

	The Second Part OUR DELIVERANCE LORD'S DAY 5

	12. Q.	Since, according to God's righteous judgment we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, how can we escape this punishment and be again received into favour?
	A.	God demands that His justice be satisfied.¹ Therefore we must make full payment, either by ourselves or through another.² ¹ Ex 20:5; 23:7; Rom 2:1-11. ² Is 53:11; Rom 8:3, 4.
	13. Q.	Can we by ourselves make this payment?
	A.	Certainly not. On the contrary, we daily increase our debt.¹ ¹ Ps 130:3; Mt 6:12; Rom 2:4, 5.
	14. Q.	Can any mere creature pay for us?
	A.	No. In the first place, God will not punish another creature for the sin which man has committed.¹ Furthermore, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin and deliver others from it.² ¹ Ezek 18:4, 20; Heb 2:14-18. ² Ps 130:3; Nahum 1:6.
	15. Q.	What kind of mediator and deliverer must we seek?
	A.	One who is a true¹ and righteous² man, and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is at the same time true God.³ ¹ 1 Cor 15:21; Heb 2:17. ² Is 53:9; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 7:26. ³ Is 7:14; 9:6; Jer 23:6; Jn 1:1; Rom 8:3, 4.

	LORD'S DAY 6
	16. Q.	Why must He be a true and righteous man?
	A.	He must be a true man because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned should pay for sin.¹ He must be a righteous man because one who himself is a sinner cannot pay for others.² ¹ Rom 5:12, 15; 1 Cor 15:21; Heb 2:14-16. ² Heb 7:26, 27; 1 Pet 3:18.
	17. Q.	Why must He at the same time be true God?
	A.	He must be true God so that by the power of His divine nature¹ He might bear in His human nature the burden of God's wrath,² and might obtain for us and restore to us righteousness and life.³ ¹ Is 9:6. ² Deut 4:24; Nahum 1:6; Ps 130:3. ³ Is 53:5, 11; Jn 3:16; 2 Cor 5:21.
	18. Q.	But who is that Mediator who at the same time is true God and a true and righteous man?
	A.	Our Lord Jesus Christ,¹ whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). ¹ Mt 1:21-23; Lk 2:11; 1 Tim 2:5; 3:16.
	19. Q.	From where do you know this?
	A.	From the holy gospel, which God Himself first revealed in Paradise.¹ Later, He had it proclaimed by the patriarchs² and prophets,³ and foreshadowed by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law.⁴ Finally, He had it fulfilled through His only Son.⁵ ¹ Gen 3:15. ² Gen 12:3; 22:18; 49:10. ³ Is 53; Jer 23:5, 6; Mic 7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Heb 1:1. ⁴ Lev 1-7; Jn 5:46; Heb 10:1-10. ⁵ Rom 10:4; Gal 4:4, 5; Col 2:17.

	LORD'S DAY 7
	20. Q.	Are all men, then, saved by Christ just as they perished through Adam?
	A.	No. Only those are saved who by a true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all His benefits.¹ ¹ Mt 7:14; Jn 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; Rom 11:16-21.
	21. Q.	What is true faith?
	A.	True faith is a sure knowledge whereby I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in His Word.¹ At the same time it is a firm confidence² that not only to others, but also to me,³ God has granted forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation,⁴ out of mere grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits.⁵ This faith the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the gospel.⁶ ¹ Jn 17:3, 17; Heb 11:1-3; Jas 2:19. ² Rom 4:18-21; 5:1; 10:10; Heb 4:16. ³ Gal 2:20. ⁴ Rom 1:17; Heb 10:10. ⁵ Rom 3:20-26; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-10. ⁶ Acts 16:14; Rom 1:16; 10:17; 1 Cor 1:21.
	22. Q.	What, then, must a Christian believe?
	A.	All that is promised us in the gospel,¹ which the articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith teach us in a summary. ¹ Mt 28:19; Jn 20:30, 31.
	23. Q.	What are these articles?
	A.	I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, our Lord; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell. On the third day He arose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; I believe a holy catholic Christian church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

