Which is the Second Article?
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.
What does this mean?
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.
1. We confess that Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, begotten of the Father from eternity and therefore true God. We also confessthat He is born of the Virgin Mary and therefore is a true man,with a human soul and a human body. Holy Scripture expressly calls our Lord a man."There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."1 Tim. 2,5. Our Lord is indeed true man. While He was visibly dwelling here on earth, He lived as a man among men. He was born in Bethlehem as a little child. In the house of His mother and His foster-father Joseph He grew up like other children. He became hungry and thirsty, He ate and drank, He grew tired and slept, and lastly, He died.
2. Christ, our Lord, istrueman, man in the true sense of the word. He is our Brother. But there isone great differencebetween Him and all other men. We confess in the Second Article that He wasconceived by the Holy Ghost.Though our Lord was born of a human mother, He did not have a human father. He was conceived by the power of God the Holy Ghost without sin."The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee[the Virgin Mary],and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."Luke 1,35. Christ, our Lord, was bornholy, without sin,and during His life He never committed any sin, but always fulfilled the will of God, His Father.
3. Christ, our Lord, is true God and true man. There are not two Christs, one who is God, and another who is man, butonly one Christ, who is God and man at the same time, God and man in one person, the God- man.He isEmmanuel,that is, God with us, God in our flesh and blood. Matt. 1,23. How this is possible we cannot understand, but we firmly believe it because God Himself has revealed it to us in His Word. The Son of God, the true God, became a true man, born of a woman."The Word[the Son of God]was made flesh[man],and dwelt among us."John 1,14.
4. The Son of God, the true God, became man, but more than that.He also humbled Himself.He did not, as a rule, show forth His divine glory nor use His divine powers, but was like any other man. He did not come to us as a great prince, in kingly splendor, but though He is our God and King, He came to usas a low, poor man.From Bible History you know the life of the God-man, how He wasborna little child in Bethlehem, of the Virgin Mary, a lowly maid in Israel, though she came from the royal house of the great King David. And after He was born, Hesuffered.His whole life was a constant suffering. He was despised by His people, persecuted by the priests and Pharisees. He was so poor that He did not have where to lay His head. Remember how He suffered that unspeakable agony in the Garden of Gethsemane and in the courts of His enemies, where they passed that cruel sentence of death upon Him who had never committed a sin. Andunder Pontius Pilate,the governor of Judea, He wascrucified,nailed to a cross. And on the cross Hedied,died the death of a criminal. And after His death His friendsburiedHis body, just as they would have buried that of any other man. Verily, the Son of God, our Lord,deeply humbled Himself;He humbled Himself unto death, even the death of the cross.
5.Why did our Lord do all this?Why did the Son of God become man? Why did our Lord humble Himself so deeply? He did it for our sake, for the sake of all men, for those who are His enemies.He did it for me that He might become my Lord and Savior.Therefore our Lord was calledJesus.This name means helper, savior. It was given to our Lord by the will of God; for He had an angel tell Joseph:"She[the Virgin Mary]shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins."Matt. 1,21. Jesus is our Savior.—Our Lord is also calledChrist.Christ means theMessiah.Our Lord is the Messiah whom God had promised to His people in the Old Testament. All the prophecies regarding the Messiah in the Old Testament have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our Lord.—Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior, and He is ouronlySavior."Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."Acts 4,12.
REMEMBER:—
1.Our Lord Jesus Christ is true God, born of the Father from eternity; but He is also true man, born in time of the Virgin Mary. He is like unto other men, except that He is holy and without sin.
2.Christ, our Lord, is true God and true man in one person—the God- man. As such He is my Savior.
3.The Son of God did not only become man, He also humbled Himself, suffering and dying, dying on the cross.
4.Christ, our Lord, has done all this to be Jesus, the Savior of all men, to be Christ, the promised Messiah. He has done all this for me that He might become my Lord.
MEMORIZE:—
There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.1 Tim. 2,5.
The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.John 1,14.
She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus; for He shall save His people from their sins.Matt. 7,21.
Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.Acts 4,12.
QUESTIONS.
1. What do we confess regarding our Lord? 2. What do we also confess? 3. Recite the passage of Scripture where Christ is expressly called man. 4. How did our Lord show in His life here on earth that He was truly a man? 5. By whom was Christ conceived? 6. How was He, therefore, when He was born? 7. What, therefore, is the difference between Him and all other men? 8. We confess that Christ is God and man, What do we mean by this? 9. What did the Son of God become? 10. How do we read John 1,14? 11. Our Lord became true man; what did He also do? 12. What did He, as a rule, not show and use while He was here on earth? 13. What kind of man did our Lord become? 14. How was He born? 15. What was His whole life here on earth? 16. How poor did He become? 17. How did He die? 18. Why did Christ do all this? 19. For whose sake also did He humble Himself? 20. Why is my Lord called Jesus? 21. Why is He called the Christ?
LESSON 22.The Second Article.
My Lord Has Redeemed Me, A Lost And Condemned Creature.
Which is the Second Article?
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil.
1. We have learned that our Lord is true God and true man. We have heard that the Son of God became man and humbled Himself even unto death for our sake to become our Lord and Savior. Our Catechism furthermore tells usby what means Jesus Christ, true God and true man, became my Lord and Savior.That is the great work of our Lord: He came into this world to save, to redeem us. His work is ourredemption.Let us diligently and prayerfully consider this great work of our Lord—our redemption.
2.Christ has redeemed me,so I confess. We were in great need of such a Lord and of the redemption which He was to bring. For without such a Lordwe are lost and condemned creatures.We arelostcreatures. What does this mean? Remember the beautiful story of theProdigal Son.The father in this story said of his son after his return that he had been lost. Wilfully and sinfully the son had left his home and his father and gone into a far country, where he spent all his goods with riotous living. He was now far away from his father, separated from him and his home. He was lost in that far-away country, where great misery and distress soon overtook him. Without his father he would haveperishedwith hunger. Thus we are lost without Christ. We have sinned against our heavenly Father, we have transgressed His commandments. By committing sins we have left our Father and are separated from Him. We are in a far-away country, in this sinful world, where misery and distress surround us. We are without God and without hope in the world. Without our Lord we must perish, suffer eternal death.Without Christ we are indeed lost.Every one of us must confess: I am a lost creature."All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way."Is. 53,6.
