Workbook 1
(Lord’s Days 1-26)
1997 Edition
by
Rev. Dale H. Kuiper
FOREWORD
This workbook has been
prepared at the request of the 1974 Synod of the Protestant Reformed Churches in America. The
two volumes provide sufficient material for a two-year period of instruction for young
people fourteen and fifteen years of age. In
our sequence of catechism books, this workbook belongs between the New Testament for Seniors and Essentials of Reformed Doctrine books. Although the workbook can be used with the existing
Heidelberg Catechism for Juniors book, its real
purpose is that it be used with the Heidelberg Catechism itself; following this method,
the actual Lord’s Days are memorized by the student.
The workbook then serves the purpose of assisting the student in the understanding
of the Lord’s Days and provoking him into thinking through this instruction.
Pastors: Fifty-two lessons are provided
in the workbook. This will allow for two
thirty-lesson catechism seasons. Four weeks
each year are available for testing or for discussion periods. It is suggested that the booklet The Three Forms of Unity be used as the textbook. This booklet is much handier than the Psalter, and will encourage the student to follow
instructions in looking up information in the other confessions. It is presupposed that the student knows the books
of the Bible so he can find his way through the Scriptures easily.
The key to the use of the workbook is flexibility.
There are three parts to the total picture of instruction: the students’ memorizing of the Lord’s
Days, the students’ filling in of the workbook, and the pastor’s presentation in
class. The workbook ought to be used carefully
and with flexibility so that the presentation of the gospel in the classroom does not
suffer. In other words, the workbook is not
meant to be the sole means of instruction. The
pastor can decide if the lessons are graded in class or handed in sometimes, if the
material of the workbook is gone over thoroughly or only a few key questions are
discussed. Each pastor can integrate the
workbook into his system as he sees fit.
Parents: The young people are
encouraged to discuss questions and issues with their parents. In several instances this is the only way the
correct answer can be obtained.
May the Lord bless this effort in presenting the priceless heritage of Reformed
truth to our youth, that they may experience the comfort that belongs to the covenant
friends of the Most High God!
Rev.
D.H. Kuiper
Lynden,
Washington
A.
Introduction to the Catechism. (You may
want to discuss this part with your parents.)
1. When was
the Heidelberg Catechism written? _____________ Who were the authors of the Catechism? ______________________ and
_____________________________ Under what
circumstances was the Catechism written? ญญ__________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. When did
the Catechism become one of the official creeds of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands? __________________ What churches beside our own have the Heidelberg
Catechism as one of their creeds? __________________________________
3. What does
Article 68 of the Church Order say about the
Catechism? _______________
_______________________________________________________________________
B. The emphasis of
the Catechism.
1. In
addition to the Catechism, our churches have the _____________________ and the
___________________________ as our creeds or confessions.
2. Read the
first article of each of the other creeds. Their
subjects are __________________ _________________________ and
__________________________________________.
3. Rather
than taking the doctrinal approach, the Catechism takes the practical, personal approach,
stressing the idea of comfort.
a. Comfort
is needed:
___
only by the aged.
___
only by the sick.
___
by all people at some time.
___
by everyone at all times.
b. In what
wrong things might a young person try to find
his comfort? _____________
____________________________________________________________________
c. True
comfort allows a person to live happily as well as ________________________.
4. Give at
least two reasons why the blood of Christ is called precious. ________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. Job is an
example of a man who stood in need of great comfort and who received it abundantly.
a. Read
Job 1:13-22 and tell why Job stood in need of
comfort. ___________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. Read Job 19:25-27 and tell why he was able to be
comforted in the midst of all his woes. _______________________________________________________________
C. The division of the Catechism.
1. What three
things must we know if we are to have true comfort? __________________,
___________________________, _____________________________
2. We can
find this threefold division expressed in a single passage:
Romans 7:24, 25.
Quote the proper
phrases to show this.
a. Misery
— “__________________________________________________________.”
b. Deliverance
— “______________________________________________________.”
c. Gratitude
— “________________________________________________________.”
This Lord’s Day instructs us in the fact that the true nature and extent of
our misery can only be known out of the Law of God. The
Law, here, refers to the Ten Commandments. Since
we cannot keep the Ten Commandments, we are taught that our misery arises out of our sin
and our guilt.
A. Answer these
questions carefully in your own words:
1. What is sin? After reading
I John 3:4,
write a
definition of sin. _________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. Did a
sinless man ever live? According to
I John 1:8-19
and Romans 3:12, the answer is very plainly
_________________.
3. Is it
possible for a person to sin without knowing it? Read
Luke 23:34 and
I Timothy 1:13.
_____________________
a. Is
ignorance an excuse for sin? ___________________
b. Does
ignorance make a sin a different kind of sin? ______________
4. Sin is a
very terrible thing. Today most people do not
even talk about sin anymore; they are not concerned with what is right and wrong. After reading
Isaiah 59:1, 2;
Psalm 51:14;
and
Galatians 3:10,
give several reasons why sin is such a serious matter.
a.
Isaiah 59:1, 2
— ___________________________________________________
b.
Psalm 51:14
— ____________________________________________________
c. Galatians
3:10 —
__________________________________________________
5. It is
commonly believed that sin is committed only when a person does some evil act. But see
Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28;
and
James 4:17.
These verses make plain that sin is also committed
in our __________________ and with our ___________________.
6. Scripture
uses many terms for sin. Give several other
words or synonyms for sin.
a. __________________________
b. __________________________
c. __________________________
d. __________________________
7. Our sin is
our misery due to the fact that the result of sin or the wages of sin is
_________________. (See Genesis 2:17 and Romans 6:23.)
B. Mark with T or F
to indicate whether the statement is true or false.
___ 1. Christ teaches us that some of
the Ten Commandments are more important than others.
___ 2. It is possible to love God and
hate the neighbor.
___ 3. It is impossible to love the
neighbor and hate God.
___ 4. It is possible to keep some
commandments and break others.
___ 5. Love is the keeping of the law.
___ 6. God Himself must tell us what is
sinful if we are to know our sins.
___ 7. What is sinful in one age might
be perfectly all right in another.
___ 8. All men by nature are
haters of God and of one another.
___ 9. The Ten Commandments are still
God’s rule for our life today.
___ 10. Our misery is rooted in what we
are, rather than what we do.
___ 11. The better we know our sinful
selves, the more we will take our refuge in the cross of Christ.
___ 12. God’s way of working is
that He first humbles us and then exalts us.
___ 13. God loves us because we love
Him.
___ 14. Young people really do not have
to concern themselves with the matter of sin.
___ 15. Christ did not come to destroy
the law, but to fulfill it.
___ 16. We can find other ways of
serving God than keeping the law.
___ 17. If everyone does a certain
thing, this thing cannot be sinful.
___ 18. A slight understanding of our
sin leads to a small cross and little reason for gratitude.
___ 19. It is bad to talk about sin
because it might make a person worry.
___ 20. God is satisfied if we keep
part of the law at least part of the time.
This Lord’s Day includes instruction on the creation of man, his fall into
sin, and the depravity that followed for the human race.
This is a very good method to follow. If
man is prone to hate God and the neighbor, it makes good sense to trace man back to his
origins to discover the reason for his sinful condition.
Before answering the following questions, read Article 14 of the Belgic Confession
and Articles 1, 2, and 3 of the Third and Fourth Heads of the Canons of Dordt.
A. Answer each
question with a word or two.
1. Man was
created in the image of God and after His likeness. From
Colossians 3:10 and Ephesians 4:24 we learn that the image of God in man
consisted of _________________, _______________________, and __________________________.
2. That man
is a special creature is indicated by the unique way in which God created him. Read Genesis 1:26 and 2:7.
Give two details that show that man’s creation was different from that of all
the other creatures.
a. _____________________________________________________________________
b. _____________________________________________________________________
3. According
to Lord’s Day III, man was originally created that he might _______________ God his
Creator, ________________ Him, and ____________________ in eternal happiness to glorify
and praise Him.
4. The
relation that Adam and Eve have toward us and all the human race is that of
_______________________________.
5. Did the
fall of Adam and Eve into sin affect us? ____________ How? (In
answering this question, refer again to Canons, III/IV, Art. 2.) ____________________________.
6. Romans 5:12 is a very important text in respect to
the doctrine of original sin. Look at this
text carefully and answer the following questions:
a. By
what one man did sin enter the world? _________________________
b. What is
the relationship between sin and death? ____________________________
c. In
the phrase, “… and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned …,”
when did “all” sin, at the time of
Adam or during men’s own lifetime? ___________
7. Depravity
means wickedness and corruption. Total depravity emphasizes that depravity or
wickedness extends to every part of man’s nature and to every member of the human
race.
a. List
the parts of the human nature that have come under the power of sin. (Hint — see 4th answer of Lord’s
Day 2.)
1) ____________________________ 3) ____________________________
2) ____________________________ 4) ____________________________
b. Quote a verse from
Romans 3
that proves that every man is depraved.