	LORD'S DAY 8
	24. Q.	How are these articles divided?
	A.	Into three parts: the first is about God the Father and our creation; the second about God the Son and our redemption; the third about God the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
	25. Q.	Since there is only one God,¹ why do you speak of three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
	A.	Because God has so revealed Himself in His Word² that these three distinct persons are the one, true, eternal God. ¹ Deut 6:4; Is 44:6; 45:5; 1 Cor 8:4, 6. ² Gen 1:2, 3; Is 61:1; 63:8-10; Mt 3:16, 17; 28:18, 19; Lk 4:18; Jn 14:26; 15:26; 2 Cor 13:14; Gal 4:6; Tit 3:5, 6.

	LORD'S DAY 9
	26. Q.	What do you believe when you say: I believe in God the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth?
	A.	That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth and all that is in them,¹ and who still upholds and governs them by His eternal counsel and providence,² is, for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father.³ In Him I trust so completely as to have no doubt that He will provide me with all things necessary for body and soul,⁴ and will also turn to my good whatever adversity He sends me in this life of sorrow.⁵ He is able to do so as almighty God,⁶ and willing also as a faithful Father.⁷ ¹ Gen 1 and 2; Ex 20:11; Job 38 and 39; Ps 33:6; Is 44:24; Acts 4:24; 14:15. ² Ps 104:27-30; Mt 6:30; 10:29; Eph 1:11. ³ Jn 1:12, 13; Rom 8:15, 16; Gal 4:4-7; Eph 1:5. ⁴ Ps 55:22; Mt 6:25, 26; Lk 12:22-31. ⁵ Rom 8:28. ⁶ Gen 18:14; Rom 8:31-39. ⁷ Mt 6:32, 33; 7:9-11.

	LORD'S DAY 10
	27. Q.	What do you understand by the providence of God?
	A.	God's providence is His almighty and ever present power,¹ whereby, as with His hand, He still upholds heaven and earth and all creatures,² and so governs them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, food and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty,³ indeed, all things, come to us not by chance⁴ but by His fatherly hand.⁵ ¹ Jer 23:23, 24; Acts 17:24-28. ² Heb 1:3. ³ Jer 5:24; Acts 14:15-17; Jn 9:3; Prov 22:2. ⁴ Prov 16:33. ⁵ Mt 10:29.
	28. Q.	What does it benefit us to know that God has created all things and still upholds them by His providence?
	A.	We can be patient in adversity,¹ thankful in prosperity,² and with a view to the future we can have a firm confidence in our faithful God and Father that no creature shall separate us from His love;³ for all creatures are so completely in His hand that without His will they cannot so much as move.⁴ ¹ Job 1:21, 22; Ps 39:10; Jas 1:3. ² Deut 8:10; 1 Thess 5:18. ³ Ps 55:22; Rom 5:3-5; 8:38, 39. ⁴ Job 1:12; 2:6; Prov 21:1; Acts 17:24-28.

	LORD'S DAY 11
	29. Q.	Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is, Saviour?
	A.	Because He saves us from all our sins,¹ and because salvation is not to be sought or found in anyone else.² ¹ Mt 1:21; Heb 7:25. ² Is 43:11; Jn 15:4, 5; Acts 4:11, 12; 1 Tim 2:5.
	30. Q.	Do those who seek their salvation or well-being in saints, in themselves, or anywhere else, also believe in the only Saviour Jesus?
	A.	No. Though they boast of Him in words, they in fact deny the only Saviour Jesus.¹ For one of two things must be true: either Jesus is not a complete Saviour, or those who by true faith accept this Saviour must find in Him all that is necessary for their salvation.² ¹ 1 Cor 1:12, 13; Gal 5:4. ² Col 1:19, 20; 2:10; 1 Jn 1:7.