3. I confess also that I am acondemnedcreature. God, as you have learned, is a righteous and jealous God. Hethreatens to punishall that transgress His commandments. When Adam and Eye transgressed God's command, the threatened punishment came over them."In the day that thou eatest thereof,"God had told Adam,"thou shalt surely die."Gen. 2,17.Deathis the punishment of all sinners, not only death here on earth, buteternal death,that is,eternal damnation.That is the sentence which God passed upon all that have sinned, that they should be separated from Him in eternity, from Him in whom alone we find life and true happiness.—It was thedevilthat tempted Adam and Eve to sin. They heard and obeyed his voice instead of the voice of their Father. He became their Lord and master."He that committeth sin is of the devil."1 John 3,8. Because we have sinned, we are under the power of the devil, we belong to his kingdom. Without Christ we are all lost and condemned creatures, that is,we are separated from God, our Father; we are under God's judgment of damnation; we are under the powers of sin, death, and the devil. They are our masters. "We were by nature the children of wrath."Eph. 2,3.
4. I am a lost and condemned creature; I am in the power of sin, death, and the devil.Who can help me in this misery and redeem and save me?Surely not I myself. How could I deliver myself from these mighty enemies? I have nothing with which I might atone for my sins or remove God's wrath and curse. Neither can any other man help me, powerful and wise though he may be.Allmen are lost and condemned creatures, just as helpless as I am.There is only One who is able to help and redeem us, Jesus Christ, our Lord.He is theGod-man.He could conquer these fearful enemies, sin, death, and the devil. He is thealmighty God.He alone among men is without sin, and therefore not in the power of the devil. He can redeem me,and He has redeemed me.In order to redeem the world, the Son of God became man, humbled Himself, and suffered and died. Thankfully I confessthat Christ has redeemed me, that He is my Lord.
5. I confess that Christ, my Lord, has redeemed me. But not only me did He redeem, butall men,from Adam up to the last man that will be born before the Day of Judgment. God loved theworld,allmankind,and He so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son to redeem and save the world. All men are lost and condemned creatures, all are under God's wrath and in the power of sin, and our Savior Himself said:"The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost."Matt. 18,11. John the Baptist pointed to Him and said:"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."John 1,29."He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."1 John 2,2. Christ, my Lord, has redeemed all mankind, and therefore I know that it is most certainly true:He has redeemed also me.
REMEMBER:—
1.Without Christ, my Lord, I am a lost and condemned creature. I am without God and hope in this world, separated from God and under the sentence of damnation.
2.By nature I am in the power of sin, death, and the devil. I belong to Satan's kingdom. Sin, death, and the devil were my masters.
3.In this dreadful distress no man was able to help me. Only Christ could redeem me, for He is the God-man; and He has redeemed me and all the world.
MEMORIZE:—
He that committeth sin is of the devil.1 John 3,8.
The Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.Matt. 18,11.
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.John 1,29.
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.1 John 2,2.
QUESTIONS.
1. What do we call the great work which Christ has done for us and all men? 2. What do I confess in the Second Article concerning myself? 3. From which parable of our Lord do we learn what it means to be lost? 4. Why was the Prodigal Son called lost? 5. How did he become separated from his father? 6. What happened to him in that far-away country? 7. How did we become separated from our heavenly Father? 8. What always separates us from God? 9. What do we furthermore confess concerning ourselves? 10. Why are we condemned creatures? 11. What does God threaten to those who transgress His commandments? 12. In what does the punishment of sin consist? 13. What death is meant? 14. Who tempted Adam and Eve to sin? 15. Of whom is he who commits sin? 16. Under whose power are we because we have sinned? 17. Who alone is able to help us in our misery? 18. Why can Jesus Christ surely help and save us? 19. Whom did Christ redeem? 20. How can you prove from Scripture that Christ has redeemed all men?
LESSON 23.The Second Article.
Christ, My Lord, Has Redeemed Me With His Holy, Precious Blood.
Which is the Second Article?
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won 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.
1. Christ has redeemed andpurchased us,that is, He bought us. Our Lord had to pay a price, a very high price for our redemption. He has purchased or bought me not withgoldorsilver. "Ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold."1 Pet 1,18. Gold and silver are, indeed, highly prized among men. Much can be accomplished, much can be bought with gold and silver for the support of our life and for our comfort here in this world. But all the gold and silver, all the treasures in the world, cannot buy our redemption. Gold and silver cannot redeem one lost and condemned sinner from sin, death, and the powers of the devil, from hell and damnation. A much higher price was necessary. Our Lord has paid this price.
2. Christ redeemed and purchased us with Hisblood.He shed His blood for us. He gave Hislifefor our redemption. Consider the great love of our Lord. He gave His life not for His friends, but for us, who were His enemies. We call this blood aholyblood.It is the blood of a holy man.Our Savior was born without sin, and He never committed a sin in His life. We have been redeemed, not with gold or silver,"but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."1 Pet. 1,19. We call the blood of Christ apreciousblood. This blood is the most precious thing in heaven and earth. It is theblood of the Son of God,shed for our sins."The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin."1 John 1,7.
3. Christ purchased us with His bloodand with His suffering and death.Suffering and dying our Lord shed His blood for us. We say it was aninnocentsuffering and death, because He did not deserve this. He was without sin, He never did any wrong. He did not suffer and die because of any guilt of His own. He suffered and diedon account of my guilt and the guilt of the whole world.During His whole sinless life He fulfilled God's commandments.Weought to have kept the commandments, but we could not do it because we were born in sins. Christ, our Lord, has fulfilled the Law of Godfor us, in our stead.He came into this world and was made under the Law that He might redeem us, who were under the Law.Wehad transgressed the commandments, therefore the wrath of God was upon us, and we deserved His punishment.Weought to have suffered death, eternal death.Christwasinnocent,without sin, and still He suffered death on the cross.He did all this for us, in our stead. "Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.... He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed."Is. 53,4.5.—It was a high price that Jesus paid for our salvation. He gave Himself for us. How thankful we ought to be to our dear Savior, who lived and died for us that we may be saved! How thankful we ought to be to our heavenly Father, who"so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"!John 3,16.
4. Christ paid a high price for me. He gave Himself a ransom for my salvation. But before His death on the cross my Savior cried out:"It is finished."His great work is finished indeed. My Lordhaspurchased and redeemed me and all mankind. Because Christ shed His precious blood, and suffered and died for us in our stead, we are redeemed and free fromour sins.By leading a sinless life Christ has fulfilled all commandments of God for us;in Him we have fulfilled them.We are free from the curse of the Law."Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us."Gal. 3,13. All the punishments for our sins were suffered by Christ.In Him God has punished us,and therefore we no longer need to suffer punishment for our sins.—We have been redeemed fromallsins. There is not a single sin, either great or small, from which Christ, our Lord, has not redeemed us.He has earned forgiveness of all sins for us.
