Catechism
Workbook
2
(Lord’s
Days 27-52)
2001
Printing
by
Rev.
Dale H. Kuiper
Lord’s
Day 27
Name
____________________________
This
important Lord’s Day deals with the question, “Does the water of baptism itself
wash away sin?” as well as the great covenant doctrine of infant baptism.
A. The working of baptism.
1. Baptism is a very spiritual matter. However, superstition has arisen concerning it. The Roman Catholic Church teaches not only that a
person must be baptized with water to be saved, but also that the external sign (water)
actually washes away sin.
a. Our Lord’s Day denies
this when it says “____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________”
b. The Belgic Confession, Art.
34 denies this when it teaches “___________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________”c. Why does Answer 72 of the Catechism speak of the Holy
Ghost as well as the blood of Jesus Christ? __________________________________________________________________________________”
c. Why does Answer 72 of the
Catechism speak of the Holy Ghost as well as the blood of Jesus Christ? ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Baptism is called the “washing of
regeneration” and the “washing away of sins” for two good reasons. These reasons are, according to Answer 73:
a. To teach us
_______________________________________________________________________
b. To assure us
______________________________________________________________________
c. In both this teaching and
assuring, the emphasis is on the words as and as really as. Thus
the idea of the sacrament as a sign and seal must always be remembered.
B. Infant baptism.
1. What well-known church group insists that
infants must not be baptized, but only those who profess to be believers? ____________________________________________________________________
a. They call this “faith
baptism,” that is, faith must be present in an individual before he may receive this
sacrament.
b. They appeal to such a text as
Mark 16:16
to prove their point. Look
up this passage. Does this passage prove their
point? Why or why not? ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
c. Look up the following
passages. What part of these verses indicates
that more than the adult believers were baptized?
1) Acts
2) Acts
2. Answer 74 gives three reasons why infants are
to be baptized.
a. Infants as well as adults
are included in the covenant and
1) Quote
Genesis 17:7:
“_________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________”
2) Quote Acts
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________”
3) Quote from the Baptism Form,
first line under “I. To Infants of
Believers.” “_________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________”
b. The Holy Ghost, the author
of faith, is promised to infants as well as to adults.
1) Quote Psalm
_________________________________________________________________________________”
2) Quote
Luke 1:15
b: “_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________”
c. Infants of believers must be
distinguished from children of unbelievers as was done in the Old Testament by circumcision
(Gen. 17:9-14).
1) The sign of the covenant in
the O.T. was _____________________.
2) This sign involved
_________________________, but since the precious blood of Christ has been shed, we are
given a new sign of the covenant which is ______________________.
3) Circumcision was performed
upon male infants at what age? _______________
4)
Colossians 2:11, 12
teaches
us that being circumcised without hands (that is, spiritual circumcision) means that we
are ______________________ in baptism, and risen with Him through
_____________________________.
C. True or False (Review of Lord’s
Days 25-27)
____ 1.
The sins of everyone who is baptized are washed away
by the blood of Jesus.
____ 2.
A person must be baptized into Christ in order to be
saved.
____ 3.
Sacraments are signs and seals of the righteousness
of faith.
____ 4.
God promises to save all the infants of believers.
____ 5.
Infants of unbelievers may also be baptized.
____ 6.
The sacrament of baptism has replaced the rite of
circumcision.
____ 7.
Being washed in the blood of Jesus, we more and more
die to sin and live unto holiness.
____ 8.
Faith is worked in our hearts by the sacraments.
____ 9.
The water in baptism becomes powerful, that it
washes away sin.
____ 10. As
the preaching is designed for the ear, so the sacraments are for the eye.
Lord’s
Day 28
Name: ___________________________
With Lord’s
Day 28 the Catechism begins the treatment of the Lord’s Supper. Here we are instructed in its institution and
general meaning.
A. Question and
Answer 75.
1. In the
columns below write: a) the elements or
earthly things used in the Lord’s Supper, b) what is done to them when the minister
administers Communion, and c) what does each stand for.
__________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________
__________ ___________________________________ ____________________________________
2. The answer
begins with the words, “... Christ has commanded all believers.” What does this mean for young people who have come
to definite faith in Christ? __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Christ
promises the believer two things through this Supper.
Find these two main ideas in Answer 75.
_______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. The
question speaks of being assured in the Lord’s Supper.
We expect this since sacraments are seals or guarantees. But what can it mean that the Supper “admonished”
us? __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Does it
make any difference whether a congregation uses individual cups or a common cup when it
celebrates Communion? __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
B. Question and
Answer 76 go a bit deeper into the meaning of the Supper.
1. The
Question states that we eat the crucified body and drink the shed blood of Christ.
a. The Belgic
Confession, Art. 35 states this in these words: “In
the meantime ____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________”
b. To clarify
this, the very next line of this article states: “_________________
____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________”
c. This same
article states this very beautifully when it calls faith the ________
____________________________________________________________________________.
d. Hence, the
confessions stress partaking in a conscious faith.
2. To eat and
drink Christ with a believing heart means:
a. That we
obtain ________________________________________________________
b. That we
become _______________________________________________________
c. That we
live ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
C. Question and
Answer 77 speak of the institution of the Supper.
1. One of the
requirements of a sacrament is that it is instituted by Christ in the church. Where in Scripture do we read of this institution? ____________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. According
to the opening words of Art. 35 of the Belgic Confession, why did our Savior ordain and
institute the Holy Supper? _________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. In what
night was Christ betrayed? ___________________________________________
a. What was
Christ doing with His disciples at the time He instituted the Holy Supper? ____________________________________________________________________
b. In other
words, the Lord’ Supper takes the place of _______________________, just as Baptism
takes the place of _____________________________.
4. In your
own words, what does the last sentence of Answer 77 teach?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 29
Name: ___________________________
Here we get into
the actual relationship between the body and blood of Christ on the one hand, and the
bread and wine on the other. A great deal of
meditation and thought is required of us if we are to understand the wonderful gift Christ
gives to us in this Supper. Read Art. 35 of
the Belgic Confession.
A. Question and
Answer 78 states that the bread and wine do not become the very body and blood of Christ.
1. Here we
are told to remember that the sacrament is a sign!
a. Does the
water of baptism change into the blood of Christ? ____ Is the sprinkling of water the actual washing away
of sins? _____
b. Thus, the
bread does not become the ________________, and the wine does not become the
_____________________.
2. Yet, it is
the nature of sacraments to call the signs (bread and wine) by the name of the things
signified or pointed to (body and blood).
a. Can you
give an example of this from daily life? _________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
b. Read
Matthew 26:26-28.
Why is it clear in this
passage that the bread and wine are not actually the body and blood of Christ? ____________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
c. As far as
our tasting and seeing are concerned, why is it impossible to maintain that what we eat
and drink is really the body and blood of Christ? __________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. There are
various views concerning the Lord’s Supper. By
referring to a book, or asking your parents, tell what is maintained by the:
a. Roman
Catholics: _____________________________________________________
b. Lutherans: ___________________________________________________________
B. Question and
Answer 79 look at the same question positively.
1. We are fed
as to our souls by the crucified body and shed blood of Christ just as _______________ and
_________________ support this temporal life.
a. Why is bread used in the sacrament? ________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
b. Why is
wine used? _______________________________ Would grape juice be just as good? _______ Why or why not?
_______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Just as
with Baptism, the emphasis is on the words as
really. The seal or pledge stands out
here. As really as we receive with our mouths
the holy signs, so really are we _____________________________________________.
3. Whose
operation must be present if we are to benefit through the Supper? ___________________________________________________________________________________
4. God wants
the church never to forget what His precious Son
accomplished on the cross for us.
a. This is
shown by the words “in _______________________ of me.”
b. We must
continue celebrating the Lord’s Supper until ____________________
____________________________________________________________________________.
Lord’s
Day 30
Name: __________________________
This Lord’s
Day continues to define the Lord’s Supper, especially setting forth what it is not, and who properly may partake. It also begins to speak of discipline.