“___________
___________________________________________________________________.”
c. What does
Psalm 51:5
teach about our depravity? ___________________________
8. Because of
total depravity, we are so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good and are
inclined to all wickedness. State the 3rd
point of common grace. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Is the theory of common grace contrary to the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons
of Dordt? ________________
9. God’s
grace in Christ is the only way that depraved man can be delivered from his proneness to
hate God and the neighbor.
a. What
is grace? _______________________________________________________
b. What act
of God’s grace, specifically, is necessary if a man is to perform any good? ____________________________________________________________________
B. True or False (T
or F)
___ 1. Man can never blame God for what
he is or does.
___ 2. The days of the creation week
could not have been long periods of time.
___ 3. It makes little difference whether
Genesis 1-3
are literally true or not.
___ 4. God created man wicked and
perverse.
___ 5. Adam was capable of loving God
perfectly according to his creation.
___ 6. A baby is worthy of death the
moment he is born.
___ 7. There is a little bad in the
best of us and a little good in the worst of us.
___ 8. Man by himself is absolutely
incapable of performing any good before God.
___ 9. Every person is sinful because
he imitates those around him.
___ 10. We have nothing to do with the
deeds of Adam and Eve.
C. Match the term
with its definition or description by placing a number in each blank.
1. Creation
___ a. An act of willful disobedience against the law of God.
2. Image of
God ___
b. Man is born dead in trespasses and sin.
3. The Fall
___ c. An area created as a picture of heaven.
4. Total
Depravity ___ d.
A well-watered area near the Euphrates River.
5. Common
Grace ___ e. Each one
of us sinned when Adam sinned.
6. Original
Sin
___ f. A birth by which the power of death is broken.
7. Grace
___ g. God spoke and it was done, He commanded and it stood fast.
8. Regeneration ___
h. The view that God’s grace is upon all men.
9. Eden
___ i. The creaturely reflection of God’s perfections in man.
10. Paradise
___ j. The shining forth of God’s beauty when He bestows undeserved
favor upon His people.
Up to this point, we have seen that natural man is a hater of God and his neighbor,
is incapable of doing any good, and thus has come under the curse of God which is death. In this Lord’s Day we are presented with many
attributes or virtues of God: His justice,
mercy, and most high majesty. We can look at
these three questions and answers as three attempts of sinful man to escape the
consequences of his sin without forsaking his sin. Knowing
that we are depraved and miserable, perhaps we begin to think along these lines:
1. God is not
fair in requiring of me what I cannot do.
2. Maybe
there is no such thing as punishment for sin.
3. God’s
mercy will take care of everything, so why worry?
The answers of the Catechism set our
thinking straight. If we are to find a way out
of our misery, it must be God’s way out,
not ours.
A. Answer these
questions, looking up the biblical passages where indicated.
1. For man to
suggest that God is not just is a terrible thing. Read
Deuteronomy 32:4
and find six words that describe the perfect justice of God. ______________, ____________, _________________,
_______________, _______________, and _________________
2. Although
the devil tempted and deceived our first parents, their fall was an act of willful
disobedience. This means that man wanted to
sin.
a. What
excellent gifts were lost through the fall? (Canons
III/IV, Art. 1) __________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. What
replaced these excellent gifts? (same article)
___________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
c. To
what does Adam’s posterity refer? _____________________________________
d. Canons
III/IV, Art. 2 states that corruption came upon the human race, not by ________________
but by the propagation of a _____________________________.
3. Answer 10
speaks of two different kinds of sin. List
them and describe them.
______________ sin means ________________________________________________.
______________ sin means ________________________________________________.
4. God hates
all sin and will punish all sin.
a. Is
sin punished in this lifetime? ________ How? ___________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. Is sin
punished eternally in hell? _______ After reading
Luke 16:24
and
Revelation 20:15,
tell
what language the Bible uses to describe the punishment of hell. _____________________________________________________________________
5. God is not
only ___________, but also ________________________.
a. Can
God, in His mercy, ignore the fact that we
have sinned? ____________
b. Would God
be God if He allowed sin to go unpunished? ____________
c. Which
shows loving concern on the part of parents — if they let their children do what they
want, or if they correct, warn, and administer some punishment? Give a reason for your answer. _________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. Clearly,
if man is to be delivered from his misery, the way of deliverance will have to take into
account both the justice and mercy of God.
a. Read
Psalm 85:10.
This verse actually speaks of
mercy and justice using slightly different terms. What
words are similar to justice? ________________
and __________________ What word belongs with
mercy? __________________
b. Where did
mercy and truth meet together? ______________________________
B. Underline the
best ending to the beginning of the phrase.
1. That God
is just means:
a. no
one can ever be saved.
b. His
justice will have to be satisfied.
c. He
is cruel when He punishes.
2. According
to his creation, man was:
a. able
to choose to obey or disobey God.
b. already
inclined to sin.
c. not
able to love God perfectly.
3. The will
of fallen man is:
a. still
able to choose what is right.
b. finds it
difficult to choose the good.
c. never
desires what is good.
4. Adam’s
sin was so serious because:
a. it
was committed in the beautiful Garden.
b. it was
against the covenant God.
c. it
meant he had to leave Paradise.
5. The
temptation and fall:
a. happened
according to the eternal will of God.
b. was
permitted to happen by God.
c. happened
against the will of God.
6. Since the
devil goes about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour:
a. we
ought to give the devil no place in our lives.
b. we need
not be concerned because Christ will protect us.
c. we
can live as close to the world as possible.
7. The “most
high majesty of God” impresses upon us that:
a. God
is to be feared and obeyed.
b. that God
is so high we can never know Him.
c. that
God is not interested in the affairs of man.
Question 12 gets right to the point of deliverance:
“… is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again
received into favor?” But these important
matters are not to be rushed. Very carefully
the Catechism exhausts every human possibility to show the hopelessness of man in himself. In the last Question and Answer we are given the
requirements of the Mediator, but He is not yet identified for us.
A. Throughout the
Word of God it is emphasized that man can do nothing to satisfy God’s justice, or to
provide a way out of his misery. Salvation is
entirely of the Lord. Here are a few examples
of this truth:
1. Read
Genesis 3:7, 21.
a. Adam
and Eve tried to hide their nakedness by covering themselves with _______ ______________. However, this could not cover their sin and shame.
b. Therefore
God provided them with ____________________ ____________.
c. In
what way did this point them to Christ? _________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
d. Since we read of sacrifice in
Genesis 4:3, 4,
may we conclude that God had instructed Adam and Eve
concerning sacrifice when He gave them coats of skins?
_________
2. Read
Genesis 16:1-4
and
Hebrews 11:11, 12.
a. God
had promised to send Abraham seed in whom all the world would be blessed, and that seed
was Christ. Yet, Abraham and Sarah had no
children and they were past the years of childbearing.
What did Abraham and Sarah decide to do? ___________
____________________________________________________________________
Was this pleasing to God? __________
b. When it
was unmistakable that Abraham and Sarah could not have children, God sent Isaac. By what power was Isaac conceived? __________________
(Heb. 11:11, 12)
c. Hence
it is clear that ________________ can never bring forth Christ.
3. Read
Luke 1:30-35.
a. God
had promised David that his son would sit on the throne forever. But at this time there was no proper descendant of
David for _______________ to have as a husband. The
line of David came down to a lone virgin.
b. When all
is hopeless and dark, God reveals His salvation by causing the __________
_________________ to come upon Mary so that that which is born of her is called
________________________.
4.
Luke 18:27
sums this up very well. Quote this text. “____________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
B. Fill in the
blanks.
1. This Lord’s
Day stresses that God’s justice must be satisfied and His mercy can never be in
conflict with His justice.
a. What
is the idea of satisfaction? __________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b. Why cannot
we make this satisfaction? ____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. What
are the two reasons why another creature cannot satisfy for us? ____________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Read
Hebrews 9:11, 12.
a. Did
the blood of animals satisfy for sin during the Old Testament times? _________
b. What was
the significance of animal blood? ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. What are
the requirements of a mediator and deliverer?
a. ___________________________
b. ___________________________
c. ___________________________
4. In the Lord’s Prayer
(Matt. 6:12)
our sins are called debts.
a. What
is the idea of a debt? _____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. If we
stopped sinning at this moment, would God be satisfied with us? __________ Explain.
____________________________________________________________
5. At the end
of this Lord’s Day it looks almost impossible that we should ever be delivered. But God is faithful!
What name of Christ describes best the idea of Answer 15? __________________________ (See
Isaiah 7:14.)
In this lesson the Mediator is set forth as to His requirements. We learn of our Mediator in the holy gospel, which
comes to us in the Scriptures. Hence, we can
very profitably study the doctrine of Scripture here.
A. Fill in the
blanks.
1. Why cannot
a sinner satisfy for the sins of another person? ________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. That God
requires that “the same nature which sinned shall make satisfaction,” means that
the Mediator will have to have a ______________ ____________________.
3. Answer 17
contains these elements:
a. The
human nature of the Mediator must be sustained by the ____________________
____________________________.
b. The human
nature must obtain ______________________ and _________________.
c. The
Mediator must then give these things He has obtained to ______________.
4. Our Lord
Jesus Christ is in one _________________ both very God and a ___________
_____________________.
5.