5. The penalty of sin isdeath,eternal death and damnation. Christ, our Lord, has taken away our sins, He has earned forgiveness for us; thereforewe have been redeemed from death.He has suffered death for us and therefore we are free from death. Eternal death has no power over us; for"Christ hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light."2 Tim. 1,10. We no longer need to fear death. In death our Lord gives us everlasting life.
6. Since Christ has suffered and died for us,we have also been redeemed from the power of the devil.Through sin the devil has power over us. Our sins are forgiven; by His death the Lorddestroyed the works of the devil.Satan has lost his power over me. He cannot force me to sin nor keep me in his kingdom."Through death He destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."Heb. 2,14. We thank the Lord for having redeemed us from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil.
REMEMBER:—
1.I have been bought with a price. My Lord has purchased me, not with treasures of this world, but with His own precious blood, with His innocent suffering and death.
2.In my stead Christ fulfilled all the commandments of God. In my stead He suffered and died for my sins. With His stripes I am healed.
3.Now I am redeemed and free from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. In Christ I have forgiveness of all my sins.
MEMORIZE:—
Ye know that ye ware not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.1 Pet. 1,18.19.
The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sins.1 John 1,7.
Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.... He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.Is. 53,4.5.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us.Gal. 3,13.
Christ hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light.2 Tim. 1,10.
QUESTIONS.
1. What does it mean when we say that the Lord purchased us? 2. Wherein did the price which He paid for us not consist? 3. With what did our Lord redeem us? 4. Why do we call His blood a holy blood? 5. Why do we call it a precious blood? 6. What do we read 1 John 1,7? 7. Why do we call the suffering and death of our Lord an innocent suffering and death? 8. Why did our Lord not deserve suffering and death? 9. For whom did He suffer and die? 10. What did Christ during His whole life fulfil? 11. For whom did He do this? 12. What did we deserve for our sins? 13. Who suffered the punishment we had deserved in our stead? 14. What does the prophet say Is. 53,4.5? 15. What do we know regarding this great work of our Lord? 16. From what have we been redeemed? 17. What did Christ earn for us with regard to our sins? 18. From what have we also been redeemed? 19. What need we no longer fear? 20. In what respect are we redeemed also from the power of the devil?
LESSON 24.The Second Article.
My Lord Has Won Me That I May Be His Own.
Which is the Second Article?
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ is my Lord, who has won me, that I may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.
1. Christ, my Lord, has redeemed and purchased me, and we add:He has won me.He has won me after a hard fight with sin, death, and the devil. In the first prophecy of the promised Messiah, God said to the serpent, to Satan:"I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel."Gen. 3,15. This prophecy has been fulfilled in the coming of Christ, our Lord. He is theSeed of the woman.The serpent, Satan, indeed, bruised His heel. Christ had to suffer and die for us. But through His death on the cross our Lord has gained the victory He has bruised the serpent's head and destroyed his works. He has delivered us out of the hand of our enemies. Sin, death, and the devil no longer have any power over us. Christ has won us for Himself.He has become my Lord. I now am His own,I belong to Him, to Him alone, who has bought me and won me.Christ has won me in order that He may be my Lord and I His own.
2. Christ, my Lord, has won me that I maylive in His kingdom.Without Christ we are all in Satan's kingdom, living under him. He is our evil master, who rules over us But Christ has delivered us out of the hand of our enemies that we should live in His kingdom.—Our Lord has a kingdom here on earth.For the purpose of founding this His kingdom, He came into the world and humbled Himself, and suffered and died for us. Our Lord, truly, is a King. He Himself told us so. When Pontius Pilate asked Him,"Art Thou a king, then?"He answered:"Thou sayest that I am a King."To His kingdom all those belong who believe and trust in Him and accept Him as their Lord and King. For this purpose my Lord redeemed and won me, that I, too, may belong to His kingdom and live under Him.
3. The kingdom of our Lord and King is amost glorious kingdom.The Lord Himself reigns and rules in His kingdom with His grace and love. In His kingdom we liveunder Him.He rules and governs my whole life. Under His rule and care I shall not want. I live under Him, under His protection. He protects me from the temptations of sin, the godless world, and the devil. My Lord and King is always with me. Under His care and protection I amsafe;for my King isthe almighty God, whom nothing can withstand.All power is given unto Him in heaven and in earth. Matt. 28,18.This kingdom of our Lord we call the Kingdom of Grace;for with grace and love our King governs all who accept Him as their Lord and King.
4. For this purpose Christ has redeemed and won me, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom andserve Him,who has become my Lord. Before Christ became our Lord, we had other masters. We served our enemies, sin and the devil. We could not but serve them, and we served them willingly, even joyfully. How miserable to be a servant of Satan and sin, to do their will, to obey them!The wages of sin is death,eternal, death and damnation. Our Lord has delivered us from sin and Satan, He has won us as His own."That we, delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life."Luke 1, 74.75. We live in the kingdom of our Lord under His care; we need not fear our enemies if we do not serve them. We serve Him who has delivered us. In His kingdom our Lord gives us strength to serve Him by living according to His commandments, by doing His good and gracious will. To serve this Lord is anobleservice. Can there be a nobler service than to serve God, the highest Lord, to serve the highest King, who has bought and won us out of the hands of our enemies, of sin and Satan?Gladlyandjoyfullywill we serve Him, our Savior and our Lord.
5. We serve our Lordin everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.The kingdom of our Lord is, indeed, a glorious kingdom. In His kingdom we serve Him inrighteousness.We are not righteous in ourselves, but our Lord has gained a perfect righteousness for us. He has fulfilled the Law in our stead. Clothed in Christ's blood and righteousness, we serve our Lord, and therefore our poor service iswell-pleasingto God.—We serve our Lord ininnocence.We are free from the guilt of our sins. Sad to say, we daily sin in the service of our Lord, we deserve nothing but punishment; butGod forgives us our sinsdaily and richly for Christ's sake, and so we areinnocentin His sight. In holiness and righteousness we will serve Him all the days of our life.—We serve Him inblessedness.It is blessedness to serve this our Lord. He blesses His servants with all His rich gifts. He blesses them here on earth and leads them to eternal blessedness in heaven. It iseverlastingrighteousness and innocence and blessedness that our Lord gives us. He leads His servants toHis kingdom in heaven.Here in this world His kingdom is aKingdom of Grace;in heaven it is theKingdom of Glory. "The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom; to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen."2 Tim. 4,18.
REMEMBER:—
1.Through His sufferings and death, Christ has become my Lord, and therefore I am His own. I am living in His kingdom, under Him, my King, being delivered from the hands of all my enemies. He cares for me and protects me.