A. Question and Answer 80 is
sometimes criticized for speaking so sharply against the
1. What church has the Mass? _______________________ It would be interesting if you could find out when
the Mass originated. _______________________________________________________________
2. We do well to get the Mass
clearly before our minds. There are really two
parts to the Mass, the Mass proper and communion. The
Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Mass is a visible sacrifice which continues the
sacrifice of Christ on the cross until the end of time.
Pope Pius IV said, “I profess that in the Mass is offered to God a
true, proper, propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead.” The Council of Trent declared: “The sacrifice in the Mass is identical with
the sacrifice of the Cross.” A Roman
Catholic has written, “The Mass with its colorful vestments and vivid ceremonies is a
dramatic re-enactment in an unbloody manner of the sacrifice of Christ on
3. Show how the Mass is an accursed idolatry. ______________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. We must see what a dreadful
perversion the Mass is. The answer compares
the Lord’s Supper with the Mass on three points.
a. The Lord’s Supper
testifies to us that we have a full pardon for all of our sins by the one sacrifice of
Christ which He has once accomplished; the Mass teaches ______________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________.
b. The Lord’s Supper
teaches us that we, by the Holy Ghost, are ingrafted into Christ, who, according to His
human nature, is not now on earth but in heaven; the Mass teaches that
_______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________.
c. The Holy Supper teaches us
that Christ will be worshiped in heaven at the right hand of the Father; the Mass teaches
that _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________.
B. Question and Answer 81 deals with
the matter of proper partakers of Communion.
1. Key words in this answer are
sorrowful, trust, and desire. Give
three statements from Answer 81, showing who is a proper partaker:
a. _________________________________________________________________________________
b. __________________________________________________________________________________
c. __________________________________________________________________________________
2. What is a hypocrite? ___________________________________________________________________
3. How does one who “turns
not to God with sincere heart” differ from a hypocrite?
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the result for those
who partake, but ought not partake? __________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
5. In our churches, preparatory
sermons are preached before each celebration of Communion.
a. Why? ___________________________________________________________________________
b. According
to the Lord’s Supper Form, true examination consists of:
1) ____________________________________________________________________________
2) ____________________________________________________________________________
3) ____________________________________________________________________________
c. Quote
I Corinthians 11:28:
“______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________”
C. Question and Answer 82 has to do
with keeping some people away from the table of the Lord.
1. Who are kept away? Those who declare themselves to be
_________________________ and _____________________________.
2. Would a person who refuses
to confess his faith publicly be “declaring that he is an unbeliever?” _________________
3. What are the two results of
having open Communion, or allowing anyone to come to the table?
a. _________________________________________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________________________________________
4. It is the duty of the
Christian church to exclude improper partakers.
a. Who, in the church, would be
called upon to bar someone from the table of the Lord?
______________________________________________________________________________________
b. By what authority may they do this? _______________________________________________ c. Until what time is this exclusion
or barring in effect? ___________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 31
Name: __________________________
The
written part of this lesson is quite short since there is considerable reading for you to
do in connection with the subject of the keys of the kingdom. Be sure to read carefully every reference from the
back of the Psalter as they come up under “B.”
A. The keys of the
kingdom in general.
1. The
kingdom of heaven is likened to a city which has a wall about it, and in the wall there is
a gate which has a lock. The keys of the
kingdom open and close this gate. Which are
the keys of the kingdom?
a.
_____________________________________________________________________________
b.
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. The
preaching of the Gospel is the most important key because it is constantly exercised, and
because it spells out the steps in discipline.
a. What
twofold effect does the preaching have upon those who hear it? ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ b. What words in Answer 84 give us this
twofold effect of the preaching?
1) When it is
declared and publicly testified to all and every believer
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________ 2) When it is declared and testified to all
unbelievers _______________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Read
Matthew
4. According
to Answer 85, Christian discipline is exercised upon those who, under the name of
Christians, maintain __________________ or ________________ not consistent with the
Christian faith.
a. Discipline
is not begun until after ____________________________________________. b. Who are
those appointed by the church to deal with such matters as discipline? ___________________________________________________________________________________
c. The purpose of discipline is not
to get rid of a person, but to _____________________
___________________________________________________________________________________. d. Thus, the rule in all discipline matters is
patience and love!
B. Specific points
about discipline.
1. Read the
Belgic Confession, Art. 29.
a. This
article states that the marks of a true church are:
1)
_________________________________, 2) ________________________________,
and 3) _________________________________.
b. If there
is a lack of discipline in the church, will the preaching remain pure? _________ Explain: _________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Read from
the Church Order, Art. 74-77. Especially in
Articles 76 and 77 do we find the three steps of Christian discipline:
a. If a
person does not repent, he is suspended or barred from ______________________
____________________________.
b. Then, this
impenitence is _________________ to the congregation three times.
1) The first
time, the name of the sinner ______________________________.
2) The second
time, with the advice of _________________, the name shall be mentioned.
3) The third
time, the _____________________ is informed that unless he ________________ he shall be
___________________________________.
c. The third
step is the actual reading of the Form for Excommunication.
3. Turn to
this form as found in the back of the Psalter. Do you have any questions about this form? If so, write them down here. _________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. From the
above, it is clear that the one sin for which a person is excommunicated from the church
is really _______________________. By refusing
to repent, the sinner shows he is outside the kingdom.
5. The power
of the church is key power. The power of the state is sword power. By
using the example of a man who has committed murder or robbery, explain the difference. ___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
6. According
to the Questions for Profession of Faith, Number 3, what does a person promise to do if he
becomes delinquent? ____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 32
NAME: ____________________________
With this Lord’s
Day we begin the third major section of the Catechism, Of Thankfulness.
This section includes a detailed explanation of the Ten Commandments and the
Lord’s Prayer. In other words, we are to
look at the keeping of the Law, prayer, and all good works, as means of expressing our
gratitude to God for that great deliverance He has given us in Christ!
A. The place of
good works in salvation.
1. Question
86 explains that good works do not gain salvation for us.
What three short phrases make clear how we are delivered?
a. ____________________,
______________________, and _______________________.
b. Read
Ephesians 2:8-10
carefully.
1) God’s
chosen people are saved by ___________ through _____________. 2)
Faith is not of
us, but God’s _______________________.
3) If
salvation were of works, man would certainly ___________________. 4)
Verse 10 states
that we are created in Christ Jesus unto good
works. This means that good works are the
(basis, purpose) of our salvation. (Circle
one.)
5) The last
part of verse 10 tells us that the good works we perform were actually
_____________________ by God in eternity.
2. Yet, good
works are an important part of salvation. Christ
has redeemed and delivered us by His blood. But
He also ____________________________ us by His Holy Spirit.
a. By the
Spirit, we are renewed after Christ’s _____________.
What phrases in the following verses teach the same truth?
1)
Romans 8:29:
___________________________________________________
2)
I John 3:2:
______________________________________________________
b. In the
remainder of Answer 86, find three reasons why we must do good works:
1) ________________________________________________________________
2)
________________________________________________________________
3)
________________________________________________________________
B. Salvation
impossible without conversion to God.
1. According
to Question 87, the opposite of a life of good works is ___________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
2. If
unchaste persons, idolaters, etc., are to be saved, what must be true of them? ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. The
Catechism speaks of inheriting the kingdom, a very beautiful truth.
a. In natural
life, someone must die before a person inherits some property.
Hebrews 9:15, 16
teaches us that believers inherit
the
b. Does a
person inherit something due to something he has done, or is it a gift? ___________________________
c. Why is the
C. Follow
directions carefully:
1 Behind
each sin, place the number of the commandment which forbids it.
Unchaste
person ____, idolater ____, adulterer ____, thief ____,
covetous
man ____, drunkard ____, slanderer ____, robber ____.