I Corinthians 1:30, 31
reads, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made
unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory in the Lord.”
a. Skim through the last part of
I Corinthians 1.
With
what is wisdom contrasted? _____________________________________________________________________
b. If man
could save himself, or if salvation were of works, would verse 31 be true? _________ Explain. ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. Hence
it is clear that God has arranged all things so that the salvation of His people would
result in His ___________________________.
6. Where do
we learn who and what the Mediator is? ______________________________
Romans 10:14, 15
makes clear that we do not learn
this by reading the Bible, but through ________________________________.
a. Answer
19 really states that the holy gospel from beginning to end is Christ. The Bible on every page gives us God’s
revelation of Himself in His Son, who is the Word.
1) Quote the
first announcement of the gospel in Paradise and circle the word that refers to Christ. “__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
2) Quote
Genesis 22:18,
which was spoken to the patriarch Abraham.
“__________ _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
3) Quote a verse from
Isaiah 53
that shows how the prophet spoke of the coming Messiah. “________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
4) Quote
Hebrews 7:27,
which shows that Christ is the fulfillment of all Old Testament sacrifice. “________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
5) Quote
Romans 10:4,
which shows that the fulfillment of the law is in Christ: “_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.”
b. The holy
gospel is trustworthy only if it is true! In
II Timothy 3:16
and
II Peter 1:21
the Bible sets forth its own teaching on the inspiration
of the Word of God. Read these verses, consult
your parents if necessary, and answer these questions:
1) What is
meant by inspiration? _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2) What do we
mean by verbal inspiration? ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3) What is
meant by infallible inspiration? _________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4) What is
the idea of a clear or perspicuous Bible? __________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5) What is
meant by organic inspiration? __________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Lord’s Day 7 presents faith both as a bond (an engrafting into Christ) and as
an activity in the life of every child of God. We
are saved by grace through faith. Only when we
conceive of faith as an engrafting into Christ can we understand that it is not of
ourselves, but is the gift of God. This
important, Reformed, biblical doctrine must be thoroughly understood and appreciated.
A. Faith as a bond.
1. The Bible speaks of faith as a living bond or engrafting in
John 15:5
and
Romans 11:17-20.
Read these passages.
As you know, branches can be grafted from one tree into another. However, these branches must be alive, and they
must have the same kind of life in them as the tree into which they are to be grafted.
a. The
entire human race belongs to one tree, the tree of Adam.
This tree is ________________________ and produces no fruit unto God.
b. Branches
from this dead tree can be made living branches only through _________
______________________________________. (See
Question and Answer 8.)
c. When
God regenerates a person, He places that person in union with Christ. Thus the life of Christ flows to us through the
living bond of faith, and the result is that we produce
____________________________________________________________.
d. The new
tree, or vine, of Christ, receives all His benefits by ____________________
____________________________________________________________________.
e. Do
all men belong to the new tree of Christ? ______________
f. According to
John 15:1, 2,
God is the _____________________ who cares for the vine in two ways:
1) _________________________________________________________________.
2) _________________________________________________________________.
2. The Belgic
Confession has a beautiful article on faith, Article 22.
Read it carefully. Concentrate on the
last few sentences of this article. We do not
find the word “bond” here, but we do find a similar word, “instrument.”
a. Quote
the words from the last sentence that show that the bond of faith can never be broken. “_____________________________________________________.”
b. The
article also states that faith itself does not justify for it is “__________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
B. Faith as the
believer’s activity.
1. When the
regenerated, engrafted child of God hears the preaching of the gospel, he is called, comes
to faith, and is converted.
a. The
Catechism describes this true faith as __________________________________ and
______________________________________.
b. What is
the difference between knowing God and knowing about God?
__________ ____________________________________________________________________
c. Is
it possible to have confidence without knowledge? _________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. It is very
important to notice the relationship between election and faith.
a. A
person must certainly believe if he is to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Read
John 3:16
and 36.
b. But the
question is, who will believe? Read
John 10:26.
1) Which is
first, being a sheep or believing? ______________________________
2) When or
how does a person become a sheep? ____________________________
_________________________________________________________________
c. Which
is first, having eternal life or believing? ______________________________
____________________________________________________________________
d. The Canons
have much to say about saving faith. Read the
Canons I, Articles 6 and 9.
1) Quote the
first line of Article 6: “______________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
2) Read
Article 9 again. Election is called the
_________________ out of which flows forth ______________________, __________________,
______________ ________________________, and ____________________ as fruits and effects.
3) We are not
chosen because of faith but __________________________________.
This lesson presents us with one of the most difficult truths to be found in the
Bible, namely, the doctrine of the Trinity. The
reason why the Trinity is so difficult for us to understand is that in this study we say
something about the very Being of God, and God is incomprehensible. Briefly stated, that God is Triune means that there
are three Persons in the one Essence of God. The
word Triune, although not found in the Bible,
gets this truth across very nicely.
A. In the Bible,
God has revealed in a progressively clearer way that He is Triune. The Old Testament suggests the Trinity; the New
Testament teaches it clearly. Copy the texts
that are indicated, underlining those words which show that God is more than one Person.
1.
Genesis 1:26
— “_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
2.
Psalm 33:6
— “___________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
3.
Matthew 28:19
— “_______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
4.
II Corinthians 13:14
— “___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
5.
I John 5:7
— “____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
B. Question and
Answer 24 of the Catechism may not be interpreted as if each Person of the Trinity did
separate work. The following exercise will
make this clear. Fill in the blanks.
1. God
reveals Himself as Father in the act of creation. But
John 1:1-3
and
Colossians 1:16
teach that _______________________ also created.
2. God
reveals Himself as our Redeemer in the work of Christ. In
Titus 2:10,
God is called our _______________________________.
3. God
reveals Himself as Sanctifier in the Holy Spirit. Quote
I Peter 1:22
here: “_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
4. The point
is that all three Persons are engaged in all the thoughts and works of God. We may not imagine that God is composed of three
parts; a pie cut into thirds is not an adequate example or picture of this great mystery. The Bible teaches that the three Persons are
co-equal, co-eternal, and co-essential.
5. The Belgic
Confession, Article 8, states this concerning the three Persons of the Trinity:
a. The
Father is the _____________, _______________, and ________________ of all things visible
and invisible.
b. The Son is
the ________________, _________________, and _________________.
c. The
Holy Ghost is the __________________________ and ____________________, proceeding from the
Father and the Son.
C. Thought
questions; use your Bibles, our creeds, or ask your parents.
1. When Jesus
prayed, using the word Father, did He refer to the first Person of the Trinity or to the
Triune God? _____________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. When we
pray to our Father, do we pray to the first Person or to the Triune God? _______________________________________________________________________
3. The Belgic
Confession, Article 9, lists those in the history of the church who do not believe in the
Trinity. Mention these groups or persons. _________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________
4. Who,
today, do not believe in a Triune God? ___________________________________
Although this Lord’s Day speaks of God as the Maker of heaven and earth, the
main point is not creation. Creation is
introduced here to show the great power of God over all things; and hence He is the
almighty Father. The key point, then, is the
Fatherhood of God over us!
A. Fill in the
blanks carefully.
1. The
language of this answer is filled with trust and assurance.
Find the words which express this: __________________________,
_________________________________, _________________________________________
2. This trust
is based on the knowledge that God is the Father of our _________________
_______________________________, and is for His sake _______________________.
3. The answer
speaks of God being willing and able to do many things for His people.
a. List
the various ways in which Answer 26 speaks of God’s power. ______________
_____________________________________________________________________
b. The
willingness of God to do all things for us is based on the ___________________ of our
Father.
4. During
this lifetime we need many things supplied by our Father.
a. For
the body we need __________________________________________________.
b. For the
soul we need ___________________________________________________.
5. To what
does “this valley of tears” refer? _____________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
6. Give an
example of an evil that God sends us that He is able to turn to our advantage.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
B. Mark with a T or
F.
___ 1. After the first day of creation,
there was a chaotic or mixed state of earth and water.
___ 2. There was no light until the
sun, moon, and stars were created.
___ 3. The order in which each creature
was created shows that all things are related and
dependent.
___ 4. God’s purpose in creation
was that it should remain perfect always.
___ 5. Before the Fall, Adam knew God
as Father.
___ 6. A good father never punishes his
children.
___ 7. Man was created as the highest
of the earthly creatures.
___ 8. Not all men are children of God.
___ 9. We are children of God because
we have been adopted in Christ.
___ 10. After God created all things,
He has nothing more to do with them.
C. In each blank
place the number of the day on which that creature was made.
___ Fowl
___ Seas
___ Fish
___ Animals
___ Light
___ Man
___ Stars
___ Dry land
___ Plants
D. Thought
questions.
1. Does the
expression “to make something out of nothing” refer to all of God’s
creative work, or to God’s work on the first day only?