	LORD'S DAY 12
	31. Q.	Why is He called Christ, that is, Anointed?
	A.	Because He has been ordained by God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Spirit,¹ to be our chief Prophet and Teacher,² who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption;³ our only High Priest,⁴ who by the one sacrifice of His body has redeemed us,⁵ and who continually intercedes for us before the Father;⁶ and our eternal King,⁷ who governs us by His Word and Spirit, and who defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us.⁸ ¹ Ps 45:7 (Heb 1:9); Is 61:1 (Lk 4:18); Lk 3:21, 22. ² Deut 18:15 (Acts 3:22). ³ Jn 1:18; 15:15. ⁴ Ps 110:4 (Heb 7:17). ⁵ Heb 9:12; 10:11-14. ⁶ Rom 8:34; Heb 9:24; 1 Jn 2:1. ⁷ Zech 9:9 (Mt 21:5); Lk 1:33. ⁸ Mt 28:18-20; Jn 10:28; Rev 12:10, 11.
	32. Q.	Why are you called a Christian?
	A.	Because I am a member of Christ by faith¹ and thus share in His anointing,² so that I may as prophet confess His Name,³ as priest present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him,⁴ and as king fight with a free and good conscience against sin and the devil in this life,⁵ and hereafter reign with Him eternally over all creatures.⁶ ¹ 1 Cor 12:12-27. ² Joel 2:28 (Acts 2:17); 1 Jn 2:27. ³ Mt 10:32; Rom 10:9, 10; Heb 13:15. ⁴ Rom 12:1; 1 Pet 2:5, 9. ⁵ Gal 5:16, 17; Eph 6:11; 1 Tim 1:18, 19. ⁶ Mt 25:34; 2 Tim 2:12.

	LORD'S DAY 13
	33. Q.	Why is He called God's only-begotten Son, since we also are children of God?
	A.	Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God.¹ We, however, are children of God by adoption, through grace, for Christ's sake.² ¹ Jn 1:1-3, 14, 18; 3:16; Rom 8:32; Heb 1; 1 Jn 4:9. ² Jn 1:12; Rom 8:14-17; Gal 4:6; Eph 1:5, 6.
	34. Q.	Why do you call Him our Lord?
	A.	Because He has ransomed us, body and soul,¹ from all our sins, not with silver or gold but with His precious blood,² and has freed us from all the power of the devil to make us His own possession.³ ¹ 1 Cor 6:20; 1 Tim 2:5, 6. ² 1 Pet 1:18, 19. ³ Col 1:13, 14; Heb 2:14, 15.

	LORD'S DAY 14
	35. Q.	What do you confess when you say: He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary?
	A.	The eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God,¹ took upon Himself true human nature from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary,² through the working of the Holy Spirit.³ Thus He is also the true seed of David,⁴ and like His brothers in every respect,⁵ yet without sin.⁶ ¹ Jn 1:1; 10:30-36; Rom 1:3; 9:5; Col 1:15-17; 1 Jn 5:20. ² Mt 1:18-23; Jn 1:14; Gal 4:4; Heb 2:14. ³ Lk 1:35. ⁴ 2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 132:11; Mt 1:1; Lk 1:32; Rom 1:3. ⁵ Phil 2:7; Heb 2:17. ⁶ Heb 4:15; 7:26, 27.
	36. Q.	What benefit do you receive from the holy conception and birth of Christ?
	A.	He is our Mediator,¹ and with His innocence and perfect holiness covers, in the sight of God, my sin, in which I was conceived and born.² ¹ 1 Tim 2:5, 6; Heb 9:13-15. ² Rom 8:3, 4; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 4:4, 5; 1 Pet 1:18, 19.