2.In His kingdom I am serving my King in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, which He bestows on me. For my Lord's sake God forgives me all my sins and accepts my poor sinful service.
3.Our Lord's kingdom is a twofold kingdom, the Kingdom of Grace here on earth, in which our King reigns with His grace, with forgiveness of sins, and the Kingdom of Glory in heaven, in which we shall reign with our King, freed from all evil, in His glory forever and ever.
MEMORIZE:—
I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise His heel.Gen. 3,15.
Pilate, therefore, said unto Him, Art Thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest, I am a King.John 18,37.
That we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.Luke 1,74.75.
The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom; to whom be glory forever and ever! Amen.2 Tim. 4,18.
QUESTIONS.
1. From whom has our Lord won me? 2. To whom do I now belong? 3. Recite the first prophecy of the promised Messiah. 4. Who has no power over me since Christ has won me? 5. In whose kingdom may I live? 6. What does it mean to live under Him? 7. What will our Lord do as our King? 8. Why are we safe under His rule and protection? 9. How do we call His kingdom here on earth? 10. Because Christ is our Lord, what should we therefore do? 11. Whom must we serve when we are not in our Lord's service? 12. Why is this service a miserable service? 13. Why can we now serve our Lord? 14. Why is His service a glorious service? 15. who has given us the righteousness in which we serve our Lord? 16. Why are we innocent before God? 17. Why is it blessedness to serve the Lord? 18. How do we call His kingdom in heaven?
LESSON 25.The Second Article.
Review Lesson.
(1) 1. In whom does every Christian believe according to the Second Article? 2. What do we mean when we say: I believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord? 3. What two things does our Catechism teach us about our Lord Jesus Christ? 4. What do we confess in the Second Article concerning thepersonof our Lord? 5. Prove from Scripture that Christ is God's only Son, the only-begotten Son of the Father. 6. If Christ is God's only- begotten Son of the Father, He must be true God with the Father. How can you prove this from Holy Writ? 7. How did the apostles confess Jesus Christ as their God? 8. What do we confess about our Lord in the beginning of the explanation of the Second Article? 9. Together with whom is Christ true God? 10. In what respect is there no difference between Jesus and His Father? Christ is coequal with the Father. He has the same divine majesty, glory and honor.
(2) We confess that Jesus Christ is God's only Son and therefore, together with the Father, true God from eternity. 1. What do we furthermore confess concerning our Lord? 2. How can you prove that Christ is true man? 3. Christ is indeed true man, born of the Virgin Mary. But there is one great difference between Him and all other men. Which is it? 4. Why was Christ conceived and born without sin? 5. Christ is true God and true man; there are, however, not two Christs, one true God and the other true man; there is but one Christ. What is He? 6. The Son of God became true man, but He did more. What kind of a man did He become? 7. How does the Second Article describe the lowly life of our Savior here on earth? 8. Why did Christ humble Himself so deeply? 9. What does the name Jesus mean? 10. Why is He called Savior? 11. Why was Jesus called the Christ?
(3) We learn from our Catechism not only who Jesus, our Lord, is, but also what He has done for us to become our Lord. 1. What does our Catechism say concerning the work of our Lord? 2. Christ has redeemed me; how do we therefore call His work? 3. Why was it necessary that I should be redeemed? We are by nature lost and condemned creatures. 4. From which parable of the Lord can you learn what it means to be lost? 5. Why are we also condemned creatures? 6. Who had pronounced judgment upon us because of our sins? 7. What was this punishment? 8. We were under the power of sin, death, and the devil. Who alone could help us in this distress? 9. We confess that Christ redeemed me, a lost and condemned sinner; but I am not the only one whom He has redeemed. Whom did He also redeem? 10. Prove from Scripture that our Lord redeemed all men. 11. What conclusion may and should I draw from this truth?
(4) Our Catechism says that our Lord has redeemed andpurchasedus. 1. What is the meaning of the Word purchase? 2. Christ has bought us with a price. What is the price our Lord paid for our redemption? 3. Why could we not be bought with gold or silver? 4. We have been purchased with His blood. How did Christ purchase us with His blood? 5. It is, indeed, a high price which our Lord paid for us. Why do we call His blood a holy blood? 6. Why is it called a precious blood? 7. What does Christs blood do for us regarding our sins? 8. Christ has purchased us with His suffering. Why do we call His suffering an innocent suffering? 9. In whose stead did Christ suffer all the punishment of sin? 10. What is the punishment of sin?—11. Christ has purchased us with His holy blood and His innocent suffering. From whom did He purchase us? Christ redeemed us from the power of sin, and death, and the devil. 12. How did Christ redeem us from all sins? 18. What did He fulfil in our stead? 14. Why are we also free from death? 15. Being free from sin we are also free from the power of the devil. Why are we free from his power?
(5) Christ, our Lord, has redeemed and purchased us. He has alsowonus. He has won us after a severe fight with sin, death, and the devil. 1. Which is the first prophecy of this conflict between our Savior and the devil? 2. Christ gained the victory in this conflict. He won us. To whom do we now belong? 3. We are Christ's own; we live in His kingdom. To whose kingdom do we belong without Christ? 4. Christ has won me from the power and the kingdom of the devil; Christ now is my King. Who belongs to His kingdom? 5. What do we call His kingdom here on earth? 6. Why do we call it the Kingdom of Grace? 7. In His kingdom we live under Him. What does this mean? 8. Not only do we live under our King, under His care and protection, we also serve Him. How do we serve Him? 9. Out of whose hand has our Lord delivered us? 10. How do we serve our Lord? 11. Without Christ we had to serve sin and the devil. Why is this service such a degrading service? 12. Why should we gladly and willingly serve our Lord in His kingdom? 13. We serve our Lord in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Which righteousness is here meant? 14. In what respect are we innocent in the eyes of God? 15. Why does His service bestow blessedness upon us? 16. To what kingdom does our gracious Lord lead us after this life? 17. Why is this kingdom called the Kingdom of Glory?
Let us give thanks to our dear Savior, who has become our Lord, that we may be His own and in His kingdom live under Him and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Amen.
LESSON 26.The Second Article.
How Our Lord As Victor Descended Into Hell And Rose Again From The Dead.
Which is the Second Article?
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.... He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead.