__________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Quote the words from
Genesis 1
that make clear that the days of creation were not long periods of
time. “_________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
3. Quote the words from
Genesis 1
that make clear that there could be no evolution in the plant or
animal kingdom. “_________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
4. Keeping in mind
Colossians 1:16
(that all things were made by Christ and for Christ), state in your
own words what you consider to be God’s purpose in creating all things. _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
The doctrine of creation (Lord’s Day 9) demands the doctrine of providence,
for those things which God has made cannot continue to exist unless He upholds them. Also, since God has a will or counsel, there must
be government and control by God in this world so that the purpose of His will is always
accomplished. Although the doctrine of
providence is of great comfort to children of God of all ages, it is of special benefit to
young people. Teenagers face many complicated
problems and decisions: what to do for one’s
life work; whom to court and marry; what educational plans ought to be made? God, in His providence, brings these things to pass
in your lives!
A. Underline the
answer that best completes each sentence.
1. God is our
Father because:
a. He
has adopted us in Jesus Christ.
b. we have
chosen Him as our Father.
c. He
has created us.
2. We know
God is our Father because:
a. He
is in heaven.
b. the Holy
Spirit testifies of this in our hearts.
c. the
Bible tells us so.
3. Everything
that happens to us:
a. happens
because of what we have done first.
b. cannot be
avoided because of fate.
c. comes
about because of the providence of God.
4. The evil
things that come to us in this life:
a. come
to us in God’s love for us.
b. come to us
against the wishes of God.
c. have
nothing to do with God or His will.
5. God’s
providence includes the actions of men in such a way that:
a. man
is not responsible for what he does.
b. man is
still responsible for his actions.
c. God
does not know what man will do in a certain situation.
B. God’s
providence touches absolutely every creature and event.
Look up these passages, and place the corresponding number in the blank.
1. Angels ___ a.
Acts 2:23
2. Devils ___ b.
Ephesians 2:10
3. Forces of
“nature” ___ c.
Matthew 10:29, 30
4. Ordinary
things ___ d.
Luke 22:22
5. Extraordinary
things ___ e.
Job 1:12
6. Good deeds
of men ___ f.
Matthew 24:7
7. Evil deeds
of men ___ g.
Psalm 147:16-18
8. Death of
Christ ___ h.
Matthew 28:2
C. Thought
questions:
1. By way of
an example, show how a believing young person demonstrates trust in God. ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. In the
light of the truth of providence, is it wrong to gamble or enter lotteries? ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Is it
possible that a proper understanding of God’s counsel and providence will cause a
person to be lazy or fatalistic? ______ Explain. ________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
A. The name Jesus.
1. List as
many names for Jesus as you can find in the Bible.
_______________________ _______________________ ___________________
_______________________ _______________________ ___________________
_______________________ _______________________ ___________________
_______________________ _______________________ ___________________
2. Jesus is the personal name of our Savior (see
Matt. 1:18-21).
a. Who
gave the name Jesus to the Son of God? ____________________________
b. How was
this name revealed to Joseph and Mary? _________________________
c. Why
was He called Jesus? ____________________________________________
d. What is
the literal meaning of the name Jesus? ____________________________
e. What
name in the Old Testament has the identical meaning? _________________
3. Underline
the part of the sentence that is true.
a. Jesus
tries to save or actually does save.
b. Jesus
makes salvation available or makes it an accomplished fact.
c. Jesus
speaks of His people with vagueness and indefiniteness, or definitely and certainly (see
John 10:27).
B. Jesus is the
complete, perfect Savior.
1. Read
Acts 4:12;
Belgic Confession, Article 22; and
Hebrews 7:27.
2. Man likes
to think that the work of Christ is not enough, but that he must do something in addition
to the work of Christ. What are some of these
things that man vainly tries to add to the sacrifice of Christ? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. To what
did Jesus refer when He said, on the cross, “It is finished”? (See
John 19:30.)
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Underline
the answer or answers that are true. The death of Christ on the cross was:
a. an
example of what God could do to all of us.
b. payment
for sin.
c. atonement.
d. satisfaction
of God’s justice.
e. an
example of a teacher willing to die for his beliefs.
C. Salvation may be
described as redemption and deliverance, or as the work of Jesus for us and the work of Jesus in us. Write
either for us or in us in each of the blanks below.
1. ____________________ Jesus went to hell, bearing the wrath of God
against our sins.
2. ____________________ Jesus suffered the contradiction of sinners.
3. ____________________ We are regenerated by the Spirit of the risen Lord.
4. ____________________ Christ conquered death and the grave.
5. ____________________ Jesus’ mind and thoughts become our mind and
thoughts.
6. ____________________ We are conformed to the image of God’s Son.
7. ____________________ We will and do of God’s good pleasure.
8. ____________________ More and more we hate sin and flee from it.
A. The Son of God
is the promised Christ.
1. The name
Christ has the meaning ______________________________; Christ is the official name of
Jesus, and signifies that He stands in a certain office or position of service before God.
a. Anointing
implies two things: that a person is chosen unto a certain task, and that he is
qualified or enabled to do that task. Christ was chosen or ordained by __________ and
qualified by the _______________________________.
b. There are
many examples of anointing in the Old Testament:
1) In
I Kings 19:16
we read that _______________ was anointed to be ___________ in place of Elijah.
2) In
Leviticus 8
we read that ______________ was anointed to be _____________.
3) In
I Samuel 16:13
we read that ____________ was anointed ________________.
c. When was Jesus appointed to be the Mediator
of His people? __________________
____________________________________________________________________
d. When was He anointed and equipped with the
Holy Spirit? ____________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. The office
of Mediator has three aspects or parts to it:
a. As
our chief prophet, Christ
_____________________________________________.
b. As our only high priest, Christ
___________________________________________.
c. As
our eternal king, Christ
______________________________________________.
B. Children of God
are called Christians.
1. We are
called Christians because ____________________________________ and thus
_________________________________________________________________.
2. There is
no sense in which we can be called after the name of Jesus (His personal name) or after
the name Lord (His exalted name). But there is
a sense in which we are called after the name Christ; we, too, are appointed unto an office and qualified
in that office. That office is the office of believers. This
office also has three parts or aspects:
a. As
prophets, we ______________________________________________________.
b. As
priests, we ________________________________________________________.
c. As
kings, we _________________________________________________________.
3. Why is it
such a serious thing when Christians sin? _____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. The Bible
tells us that the disciples were first called Christians at __________________. (See
Acts 11:26.)
5. The most
important point of this lesson is that we are called Christians because we are members of
Christ by faith and thus share in His anointing.
a. Faith
is the living bond of engrafting (Lord’s Day 7).
We are one plant with Christ. He is the
Head, we are His body. The Spirit that
came upon Christ personally also came upon His body.
b. When did
the Spirit come to dwell in the church as the body of Christ? ________ ___________________________ Personally, the Spirit comes upon the believer at the moment of his __________________________ (see
John 3:3, 5).
A. Christ is the
only begotten Son of God. This is the cardinal
truth of the Christian religion, yea, of all true religion. See
Matthew 16:13-16.
1. Proof of
Christ’s Sonship:
a. Quote
John 1:18.
“_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
b. Quote
John 3:16.
“_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
2. These
texts, and the Catechism, distinguish sharply between the Sonship of Christ and the
sonship of believers. The Sonship of Christ is
unique.
a. Christ
is the only begotten Son of God, we are _____________________ sons.
b. Christ is
the eternal Son of God, we are sons in _________________________.
c. Christ
is the natural Son of God, we are sons by ________________________.
3. We are
children of God through the process called the adoption of grace.
a. On
what basis are we adopted by God? ____________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b. How does
God decide who should be adopted in Christ? _______________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. Can
we know whether or not we are children of God? ___________ How? (See
Romans 8:16.)
________________________________________________________
d. When
earthly parents adopt a child, what can they do for that child? _____________
_____________________________________________________________________ What can they not do for that child? _______________________________________
e. After reading
Romans 8:29
and
I John 3:2,
explain how our adoption by God through Christ does
something that earthly adoption cannot do. ________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
f. The
result of adoption is that there is a covenant family formed.
1) The Father
is ___________.
2) The elder
brother is _____________.
3) The other
members of the family are the ______________.
B. Christ is also
Lord! Lordship implies both ownership and
exaltation.
1. How are we
the possession of Jesus Christ? (Quote
I Cor. 6:20.)
“_________________
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
a. What
phrase from Lord’s Day 1 teaches that we are Christ’s possession? “________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
b. We were
not purchased by ______________________ but by __________________
____________________________________________.
2. The name
Lord also implies exaltation and rulership!
a. When
did Jesus attain unto this great honor? _______________________________
b. What does
Philippians 2:9-11
say about the exaltation of Jesus?
Quote three significant phrases from this passage.
“____________________________________ ________________________,” “________________________________________,”
“___________________________________________________________________”
The incarnation of Jesus means His coming into the flesh. We believe, according to Holy Scripture, that the
incarnation took place when Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. Before you do this lesson, read
Isaiah 7:14;
Luke 1:28-35;
Hebrews 2:14;
and the Belgic Confession, Article 18.
A. Answer each
question carefully.
1. In your
own words, tell what the virgin birth means. ____________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Why was
such a miraculous birth necessary? __________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
3. What does
this birth show, as far as the work of salvation is concerned? _____________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Why was it
important that Christ be born to Mary of the seed of David?
_____________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. What is
the profit of the incarnation of Christ for the church?