2. True or
False:
____ a.
God saves us because of our good
works.
____ b.
God saves us so that we perform
good works.
____ c.
Good works are the fruit of
salvation.
____ d.
Good works are God’s gift to
us.
____ e.
Good works are our gift to God.
____ f.
Good works don’t have
anything to do with salvation.
Lord’s
Day 33
Name: _______________________________
Having
introduced the subject of conversion in the previous Lord’s Day, the Catechism now
looks at conversion in detail. We also find
here a biblical definition of good works. Before
you do this lesson, read Article 24 of the Belgic Confession.
A. The conversion
of man.
1. Learn this
definition: Conversion is that act of God
whereby the regenerated sinner, through the Word and Spirit, is turned about from the way
of sin to the way of righteousness and truth.
2. The two
parts of conversion are the ________________________________________ and the
_____________________________________________________________________.
a. Read these
passages which speak of the old man and the new man:
Romans 6:4-6;
Ephesians 4:22-24;
Colossians 3:9, 10.
b. The old
man is the sinful nature we inherited from _______________________. The new man is the child of God from the point of
view of the regeneration we receive in _________________________.
c. The deeds
or works of the old and new man are completely different.
1) Read
Colossians 3:5-8
and list some of the deeds of the old man of sin: ____________________, _______________________,
____________________, _____________________, and _________________________.
2) Read
Ephesians 4:32;
5:1, 20, 21, and list some of the deeds of the new man: _____________________, _____________________,
_____________________, ________________________.
3. The
quickening of the new man is the opposite of the mortifying (killing) of the old man.
a. By
comparing Answers 89 and 90, we find that “joy of heart” is the opposite of
____________________________________________________________.
b. “Love
and delight to live according to God’s will” is the opposite of
_____________________________________________________________________________.
4. Can a
person be truly sorry for his sin without hating and turning from that sin? _______ Explain. _______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
B. Good works.
1. Answer 91
gives us a description of good works, both negatively and positively.
a. Negatively
they are not such as are _____________________________ or
_________________________________.
b. Positively
they are only those which _______________________________, ____________________________,
and ________________________________.
2. Name some
good works that the child of God brings forth in his life:
a. ______________________,
_____________________, _____________________.
b. When we
call an activity a good work, does this mean that this activity is perfect? (See Question and Answer 114.) _______ Explain: ________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Romans
Lord’s
Day 34
Name: ______________________________
This is
the second time the Catechism holds the Law of God before us. In Lord’s Day 2 we saw that the knowledge of
our misery was discovered in the Law. Here,
having been delivered from our sin and misery by Christ, we are to view the Law as our
guide for a life of gratitude to God.
A. The Law of God in general.
1. Read
Exodus 19
and answer
these questions:
a. When was the Law given to
b. See Exodus
c. What three types of laws
were given to
d. What does Article 25 of the
Belgic Confession say concerning the ceremonial laws?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
2. Concerning the tables of the
Law:
a. How many tables were there? ______ What
does each table teach? ___________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
b. Read
Exodus 32:15-16.
1) Who wrote the Law on the
tables of stone? ___________. What is the significance of this fact? _________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2) What is the idea of tables
of stone? _____________________________________________
3) What is the significance of
the fact that the stones were written full on both sides?
___________________________________________________________________________________
4) What is the significance of
the number 10 (Ten Commandments)? ________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. In
Matthew 22:37-40
and
John 14:15,
Jesus makes plain that the keeping of the Law is ___________________________.
4. Read
Psalm 119:1-8,
and find
six synonyms for the word law: _____________________________,
______________________, _________________________, ___________________,
__________________, and _________________________.
5. Although the contents of the
Law never change, there was a difference between the old and new dispensation as far as
the purpose of the Law is concerned. Read each
passage and fill in the blanks.
a. If the Law is merely
external (a set of rules) in our life, all it can do is __________________ us (Gal.
b. But Christ has redeemed us
from the curse of the Law “_______________________________
__________________________________” (Gal.
c. By His Spirit, Christ
engraves the Law upon the ________________ of our hearts, so that we ___________________ the Law and keep it
(Ps. 40:8;
II Cor. 3:3).
d.
Romans 10:4
teaches us that
Christ is the ______________ of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth. This tremendous truth means two things:
1) That Christ was the goal
towards which the Law in the O.T. pointed.
2) That Christ’s obedience
is the righteousness of every believer.
B. The First Commandment.
1. Every commandment prohibits
a certain sin and requires a certain good. What
is forbidden in the First Commandment? ___________________________________________________________________
2. What is idolatry? (You may form your own definition on the basis of
Answer 95.) ____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Idolatry is such a serious
sin that we are to avoid it as “sincerely as ________________________
_______________________________________.” Does
this mean that those who continue in idolatry cannot be saved? _________.
4. How can we know the only
true God? ____________________________________________________
5. From Answer 94, list the
specific sins forbidden and the good commanded:
Forbidden
Commanded
Idolatry
Know
the only true God_____________________
_____________________________
___________________________________________
_____________________________
___________________________________________
_____________________________
___________________________________________
_____________________________
___________________________________________
We
are all inclined towards the sin of idolatry.
6. What things might be idols
in the lives of young people? ___________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Read
Psalm 115:4-8
and tell
why idolatry is so very foolish. _______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 35
Name: __________________________
The Second
Commandment is closely related to the First Commandment, but it is slightly different in
thought. In the First Commandment God forbids
the serving of any other god besides Him! In
the Second Commandment, God forbids that anyone make an image or likeness of Him (statue,
visible representation, mental picture), and requires of us that we learn of Him and serve
Him according to His Word.
A. Read the Second
Commandment carefully.
1. Give an
example of something that men bow down to and serve that is in the heavens above
(___________________), the earth beneath (_________________), or in the waters under the
earth (__________________________).
2. The
commandment states that those who make graven images ______________ God, while those who
keep this commandment __________________ God.
3. When God
visits the sin of the fathers upon the children, does God punish children for their father’s
sins? ________ (See Ezekiel
B. God may not be represented by images because He cannot be represented by anything made. State why this is impossible:
1. John
2. John
3.
Deuteronomy 4:15
-24, “God is a
___________________________, even a _____________ _____________________ God.” This means that whenever an image or likeness is
made, it fails to do justice to the living God of glory; thus, the result is that God is
insulted.
C. Look up these
passages for examples of image worship in
1.
Exodus 32:4,
They served ______________ at the time of ______________________.
2.
I Kings 12:25-29,
They served ________________ at the time of
___________________.
3. These
examples show that worshiping images of God always and quickly leads to the sin of
______________________. In other words, the
breaking of the Second Commandment soon leads to the breaking of the ___________
Commandment.
D. “Books to
the laity” (Q. 98) is a phrase used by
the Roman Catholic Church. Laity refers to the
ignorant people in the church, in distinction from the clergy. By referring to some source book or to your
parents, mention those things which the Roman Catholic Church uses to instruct people that
are contrary to the Second Commandment. ______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
E. God will have
His people taught by __________________________________________________. This truth must be understood! Is it only through Christ and the preaching of the
Word of Christ that we can know God and be saved? _______
1. Today many
people say this is not a good method. As in
Paul’s day, they regard preaching as _________________________________ (I Cor.
2. List
several things which are being substituted for preaching in some churches, especially
during the second service:
a. _________________________________ b. ____________________________________
c. _________________________________ d. ____________________________________
3. When
people behave this way in respect to preaching, they pretend to be __________
____________________________________________.
Lord’s
Day 36
Name: _____________________________
The Third
Commandment has to do with the Names of God. This
commandment also belongs to the first table of the Law, having to do with our loving and
serving God directly. The Names of God are not
merely words which identify, as our names do. God’s
Names reveal who and what He is. This
means that God is His Names. When we use His Names, we very really touch God!
A. The sins which
are prohibited.