1. We believe and confess in the Second Article of our faith that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, became also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, that He suffered, was crucified, died on the cross, and was buried. All this our Lord has done to redeem us lost and condemned creatures from all our sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, that He may be our Lord, that we may be His own and live under Him in His glorious kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness and blessedness. Our Lord died and was buried for our sakes to redeem us. Is, then, our Lord still in death and in the grave? Do we believe in a dead savior? Do we serve a dead and helpless king? Thank God, we do not!We know from Holy Writ that our Lord came to life again, that our living Lord descended into hell and on the third day after His death rose again from the grave.
2. We confess in the Second Article:"He,"our Lord Jesus Christ,"descended into hell."When our Lord descended into hell, He was no longer dead. It is true, when they took Him from the cross and buried Him, He was really dead. Nobody, indeed, had taken His life from Him, He had laid it down of Himself, of His own free will, laid it down for us that we might not suffer eternal death;but in His grave Christ, the Son of God, took His life back again. "Christ was put to death in the flesh, but quickened[came to life again]by the Spirit."1 Pet. 3,18. As our living Lord He went down into hell, into the place whither the evil spirits, the devils and condemned men, have been banished. Christ did not enter the gates of hellin order to be punished there for His sins;for our Savior was without sin and blemish. He did not descend into hellto suffer the penalty for our sins;this He had already done on the cross. He descended into hellto show that He had won the victory over the devil and all his hosts."He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." Col. 2,15. As the triumphant Victor over all His enemies Christ entered hell, the abode of Satan. Now we are certain that the old Evil Foe cannot keep us in his power, thatwe are free from hell and damnation.
3.On the third day our Lord rose again from the dead.You have often heard the Easter-Gospel, the joyful tidings of Christ's glorious resurrection: Our Lord is not dead, but He lives. When, very early in the morning, the women came to the grave to anoint the body of their Master, they did not find Him, the grave was empty, and an angel of God brought them the message:"Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen."Luke 24,5.6. After His resurrection our Lord showed Himself to His disciples as their living Savior. They saw Him, they spoke to Him, and ate with Him.The Lord convinced them that He was risen.They are the witnesses of His resurrection. Even thesoldierswhom the enemies had placed around the grave as a watch, lest His disciples might come by night and steal the body, could not deny that the grave was empty, that the Lord had risen. Matt. 28,4.11-15.We are sure that Christ, our Lord, is not dead, but lives; for God Himself tells us in His Word that Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father.Rom. 6,4. Joyously we confess:"I know that my Redeemer liveth."Job 19,25.
4. Christ is risen. He came forth from His sepulcher withthe same bodythat was laid in the grave.The tomb was empty.The disciples knew Him when He showed Himself. They saw the print of the nails in His hands and His feet and the wound in His side. He let them touch His body in order to convince them that He was not a spirit. Luke 24,39.40. But after His resurrection His body wasglorified;it was free from all human weakness and sufferings, free from death.
5.The resurrection of our Savior is full of comfort and consolation for us. "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."1 Cor. 15,17-19. This would be our sad lot if Christ were not risen. All our faith and hope in Him would be in vain. But Heisrisen, and now we knowthat He is the true Son of God.We know that Christhas gained the victory over all our enemies,sin, death, and the devil, who could not keep Him in their power. We know that Christhas paid the penalty for our sins,that our sins are forgiven. We know that we have alivingSavior,who is with us alway,to govern and protect us in His kingdom. We know that we shall not perish when we die, that our risen Lord will not leave us in the grave, but willraise us again unto eternal life. "Because I live, ye shall live also."John 14,19. Our Lord is risen, and so we put our trust in Him both in life and death. "Jesus, my Redeemer, lives! I, too, unto life must waken Endless joy my Savior gives; Shall my courage then be shaken? Shall I fear, or could the Head Rise and leave His members dead?"
REMEMBER:—
1.Christ descended into hell to show Himself as Victor over our enemies, over the devil and all his hosts.
2.Christ is risen. We know that our Redeemer lives. We have a living Savior, our sins are forgiven. Our King lives forever; under Him we live in everlasting righteousness and innocence.
3.Christ is risen; He has conquered death. Though we must die, He will recall us from our graves and raise us to eternal life and everlasting blessedness.
MEMORIZE:—
I know that my Redeemer liveth.Job 19,25.
If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.1 Cor. 15,17.18.
Because I live, ye shall live also.John 14,19.
QUESTIONS.
1. Where did Christ go after He had come to life again in the grave? 2. Why did Christ not descend into hell? 3. What was His purpose in descending into the abode of Satan? 4. When did our Lord rise from the dead? 5. What message did the angel bring to the women at the grave? 6. Who are the witnesses of His resurrection? 7. How did our risen Lord convince His apostles that He was alive again? 8. Who even could not deny His resurrection? 9. What makes us perfectly certain that Christ is risen and lives forever and ever? 10. How was Christ's body after His resurrection? 11. What does that mean, Christ's body was glorified? 12. What do we know regarding our sins since Christ is risen? 13. What consolation does His resurrection give us for our Christian life? 14. What consolation does it give us in the hour of death?
LESSON 27.The Second Article.
The Triumphant Ascension Of Our Lord.
Which is the Second Article?
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.... He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
What does this mean?
Even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
1. After His resurrection our Lordremained here on earth for forty days.During these days He repeatedly appeared to His disciples; He showed Himself alive to them by many proofs. He convinced them that He was not dead, but lived. He spoke to them about the kingdom of God,Hiskingdom. He finally gave them His great command or commission, to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel of their living Savior to all men. Acts 1,3.
2. On thefortieth daywhen the apostles were assembled in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to them again. He told them:"Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high."Luke 24,49. He commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost, that in His power they might be His witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Then our Lord led them out toMount Olivet,as far as toBethany.And there He lifted up His hands and blessed them.While He blessed them, He was parted from His beloved apostles and carried up into heaven.While the disciples looked on He was taken up higher and higher, until a cloud received Him out of their sight. Luke 24,50.51; Acts 1,8.9. In this manner our Lord was received up to His heavenly gloryVisibly,before the eyes of His disciples, He ascended on high and entered into the glory of His Father.
3. Christ ascended into heaven,and He did so for our sake.He ascended up on high asthe triumphant Victorover all His and our enemies. His entrance into heaven assures usthat He has opened heaven again for us through His sufferings and death.Before His death He gave His apostles the promise:"In My Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you."John 14,2. This promise He has fulfilled. He went up to heaven to prepare a place in His Father's house for all who believe in Him, their Savior.—Our Lord ascended into heaven,and where He is, there shall we, His friends and disciples also be.He will not leave us behind in this world. As truly as Christ went up to heaven, we, His own, will follow Him to His and our Father's house."Where I am, there shall also My servant be."John 12,26. Our Lord prayed for us before His death upon the cross:"Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me."John 17,24. "Mighty Lord, in Thine ascension we by faith behold our own."—Remember:Our Treasure, our Lord and Savior, is in heaven, and where our Treasure is, our hearts and hopes should also be.