_____________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
6. Did Jesus
have brothers and sisters? That is, did Joseph
and Mary have sons and daughters? ___________ If
so, what are their names? __________________________
7. Through
the many years of church history, there have been various controversies (doctrinal
disputes) concerning the natures of Christ. Some
denied that Christ had a real human nature. Others denied that He had a complete human nature. The result of these controversies is that the
church has defined the human nature of Jesus with the following terms. Learn these terms, and try to give an explanation
for each one. (You might have to fill in a few
when you come to class.)
a. Real
— _____________________________________________________________
b. Complete
— _________________________________________________________
c. Sinless
— ___________________________________________________________
d. Weakened
— _________________________________________________________
e. Central
— ___________________________________________________________
8. Christ was
made as much like us as it is possible to be, with the one important exception of sin. He was even tempted as we are
(Heb. 4:15).
a. List the temptations of Jesus
(Matt. 4:1-11).
_______________________________,
_________________________________, __________________________________
b. Why was He tempted? (See
Heb. 2:18.)
___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
B. True of False:
___ 1. There were times when Jesus was
tired, and hungry and thirsty.
___ 2. The temptations of Jesus were
not really difficult for Him.
___ 3. Jesus had a human body, but a
divine soul.
___ 4. There were many times when Mary
could not understand her Son.
___ 5. God is the Father of Jesus also
according to the human nature.
___ 6. Jesus understands everything
that we will ever have to experience.
___ 7. When Jesus was born of Mary, He
stopped being God.
___ 8. If Jesus had had one sin, He
could never cover our sins in the sight of God.
___ 9. We can understand the word
“virgin” to mean “young lady.”
___ 10. Jesus had a human father.
The suffering or passion of our Lord Jesus Christ was prophesied throughout the Old Testament. Read
Psalm 22
and
Isaiah 53.
There is a beautiful description of Jesus’
suffering in the Belgic Confession, Article 21. Read
this article carefully.
A. Fill in the
blanks.
1. When did
Jesus suffer? _________________________ but
especially _______________
_______________________________________________________________________.
2. Name the
chief events of Christ’s suffering by reading these passages and then giving the
event a short title or description.
a.
Matthew 26:36-46
— __________________________________________________
b.
Matthew 26:47-56
— __________________________________________________
c.
Mark 14:52-65
— _____________________________________________________
d.
Mark 14:66-72
— _____________________________________________________
e.
John 18:28 - 19:
16 — __________________________________________________
f.
Luke 23:26-32
— ______________________________________________________
g.
Matthew 27:33-50
— __________________________________________________
3. What did
the cross sign say? ________________________________________________
______________________________________ In what
languages was this sign written? _________________,
_____________________, and ____________________________
4. List the
seven cross words, or short sayings of Jesus from the cross. You can refer to
Matthew 23,
Mark 15,
Luke 23,
and
John 19.
a. ____________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________________
d. ____________________________________________________________________
e. ____________________________________________________________________
f. ____________________________________________________________________
g. ____________________________________________________________________
5. Who was
Pilate? ___________________________ What was Herod?
_____________ __________________________________
Luke 23:12
tells us they were enemies before the trial of Jesus, but after this
they were friends. Quote the verse from
Psalm 2
that is the prophecy of this friendship. “_____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
6. How did it
become plain that Jesus was perfectly innocent? _______________________
_______________________________________________________________________ How could God punish if Jesus were innocent? (See
II Cor. 5:21.)
_________________
_______________________________________________________________________
7. The death
of the cross was the ______________________ death. That
is, God had declared that the death on the cross (or tree) was cursed by Him. See
Deuteronomy 21:23
and
Galatians 3:13.
The picture of a man on the cross is a terrible
one: the earth would not have him, neither
would heaven receive him. That man was utterly
alone.
a. Jesus
had to die on the cross; hence, He was sent to ________________ because the death of the
cross was a Roman death.
b. The curse
that was due _____________ has been laid upon ________________.
c. Answer
37 uses the words, “the wrath of God against the sins of all mankind.” In
John 1:29
we read, “Behold the Lamb of God,
which taketh away the sin of the world.”
1) Can these
statements mean that Jesus paid for the sins of every single person in the world or in the
human race? ___________ Explain. ___________________
_________________________________________________________________
2) How are
such statements to be explained? _______________________________
_________________________________________________________________
B. Matching: There were many persons associated with the death
of Jesus on the cross. Match the name with the
identifying statement.
___ 1. Pilate
a. Was compelled to carry the cross of
Jesus.
___ 2. Herod
b. Was the father-in-law of the high
priest.
___ 3. Peter
c. Was chosen to be freed instead of
Christ.
___ 4. Judas
d. Was given to John to be cared for by
him.
___ 5. Annas
e. Went to Paradise with Jesus that
very day.
___ 6. Caiaphas
f. Thought he was strong in himself.
___ 7. Joseph
g. Presided at Jesus’ trial before
the Sanhedrin.
___ 8. Simon
h. Reviled Jesus even though he was in
the same
condemnation.
___ 9. Barabbas
i. Declared Jesus’ innocence three
different times.
___ 10. Mary
j. Thought more of money than of
Christ.
___ 11. Elect malefactor
k. Gave Jesus a gorgeous robe and
mocked Him.
___ 12. Reprobate malefactor l. Buried Jesus in his own tomb.
This Lord’s Day deals with the death of Christ, His burial, and descension
into hell. It also treats the subject of the
death of believers. It is because of the
truths contained in this Lord’s Day that we can live and die happily.
1. The heart
of the gospel is that the Good Shepherd laid down His life for His sheep, or that the Son
of God in our flesh actually died.
a. Why
was the death of the Mediator necessary? (See
Gen. 2:17.)
________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b. How could
this sentence of death upon us be laid upon Christ? __________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. Why
was it necessary that the Son of God die? ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Question
and Answer 41 is not simply teaching us that Christ had to be buried to prove that He was
physically dead; everyone around the cross was convinced of that! That is not the point.
a. Burial
in a grave belonged to the whole experience of death.
Christ was buried to show that His death was a real, complete death. Really dead
in the sense that His death involved everything that belonged to death.
b. Quote
I Corinthians 15:55
to show the close relationship between death and the grave. “____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
3. Explain
how our death differs from the death of Christ. __________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. What
happened to our sinful natures (our old man of sin) when Christ died on the cross? (Study
Romans 6:6
carefully.) ______________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. What two
results follow from the death of our old, sinful natures?
a. ____________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________
6. The fact
that the death of the believer is the passage into eternal life allows the child of God to
face death without fear, but with confidence. There
are many children of God who have died with a smile on their faces!
a. There
are several views of death that deny that death is the immediate passage way into glory. Try to learn what the following views teach.
1) Purgatory: ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2) Soul
sleep: ________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
b. The Bible,
however, is very clear on this point: the
moment a child of God dies, he is immediately with Jesus in heaven! Look up the following passages, and, in your own
words, explain how the text proves this point.
1)
Luke 23:43
— _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2)
Philippians 1:21
— _________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3)
Psalm 73:24
— ____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
4) Can you
think of another text or two that proves this? _____________________
_________________________________________________________________
7. The
descension into hell was the most intense suffering that Christ had to endure. This is why the Apostolic Creed places it last in
Article 4.
a. Did
Christ descend into hell before or after He died? ______________________
Offer some proof for your answer. ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
b. What is
hell according to the fourth cross word? (See
Matthew 27:46.)
_________________________________________________________________
c. What
are some of the terms or phrases Scripture uses to describe hell? _____________________, ___________________, and
____________________
d. Why was it
necessary for Christ to go to hell? ____________________________
_________________________________________________________________
e. What
is the result, for the church, that Christ has descended into hell? _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
f. How
can we be assured in this life that Christ has gone to hell for us? _________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the most wonderful event recorded in the
Scriptures! On the cross Jesus said, “It
is finished,” in reference to His sacrifice for our sins. In the resurrection God agrees with these words of
Jesus; the resurrection is God’s seal of approval on the atonement.
A. Fill in the
blanks.
1. The fact of the resurrection (see
John 20).
a. When
did the resurrection occur? _________________________________________
b. Who
explained the empty tomb to the women? ______________________________
c. What
did John see in the tomb that led him to believe that Jesus had risen? ________
_____________________________________________________________________
d. What did
the Jewish leaders say about the events of that morning?
_______________
_____________________________________________________________________
e. In
the book of Acts, the apostles are recorded as going about preaching that Christ was
crucified and raised. Record several references from the book of Acts
that show this. ________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
f. What proof does Paul give in
I Corinthians 15
(first part) concerning the resurrection of
Jesus? ____________________________________________________________
2. Name other
persons who were raised from the dead (Old Testament and New Testament). _____________________, ____________________,
______________________, and _________________________
3. How were
the resurrections of these persons related to the resurrection of Jesus? _______________________________________________________________________
4. How was
the experience of Jonah in the fish’s belly related to the resurrection of Jesus? (See
Matthew 12:40.)