1. List four
ways in which this commandment is transgressed by profaning and abusing God’s Names.
a. _____________________________ b. ___________________________________
c. _____________________________ d. ___________________________________
2. Fill in
the following blanks:
a. List
several Names of God. ________________,
______________, ____________, _________________, _________________, ___________________,
_____________________.
b. List
several Names of Christ. __________________,
_______________________, ___________________, _________________, ________________,
_____________________.
c. We break
the Third Commandment when we use God’s attributes carelessly. God’s attributes are His virtues or
perfections: Goodness, etc. List some of these attributes that we misuse. ________________________, _______________________,
____________________________, ____________________________.
d. We also
break this commandment when we use certain “variations” of the Names of God. List some of these variations: ____________________________,
__________________________________, ________________________________.
3. “By
silence or connivance” means that we allow God’s Names to be abused by others in
our hearing. What ought a man to do if he
works among such people?
a. First,
_________________________________________________________________.
b. If this
does not help, he might even decide to _____________________________
_________________________________ for the good of his own soul.
4. The
seriousness of the sin against the Third Commandment is shown us in Question and Answer
100.
a. What does
God think of this sin? ______________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
b. During Old
Testament times, how was this sin punished? ________________
_____________________________________ (See
Leviticus 24:15, 16.)
c. God’s
wrath is also directed against those who do not ____________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
B. The positive
keeping of the Third Commandment.
1. The
beautiful Names of God must certainly be used by the Christian. List as many ways as you can in which these Names
are properly used.
a. ________________________________ b. _________________________________
c. ________________________________ d. _________________________________
2. But
always, God’s Names are to be used with _____________ and _________________.
3. What are
the three results of the proper use of God’s Names?
a. ____________________________
b. ____________________________
c. _____________________________
4. What do
you think of using You and Your in place of Thee and Thy
when addressing God? ____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 37
Name: ____________________________
The subject of
this Lord’s Day, the use of the oath, comes rather naturally to mind when we discuss
the Third Commandment. Notice, the subject is
swearing religiously, not profanely as discussed
in the previous lesson.
A. Question and
Answer 101.
1. ______________________
may demand that a subject swear an oath. Usually
this oath is demanded by a ______________________ in a court.
a. What oath
is usually required in our courts of justice? ____________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. Try to
list other instances in which an oath is demanded by government.
1) ________________________________________________________________
2) ________________________________________________________________
3) ________________________________________________________________
c. Why may
earthly judges demand an oath of anyone who appears before them?
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
d. What is
lying under oath called? ______________________________
2. The second
proper use of the oath is when necessity requires us to ________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
3. Answer 101
makes clear that we are not to use the oath carelessly or flippantly. Rather, it is to be used when it is
_____________________ or when it is _________________.
4. Some
people refuse to take an oath under any condition. Can
you name some of these groups? ______________________________________________________________________
5. There are
examples throughout the Bible of the proper use of an oath:
a. In
I Samuel 24:21, 22,
what does David swear to Saul? ____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. In
Matthew 26:63, 64,
what did Jesus say under oath? ____________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
c. In
Romans 1:9,
Paul says that God is his ____________________________.
d. In
Luke 1:73
and
Hebrews 6:13
we read that ______________ sware an oath unto Abraham. God sware by ______________ because there was none
__________.
6. For Class Discussion.
Explain Jesus’ teaching as found in
Matthew 5:34-37.
B. Question and
Answer 102.
1. We may not
swear by ________________ or any other _______________________.
a. See
Matthew 5:34-36.
What did the Pharisees swear
by? _________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. Give
examples of foolish things by which men swear today. ________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. When we
swear an oath, we are calling upon God to do what? ____________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. A proper
oath must call upon God.
a. This is
because only He ________________________________________________.
b. In this
way, a proper oath ___________________________ God.
Lord’s
Day 38
Name: ___________________________
Most of the
wording of the Fourth Commandment is negative. The
explanation of the Catechism is positive. This
is in harmony with the fact that God treated the Old Testament saints as children, and the
new dispensation saints as adults who have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Remember as you do this lesson that the Law of God
is not outward, but a matter of the inner heart.
A. Answer
carefully.
1. The Fourth
Commandment requires of us first:
a. That the
______________________________________________________________.
b. And that I
diligently ____________________________________________________
1) to
_______________________________________________________________
2) to
_______________________________________________________________
3) publicly
_________________________________________________________
4) and
contribute ___________________________________________________.
2. The Fourth
Commandment requires secondly that ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
3. The Jews
observed the Sabbath on the last day of the week; we observe the first day of the week. Why the change?
______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Which is
better, for parents to give their children a list of do’s and don’t’s for
the Sabbath, or for parents to teach their children the principles of the Sabbath? Explain your answer.
___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. The
Pharisees were concerned with the outward, legal keeping of the Sabbath Day.
a. Read
Matthew 12:10-13.
Here Jesus
____________________ on the Sabbath. Then
Jesus taught that it is lawful to _________________________________________.
b. Read
Mark 2:23-28.
Jesus’ disciples
________________________ on the Sabbath. The
Pharisees objected to this. In verse 27, we
read the important words, “___________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________”
6. The Fourth
Commandment is based on the fact that God _______________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.
7. Does the
Fourth Commandment teach us to labor six days in each week?
________
B. True or False.
____ 1.
We can keep the Sabbath Day holy
merely by going to church twice on Sunday.
____ 2.
There does not seem to be much
Sabbath desecration in our day.
____ 3.
There is a relation between our
Sabbath and the eternal rest of heaven.
____ 4.
Amusements present a danger to the
Christian as he strives to keep the Sabbath holy.
____ 5.
The idea of the Sabbath must work
through every day of the week.
____ 6.
It makes no difference what day we
set aside for the weekly Sabbath.
____ 7.
The purpose of the Sabbath is that
we enter into the rest God has prepared for us.
____ 8.
The purpose of the Sabbath is that
we do no work, in order to rest up for the coming week.
____ 9.
Those things which are
Kingdom-centered are proper activities for the Sabbath Day.
C. Thought
Question: (You may discuss this with your
parents before writing your answer.) What does
the Fourth Commandment have to do with the covenant of friendship that God has established
with us? In your answer, try to relate the
two, as far as this present life and the life to come are concerned. __________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 39
Name: ____________________________
The Fifth
Commandment speaks of honoring our father and mother.
In explanation of this, the Catechism speaks of all those in authority over
us. As young people in today’s world, we
certainly must hate the rebellion that is to be found all around us, and we must learn the
principles of authority and obedience.
A. Honoring our father and mother.
1. Authority is the right to
determine what is good and evil, the right to demand obedience, and the right to punish
the evildoer and bless those that do well.
a. All authority belongs to _________________
(Ps. 115:3).
b. God exercises His authority through __________________
(Matt. 28:18).
2. In the home, which is the
basic unit of society, God has given authority to the _____________________, especially to the _____________________
(Col. 3:21).
a. When we obey our parents, we are actually obeying ________
(Col. 3:23).
b, In
II Timothy 3:1, 2
we read
that the terrible sin of disobedience to parents is a clear sign that we live in
_________________________________________________________________________.
3. Thought Question.
(You may ask your parents for help.) What
is the difference between submission and obedience? How
does this apply to the keeping of the Fifth Commandment?
(See Daniel
4. Our parents have weaknesses
and infirmities. They have imperfections and
limitations. They are sinful as we are.
a. Give an example or two of
what the Catechism has in mind. __________________________________________,
____________________________________________
b. What is our calling when
this is true of our parents? _________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
5. It is very striking that the
Bible never tells children to love their parents, but always to obey them.
a. Quote John
b. The idea is that when we
obey those whom God has put over us, through this obedience we show
_______________________________________________________________________________.
6. The lesson of obedience to authority must be
learned at home, when we are still young. If
this is not learned at home, we will not know how to submit to authority in other areas of
life.
B. Honoring all in authority. God has also placed authority in the church, in
governments, and in society (labor).
