HRCF Catechism

Question 46 Q. How dost thou understand these words, “He ascended into heaven”? A. That Christ, in sight of His disciples, was taken up from earth into heaven; and that He continues there for our interest, until He comes again to judge the quick and the dead. Footnotes Acts 1:9. Mark 16:19 Heb. 4:14. Rom. 8:34. Eph. 4:10 Question 47 Q. Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as He...

Q. What doth the resurrection of Christ profit us? A. First, by His resurrection He has overcome death, that He might make us partakers of that righteousness which He had purchased for us by His death; secondly, we are also by His power raised up to a new life; and lastly, the resurrection of Christ is a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection. Footnotes 1 Cor. 15:16 Rom. 6:4 . Col. 3:1ff 1 Cor. 1...

Question 40 Q. Why was it necessary for Christ to humble Himself even unto death? A. Because, with respect to the justice and truth of God, satisfaction for our sins could be made no otherwise than by the death of the Son of God. Footnotes Gen. 2:17 Heb. 2:9, 10. Phil. 2:8 Question 41 Q. Why was He also “buried”? A. Thereby to prove that He was really dead. Footnotes Acts 13:29. Mark 15:43,46 Ques...

Question 37 Q. What dost thou understand by the words, “He suffered”? A. That He, all the time that He lived on earth, but especially at the end of His life, sustained in body and soul the wrath of God against the sins of all mankind; that so by His passion, as the only propitiatory sacrifice, He might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the favor of God, righteo...

Q. What does it mean that he “was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary”? A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God,1 took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit,2 from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary,3 a true human nature so that he might also become David’s true descendant,4 like his brothers in all things5 except for sin.6 1 John...

Q. Why is Christ called the only begotten Son of God, since we are also the children of God? A. Because Christ alone is the eternal and natural Son of God;  but we are children adopted of God, by grace, for His sake. John 1:1 . Heb. 1:2 Rom. 8:15-17 . Eph. 1:5 , 6 Q. Wherefore callest thou Him our Lord? A. Because He hath redeemed us, both soul and body, from all our sins, not with gold or silver,...

Q. 31.  Why is He called Christ, that is, anointed? A.  Because He is ordained of God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Ghost, 1 to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, 2 who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and to be our only High Priest, 3 who by the one sacrifice of His body has redeemed us, and makes continual intercession with the Father...

Q. 29.  Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is, a Savior? A.  Because He saveth us, and delivereth us from our sins; 1 and likewise, because we ought not to seek, neither can find salvation in any other. 2   Q. 30.  Do such then believe in Jesus the only Savior, who seek their salvation and welfare of saints, of themselves, or anywhere else? A.  They do not; for though they boast of Him in wo...

Q. 27.  What dost thou mean by the providence of God? A.  The almighty and everywhere present power of God, 1 whereby, as it were by His hand, He upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures; 2 so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, 3 fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, 4 health and sickness, 5 riches and poverty, 6 yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by His fatherly ha...

Q. 26.  What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”? A.  That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; 1 who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence 2 ) is, for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father; 3 on whom I rely so enti...

Q. 24.  How are these articles divided? A.  Into three parts: the first is of God the Father and our creation; 1 the second, of God the Son and our redemption; 2 the third, of God the Holy Ghost and our sanctification. 3 Q. 25.  Since there is but one only divine essence, 4 why speakest thou of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost? A.  Because God hath so revealed Himself in His Word, 5 that these three di...

Q. 20.  Are all men then, as they perished in Adam, saved by Christ? A.  No, 1 only those who are ingrafted into Him, and receive all His benefits, by a true faith. 2   Q. 21.  What is true faith? A.  True faith is not only a certain knowledge, 3 whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word, but also an assured confidence, 4 which the Holy Ghost 5 works by the gospel in my...

Q. 16. Why must He be very man, and also perfectly righteous? A. Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which hath sinned should likewise make satisfaction for sin; 1 and one who is himself a sinner cannot satisfy for others. 2 Q. 17. Why must He in one person be also very God? A.  That He might, by the power of His Godhead, sustain in His human nature the burden of God’s w...

Q. 12. Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment and be again received into favor? A. God will have His justice satisfied; 1 and therefore we must make this full satisfaction, either by ourselves or by another. 2 Q. 13. Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction? A. By no means; 3 but on the co...

Q. What is your only comfort in life and death? A. That I am not my own, 1 but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, 2 to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. 3 He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, 4 and has set me free from all the power of the devil. 5 He also preserves me in such a way 6 that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my h...

Q. 3.  Whence knowest thou thy misery? A.  Out of the law of God. 1 Q. 4.  What doth the law of God require of us? A.  Christ teaches us that briefly, Matt. 22:37-40, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as th...

Q. 6.  Did God then create man so wicked and perverse? A.  By no means; but God created man good, 1 and after His own image, 2 in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love Him, and live with Him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise Him. 3 Q. 7.  Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature? A.  From the fall and disobedience of our firs...

Q. 9. Doth not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in His law that which he cannot perform? A. Not at all; for God made man capable of performing it; 1 but man, by the instigation of the devil, 2 and his own wilful disobedience, deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts. 3 Q. 10. Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished? A. By no means; bu...