_____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. According to
I Corinthians 15:42-44,
the body undergoes a change through the process of death and
resurrection. List the characteristics of the
body as it is laid in the grave: _______________________,
_______________________, _______________________, _______________________; and its
characteristics when it is raised: ______________,
_________________________, ______________________, ______________________.
6.
I John 3:2
and
Philippians 3:21
both teach the same truth. It
is that _________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
B. The Catechism
looks at the resurrection from the point of view of its benefit for the church. It mentions three important benefits.
1. The first
is that the living Lord makes us partakers of
the righteousness that He has purchased for us by His death.
In other words, the resurrection is the proof of our righteousness, proof of the
fact that we are justified before the judgment seat of God.
a. Christ
offered Himself on the altar of the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. If one sin of one child of God still remained,
would God have raised Jesus from the dead? _____ Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. Quote
Romans 4:25
here. “______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
c.
Romans 5:1
states that the result of justification is ____________________________ ____________________________________________________________________.
2. The second
benefit is that the living Lord, by His power,
raises us up to a new life. We are given His
resurrection life.
a. When
is this life given to an elect child of God? ____________________________
b.
John 10:28
calls this _________________ life. This life
can never come under the power or influence of death, nor will it ever.
c. In
Colossians 3:1
we are told that since we are risen with Christ, we must “_______
__________________________________________________________________.”
3. The third
benefit is that the living Lord is the sure
pledge of our blessed resurrection.
a.
I Corinthians 15:20
calls Christ the firstfruits of them that slept. Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are
Christ’s at His coming (v. 23).
b. The fact
that Christ was raised from the dead as the firstfruits means _____________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
c. Christ is not only an example of one who died but now lives, but He (see
John 11:25)
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
d. Will
everyone be raised up in the last day? _________
Will everyone be raised up into the same thing? ___________________________________________________
e. Read
I Thessalonians 4:16, 17.
What is the order of
the resurrection of the saints? First
____________________ and then ____________________________________.
A. The fact of the ascension into heaven (read
Acts 1:1-12).
1. Christ
ascended ______________ days after the resurrection, and ___________ days before the day
of Pentecost.
2. He
ascended into heaven from ___________________________.
Who were witnesses of this? ___________________________________________________________________
3. Do we know
where heaven is? __________. How does Scripture speak of heaven, as far as its
location is concerned? ________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. With what
nature did Jesus ascend into heaven? ________________________________
5. Christ promises that He will never leave His church alone or without comfort (see
John 14:18,
26).
a. In
what ways is Jesus always with His church on earth? _______________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. Would it
have been better if Christ Himself would have stayed with us upon earth? ______________
Why or why not? ______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
B. The tremendous
benefit of the ascension.
1. State the
first advantage of the ascension in the words of the Catechism: “___________
______________________________________________________________________.”
a. What
is an advocate? __________________________________________________
b. According to
Romans 8:34
and
Hebrews 9:24,
what does Christ do in heaven as our Advocate? __________________________________________________________
2. State the
second advantage of the ascension. ___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
a. Quote
Ephesians 2:6.
“_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
b. Christ is
the Head; the church is His body. Since our
Head is in heaven we may know that
_________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________.
3. State the
third advantage of the ascension. _____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
a. Quote
II Corinthians 1:22.
“______________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
b. What is an
earnest? ____________________________________________________
c. How
is the Holy Spirit an earnest? ________________________________________
C. True or False:
___ 1. According to His human nature,
Christ is now on earth.
___ 2. In the Spirit, Christ is with us
in a closer, more intimate, way than ever before.
___ 3. It took Christ a long time to
reach heaven after leaving Olivet.
___ 4. The ascension of Christ belongs
to His exaltation and glory.
___ 5.
Acts 1:9-11
is the only passage
in Scripture that speaks of the ascension.
___ 6. The fact that Christ ascended
into heaven means that the two natures of Christ are
now separated.
___ 7. Christ will never leave heaven
and come to earth again.
___ 8. Christ constantly prays to the
Triune God in our behalf.
___ 9. By the power of the Holy Spirit,
we are able to seek heavenly things.
___ 10. It makes little difference if
we walk in a new and holy way, since we have Christ’s
pledge that we will be with Him in heaven.
D. Thought question. Read
Revelation 5.
What does this
chapter have to do with the ascension of Christ? (Use
commentaries or speak with your parents.) __________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
This Lord’s Day instructs us in the truth of Christ’s exalted position at
God’s right hand and His return to judge the living and the dead. Before you answer the following questions, read
Article 37 of the Belgic Confession.
A. The right hand of God is a figurative expression for
the position of power and authority Christ occupies at the present time.
1. Quote
these texts to establish the idea of the right hand of God.
a.
Mark 16:19
— “_______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
b. Last part of
Hebrews 1:3
— “_____________________________________________
_______________________________________________.”
2. That
Christ rules from heaven over all things certainly means that all history is church
history — or, that all things come about for the benefit of the church. Mention two events from the history of this world
that very clearly have benefit for the church.
a. ____________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________
3. Not only
does the Bible state that Christ sits at God’s
right hand, but it also states that He stands at God’s right hand (see
Acts 7:56).
What
does this standing indicate? ________
_______________________________________________________________________
4. We can
distinguish the rule of Christ over the wicked world and over His church. He rules His church by His __________________ and
the world by His _______________.
5. What phrase in
Revelation 1:5
shows that Christ has supreme power over all earthly rulers? “_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
6. List the
power of Jesus according to the following texts:
a.
Matthew 9:6
______________________ d.
John 10:18
________________
b.
Matthew 28:18
____________________ e.
John 17:2
_________________
c.
Luke 8:25
________________________ f.
Acts 10:38
________________
B. Christ’s
position as Judge also belongs to His exaltation and our salvation.
1. Read
John 5:22.
Who judges, God or Christ? ____________________________
2. Why can
the believer await the judgment day with head uplifted?
_________________
______________________________________________________________________
3. What will
Christ do to His and our enemies? __________________________________
______________________________________ Do the
words “His and our” refer to one group or two?
________________
4. All the
elect shall be translated into heavenly glory.
a. What
is implied by heavenly joy and glory? ________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. What,
actually, shall the believer do in glory? _______________________________
____________________________________________________________________
5. Who will
have the stricter judgment, those who never heard the gospel or those who have heard it
(Matt. 11:22)?
____________________________________________________
6. What two books are mentioned in
Revelation 20:12,
and what do they stand for?
a. __________________________
means ____________________________________.
b. __________________________
means ____________________________________.
A. Answer the
following:
1. The three
Persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) are co-eternal. What does that mean?
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Given to
us, the Holy Spirit does three things for us. They
are:
a. ____________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________________
3. The Holy
Spirit is given various names in Scripture. By
referring to these passages, find as many names as you can:
a.
John 14:17
__________________________ d.
Isaiah 12:2
_________________
b.
John 15:26
__________________________ e. Other? _____________________
c.
Luke 12:12;
I Corinthians 2:13
______________________________
4. The Bible
lists many activities of the Holy Spirit in the church.
Place the proper reference behind each activity after you have read them.
Romans 8:16;
I Peter 1:22;
Acts 1:8;
Acts 13:2;
Acts 16:6.
a. Calls
and sends our ministers — __________________________________________
b. Chooses
the mission field to be preached in — _______________________________
c. Gives
power to witness — _______________________________________________
d. Testifies
to the believer of sonship — ______________________________________
e. Sanctifies
or cleanses the believer — ______________________________________
5. It is very
important today that we understand what the true fruits of the Spirit are. Pentecostals would have us believe that those who
are really Spirit-filled are able to speak in tongues and perform miracles of healing. Pentecostalism elevates the Holy Spirit above
Christ. But Scripture tells us that the Spirit
is the Spirit of Christ, and that He never does anything except in the service of Christ.
a. Read
Galatians 5:22, 23
and list the fruit of the Spirit. ________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b. Read
John 15:26
and
John 16:13.
Here it is plain that
the Spirit does not speak of _______________________, but of ________________________.
B. The Holy Spirit
was given to Christ as part of His Mediator’s reward when He ascended into heaven. This Spirit Christ poured out upon His body, the church. We may read of this in
Acts 2:1-13
(see
Acts 2:33).
1. Upon whom was the Holy Spirit poured? (See
Acts 1:15.)
________________________
__________________________________________
2. What were
the signs that accompanied the outpouring of the Spirit?
a. ____________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________________
3. Was the
miracle in the speaking of foreign languages, or
in the hearing of them? ______
_______________________________________________________________________
4. Read
Acts 2:12, 13.
What were the two reactions among
those who heard this strange speaking? _____________________________________
and _____________________ __________________________________________________
a. In
verse 23, Peter accuses the men of Israel of ______________________________
________________________________. But he also
said that this came about by the
______________________________________________________________. Does this fact excuse the Israelites in any way? __________________________________
b. Read
verses 37-47:
1) What was
this being “pricked in their hearts”? ___________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2) What was
Peter’s answer to their question? ______________________________
__________________________________________
3) How many
were added to the church that day? ___________________________
4) Who were
added to the church? (See v. 47.)
_____________________________ ____________________________
What does this imply? _________________
_________________________________________________________________
5. Quote
Acts 2:39.