1. In the church, Christ rules through the ______________________
(I Peter 5:1).
a. The task of the elders is to ________________ the flock of Christ, taking the _______________________
(I Pet. 5:2).
b. In
Matthew 16:19,
this
authority is called the ________________________________________
__________________________________________.
c. I Timothy
d. Which of the three questions
asked at Public Confession of Faith has to do with the authority of the elders? (See back of Psalter.) _________________
What is promised there? ________________________________________________________________________________________
2. In the sphere of nations and
public life, God rules through ____________________ (
a. Verse 1 tells us that these
_____________________ are ordained of God.
b. List several kinds of these
powers. ______________, _______________,
__________________
c. Verse 2 teaches us that to
resist (disobey, rebel) the power means that we resist
___________________________________________________.
d. Verse 4 tells us that these
powers are servants of God to us for ________________.
This is the way we must view police officers, laws, etc.
e. Verse 5 tells us not to obey
for __________________ but also for _________________________
______________________________________.
f. Verses 6, 7 teach that
governments may _______________________ us.
3. In society and labor, God
rules through the masters. Today the
relationship of masters and servants has been replaced by ____________________ and
______________________.
a. Turn to
I Peter 2:18-20.
We are to be subject to our masters (employers),
not only to the _____________________ but also to the _______________________.
b. What common practice in the
area of labor is a transgression of the Fifth Commandment?
Explain why. __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 40
Name: ________________________________
In the Sixth
Commandment we are taught to love God by loving the neighbor’s person, his life and welfare. This brief commandment seems only to speak of the
actual taking of a person’s life (murder). But
as we will see, much, much more is involved than that.
In thankfulness to God, young people must learn to keep this commandment
also.
A. What is
prohibited? (Questions and Answers 105 and
106)
1. The Sixth
Commandment can be broken in many different ways.
a. In what
four ways is it possible to dishonor, hate, wound, or kill the neighbor? _____________________________,
_____________________________________, ___________________________________,
_______________________________________.
b. Quote
Matthew
2. We must
also be careful concerning our own life and health.
a. Killing of
self is called _________________________.
b. Give
examples of how we might “expose ourselves to danger.”
1) _________________________________________________________________
2) _________________________________________________________________
3. The
Catechism teaches that the magistrate is armed with the sword to prevent murder.
a. What is
capital punishment? ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. Read
Genesis 9:6.
Is capital punishment biblical? _____________
c. Explain
how this prevents murder. ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________
4. God hates
not only murder, but also the causes, or the things that lead to murder.
a. What are
these causes? ___________, ____________,
___________, ___________
b. Quote
I John 3:15:
“_____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________”
5. Is war
murder? _______
May a Christian fight in his country’s wars? ___________ Explain: ___________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
B. The positive
requirements (Question and Answer 107).
1. Not only
does God forbid envy, hatred, and anger, but He also commands us to:
a. ________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________
c. Prevent
________________________________________________________________
d. Do
____________________________________________________________________
2. The loving
of our enemies is sometimes hard to understand.
a. Quote
Matthew
b. Quote I
Peter
c. After
thinking the matter through, explain how you would show love to a neighbor who did not go
to church, who swore and cursed, and who was completely worldly in his life. ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 41
Name: _______________________________
The short
Seventh Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” teaches us concerning the
sexual aspect of our natures. This Lord’s
Day shows that the implications of this commandment are very broad. Because we live in a world that perverts the idea
of sex more and more, as young people we must know what our calling is in this regard; how
we are to keep ourselves pure and undefiled.
A. Question and
Answer 108.
1. We must be
impressed with the perfect holiness of God, according to which He detests and curses all
uncleanness and filthiness.
a. That God
is holy means He is separate from all sin and corruption, and is dedicated to all that is
pure and clean.
b. In
I Peter 1:16
we read that we are to be holy _________________________.
2. Define
these terms:
a. Fornication
— _________________________________________________________
b. Adultery
— ____________________________________________________________
c. Chastity
— ____________________________________________________________
d. Temperately
— _________________________________________________________
3. Marriage
is mentioned in this answer in the word __________________________.
a. According
to Ephesians
b. Read
Romans 7:1-3.
Here we learn that a woman is
bound to her husband as long as he _________________.
If she marries another man while her husband is alive, she shall be called
an ____________________________.
c. Read
Matthew 19:1-9.
1) What God
has joined ________________, no _________ may put asunder.
2) The one
reason for putting away a wife (or husband) is ______________.
3) If
divorced persons remarry, or if someone marries a divorced person, they commit
______________________________.
B. Question and
Answer 109.
1. The
Seventh Commandment has to do with more than the gross sin of adultery.
a. Quote
Matthew 5:28.
“________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________.”
b. This verse
teaches that sin is a matter of the ______________________.
2. Because
Christ has poured out His Spirit upon the church, Christians are called
___________________________ of the Holy Spirit.
a. This means
that we must view our bodies as temples or vessels that must be kept
____________________________________.
b. Thus God
forbids all unchaste _____________, ________________, ___________, __________________,
__________________, and ___________________________________
____________________________________.
c. Give an
example of each of the above from the present-day world.
__________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Sex is a
good gift of God to man. But Scripture makes
clear that this aspect of life is to be enjoyed only in the _______________________ state. Further, God has joined the enjoyment of this good
gift to the bringing forth of ______________________________________.
Lord’s
Day 42
Name: ____________________________
To understand
the demands of the Eighth Commandment, we must understand that God is the supreme owner of
everything He has made, and that He has made men stewards (caretakers) of these things. He has made some rich, and some poor. In the keeping of this commandment, we must not try
to change the distribution God has made, but recognize that we are stewards exactly of
those things God has given us. When we are
content as stewards, we love the neighbor in respect to his possessions, for God’s
sake.
A. What God forbids
in the Eighth Commandment.
1. The first
sin that is forbidden is outright _______________ and ___________________.
a. These sins
the _________________________ is able to detect and punish.
b. What is
shoplifting? ___________________________________________________
2. God also
forbids all ______________ and ___________________ whereby we try to gain for ourselves
those things which belong to our neighbor.
a. What is an
example of taking by force? __________________________________
b. What is an
example of unjust weights? __________________________________
c. What is an
example of fraudulent merchandise? __________________________
d. What do we
call the use of false coins? ___________________________________
e. What is
usury? ________________________________________________________
3. Covetousness
is mentioned in this Lord’s Day as a violation of the Eighth Commandment.
a. What is
covetousness? _________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. How does
covetousness stand related to stealing? ________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. In
Malachi 3:8, 9,
we read that
a. Today, how
might a church member commit the same sin? ________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. Explain
how wasting gifts is robbing God. _______________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
c. At what
age ought young people to begin to contribute to the cause of God’s kingdom? ___________________________________________________________________
B. What God
requires in the Eighth Commandment.
1. Quote
Ephesians
a. Rather
than steal, a man must __________________ with his hands.
b. This will
result in two things:
1) He will
have enough for the support of the kingdom, and his own ______________________.
2) And, he
will have something to give ______________________________.
c. Today it
is becoming very common to refuse to work, and then take money either from
__________________________ or from ______________________________.
2. We are
called upon to promote the advantage of the neighbor.
Give an example how this can be done. __________________________________________________________________
3. Read
Matthew 7:12.
a. Quote the
Golden Rule that is based on this passage. _____________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
1) By saying,
“This is the law and the prophets,” Jesus emphasizes the importance of this
verse. He means, “This statement contains
the basic idea of loving God and the neighbor.”
2) If we are
selfish, how might we misuse the words of Jesus? __________
________________________________________________________________________
b. There is a
saying, “Honesty is the best policy.” Criticize
this saying, either positively or negatively. ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 43
Name: ___________________________
The Ninth
Commandment teaches us how to love the neighbor in respect to his name or reputation. The keeping of this commandment requires of us the
careful, sanctified use of the tongue. Read
James 3:1-10
to discover how difficult this is.