	LORD'S DAY 15
	37. Q.	What do you confess when you say that He suffered?
	A.	During all the time He lived on earth, but especially at the end, Christ bore in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race.¹ Thus, by His suffering, as the only atoning sacrifice,² He has redeemed our body and soul from everlasting damnation,³ and obtained for us the grace of God, righteousness, and eternal life.⁴ ¹ Is 53; 1 Tim 2:6; 1 Pet 2:24; 3:18. ² Rom 3:25; 1 Cor 5:7; Eph 5:2; Heb 10:14; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10. ³ Rom 8:1-4; Gal 3:13; Col 1:13; Heb 9:12; 1 Pet 1:18, 19. ⁴ Jn 3:16; Rom 3:24-26; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 9:15.
	38. Q.	Why did He suffer under Pontius Pilate as judge?
	A.	Though innocent, Christ was condemned by an earthly judge,¹ and so He freed us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us.² ¹ Lk 23:13-24; Jn 19:4, 12-16. ² Is 53:4, 5; 2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13.
	39. Q.	Does it have a special meaning that Christ was crucified and did not die in a different way?
	A.	Yes. Thereby I am assured that He took upon Himself the curse which lay on me, for a crucified one was cursed by God.¹ ¹ Deut 21:23; Gal 3:13.

	LORD'S DAY 16
	40. Q.	Why was it necessary for Christ to humble Himself even unto death?
	A.	Because of the justice and truth of God¹ satisfaction for our sins could be made in no other way than by the death of the Son of God.² ¹ Gen 2:17. ² Rom 8:3; Phil 2:8; Heb 2:9, 14, 15.
	41. Q.	Why was He buried?
	A.	His burial testified that He had really died.¹ ¹ Is 53:9; Jn 19:38-42; Acts 13:29; 1 Cor 15:3,4.
	42. Q.	Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die?
	A.	Our death is not a payment for our sins, but it puts an end to sin and is an entrance into eternal life.¹ ¹ Jn 5:24; Phil 1:21-23; 1 Thess 5:9, 10.
	43. Q.	What further benefit do we receive from Christ's sacrifice and death on the cross?
	A.	Through Christ's death our old nature is crucified, put to death, and buried with Him,¹ so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer reign in us,² but that we may offer ourselves to Him as a sacrifice of thankfulness.³ ¹ Rom 6:5-11; Col 2:11, 12. ² Rom 6:12-14. ³ Rom 12:1; Eph 5:1, 2.
	44. Q.	Why is there added: He descended into hell?
	A.	In my greatest sorrows and temptations I may be assured and comforted that my Lord Jesus Christ, by His unspeakable anguish, pain, terror, and agony, which He endured throughout all His sufferings¹ but especially on the cross, has delivered me from the anguish and torment of hell.² ¹ Ps 18:5, 6; 116:3; Mt 26:36-46; 27:45, 46; Heb 5:7-10. ² Is 53.

	LORD'S DAY 17
	45. Q.	How does Christ's resurrection benefit us?
	A.	First, by His resurrection He has overcome death, so that He could make us share in the righteousness which He had obtained for us by His death.¹ Second, by His power we too are raised up to a new life.² Third, Christ's resurrection is to us a sure pledge of our glorious resurrection.³ ¹ Rom 4:25; 1 Cor 15:16-20; 1 Pet 1:3-5. ² Rom 6:5-11; Eph 2:4-6; Col 3:1-4. ³ Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:12-23; Phil 3:20, 21.