“________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
a. Why
is this verse included in our baptism form? _____________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. This
verse, taken in connection with the speaking in tongues, clearly teaches _______
____________________________________________________________________.
A. Question and
Answer 54 — The Holy Catholic Church.
1. What does
the word “catholic” mean? ________________________________________
a. List
two phrases from the answer that show this catholicity.
___________________ ___________________________ and
_____________________________________
b. The idea
of a catholic church means one church, one
people of God through all the ages. Quote
John 10:16.
“______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
2. What three
things does Christ do in respect to His church? _______________________,
____________________________, and ______________________________________
3. Through
what means does He accomplish this? ________________________________
4. If every
member of the church is a sinner, how can the church be called holy? ________
_______________________________________________________________________
5. What are
some of the names given to the church of Christ?
______________________________ _________________________________
______________________________ _________________________________
6. The church
has been ______________________ unto everlasting life.
What is another name for this? (See
Canons, Head I, Art. 7.) __________________________________
7. The answer
to Question 54 is very personal, for it states that “I am and forever shall remain a
living member thereof.”
a. What
is implied in being a “living member”? _______________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. How can we
be so sure that we shall forever remain a member of Christ’s church? ____________________________________________________________________
8. Read the
Belgic Confession, Articles 27-29. According
to Article 29, the marks of the true church are: ________________________,
_____________________________, and
_______________________________________________________.
B. Question and
Answer 55 — The Communion of Saints.
1. The first
teaching of this answer is that all believers have many things in common; they are the
same in many aspects. Quote the phrase that
teaches this. “__________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
a.
I Corinthians 12
likens the church to a body of which Christ is the Head. Every member in the body possesses the same life of
Christ, as well as all the riches and benefits that are in Him.
b. Quote
I Corinthians 12:13.
“_____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
2. Because of
this basic oneness, believers can have fellowship and communion together. But in order for this communion to flourish, God
has made each saint different in several respects. There
are hands, feet, eyes, noses, etc., in the body.
a. What
must each believer do with his gifts? _________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. How are we
to view other members of the church? (See
Phil. 2:3, 4.) _____________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. Read
I John 1:6, 7.
Fellowship is possible only in
the _________________________ ___________________________.
Explain. ________________________________
d. Is it
possible for young people to have fellowship? ____________ How? ________
____________________________________________________________________
C. Question and
Answer 56 — The Forgiveness of Sins.
1. The most
wonderful result of belonging to Christ is that our sins are covered by His blood, so that
God remembers them no more!
a. What
is sin? _________________________________________________________
b. Why does
the Catechism mention “my corrupt nature”? ______________________
____________________________________________________________________
c. God
does not impute iniquity to us, but He imputes to us the ___________________
____________________________________________________________________.
d. This peace
is ours now, but it will also be ours when we appear before the tribunal of God. What is the tribunal of God? _______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2.
Psalm 32,
a psalm of David, instructs us in the blessedness of forgiveness (see vv. 1, 2).
a. David
did not always have this peace and blessedness. Verses
3, 4 tell us that for a long time he refused to _____________________.
b. When God
made him miserable and unhappy (v. 5), David _____________________ and God
______________________________________________.
c. This
simply means that the assurance of __________________________ is ours in the way of
___________________________________________________________.
1) Quote
I John 1:9.
“__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
2) See
Proverbs 28:13.
True confession also includes
the _____________________ ___________________________ of our sins.
d. If we
experience God’s forgiveness of our sins, how will we act toward those who sin
against us? __________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
e. Which
is harder for you, to forgive someone who asks you to, or to ask forgiveness of someone
you have sinned against? __________________________________ Why? _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Before you answer the questions of this lesson, read the 37th Article of
the Belgic Confession.
A. The resurrection
of the body (Question and Answer 57).
1. According
to Lord’s Day I, our only comfort in life and death is that we belong to our Savior
Jesus Christ with _________________________________________.
2. Immediately
at death our souls are taken up to Christ in heaven.
a. There
are many theories as to the state of the soul after death.
1) The Roman
Catholic Church teaches that there is a purgatory.
2) Some speak
of reincarnation (that a person comes back in some other earthly form).
3) Some speak
of soul sleep, that the soul knows nothing until the final resurrection.
b. However,
the Bible teaches clearly that the soul is conscious and active immediately after death.
1) Read
Luke 23:43.
What is the key word here? ______________________
2) Read
Philippians 1:21.
How does this prove our
point? ___________________
_________________________________________________________________
3) Read
Revelation 20:4.
What words here show that
souls in heaven are active? ________________________,
___________________, ___________________, and ___________________________
3. What three
things does the power of Christ accomplish in respect to our bodies?
a. _____________________________
c. __________________________
b. _____________________________
4. How is
this truth of comfort to the believer who knows he must die?
________________
________________________________________________________________________
B. The life
everlasting (Question and Answer 58).
1. Do we have
everlasting life only in heaven? (See
John 10:28.)
_____________ Explain. ________________________________________________________________________
2. Although
this present life is a continual death, the Bible teaches that the elect believer
experiences eternal life in three stages. These
three stages are:
a.
John 3:3
— __________________________________________________________
b.
Philippians 1:21
— ____________________________________________________
c.
Revelation 21:1, 2
— __________________________________________________
3. Why is it
that, although we have the beginning of eternal joy now,
we cannot adequately describe heavenly glory? ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. What
persons in the Bible had visions of heavenly glory? What
did they see?
a.
Acts 7:55
— _________________ saw ____________________________________
_________________________________.
b.
Matthew 3:13-17
— _________________________ saw ______________________
_________________________________.
c.
Genesis 28:10-15
— _____________________ saw___________________________
_____________________________________.
d.
Revelation 4
— ______________________ saw _____________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
5. What shall
the church do in heavenly perfection? _______________________________
________________________________________________________________________
In the past several Lord’s Days, we have been studying those things necessary
for the Christian to believe (the articles of the Apostolic Creed). This Lord’s Day presents us with the
tremendous profit or benefit we have because we believe all this.
A. Answer these
questions.
1. What are
the two chief benefits of believing all the truths contained in the Apostolic Creed? ___________________________________________________________
and ____________________________________________________
a. What
is it to be righteous? ______________________________________________
b. What is an
heir? ______________________________________________________
c. Does
an heir inherit something because he has earned it, or does he receive the inheritance as
a free gift? _______________________________________________
2. What is
the conscience? (Discuss this with your
parents, if you are not sure.) ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
a. Is
the conscience a trustworthy guide? _____________________________________
b. Try to
give examples of saints in Scripture whose conscience bothered them. _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. According
to this Lord’s Day, of what three things may the conscience accuse us? _________________________________,
_________________________________, and _________________________________
d. In
addition to the testimony of our conscience, what other testimony or speech does the child
of God have within him? ________________________________________
3. Despite
the accusation of the conscience, what does God impute to His children? _________________________________,
___________________________________, and __________________________________
a. On
what basis does God impute or grant these things? ________________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. Is faith
the work of man, or is faith the free gift of God? ______________________ Quote a text to prove this. “_____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
4. Let us
look carefully at the phrase, “Righteous by faith alone.”
a. “By
faith alone” certainly eliminates any idea of ____________________________
__________________________________________.
b. Does faith
itself justify or make righteous? ____________________________ How then does faith justify? (Read Article 22 of the Belgic Confession.) _____________
____________________________________________________________________
c. Once
again, therefore, we see that faith is not only believing but it is the living
____________________________ that unites us to Christ.
B. Thought
questions.
1. Read the
three answers of this Lord’s Day again. Upon
whom or what is all the emphasis placed in each answer?
___________________________________________ Is
this the same emphasis that the Bible itself has? _______________________________________
________________________________________
2. A poet has
written:
“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
a. Hope
looks to the future. To what future event
especially does the Christian’s hope look with confidence?
________________________________________________
b. “Sweetest
frame” and “sinking sand” are really the same thing. In your own words tell what these phrases refer to. ___________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. The
Bible calls Christ a Rock and a Stone. In what
respect is Christ a solid rock? _____________________________________________________________________
3. We must
agree with this Lord’s Day when it tells us that we have grossly transgressed all the
commandments of God, and kept none of them. In what way is this true of us? ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
This Lord’s Day takes a careful look at the relationship between righteousness
and works, and also between grace and works. There
may be misunderstanding on these vital doctrines!
A. The justice of
God demands a perfect righteousness.
1. By virtue
of the fact that God is the only true God, the God of all authority, He is the one who
constantly judges all things.
a. Quote
these passages that speak of God’s perfect righteousness.
1)
Deuteronomy 32:4
— “_______________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
2)
I John 1:5, 6
— “____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
b. The very
best works which the child of God can do in this life are far from perfect; they are
stained or defiled with sin.
1) Mention
several works or activities of the child of God that are or should be the best that he
ever performs. _____________________,
_____________________, __________________________, and _________________________
2) Show how
even these works are defiled with sin. _________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3) All this is taught in
Isaiah 64:6,
which states, “___________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
2. Let us
consider for a moment the possibility that our works were perfect (which they surely are
not). Could our works then merit with God? _____________
a. In
military life there is something called “above and beyond the call of duty.” A soldier can perform acts of bravery and heroism
that no commander can expect of his soldiers. Such
deeds are rewarded and recognized with medals: the
medal of honor, the legion of merit, etc.