A. The Ninth
Commandment forbids bearing false witness.
1. What is
the legal term for lying under oath? _________________________
2. Define:
a. Gossip
— ______________________________________________________________
b. Slander
— _____________________________________________________________
c. Backbiting
— __________________________________________________________
3. We must
avoid all sorts of lies and deceit.
a. Can a lie
ever be justified? ______________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. Why are
lies and deceit called the proper works of the Devil?
_____________
______________________________________________________________________________
c. Is it
possible to lie without saying anything? __________ Give an example.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Why does
God hate all lying and bring His heavy wrath upon the liar?
___________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
5. If we are
called upon to judge a man, this must be done very carefully.
a. Not
rashly. Explain.
___________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. Not
unheard. Explain. _________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
B. Positively, the
Ninth Commandment requires that we love and speak the truth.
1. We can
distinguish two areas of truth in our lives:
a. There is
the revelation of God to us, doctrinal truth. This
we must love and speak. Give an example of
doctrinal truth that we might be inclined to hide, or change. ___________________________________________________________________
b. Then there
is that area of truth that has to do with honesty in the way we live. Give an example here.
________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. We must
_______________ and ____________________ the honor and good character of our neighbor.
a. If someone
tells you an evil report about someone else, what are you to do? ____________________________________________________________________________
b. How can
you promote the name or reputation of your neighbor? ___________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Christ is
the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He always
loves and speaks the truth. What does Christ
do for us as our Savior in respect to this commandment?
_____________
___________________________________________________________________________________
C. True or False.
____ 1.
If a man is able to control his
tongue, he is able to control his whole body.
____ 2.
You may say anything you want
about a person as long as it is true.
____ 3.
Speaking the truth is a very
important part of the communion of saints.
____ 4.
If we can’t say anything good
about a person, we ought to keep quiet.
____ 5.
Young people are not so very prone
to break the Ninth Commandment.
Lord’s
Day 44
Name: ___________________________
The Tenth
Commandment is a different kind of commandment. This
is very clear from the first answer of this Lord’s Day.
It does not control a new area of our relationships in life, but it has
something to say about all the other commandments. This
commandment makes clear that the keeping of the Law is not only an outward matter, but
emphatically is a matter of the heart. Thus,
it forbids covetousness and demands contentment.
A. The idea of the
Tenth Commandment.
1. Any
thought or inclination contrary to God’s will is _______________________.
2. Sin
arises, first of all, in the ______________________.
a. This is
true of all sin. Whether sin becomes outward
and public or not, it has its source in the heart, and is committed in the heart.
b. Quote a
verse from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.
3. Another
aspect of the first answer is that the Law is perfect and God demands perfection of us. Fill in the blanks to show this perfect demand. “That even the ____________ inclination or
thought contrary to ____________ of God’s commandments _______________ arise in our
hearts; but that ___________________ we hate ______________ sin with _________________
heart, and delight in _____________ righteousness.”
4. What can
we do to prevent evil thoughts from arising in our hearts?
(See Question and Answer 127 for one answer.)
Also think of another.
a. _______________________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________________
5. In
Question 114 it is asked whether those converted to God can perfectly keep God’s
commandments.
a. What does
this imply about the unconverted? ____________________________
______________________________________________________________________________ Quote
Romans 8:7
to show this clearly. “________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________”
b. Do the
converted keep the Law perfectly? _______. Can you mention persons from the Bible that make
this clear? ___________________________________________
c. Yet, the
converted do, with a sincere resolve (determination), _______________
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________.
B. The preaching of
the Ten Commandments.
1. God wills
that His commandments be preached in the church.
a. In what
way will God have them preached? ______________________________
b. This
indicates that the commandments are either changeable or unchangeable. Which is true?
_____________________________________
c. Briefly
mention what is meant by “situation ethics” or the “new morality.” _____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What,
according to the Catechism, is the purpose of preaching the Law?
a. First,
_________________________________________________________________ _____________________,
and thus become the more ______________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________; b.
Likewise,
______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________, that we may become more
and more ___________________________________________, till we arrive
______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________.
3. The pastor
preaches on the Ten Commandments every year or two as he leads the congregation through
the Catechism. How else are we reminded of the
importance of the Law? ____________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 45
Name: ______________________________
The third major
part of the Catechism (Lord’s Days 33-52) is entitled Of Thankfulness.
In this section, two major subjects are treated: The Law and Prayer.
In the Law God speaks to us; in prayer we speak to God. Our prayers are made in response to what God has
said to us. We will see, repeatedly, that true
prayer depends on how well we have listened to God’s speech to us.
A. The necessity of
prayer (Question and Answer 116).
1. Prayer is
necessary because it is the _________________________________________
________________________________________. Why
does God require thankfulness of us? __________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Prayer is
necessary also because God is pleased to give us our needs in the way of prayer.
He has linked together His giving with our asking. In this way we honor God as our Father.
a. What does
God give us in the way of prayer? ______________________
and ________________________________________.
b. What three
things are stated about the attitude of the one who prays?
1) _______________________________
2) _______________________________
3) _______________________________
3. What is
prayer? (Give as good a definition as you
can.) _________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. Is prayer
a privilege or a requirement? (In answering this question, consider that it may be both,
and explain how.) _____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
B. The requirements
of God-heard prayer (Questions and Answers 117, 118).
1. Prayer
honors God. Prayer is an act of worship.
a. Therefore,
prayer must be made to _______________________ and no one else.
b. How do we
know who God is? __________________________________________
2. In prayer,
we must be struck by the amazing fact that sinful, unworthy creatures have fellowship with
the Most High, Holy God!
a. Quote that
part of the answer that teaches us this. _______________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. In the
prayer of the Pharisee and the Publican (Luke
3. Praying
from the heart, we must be fully persuaded (believe) that God will answer us. This confidence underlies all true prayer.
a. On what
basis will God hear us? _______________________________________
b. How do we
know this? ________________________________________________
4. We must
also hear God speak to us regarding the content
of our prayers.
a. Question
and Answer 117 tells us we may pray for all things. “___________
___________________________________________________________________________”
b. Question
and Answer 118 tells us that this means _______________________
___________________________________________________________________________.
c. That we
pray for all things necessary means we do not concern ourselves with luxury. Is it possible that necessities differ from one
time to another, or from one person to another? (Give
examples.) ______________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
5. What does
Jesus teach about prayer in the following passages? After
each reference give the substance of His teaching in a few words.
a.
Matthew 6:5, 6:
________________________________________________________
b.
Matthew 6:7, 8:
________________________________________________________
c.
Luke 18:1-7:
___________________________________________________________
6. What is
the relation between the Lord’s Prayer and our prayers?
_________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Sometimes
the child of God finds it difficult to pray, finds it difficult to find the proper words
to express the longing of his heart. According to
Romans 8:26, 27,
we are to remember in those cases that
________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________.
Lord’s
Day 46
Name: ______________________________
God has revealed
His names to us that we may speak to Him, and of Him, in reverence.
The model prayer Jesus gives in response to the request of His disciples,
“Lord, teach us to pray,” begins with the words, “Our Father.” Immediately it is added, “which art in heaven.” The importance of both these phrases in the address
of prayer must be fully understood. Although
we may use other names of God when we call upon Him, we are always to call upon Him in the
confidence that He is our Father in heaven.
A. The Fatherhood
of God (Question and Answer 120).
1. Sometimes
it is said that all men can call God “Father” because God has made all men. However, this answer of the Catechism shows that
prayer is not based on creation, but on something very special, something that only the
child of God has.
a. God is
become our Father __________________________________.
The idea of adoption is implied here. God
adopts us into His family through the saving work of Christ.
b. Thus, the
foundation of prayer is _______________________________________ and
________________________________________________________________________.
2. Read
carefully the last part of the answer.
a. Do earthly
parents give their children everything they ask for? __________ Give reasons:
1) ________________________________________________________________
2) ________________________________________________________________
3) ________________________________________________________________
b. Will God
give us everything we ask for? _______ Will He give us everything we ask for in true faith?