	LORD'S DAY 18
	46. Q.	What do you confess when you say, He ascended into heaven?
	A.	That Christ, before the eyes of His disciples, was taken up from the earth into heaven,¹ and that He is there for our benefit² until He comes again to judge the living and the dead.³ ¹ Mk 16:19; Lk 24:50, 51; Acts 1:9-11. ² Rom 8:34; Heb 4:14; 7:23-25; 9:24. ³ Mt 24:30; Acts 1:11.
	47. Q.	Is Christ, then, not with us until the end of the world, as He has promised us?¹
	A.	Christ is true man and true God. With respect to His human nature He is no longer on earth,² but with respect to His divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit He is never absent from us.³ ¹ Mt 28:20. ² Mt 26:11; Jn 16:28; 17:11; Acts 3:19-21; Heb 8:4. ³ Mt 28:18-20; Jn 14:16-19; 16:13.
	48. Q.	But are the two natures in Christ not separated from each other if His human nature is not present wherever His divinity is?
	A.	Not at all, for His divinity has no limits and is present everywhere.¹ So it must follow that His divinity is indeed beyond the human nature which He has taken on and nevertheless is within this human nature and remains personally united with it.² ¹ Jer 23:23, 24; Acts 7:48, 49. ² Jn 1:14; 3:13; Col 2:9.
	49. Q.	How does Christ's ascension into heaven benefit us?
	A.	First, He is our Advocate in heaven before His Father.¹ Second, we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that He, our Head, will also take us, His members, up to Himself.² Third, He sends us His Spirit as a counter-pledge,³ by whose power we seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God, and not the things that are on earth.⁴ ¹ Rom 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1. ² Jn 14:2; 17:24; Eph 2:4-6. ³ Jn 14:16; Acts 2:33; 2 Cor 1:21, 22; 5:5. ⁴ Col 3:1-4.

	LORD'S DAY 19
	50. Q.	Why is it added, And sits at the right hand of God?
	A.	Christ ascended into heaven to manifest Himself there as Head of His church,¹ through whom the Father governs all things.² ¹ Eph 1:20-23; Col 1:18. ² Mt 28:18; Jn 5:22, 23.
	51. Q.	How does the glory of Christ, our Head, benefit us?
	A.	First, by His Holy Spirit He pours out heavenly gifts upon us, His members.¹ Second, by His power He defends and preserves us against all enemies.² ¹ Acts 2:33; Eph 4:7-12. ² Ps 2:9; 110:1, 2; Jn 10:27-30; Rev 19:11-16.
	52. Q.	What comfort is it to you that Christ will come to judge the living and the dead?
	A.	In all my sorrow and persecution I lift up my head and eagerly await as judge from heaven the very same person who before has submitted Himself to the judgment of God for my sake, and has removed all the curse from me.¹ He will cast all His and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but He will take me and all His chosen ones to Himself into heavenly joy and glory.² ¹ Lk 21:28; Rom 8:22-25; Phil 3:20,21; Tit 2:13, 14. ² Mt 25:31-46; 1 Thess 4:16, 17; 2 Thess 1:6-10.

	God the Holy Spirit and our Sanctification LORD'S DAY 20
	53. Q.	What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit?
	A.	First, He is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God.¹ Second, He is also given to me,² to make me by true faith share in Christ and all His benefits,³ to comfort me,⁴ and to remain with me forever.⁵ ¹ Gen 1:1, 2; Mt 28:19; Acts 5:3, 4; 1 Cor 3:16. ² 1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 1:21, 22; Gal 4:6; Eph 1:13. ³ Gal 3:14; 1 Pet 1:2. ⁴ Jn 15:26; Acts 9:31. ⁵ Jn 14:16, 17; 1 Pet 4:14.