1) Is it
possible for man to do anything that is above and beyond the call of duty that comes from
God? ___________
Explain. ______________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2) Quote
Luke 17:10
to prove your answer. “______________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.”
b. Read
Romans 11:6
carefully. In this passage,
_______________ and _____________ are put in contrast.
Either we are saved by ____________________ and then we have cause to boast, or we
are saved by _____________________ and we can never, never boast.
c. It
is true that God rewards us according to our works. (See
Rev. 22:12.)
But this reward is always of
grace, because the works which we perform are God’s gift to us, and not ours to Him (see
Eph. 2:8-10).
In other words, God chose
us in grace, sent Christ in His grace, prepared good works for us to walk in by His grace,
and rewards us by His grace. It is all grace,
and grace is undeserved favor!
d. Circle the
words in the following list that belong together, being consistent with the above
discussion: works, merit, reward, earn, grace,
inheritance, wages, gift.
B. The last part of
our Lord’s Day deals with the question of what the doctrine of pure grace does to the
spiritual life of a person. Does this doctrine
make men careless and profane? ___
1. Let us
understand how the argument goes. If our works
cannot add to our righteousness before God, and the sins which we commit cannot subtract
from it, will man not come to the conclusion that it doesn’t make any difference what
he does or how he lives? Will not man become
careless and profane (wicked), since he is saved alone by grace in Christ? We ought to notice that this charge was brought against the teaching of the apostle Paul as we find it in
Romans 5.
The apostle senses that some might think that this
is an excuse for sinful living.
a. Quote his answer, found in
Romans 6:2.
“__________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.”
b. From
verses 4 and 7, quote the phrases that prove that the doctrine of salvation by grace alone
does not lead to a careless and profane life. “______________________
_______________________________________________,” “__________________
__________________________________________________________________.”
2. Positively,
the Catechism tells us that it is impossible for those who are engrafted into Christ not to bring forth fruits of thankfulness or good
works.
a. Being
engrafted into Christ means that as branches we live out of the vine which is Christ. Quote
John 15:5.
“______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________.”
b. According to
John 15:2
and 6, what happens to those people (branches) who do not bring forth fruit? ______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
c. Mention
some good works which are the fruit of salvation. ____________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
This Lord’s Day begins the treatment of the means of grace, and of the
sacraments especially. Read Article 33 of the
Belgic Confession at this time, and notice how similar the language is to Lord’s Day
25.
A. The means of
grace.
1. All the
benefits of salvation are in Christ our Savior. We
partake of, and enjoy, those blessings by faith. The
question now is, how is this faith worked, or where does it come from?
a. The
answer is, through the means of grace. Means of grace are those means which God has chosen
to use to bring to the child of God all the riches of salvation that are in Christ.
b. According
to the first answer of the Lord’s Day, which are the means of grace? ______________________________________ and
_______________________ __________________________________
c. Who
works through these means? _______________________________________
d. ___________________________
is the chief or more important means, because faith is ___________________________ through
the preaching, and _________________ ____________________ by use of the sacraments.
2. Because
this is the only place in the Catechism where preaching is mentioned as a means of grace,
we ought to understand clearly the scriptural idea of preaching here.
a. Read
Romans 10:10-17.
Read the passage again; then
answer these questions:
1) In order
for a person to be saved he must ______________________________
____________________________________________________.
2) In order
to call on the Lord a man must _________________________________.
3) In order
for a man to believe he must ___________________________________.
4) In order
to hear, there must be a _______________________________________.
5) In order
for a man to preach he must be _________________________________.
6) In your
own words, present the teaching of this passage, keeping in mind also verse 17. _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
b. Read
Ephesians 4:8-12
carefully.
1) When
Christ ascended into heaven He gave __________________ unto men. One of the gifts He gave to His people is the gift
of preaching.
2) Of this we
read in verse 11. Mention these gifts that
were provided for the church: __________________,
__________________, ___________________, and _______________________________
3) The
purposes for which Christ gave the gift of the preaching of the Word of God are given us
in verse 12. List these purposes.
a) ______________________________________________________________
b) ______________________________________________________________
c) ______________________________________________________________
3. Today it
is very common to try to replace the official preaching of the Word of God with various
other things.
a. Mention
some of the things that are being substituted. _______________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. Why is
this so evil? ___________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
B. The sacraments
in general.
1. Sacraments
are signs and seals of the righteousness that is by faith.
a. What
is the idea of a sign? ______________________________________________
b. What is
the idea of a seal? ______________________________________________
2. Both the
preaching of the Word and the sacraments point us to the same thing, namely,
_______________________________________________________________________.
3. There are
various views as to the number of the sacraments:
a. The
Roman Catholic Church teaches that there are seven. From
some source, list these seven. _________________,
___________________, ___________________, _________________, _________________,
__________________, _____________
b. From the
Bible, however, we learn that there are but two sacraments, _____________________________
and ___________________________________.
4. The Belgic
Confession, Article 33, teaches us that God instituted these sacraments in the church on
account of our ___________________________________________________
_____________________________________.
5. Were there
sacraments during Old Testament times? _________ Were there institutions similar to sacraments? __________ What
were they? ___________________________
________________________________________________________________________
C. True or False.
___ 1. We do not need to hear the
preaching of the gospel to be saved.
___ 2. A man must be called and sent by
Christ, through the church, if he is truly to be a
preacher of the gospel.
___ 3. It doesn’t make any
difference what a minister says from the pulpit as long as it is
true.
___ 4. Preaching is the more important
means of grace in the church.
___ 5. Both sacraments present us with
Christ crucified, as the only ground of our salvation.
___ 6. It would be proper to have a
sacrament administered in the church without a sermon.
___ 7. Marriage is a sacrament because
Christ is the Bridegroom of the church.
___ 8. A child of God need not go to
church as long as he lives faithfully.
___ 9. A person must hear the voice of
Christ in order to be saved.
___ 10. The true preaching of the
gospel is one way we may distinguish the true church from
the false.
Before answering the following questions, read the
Belgic Confession, Article 34, and part of the Baptism Form (the first prayer and the
three questions and answers).
A. The idea of
baptism.
1. Water is a
sign of external _____________________. Just
as the body is washed by water in baptism, so certainly are we
__________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________.
a. By
this sacrament Christ ______________________ us that His sacrifice upon the cross is of
real advantage to us.
b. Baptism is
the sign and seal of our being united to Christ in His death and resurrection.
Romans 6:12
is very important here. Read it.
1) Those that
are baptized into Christ are baptized into ________________________
_________________________________________.
2) But if we
are with Christ in His death, we are also with Him in His ___________.
c. Water
baptism is only the sign. The reality towards
which the sign points is the real baptism with the blood and Spirit of Christ.
1) To be
washed by the blood of Christ implies _____________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
2) To be
washed by His Spirit implies _____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
3) Thus, as
Romans 6
and Article 34 of the Belgic Confession also teach, baptism speaks not only of
the forgiveness of sins, but also of being alive unto God in Christ, so that we are dead
to sin, and yield ourselves unto God as those who are alive from the dead.
2. About
midway through the 34th Article of the Belgic Confession, Christ is called
“our Red Sea.” The prayer that you
read in the Baptism Form also speaks of the Red Sea.
a. The
Red Sea was a type of ________________________. Pharaoh
was a picture of the _______________________, and Canaan was a picture of heaven.
b. The child
of God, therefore, must pass through ______________________ in order to escape the guilt
of his sin and gain the promise of eternal life.
c. Another Old Testament picture or type of baptism is ______________________. (See
I Peter 3.)
B. Practical
considerations regarding baptism.
1. The
sacrament of baptism is administered differently in various churches; some sprinkle with
water and some have total immersion under water.
a. Give
examples from the Bible where individuals were immersed in water. _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
b. Give
examples from the Bible where it is clear that sprinkling with water was used. _____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
c. Why
is sprinkling sufficient? ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. Baptism is
sometimes called the Sacrament of Incorporation into Christ, or the Sacrament of Entering
into the Covenant.
a. According
to the Belgic Confession, Article 34, what group of people believed it was necessary to be
baptized over and over again? ______________________________
b. Being
baptized once is sufficient because ___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
3. When
parents present their children for baptism, they are asked three questions in the presence
of God and of the church. In your own words,
state what it is that these questions are asking.
a. ____________________________________________________________________
b. ____________________________________________________________________
c. ____________________________________________________________________
4. Is baptism
necessary? ________ In what way is it necessary? ____________________ _____________________________ Can a person be saved who is not baptized? _____
a. What
does the Roman Catholic Church believe on this point?
__________________
____________________________________________________________________
b. We believe
that elect children of God can be saved without being baptized, yet we believe that
baptism is necessary because ___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________.
5. Baptism
certainly implies a calling. There are always
obligations in connection with the blessed privileges of the covenant. Since by baptism we are separated from all other
people and strange religions, and since we wear baptism as a sign or ensign, our calling
is: _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________. (Use your own words or see Question and Answer 70.)