4."He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God,"thus we read Mark 16,19. We, therefore, confess that our ascended Lord now"sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty."What does this mean? It does not mean that in heaven, at the right hand of God the Father, there is a special throne, prepared for our Lord, the God-man Jesus Christ, upon which He is now seated in divine glory, adored and praised by all the heavenly hosts, and that, because He is sitting on that throne, He isfar away from us, His own.It means—and so our Catechism explains it—that our dear Lord, after being raised from the dead,"lives and reigns to all eternity."It means that Christ, though He was dead, lives and is alive forevermore, that our living Lord is with us and reigns over us as our gracious King to all eternity. He is, and will be, according to His almighty power, our King forever and ever.
5. Christ, indeed, ascended into heaven. He now is in heaven, in the glory of His Father;but He is not far away from us. He is with us.We cannot see Him, as His apostles saw Him, but He is with usinvisibly in His Word, His Gospel.When we read or hear His Gospel or think about it, our Savior is always at our side. He Himself has promised us:"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you."John 14,18.—Our Lord lives and reigns to all eternity,that is, He rules and governs us, His own, His disciples. He leads and protects us against all our enemies. Out of His almighty hand no enemy can pluck us. Our mighty Lord on God's throne is our Good Shepherd, who leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Ps. 23.—Christ's resurrection, His ascension, and His sitting at the right hand of God assure us of the fact that He is indeed our Lord, and will be our Lord and King to eternity; and in His kingdom we shall live and Him we shall serve in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.
REMEMBER:—
1.Christ, our Savior, ascended into heaven as the triumphant Victor over all His and our enemies. He entered into heaven, into the glory of His Father, there to prepare a place for us.
2.His ascension assures us that the gates of heaven are open to all who believe in Him, that we shall be where He is to see His glory.
3.Our Lord sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, that is, He, the God-man, lives to eternity, lives, and is with us in His Word, and reigns over His own with His almighty power forever and ever.
MEMORIZE:—
In My Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you.John 14,2.
I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.John 14,3.
Where I am, there shall also My servant be.John 12,26.
I will not leave You comfortless; I will come to you.John 14,18.
QUESTIONS.
1. How long did our Lord remain on earth after His resurrection? 2. What did He do during these forty days? 3. Where were His disciples assembled on the fortieth day? 4. What promise did the Lord give them? 5. Why were they to be endued with the power of the Holy Ghost? 6. Where did Christ lead the apostles? 7. In what manner was the Lord taken up into heaven? 8. Who were the witnesses of His ascension? 9. What has Christ prepared for us in His Father's house? 10. What does our Savior say John 12,26? 11. Since our Lord is in heaven, who also shall be there? 12. What does the sitting of Christ at the right hand of the Father not mean? 13. With what words does our Catechism explain it? 14. How is our Lord with us after His ascension? 15. What does it mean that our Lord reigns over us? 16. Of what does His resurrection, His ascension, and His sitting at the right hand of God make us certain?
LESSON 28.The Second Article.
Christ Will Come To Judge The World
Which is the Second Article?
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
1. When our Lord ascended into heaven and His disciples were looking after Him as He was taken up before their eyes, higher and higher, two men stood by them in white apparel, two angels, who said:"This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven."Acts 1,11. We confess therefore that our Lordwill come again,that He will come again in like manner as His apostles saw Him taken up into heaven. He will comevisibly.All men on earth will see our Lord coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21,27. He will not come again in deep humility and poverty, as He came when He was born in Bethlehem, but with great power and glory."The Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels."Matt. 16,27. All men will see Him as the almighty King surrounded by His heavenly hosts. Every one will then have to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and every one will have to bow to Him.Our Lord will come again visibly and in great glory.
2. When the Lord comes in His glory, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the earth and all the works therein shall be burned up. 2 Pet. 3,10.The Last Day, the end of this world, will then have come.On this Last Day our Lord will come to"judge the quick and the dead."Christ has been ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. Acts 10,42. He will judge thequick,that is, those who are still living when He comes. He will judge the dead. On that day all the dead will rise again and will be brought before the Lord to be judged by Him.
3. Christ Himself has given us a beautiful description of His Judgment. (Read the whole passage, Matt. 25,31-46.) He tells us:"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations."Matt. 25,31.32. Christ is the Judge of all nations, of all men."We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in His body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."2 Cor. 5,10. No one, be He ever so mighty, rich, or learned, can escape His Judgment.
4. How will Christ judge? He says:"And He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."Matt. 25,32.33. Thesheep are those who truly believe in Christ, their Savior,and in Him have forgiveness of their sins.The goats are those who in this life rejected Christ and His grace.To His sheep He will say:"Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."V. 34. On the goats He will pronounce this judgment:"Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."V. 41. And then the Lord will prove to all men that His judgment is a righteous one by the good works of the believers and the evil deeds of His enemies.—This judgment is final and will never be altered. His enemies"shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."Matt. 25,46.
5.When will this great Day of Judgment, the day of our Lord, come?This we do not know. Our Lord says:"Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father."Mark 13,32. We should not try to find out the exact day of the coming of our Lord. But God has in His Word revealed two important things about this day. He tells us that His day will comesuddenly, when nobody expects it. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."2 Pet. 3,10."Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh."Matt. 25,13.—We also know that this day will comesoon. "The end of all things is at hand."1 Pet. 4,7. We may and should expect the Lorddailyand be prepared to receive Him. There are many signs which announce the coming of Christ. Matt. 24,14-31; Luke 21,25-36.
6."This is most certainly true."With these words we conclude also our Second Article. From God's Word we know that all we have learned in the Second Article is most certainly true. Therefore we believe and confess it.
REMEMBER:—
1.On the Last Day our Lord will come again visibly and in great glory to judge the quick and the dead, all men. You, too, must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ.
2.On this day He will cast away the wicked and unbelievers into everlasting punishment. The righteous He will receive into His everlasting kingdom. Believe in Christ, and you will be saved.
3.We know neither day nor hour of His coming, but we know that His day will come unexpectedly and soon. Watch always and be prepared to receive your Lord.
MEMORIZE:—
He is ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.Acts 10,42.
The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.2 Pet. 3,10.
The end of all things is at hand.1 Pet. 4,7.
We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.2 Cor. 5,10.
QUESTIONS.