	LORD'S DAY 21
	54. Q.	What do you believe concerning the holy catholic Christian church?
	A.	I believe that the Son of God,¹ out of the whole human race,² from the beginning of the world to its end,³ gathers, defends, and preserves for Himself, ⁴ by His Spirit and Word,⁵ in the unity of the true faith,⁶ a church chosen to everlasting life.⁷ And I believe that I am⁸ and forever shall remain a living member of it.⁹ ¹ Jn 10:11; Acts 20:28; Eph 4:11-13; Col 1:18. ² Gen 26:4; Rev 5:9. ³ Is 59:21; 1 Cor 11:26. ⁴ Ps 129:1-5; Mt 16:18; Jn 10:28-30. ⁵ Rom 1:16; 10:14-17; Eph 5:26. ⁶ Acts 2:42-47; Eph 4:1-6. ⁷ Rom 8:29; Eph 1:3-14. ⁸ 1 Jn 3:14, 19-21. ⁹ Ps 23:6; Jn 10:27, 28; 1 Cor 1:4-9; 1 Pet 1:3-5.
	55. Q.	What do you understand by the communion of saints?
	A.	First, that believers, all and everyone, as members of Christ have communion with Him and share in all His treasures and gifts.¹ Second, that everyone is duty-bound to use his gifts readily and cheerfully for the benefit and well-being of the other members.² ¹ Rom 8:32; 1 Cor 6:17; 12:4-7, 12, 13; 1 Jn 1:3. ² Rom 12:4-8; 1 Cor 12:20-27; 13:1-7; Phil 2:4-8.
	56. Q.	What do you believe concerning the forgiveness of sins?
	A.	I believe that God, because of Christ's satisfaction, will no more remember my sins,¹ nor my sinful nature, against which I have to struggle all my life,² but will graciously grant me the righteousness of Christ, that I may never come into condemnation.³ ¹ Ps 103:3, 4, 10, 12; Mic 7:18, 19; 2 Cor 5:18-21; 1 Jn 1:7; 2:2. ² Rom 7:21-25. ³ Jn 3:17, 18; 5:24; Rom 8:1, 2.

	LORD'S DAY 22
	57. Q.	What comfort does the resurrection of the body offer you?
	A.	Not only shall my soul after this life immediately be taken up to Christ, my Head,¹ but also this my flesh, raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul and made like Christ's glorious body.² ¹ Lk 16:22; 23:43; Phil 1:21-23. ² Job 19:25, 26; 1 Cor 15:20, 42-46, 54; Phil 3:21; 1 Jn 3:2.
	58. Q.	What comfort do you receive from the article about the life everlasting?
	A.	Since I now already feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy,¹ I shall after this life possess perfect blessedness, such as no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived - a blessedness in which to praise God forever.² ¹ Jn 17:3; Rom 14:17; 2 Cor 5:2, 3. ² Jn 17:24; 1 Cor 2:9.

	LORD'S DAY 23
	59. Q.	But what does it help you now that you believe all this?
	A.	In Christ I am righteous before God and heir to life everlasting.¹ ¹ Hab 2:4; Jn 3:36; Rom 1:17; 5:1, 2.
	60. Q.	How are you righteous before God?
	A.	Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.¹ Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God's commandments, have never kept any of them,² and am still inclined to all evil,³ yet God, without any merit of my own,⁴ out of mere grace,⁵ imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ.⁶ He grants these to me as if I had never had nor committed any sin, and as if I myself had accomplished all the obedience which Christ has rendered for me,⁷ if only I accept this gift with a believing heart.⁸ ¹ Rom 3:21-28; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8, 9; Phil 3:8-11. ² Rom 3:9, 10. ³ Rom 7:23. ⁴ Deut 9:6; Ezek 36:22; Tit 3:4, 5. ⁵ Rom 3:24; Eph 2:8. ⁶ Rom 4:3-5; 2 Cor 5:17-19; 1 Jn 2:1, 2. ⁷ Rom 4:24, 25; 2 Cor 5:21. ⁸ Jn 3:18; Acts 16:30, 31; Rom 3:22.
	61. Q.	Why do you say that you are righteous only by faith?
	A.	Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, for only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God.¹ I can receive this righteousness and make it my own by faith only.² ¹ 1 Cor 1:30, 31; 2:2. ² Rom 10:10; 1 Jn 5:10-12.

