CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINE?
A. According to the command of Christ: If anyone, though called a Christian, profess unchristian teachings or lives an unchristian life, if after repeated brotherly counsel, he refuses to abandon his errors and wickedness, and, if after being reported to the church, that is, to its officers, he fails to respond also to their admonition- such a one the officers exclude from the Christian fellowship by withholding the sacraments from him, and God himself excludes him from the kingdom of Christ.1 Such a person, when he promises and demonstrates genuine reform, is received again as a member of Christ and of his church.2
Biblical References:
1 Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5:3-5, 11-13; 2 Thess. 3:14-15
2 Luke 15:20-24; 2 Cor. 2:6-11 PART III MAN’S GRATITUDE
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 32 – 86. Q. WE HAVE BEEN DELIVERED FROM OUR MISERY BY GOD’S GRACE ALONE THROUGH CHRIST AND NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE EARNED IT: WHY THEN MUST WE STILL DO GOOD?
A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us,1 and so that he may be praised through us.2 And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits,3 and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ.4
Biblical References:
1 Rom. 6:13; 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:5-10
2 Matt. 5:16; 1 Cor. 6:19-20
3 Matt. 7:17-18; Gal. 5:22-24; 2 Pet. 1:10-11
4 Matt. 5:14-16; Rom. 14:17-19; 1 Pet. 2:12; 3:1-2
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 32 – 87. Q. CAN THOSE BE SAVED WHO DO NOT TURN TO GOD FROM THEIR UNGRATEFUL AND IMPENITENT WAYS?
A. By no means. Scripture tells us that no unchaste person, no idolater, adulterer, thief, no covetous person, no drunkard, slanderer, robber, or the like is going to inherit the kingdom of God.1 1 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:1-20; 1 John 3:14
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 88. Q. WHAT IS INVOLVED IN GENUINE REPENTANCE OR CONVERSION?
A. Two things: the dying-away of the old self, and the coming-to-life of the new.1
Biblical References:
1 Rom. 6:1-11; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:5-10
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 89. Q. WHAT IS THE DYING-AWAY OF THE OLD SELF?
A. It is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it.1
Biblical References:
1 Ps. 51:3-4, 17; Joel 2:12-13; Rom. 8:12-13; 2 Cor. 7:10
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 90. Q. WHAT IS THE COMING-TO-LIFE OF THE NEW SELF?
A. It is wholehearted joy in God through Christ1 and a delight to do every kind of good as God wants us to.2
Biblical References:
1 Ps. 51:8, 12; Isa.57:15; Rom. 5:1; 14:17
2 Rom. 6:10-11; Gal. 2:20
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 33 – 91. Q. WHAT DO WE DO THAT IS GOOD?
A. Only that which arises out of true faith,1 conforms to God”s law,2 and is done for his glory;3 and not that which is based on what we think is right or on established human tradition.4
Biblical References:
1 John 15:5; Heb. 11:6
2 Lev. 18:4; 1 Sam. 15:22; Eph. 2:10
3 1 Cor. 10:31
4 Deut. 12:32; Isa. 29:13; Ezek. 20:18-19; Matt. 15:7-9
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 34 – 92. Q. WHAT DOES THE LORD SAY IN HIS LAW?
A. God spoke all these words: THE FIRST COMMANDMENT I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. THE SECOND COMMANDMENT You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing stedfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. THE THIRD COMMANDMENT You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. THE FIFTH COMMANDMENT Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you. THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT You shall not kill. THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT You shall not commit adultery. THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT You shall not steal. THE NINTH COMMANDMENT You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. THE TENTH COMMANDMENT You shall not covet your neighbor”s house; you shall not covet your neighbor”s wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor”s.1
Biblical References:
1 Ex. 20:1-17; Deut. 5:6-21
Heidelberg Catechism Lords Day 34 – 93. Q. HOW ARE THESE COMMANDMENTS DIVIDED?
A. Into two tables. The first has four commandments, teaching us what our relation to God should be. The second has six commandments, teaching us what we owe our neighbor.1
Biblical References:
1 Matt. 22:37-39