Introduction The Lord’s Supper is a spiritual banquet. Our host is the Lord himself. The food and drink on the table are the communion with Jesus himself and his sacrifice on the cross. There he gives us strength for our spiritual life and grows our faith. We now consider the guests at the table. In … Continue reading Come, eat and drink (LD 30 q&a 81-82)
Tag: holiness
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)
Anointing in the Old Testament
In Old Testament times, it was common practice to anoint officials: prophets, priests, and kings. But even the patriarchs (Abram, Isaac, Jacob) are called God’s “anointed ones” in Ps. 105:15. The ritual of anointing with oil is, first of all, a sign of dedication to God. In Gen. 28:18 we read that Jacob poured oil … Continue reading Anointing in the Old Testament
The image of God (LD 3, q&a 6)
Introduction I am not able to keep God’s law perfectly. Without my saviour, I am a miserable sinner, in the power of the devil. This is true for me, for you, for all people. I am inclined by nature to hate God and my neighbour. That was the teaching of Lord’s Day 2—see the previous … Continue reading The image of God (LD 3, q&a 6)