	LORD'S DAY 24
	62. Q.	But why can our good works not be our righteousness before God, or at least a part of it?
	A.	Because the righteousness which can stand before God's judgment must be absolutely perfect and in complete agreement with the law of God,¹ whereas even our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin.² ¹ Deut 27:26; Gal 3:10. ² Is 64:6.
	63. Q.	But do our good works earn nothing, even though God promises to reward them in this life and the next?¹
	A.	This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace.² ¹ Mt 5:12; Heb 11:6. ² Lk 17:10; 2 Tim 4:7, 8.
	64. Q.	Does this teaching not make people careless and wicked?
	A.	No. It is impossible that those grafted into Christ by true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness.¹ ¹ Mt 7:18; Lk 6:43-45; Jn 15:5.

	LORD'S DAY 25
	65. Q.	Since then faith alone makes us share in Christ and all His benefits, where does this faith come from?
	A.	From the Holy Spirit,¹ who works it in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel,² and strengthens it by the use of the sacraments.³ ¹ Jn 3:5; 1 Cor 2:10-14; Eph 2:8; Phil 1:29. ² Rom 10:17; 1 Pet 1:23-25. ³ Mt 28:19, 20; 1 Cor 10:16.
	66. Q.	What are the sacraments?
	A.	The sacraments are holy, visible signs and seals. They were instituted by God so that by their use He might the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel.¹ And this is the promise: that God graciously grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross.² ¹ Gen 17:11; Deut 30:6; Rom 4:11. ² Mt 26:27, 28; Acts 2:38; Heb 10:10.
	67. Q.	Are both the Word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?
	A.	Yes, indeed. The Holy Spirit teaches us in the gospel and assures us by the sacraments that our entire salvation rests on Christ's one sacrifice for us on the cross.¹ ¹ Rom 6:3; 1 Cor 11:26; Gal 3:27.
	68. Q.	How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant?
	A.	Two: holy baptism and the holy supper.¹ ¹ Mt 28:19, 20; 1 Cor 11:23-26.

	LORD'S DAY 26
	69. Q.	How does holy baptism signify and seal to you that the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross benefits you?
	A.	In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing¹ and with it gave the promise that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly His blood and Spirit wash away the impurity of my soul, that is, all my sins.² ¹ Mt 28:19. ² Mt 3:11; Mk 16:16; Jn 1:33; Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3, 4; 1 Pet 3:21.
	70. Q.	What does it mean to be washed with Christ's blood and Spirit?
	A.	To be washed with Christ's blood means to receive forgiveness of sins from God, through grace, because of Christ's blood, poured out for us in His sacrifice on the cross.¹ To be washed with His Spirit means to be renewed by the Holy Spirit and sanctified to be members of Christ, so that more and more we become dead to sin and lead a holy and blameless life.² ¹ Ezek 36:25; Zech 13:1; Eph 1:7; Heb 12:24; 1 Pet 1:2; Rev 1:5; 7:14. ² Jn 3:5-8; Rom 6:4; 1 Cor 6:11; Col 2:11, 12.
	71. Q.	Where has Christ promised that He will wash us with His blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism?
	A.	In the institution of baptism, where He says: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). This promise is repeated where Scripture calls baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins (Titus 3:5; Acts 22:16).

	LORD'S DAY 27
	72. Q.	Does this outward washing with water itself wash away sins?
	A.	No, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins.¹ ¹ Mt 3:11; 1 Pet 3:21; 1 Jn 1:7.
	73. Q.	Why then does the Holy Spirit call baptism the washing of regeneration and the washing away of sins?
	A.	God speaks in this way for a good reason. He wants to teach us that the blood and Spirit of Christ remove our sins just as water takes away dirt from the body.¹ But, even more important, He wants to assure us by this divine pledge and sign that we are as truly cleansed from our sins spiritually as we are bodily washed with water.² ¹ 1 Cor 6:11; Rev 1:5; 7:14. ² Mk 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3, 4; Gal 3:27.
	74. Q.	Should infants, too, be baptized?
	A.	Yes. Infants as well as adults belong to God's covenant and congregation.¹ Through Christ's blood the redemption from sin and the Holy Spirit, who works faith, are promised to them no less than to adults.² Therefore, by baptism, as sign of the covenant, they must be grafted into the Christian church and distinguished from the children of unbelievers.³ This was done in the old covenant by circumcision,⁴ in place of which baptism was instituted in the new covenant.⁵ ¹ Gen 17:7; Mt 19:14. ² Ps 22:10; Is 44:1-3; Acts 2:38, 39; 16:31. ³ Acts 10:47; 1 Cor 7:14. ⁴ Gen 17:9-14. ⁵ Col 2: 11-13.