_______ Explain: ____________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
3. If we feel
our prayers are not being answered, what are some things we ought to do?
a. ________________________________________________________________________
b. ________________________________________________________________________
4. Read
Luke 11:9-13.
This passage makes clear that our
great need is to receive the _______________________________________.
B. The heavenly
majesty of our Father (Question and Answer 121).
1. The name
“Father” brings God very close to us. Lest
we form an earthly conception of God, we are taught to add the words “_____________________________________________.”
a. How are we
to form the correct conception of God? ________________________
b. What do
the words “which art in heaven” teach us about God? _____________
______________________________________________________________________________
c. Why ought
we to refer to God by the pronouns “Thee” and “Thou,” rather than
“You” and “Your”? _______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
d. An earthly
conception of God amounts to an ___________.
2. To our
heavenly Father belongs all power and might by which He is able to provide all things
necessary for body and soul. Answer True or
False:
____ a.
Sometimes God withholds what we
ask for because He is unable to give.
____ b.
We will never be able to say,
“Now I completely understand God.”
____ c.
For the needs of the body we look
to our boss; for the needs of the soul we look to God.
____ d.
God knows our true needs far
better than we do.
____ e.
We may expect all our needs from
God even though we do not pray for them.
Lord’s
Day 47
Name: ___________________________
With this Lord’s
Day we begin the study of six petitions that are proper and necessary for the child of God
to utter in prayer. These petitions teach us
the content of true prayer. The order of the
various petitions is also worthy of our attention. First
things must be first, also in prayer!
A. General thoughts
about the first petition.
1. What is a
petition? ___________________________________________________________
2. List other
words that have a meaning similar to petition:
a.
Jeremiah 12:1
___________________
b.
Psalm 21:2
_____________________
c.
Psalm 45:12
____________________
d.
Psalm 116:4
____________________
3. It is
clear from Answer 122 that God’s Name does
not have the same idea as our names. His Name
refers to _________________________________________________________.
4. Many of
the Psalms are prayers. By paging through the
Psalms, find expressions that have to do with the hallowing of God’s Name.
a. Psalm
__________: “__________________________________________________.”
b. Psalm
__________: “__________________________________________________”
c. Psalm
__________: “__________________________________________________”
5. Must every
prayer contain the words, “Hallowed be Thy name”?
(Explain your answer.) _____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
B. Specific meaning
of the first petition.
1. To hallow
means to __________________________________________________________.
a. If God’s
Name is to be hallowed by us, we must be given
grace, first, __________________________, ______________________,
__________________________, _________________________.
Why is “rightly to know Thee” mentioned first? ______
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. What
virtues of God are clearly displayed in all His works?
___________________________ ________________________ ________________________
___________________________ ________________________ ________________________
c. What
commandment treats the subject of God’s Name? ________________
2. Further,
we must live in such a way that God’s Name never be blasphemed but always be praised
on our account.
a. Our whole
lives include ____________, _____________, and _________________.
b. What is
blasphemy? ____________________________________________________ How could God’s Name be blasphemed by the way a child of God lives? (See
Rom. 2:22-24.)
____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
c. How may
God’s Name be honored and praised by the way we live? (See
Matt. 5:16.)
_______________________________________________________________________
3. Read
Isaiah 6:3
and
Revelation 4:10, 11.
From such
passages as these, it is clear that the only purpose of all things in heaven and earth is
______________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. Why is
this petition mentioned first? ___________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 48
Name: __________________________
Three little
words: “Thy kingdom come”! How often we have prayed these words. Here we discover the deep meaning and far-reaching
implications of the coming of the
A. The idea of the
1. Look up
these references, and list various names that Scripture gives for the kingdom.
a.
Matthew 5:3
___________________ b.
John 3:3
_________________________
c. Colossians
2. In this
kingdom, __________ is King, ________________ is Prince, and ______________ are the
citizens. We can also say that the
constitution of this kingdom is _______________.
3. From the question asked in
Acts 1:6,
it is clear that the disciples (as well as the Jews in
general) had a wrong view of the kingdom.
a. What was
their view? __________________________________________________
b. In John
4. According
to Luke
B. The four things
we pray for in this petition, according to this Lord’s Day, are:
1. Rule us by
Thy __________________________ that we may ________________________
____________________________________________________________.
a.
Psalm 119
speaks of this very thing. Quote the following
verses:
1) Verse 5:
“_________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
2) Verse 9:
“_________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
3) Verse 11:
“________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.”
4) Verse 105:
“______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.”
b. God rules
over the wicked in a different way. According to
Psalm 2:9
He rules over them with a ______________________ and
_____________________________.
2. Preserve
___________________________ Thy church.
a. If God’s
kingdom is to come, the church must be kept in faith and salvation. She cannot keep herself, but God must do this.
1) What Head
of Doctrine in the Canons of Dordt speaks of this preserving work of God? _____________________________________________________
2) Quote
Philippians 1:6.
“_________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________”
3. Thirdly,
we pray that God will _______________________________________________
_______________________________ devised against Him; and also, all wicked counsels devised
_____________________________________________________________. The Devil is the arch-enemy of God, who opposeth
God and works to create a kingdom apart from God. For
God’s kingdom to come, all that make and love the lie must be destroyed.
a. Quote
I John 3:8,
“______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.”
b. Since the
kingdom comes through the preaching of the Word, we pray that the Word may remain free
from wicked devices.
1) The Devil
can appear as an angel of _________________ (II Cor.
2) But
actually, he stirs up men to change _____________________________
_______________________________________ (Rom.
4. Finally,
this petition means that we pray for the ________________________________
_______________________, wherein _________________________________________________.
a. When shall
the full perfection of God’s kingdom come about?
______________
_____________________________________________________________________________
b. What does
it mean that then God shall be “all in all”?
____________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 49
Name: ___________________________
Our covenant God
is the willing God. His will is eternal,
unchangeable, powerful, all-comprehending, wise, and good.
God’s will is always done everywhere.
Why then do we make it our prayer that God’s will be done? In order that we may consciously submit to His will
and obey it in our lives. Notice the beautiful
relationship between the first three petitions: when
God’s will is done His kingdom comes, and when His kingdom comes His Name is
hallowed!
A. The will of God.
1. Read
Ephesians 1:5-12.
Find three terms in this
passage that have the same approximate meaning as “will.” ___________________________,
__________________________, ___________________________________
2. What is
included in God’s will?
a. Everything from ________________
(Luke 10:7)
to _______________ (Jas.
b. Try to
express, in your own words, the most important, or central, idea concerning the will of
God. ______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Read the
prayers of Jesus in
a. To what
does “this cup” refer? __________________________________________
b. What words
show that Christ renounced His own will? ___________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
c. What words
show that He wanted God’s will to be done? __________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
B. Our prayer that
our will may be conformed to God.
1. What is
man’s will? __________________________________________________________
a. Is fallen
man’s will free to do either good or evil, or is man’s will a slave of sin, bound to do evil? (See
Rom. 8:5-8.)
_________________________________________
b. According
to the last part of Art. 11 of the Canons of Dordt, Heads III/IV, our will is
__________________, _________________, and ______________________. The Spirit of God changes our will, making it
________________, ____________________, and __________________; ______________________ and
_________________________ it, “that like a good tree, it may bring forth the fruits
of good actions.”
2. Quote
Matthew
3. How do we
know what the will of God is? ______________________________________
a. What,
briefly, is the will of God for us? (See
Eccles. 12:13.)
________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. Not only
must we know the will of God, we must ________ that will.
4. Because
God’s will is good, we may never murmur against it.