1. How did the apostles learn of the coming of their Lord at His ascension? 2. How will the Lord come again, according to the words of the angels? 3. Who will see our Lord in His second coming? 4. What is the difference between His first and His second coming? 5. On what day will the Lord come again? 6. What is the purpose of His coming? 7. Who are the quick? 8. How can the Lord judge the dead? 9. Whom, therefore, will Christ judge? 10. How will Christ judge? 11. Who are His sheep? 12. Who are the goats? 13. What will Christ say to His sheep on that day? 14. What judgment will He pronounce on His enemies? 15. When will the last day, the Day of Judgment, come? 16. What has God revealed to us concerning this day? 17. When, therefore, should we expect our Lord and prepare for His coming?
LESSON 29.The Second Article.
REVIEW LESSON.
1. We confess in the Second Article that Christ, the God-man, is our Lord. In order to become our Lord, He had to redeem and purchase us from the cruel masters to whom we belonged, from all our sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. To purchase us He had to pay a price, a very high price—His holy, precious blood, His life. To purchase us He of His own free will gave up His life; He died on the cross. Christ was dead and buried. Do we now believe in a dead and buried Lord and Savior? What happened after His death, when He was still in His grave? Where did He go after having been quickened by the Spirit? What was His purpose in entering the habitation of Satan and his evil spirits? Christ showed Himself to be the Victor over Satan and hell. For whose benefit did He win this victory? From whose power are we free?
2. What happened on the third day after the death of our Lord? Christ rose from the dead. What does that mean? Christ came forth from His sepulcher. Who brought this glad message to the women? How did the Lord convince His disciples that He was living? Even who could not deny His resurrection? What makes us sure that Christ rose from the dead? What do we therefore gladly confess? (Job 19,25.)—With what body did Christ come forth from His grave? How can we prove that it was the same body that was laid in the grave? But how was Christ's body after His resurrection? His body, indeed, was glorified. What does this mean?— The resurrection of our Lord is of great importance for us. It is full of comfort and consolation. If Christ would still be dead and lying in the grave, how could He be our Savior and King, and how would it be possible for Him to help us? Our faith in Him would be vain; indeed, we would be of all men most miserable. What does the Apostle Paul say about this? (1 Cor. 15,17-19.) But Christ is risen indeed. What great comfort for us! Whom has He conquered? Who alone is able to conquer this powerful enemy? What, therefore, must our Lord be? Christ rose after He had given His life a ransom for our sins. What, therefore, does the resurrection of our Lord prove concerning our sins? Christ is risen and lives forever. What comfort does this give us for our whole life? What comfort does it give us in the hour of death?
3. How long did our Lord remain with His disciples after His resurrection? Why did He repeatedly show Himself to them? What happened on the fortieth day? Where did His ascension take place? What promise did the Lord give His apostles just before His ascension? Why were they to be endued with the power of the Holy Ghost? In what manner did the ascension of our Lord take place?—Christ ascended into heaven as the triumphant Victor over all His enemies. His enemies are our enemies. What does His ascension prove concerning our enemies? For whose sake, therefore, did Christ ascend into heaven?—Christ ascended into heaven. Heaven is His Father's house. Why did our Lord go to His Father's house for us? He has prepared a place for us in heaven. He has opened the gates of heaven for us. What does our Lord say John 12,26? Where will our Savior lead us, His disciples, too? Christ, our Treasure, is in heaven; what, therefore, shall be there also?
4. Christ ascended into heaven, and He now sits at the right hand of God in the glory of His Father. How does our Catechism explain this? Though Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, He is always with us, His disciples. In what manner is He with us? What must we use, read, hear, and think about in order that our Lord may be with us? What promise did He give us, John 14,18? The Lord sitting at the right hand of God reigns over us; what does this mean? Of what does Christ's resurrection, ascension, and the sitting at the right hand of God make us certain?
5. When our Lord ascended into heaven, two angels stood by the disciples. They told them that Christ would come again in like manner as they had seen Him taken up into His glory. What do we learn from these words about the coming of our Lord? Who will see Him when He returns? What is the difference between the first and the second coming of Christ? Our Lord will come again with power and glory. What will all men have to confess on that day, even His enemies? Who will escort the Lord when He returns in His glory?—What is the purpose of His coming? Whom will the Lord judge? What judgment will He pronounce on His sheep? How do we become His sheep? Who, therefore, will stand before the Son of Man on Judgment Day? What terrible sentence will His enemies hear? Our Lord tells us that after the Judgment His enemies will go away into everlasting punishment, but His sheep into everlasting life. How, therefore, is this Judgment?—Who alone knows the day and hour of the second coming of Christ? What should we therefore never try to do? What, however, does Scripture tell us concerning the Last Day? When, therefore, should we expect His coming and prepare for it? What does our Lord Himself say to us, Matt. 25,13? Believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
And we believe in Jesus Christ,Son of God and Mary's Son,Who from heaven above came downAnd leads us to heaven's throne;By whose blood and death are weRescued from all misery.
LESSON 30.The Third Article: Of Sanctification.
The Holy Ghost. The Triune God.
Which is the beginning of the Third Article?
I believe in the Holy Ghost.
1. According to the Second Article we believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, that is, we do not only know that it is true what God's Word says about Christ and His work for us, butwe put all our confidence, all our trust, in Him as our Saviorwho has redeemed us. That is the true, saving faith. This saving faith is not our own work.It is the work of God the Holy Ghost.Without Him and the work which He performs in us no man would come to Jesus and believe in Him. The Holy Ghost alone can and does bring to Christ those that believe in Him. About the Holy Ghost and the work which He performs in us we learn in theThird Article of our Christian Creed.
2."I believe in the Holy Ghost,"these are the first words of the Third Article. Webelievein the Holy Ghost, thus we confess. To believe in some one means, as we have learned,to put one's whole confidence and trust in him.Now, God tells us in the First Commandment that we should fear and love Him above all thingsand trust in Him alone. In God onlywe should believe. And therefore we believe in the Holy Ghost, because He is the true God.In saying that we believe in the Holy Ghost, we confess that He is the one true God, that He is our God, God as truly as the Father and Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.The apostle says:"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God, dwelleth in you?"1 Cor. 3,16. Because the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, dwells in us, we areGod'stemple. The Holy Ghost therefore is the true God.—Remember what you learned in the history of creation. There we read:"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."Gen. 1,2. The work of creation is ascribed to the Spirit of God, to the Holy Ghost. Creation is the work of God.Therefore the Holy Ghost must be God.