	LORD'S DAY 28
	75. Q.	How does the Lord's supper signify and seal to you that you share in Christ's one sacrifice on the cross and in all His gifts?
	A.	In this way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat of this broken bread and drink of this cup in remembrance of Him. With this command He gave these promises:¹ First, as surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup given to me, so surely was His body offered for me and His blood poured out for me on the cross. Second, as surely as I receive from the hand of the minister and taste with my mouth the bread and the cup of the Lord as sure signs of Christ's body and blood, so surely does He Himself nourish and refresh my soul to everlasting life with His crucified body and shed blood. ¹ Mt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-24; Lk 22:19, 20; 1 Cor 11:23-25.
	76. Q.	What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink His shed blood?
	A.	First, to accept with a believing heart all the suffering and the death of Christ, and so receive forgiveness of sins and life eternal.¹ Second, to be united more and more to His sacred body through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us.² Therefore, although Christ is in heaven³ and we are on earth, yet we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones,⁴ and we forever live and are governed by one Spirit, as the members of our body are by one soul.⁵ ¹ Jn 6:35, 40, 50-54. ² Jn 6:55, 56; 1 Cor 12:13. ³ Acts 1:9-11; 3:21; 1 Cor 11:26; Col 3:1. ⁴ 1 Cor 6:15, 17; Eph 5:29, 30; 1 Jn 4:13. ⁵ Jn 6:56-58; 15:1-6; Eph 4:15, 16; 1 Jn 3:24.
	77. Q.	Where has Christ promised that He will nourish and refresh believers with His body and blood as surely as they eat of this broken bread and drink of this cup?
	A.	In the institution of the Lord's supper: The Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). This promise is repeated by Paul where he says: The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread (1 Corinthians 10:16, 17).

	LORD'S DAY 29
	78. Q.	Are then the bread and wine changed into the real body and blood of Christ?
	A.	No. Just as the water of baptism is not changed into the blood of Christ and is not the washing away of sins itself but is simply God's sign and pledge,¹ so also the bread in the Lord's supper does not become the body of Christ itself,² although it is called Christ's body³ in keeping with the nature and usage of sacraments.⁴ ¹ Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5. ² Mt 26:26-29. ³ 1 Cor 10:16, 17; 11:26-28. ⁴ Gen 17:10, 11; Ex 12:11, 13; 1 Cor 10:3, 4; 1 Pet 3:21.
	79. Q.	Why then does Christ call the bread His body and the cup His blood, or the new covenant in His blood, and why does Paul speak of a participation in the body and blood of Christ?
	A.	Christ speaks in this way for a good reason: He wants to teach us by His supper that as bread and wine sustain us in this temporal life, so His crucified body and shed blood are true food and drink for our souls to eternal life.¹ But, even more important, He wants to assure us by this visible sign and pledge, first, that through the working of the Holy Spirit we share in His true body and blood as surely as we receive with our mouth these holy signs in remembrance of Him,² and, second, that all His suffering and obedience are as certainly ours as if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins.³ ¹ Jn 6:51, 55. ² 1 Cor 10:16, 17; 11:26. ³ Rom 6:5-11.

	LORD'S DAY 30
	80. Q.	What difference is there between the Lord's supper and the papal mass?

The Second Part

OUR DELIVERANCE

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God the Holy Spirit and our Sanctification

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