That would mean that we pretend to be wiser than God. Give examples of how a man might murmur against God’s
holy will.
a. _______________________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________________
5. We pray
that we may attend to and perform the duties of our ____________________ and
_____________________ in life, as willingly and faithfully as the angels do in heaven.
a. What do
you understand by “station and calling”? _________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. Why is it
important that we find our proper station and calling in life? ______________________________________________________________________________
c. Is it
possible to do the will of God in any occupation, or are some occupations in themselves
opposed to the will of God? ______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
d. The angels
always do the will of God perfectly.
1) What are angels according to
Hebrews 1:14?
______________________
________________________________________________________________________
2) What do they do in heaven? (See
Ps. 103:20;
Rev. 5:11,
12.) __________ ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 50
Name: __________________________
Ought we to pray
to God for such natural, lowly things as food? Yes! For this, too, honors God as Father! He is the fountain of all good, and we acknowledge
this when we pray to Him for daily bread.
A. Our daily bread.
1. In Answer
125, “bread” means “all things _______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________.”
2. In praying
for daily bread, the child of God expresses that
he wills to live from God’s hand day by day, trusting that God will supply his needs.
a. In
Matthew 6:24-34,
the proper view of material things is set forth by Jesus. Jesus speaks of such things as ___________,
_____________, and __________________ in verses 25 and 31.
b. We are not
to take thought, fret, or be anxious about these things because
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
c. Rather we
must devote our energy, our thoughts, our seeking, towards
______________________________________________________________________________
3. In
Proverbs 30:8, 9,
Agur prays, “Give me neither ______________ nor ____________, but
feed me _____________________________________________________________________.”
a. This man
of God understands that if he is full and rich, he will say, _________
______________________________________________________________________________
b. And if he
is poor, he will __________________ and __________________________
________________________________________.
c. Therefore,
he desires only _______________________________________________.
4. What are
some creatures or things that man may begin to trust for his physical needs? ____________________________________________________________________________
a. To what
does our care and industry refer? _______________________________
b. Even God’s
gifts cannot benefit us without His blessing! In
the wilderness, God gave
5. For what
purpose is bread to be used? Let I Corinthians
B. True or False.
____
1.
Labor unions are idols of the
working man.
____ 2.
Since all God’s children
pray, we do not have to pray for others.
____ 3.
This petition for food has nothing
to do with the
____ 4.
If God grants us just enough to
make it through another day, He has answered our prayer.
____ 5.
On Prayer Day in March, the church
prays to God for material blessings for the entire year.
____ 6.
We tempt God when we expect Him to
give us our needs through lotteries or gambling.
____ 7.
Elijah at the brook Cherith is an
example of perfect trust in God.
____ 8.
Our Father knows our needs before
we ask of Him.
____ 9.
Daily needs can be quite different
from one time or place to another.
____ 10.
If we pray this petition each day, we do not
have to work so hard.
Lord’s
Day 51
Name: ______________________________
As preparation for this lesson, read carefully the parable found in
Matthew 18:23-35.
In a very powerful way this parable instructs us in
the meaning of the fifth petition: “And
forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
A. Our prayer for
forgiveness.
1. We are
taught to pray that God will not impute to us our ________________________ nor that
__________________________________________________________________________.
a. Transgressions
refer to our daily breaking of the ________________________.
Depravity refers to
_________________________________________________________.
b. This
petition is, first of all, a confession of sin. Quote
Psalm 32:5.
“________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________.”
c. Then, the
petition is made that God will not impute our sins to us. According to
Psalm 130:3,
what if God would
mark or charge our sins to us? _________________
______________________________________________________________________________
d. What is
the result for the man who is forgiven?
(Ps. 32:1, 2)
_______________
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Jesus
teaches us that our sins are debts. Explain how this is so. __________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. The basis of this plea (for forgiveness) is in
_____________________________________.
a. When
Christ died, what happened to our sins? ____________________________
b. If our
sins are forgiven at the moment of Christ’s death, why do we pray for God’s
forgiveness? ___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
4. Ought we
to confess our sins, and ask forgiveness, every time we pray? __________ Explain
your answer. _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
B. Our forgiving
one another.
1. The
relation between God forgiving us and our forgiving the neighbor is very important for us
to understand. Read the following statements
carefully, and underline the correct one.
a. God
forgives us because we forgive our neighbor.
b. Because
God has forgiven us all our sins, we are ready to forgive others.
c. God
forgives us whether or not we forgive our neighbor.
2. How often
are we to forgive someone who sins against us? (See
Matt. 18:21, 22.)
______________________________________. What does Jesus’ answer mean? ______________
____________________________________________________________________________________
3. It happens
sometimes that someone sins against us, either knowingly or unknowingly, and does not
confess this sin to us.
a. According
to Matthew
b. Can we
forgive the neighbor if he does not confess his sin? _______ Explain fully.
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4. In the
parable you read at the beginning of this lesson, what is the basic reason the servant did
not dismiss the 100-penny debt of his fellow servant? _______________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. In the
light of this Lord’s Day, what must impress us and amaze us as long as we live? ______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Lord’s
Day 52
Name: _______________________________
In this
Lord’s Day we are taught to pray concerning the battle against sin in which we are
engaged as long as we are on earth. Then the
reason for all our prayer is stated. And
finally, we are taught concerning that little but significant word “Amen.”
A. The sixth petition (Question and
Answer 127).
1. This petition is a
confession of weakness on the part of the child
of God.
a. We are so “_______________________________________________________________________.”
b. Besides this, our mortal
enemies cease not to assault us. In what
threefold way is the enemy described? Give
another name, or explanation for each enemy:
1) ___________________ —
________________________________________________________
2)
___________________ —
________________________________________________________
3) ___________________ —
________________________________________________________
2. If God would take the Holy
Spirit from us for a time, what would happen? __________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
a. Read
Psalm 51:11, 12.
God had taken the Holy Spirit from David for a
time. What sins did David commit when he stood in his own strength?
(II Sam. 11)
___________________________________ and
_____________________________________
b. When we fall into sin, and
do not repent, we feel as if we are cast away _____________________________, and lose the
joy of ___________________________.
3. We are taught to pray that
God will, through the Holy Spirit, ____________________ and ________________________ us,
that we may __________________ and _________________ ____________________ resist our foes.
a. What is a temptation?
______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
b. Read
I Corinthians 10:13.
Indicate whether these statements are true or
false:
____ We meet temptations which no other person ever had to
endure.
____ God is in control of all circumstances in a temptation.
____ God arranges the details of temptations such that it is
always possible to endure them without falling into sin.
c. What warning is given us in
I Corinthians 10:12?
____________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
4. This present life is a life
of spiritual warfare. This earth is a
battlefield for the Christian.
a. When shall we obtain the
complete victory? _________________________________________
b. Quote
Revelation 21:4,
which
tells us of the perfection of heaven. “_____________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________”
c. Read
Romans 8:31-39.
Quote a verse or a phrase that explains the basis of our victory.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
B. The reason for all the petitions
(Question and Answer 128).
1. We make all these petitions
a matter of confident, fervent prayer because:
a. God is
_______________________.
b. He is almighty,
__________________, and _______________ to give us all good.
c. That not we, but
__________________________________________________________________.
2. The Lord’s Prayer
begins and ends with the thought that God’s Name and His glory is of the utmost
importance! As we learn to pray according to
this model, we will be guarded against a man-centered view of salvation and life.
a. Why is this conclusion to
prayer proper? ____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
b. Why is this often hard for
us to pray? _______________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
C. The word “Amen”
(Question and Answer 129).
1. The word “Amen”
was often used by Jesus while teaching concerning the
2. When we say “Amen”
at the end of our prayers, we do not merely indicate that our prayer is now ended. Rather, two things are indicated:
a. First, it means that the one
praying ________________________________________________.
b. Secondly, it means we
believe that God _____________________________________________.
c. See
II Corinthians 1:20.
Our confidence in prayer is not based on how we
happen to be feeling at the moment, but it is based on the ___________________ of God in
His Word.