3.We believe in the Father, and we believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, and we believe in the Holy Ghost.There arethree distinct personsin whom we believe. There are three persons whom we confess to be our God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And we confess this according to Scripture. Christ, our Lord, commands us to baptize in the name of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Matt. 28,19. Let me remind you of thebaptism of our Lord.There the three divine Persons revealed themselves.God the Son,our Lord Jesus Christ, stood in the river Jordan, being baptized by John.God the Fatherrevealed Himself in a voice from heaven, saying:"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."And the heavens opened, and theSpirit of God, the Holy Ghost,like a dove, descended upon our Lord.There are three distinct divine Persons in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
4. We confess that the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God.There are not three gods, however, but only one God. "Hear, O Israel: the Lord, our God, is one Lord."Deut. 6,4. The one and only true God has revealed Himself in three distinct divine Persons.Our God, the one true God, besides whom there is no other God in heaven and earth, is God the Father, God the Son, and God, the Holy Ghost, three divine Persons, but one God.Because God has revealed Himself in three divine Persons, we say:God is the Triune God, the Holy Trinity.—How it is possible that there are three distinct divine Persons, but only one God, we do notunderstand;but in accordance with the Word of God webelievein the Triune God, in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who has created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us, or makes us holy. In Him we believe, Him we praise and adore as our God.
5. The Holy Ghost is the true God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. The Third Person is called the Holy Ghost becauseHe Himself is perfectly holy,even as the Father and the Son. He is without sin."Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory."Is. 6,3. Three times God is called holy, because there are three divine Persons in God.—But the Holy Ghost is called holy alsobecause He makes us sinners holy.That is His work, making us holy, who by nature are unholy and sinful. He makes us holy by bringing us to Christ, our Savior, by kindling faith in Him in our hearts. This work of the Holy Ghost we callsanctification.
REMEMBER:—
1.The Holy Ghost is true God together with the Father and the Son. Therefore we confess that we believe in Him.
2.The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. According to Scripture we confess three distinct divine Persons in God.
3.There are not three gods, however, but only one true and eternal God, who has revealed Himself in three Persons.
4.The one true God, our God, is the Triune God, the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
MEMORIZE:—
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?1 Cor. 3,16.
Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.Matt. 28,19.
Hear, O Israel: the Lord, our God, is one Lord.Deut. 6,4.
Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.Is. 6,3.
QUESTIONS.
1. Of whom does the Third Article treat? 2. In whom do we believe? 3. What does it mean to believe in some one? 4. In whom alone should we believe? 5. What do we therefore confess when we say that we believe in the Holy Ghost? 6. How do we prove from 1 Cor. 3,16 that the Holy Ghost is true God? 7. What divine work is ascribed in Scripture to the Holy Ghost? 8. What, therefore, must the Holy Ghost be? 9. How many divine persons do we confess in the Three Articles of our Christian Faith? 10. How are they called? 11. In whose name are we baptized? 12. How did the three divine persons reveal themselves at the baptism of our Lord? 13. How many gods are there? 14. In how many persons did the one true God reveal Himself? 15. Who, therefore, is the one true God? 16. How do we call God because He has revealed Himself in three distinct persons? 17. Which person of the Holy Trinity is the Holy Ghost? 18. Why is He called holy? 19. What is His work? 20. By what other name is this work of the Holy Spirit known?
LESSON 31.The Third Article.
Without The Holy Ghost I Cannot Believe In Jesus Or Come To Him.
Which is the Third Article?
I believe in the Holy Ghost.
What does this mean?
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him.
1. We confess that we cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him. Whoever would be saved must believe in Jesus Christ and so come to Him"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."Acts 16,31. Christ, our Lord, it is true, has done everything that was necessary for our salvation. He redeemed us, He paid the penalty for all our sins, by His sufferings and death He gained for us the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins. He has done everything that we might be His own and live under Him as our Lord. All things are made ready for our salvation.
2.The only thing that we need do now is to come to Christ and accept from Him all He has gained for us.Take an example. You are in great want and distress. A rich and charitably inclined man offers you a sum of money sufficient to help you out of your trouble. The money is yours, for the rich man has given it to you. If you take it, your want will be at an end. But suppose you do not take it. Perhaps you do not believe that the rich man really means what he says, or you do not want to accept it from him, or, if you have taken it, you are not making use of it. The help has then been offered to you in vain. Your sad condition remains as it was. So it is with what Christ, our Savior, has merited for us. He has gained full salvation for us, and He offers it to us in His Word. If we do not accept it, His work is in vain as far as we are concerned; we remain in our sins.
3. How do we accept what Christ has gained for us?By believing in Him as our Savior.He believes in Christ who from his whole heart confesses: I know from the Word of God that Christ ismyLord, that He has redeemed me from allmysins, from death, and from the power of the devil. I know from the Word of God thatIam Christ's own, His child, that He is reallymyLord. For His sake allmysins are forgiven. Through His suffering and deathIam free from death and damnation and have everlasting life.What Christ has done He has done for me, a lost and condemned sinner.In Him is my only hope. By faith we come to Christ. Faith is, as it were, thehandwith which we take everything that Christ has gained for us.
4. Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved, that is the only way to heaven and everlasting life. But we confess thatwe cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to Him.Alas! also this is most certainly true. We are lost and condemned sinners. The Scriptures tell us that all men are by natureblindin these things. We do not understand the glorious message that in Christ alone is our salvation. We always try to save ourselves by our good works. If we are told about this salvation, we think itfoolishness."The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto Him." 1 Cor. 2,14.—We have not thestrengthto come to Jesus, our Savior. We aredeadin the sight of God."Ye were dead in trespasses and sins."Eph. 2,1. A dead person cannot do anything to bring himself to life again. Lazarus could not raise himself from the grave. So we cannot do anything to raise ourselves from our death in sins."No man can say that Jesus is the Lord[that is, believe in Him]but by the Holy Ghost."1 Cor. 12,3. And even if we could, we would not come to Jesus and believe in Him. We are by nature God's enemies. We do not want to be saved by Him. We cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to Him.As far as we are concerned, we are lost.
5. But God has had pity on us. He sent His Holy Ghost. TheHoly Ghostdoes what we cannot do. He brings us to Christ, He works in us true faith. True faith is God's work in us, the work of the Holy Ghost,His work alone.Not our works, but Hisgrace alonemoves Him to do this work."By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."Eph. 2,8.9.
REMEMBER:—
1.Christ has done everything for my salvation. All now depends upon my coming to Jesus, my Lord and Savior.
2.I come to Jesus by believing in Him. True faith in Christ is not my own work. I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to Him.
3.Saving faith in Christ is the work of the Holy Ghost alone. Not my works or my merits, but only His grace has moved Him to bring me to Christ and save me.
MEMORIZE:—
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto Him.1 Cor. 2,14.