Introduction Our Lord Jesus gave us two sacraments, two sacred rituals that highlight the gospel in a visible and tangible way. The first of these sacraments is baptism. When the water of baptism is sprinkled or poured on a person, this is clearly a symbolic action. It is a sign and seal of a spiritual … Continue reading Washed clean (LD 26a)
Author: arjenvreugd
Educator and Christian minister. Interest and experience in theology, mathematics, science, and linguistics.
The source of faith (LD 25)
Introduction In Christianity, faith is extremely important. That is why the catechism talks about it often. In Lord’s Day 7, it said that only those are saved who by a true faith are grafted into Christ. Then it defined what faith is: knowing that God’s promises are true, and being confident that they are for … Continue reading The source of faith (LD 25)
Do good works count? (LD 24)
Introduction How are we right with God? Last time we said that the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of our Lord Jesus Christ is imputed to us. Christian believers are saved in the only way possible: by the grace of God, who gave his only Son to sacrifice himself on our behalf. At the same time, … Continue reading Do good works count? (LD 24)
Being right with God (LD 23)
Introduction In the previous lessons we studied the Apostles’ Creed. Now that we have finished this, the catechism takes a step back and reminds us why this was important. In LD 7 we said that only those are saved who by a true faith are grafted into Christ, and that this faith means that we … Continue reading Being right with God (LD 23)
A life of eternal joy (LD 22, q&a 58)
Introduction We have come to the last article of the Apostles’ Creed. It started by confessing: “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth”; it concludes with the phrase: “and the life everlasting.” From where we came from to where we are going. Our life was created by God; it will … Continue reading A life of eternal joy (LD 22, q&a 58)
The body, too (LD 22, q&a 57)
Introduction I belong to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ. That is my only hope in life—and in death. We often try not to think about death, but with all our modern accomplishments we cannot escape it. Sooner or later, we will die; and then what? One of the greatest benefits of the Christian faith is … Continue reading The body, too (LD 22, q&a 57)
Forgiven! (LD 21, q&a 56)
Introduction If you believe in Jesus, you share in all his benefits, said the catechism. But what are those benefits? What things do you get from God when you are a believer? There are many such things; the Apostles’ Creed mentions three, and on top of the list is the forgiveness of sins. The Heidelberg … Continue reading Forgiven! (LD 21, q&a 56)
Sharing the gifts (LD 21, q&a 55)
Introduction In the previous lesson we discussed what the church is: the community of believers, gathered, defended, and preserved by our Lord Jesus Christ. But what does the church do? The Apostles’ Creed summarises it by saying: the communion of the saints. The word “saint” here simply refers to the members of Jesus’ church, to … Continue reading Sharing the gifts (LD 21, q&a 55)
The church of Jesus (LD 21, q&a 54)
Introduction We have studied the sections in the Apostles’ Creed about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. There are a few brief articles left about a number of topics. The first is about the church. Of course, we don’t believe in the church the way we believe in the Father, … Continue reading The church of Jesus (LD 21, q&a 54)
The gift of the Spirit (LD 20, q&a 53)
Introduction Last time we discussed who the Holy Spirit is. In the words of the catechism: What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? First, he is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. Now we will talk about the work he does, and especially how he is involved with Christian … Continue reading The gift of the Spirit (LD 20, q&a 53)