To Be a Christian: The Anglican Catechism in a Year

Today is day 289 and we are studying The Third Commandment. 289. How can you honor and love God’s Name? I honor and love God’s Name, in which I was baptized, by keeping my vows and promises, by worshiping him in truth and holiness, and by invoking his Name reverently and responsibly. (Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 10:20–22; Psalm 105:1–5; Matthew 15:10–20; James 5:12) We will conclude today by praying...

Today is day 288 and we are studying The Third Commandment. 288. How might you use God’s Name carelessly? Cursing, magic, broken vows, false piety, manipulation of others, and hypocrisy all cheapen God’s Name. These treat God’s Name as empty of the reality for which it stands. (Leviticus 5:4–6; 19:26b,31; Psalm 10:2–7; Malachi 1:6–14; Matthew 5:33–37; James 3:5–12; Articles of Religion, 39) We wil...

Today is day 287 and we are studying The Third Commandment. 287. How might you use God’s Name profanely? By the unholy use of God’s holy Name, especially through perjury, blasphemy, and attributing to God any falsehood, heresy, or evil deed, as if he had authorized or approved them. (Deuteronomy 18:20–22; Proverbs 30:7–9; Jeremiah 34:15–16; Ezekiel 36:16–23; Amos 2:6–7; Jude 5–13) We will conclude...

Today is day 286 and we are studying The Third Commandment. 286. How can you avoid taking God’s Name in vain? Because I love him, I should use God’s Name with reverence, not carelessly or profanely. (Deuteronomy 28:58–59; Psalms 86:11–12; 99:1–5; Revelation 15:2–4) We will conclude today with the Zayin Stanza of Psalm 119 found on page 430 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to...

Today is day 285 and we are studying The Third Commandment. 285. What does it mean to take God’s Name “in vain”? “Vain” means empty, meaningless, and of no account. To take God’s Name in vain is to treat it as such. (Leviticus 24:10–16; Romans 2:23–24) We will conclude today with the Waw Stanza of Psalm 119 found on page 430 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download...

Today is day 284 and we are studying The Third Commandment. 284. Why is God’s Name sacred? God’s Name reveals who he is—his nature, his character, his power, and his purposes. All forms of God’s Name are holy. (Exodus 3:1–15; 34:5–7; Psalms 8; 54:1; 79:9; Isaiah 57:15; Luke 1:46–49) We will conclude today a Prayer for the Ministry to the Sick found on page 226 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019)....

Today is day 283 and we are studying The Third Commandment. 283. What is the third commandment? The third commandment is “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11; see also Leviticus 22:32; see questions 172–77) We will conclude today by praying the Decalogue found on page 100 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download...

Today is day 282 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 282. How will idolatry affect you? If I worship and serve idols, I will become like them, empty and alienated from God, who alone can make me whole. (Psalm 115:4–8; Jeremiah 2:11–19; Jonah 2:7–9; Romans 1:18–25) We will conclude today by praying the Prayer 96.For Union with Christ found on page 674 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If...

Today is day 281 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 281. How was Jesus tempted to break the first two commandments? Satan tempted Jesus to bow down and worship him, promising him an earthly kingdom without the pain of the Cross. Instead, Jesus served and worshiped God faithfully and perfectly all his life, and calls us to do the same. (Matthew 4:1–11; 16:24; Luke 22:41–44; Philippians 2:8...

Today is day 280 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 280. What does the second commandment teach you about hope? It teaches me that my ultimate hope is in God alone, for he alone is God and he made me. I must not look for salvation and fulfillment in myself, another person, my wealth or occupation or status, or any created thing. Only in God will I find perfect love and fulfillment. (Psalm...

Today is day 279 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 279. Are idols always images? No. Anything can become an idol if I look to it for salvation from my sin or comfort amid my circumstances. If I place my ultimate hope in anything but God, it is an idol. (1 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 14:3–5; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5) We will conclude today by praying the Proper 13 found on page 618 of the...

Today is day 278 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 278. Are all images wrong? No. God forbade the making of idols and the worship of images, yet commanded carvings and pictures for the tabernacle depicting creation. Christians are free to make images—including images of Jesus and the saints—as long as they do not worship them or use them superstitiously. (Exodus 37:1–9; Numbers 21:4–9; 1...

Today is day 277 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 277. Why did the nations make such images? Israel’s neighbors worshiped and served false gods by means of idols, believing they could manipulate these counterfeit gods for their own benefit. (Psalm 115:2–8; Isaiah 44:9–20; Jeremiah 10:2–15; Habakkuk 2:18–19; Revelation 2:18–29) We will conclude today by praying the He Stanza of Psalm 119...

Today is day 276 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 276. How did Israel break the first two commandments? Israel neglected God’s Law, worshiped the gods of the nations around them, and brought images of these gods (idols) into God’s temple, thus corrupting his worship. (Exodus 32; Judges 10:6; 1 Kings 12:28–33; 2 Kings 21:1–9; Psalm 106:19–43; Hosea 13:2; 1 Corinthians 10:1–14) We will co...

Today is day 275 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 275. What does the second commandment mean? God’s people are neither to worship man-made images of God or of other gods nor to make such images for the purpose of worshiping them. (Exodus 20:23; 34:17; Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:15–20; 27:15; Psalm 97:6–9; Acts 17:22–29; 2 Corinthians 6:16–18) We will conclude today by praying the Dal...

Today is day 274 and we are studying The Second Commandment. 274. What is the second commandment? The second commandment is “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.” (Exodus 20:4–6; 34:17; Deuteronomy 5:8–10) We will co...

Today is day 273 and we are studying The First Commandment. 273. Can you worship and serve God perfectly? No. Only our Lord Jesus Christ worshiped and served God perfectly; but I can seek to imitate Christ, knowing that my worship and service are acceptable to God through him. (1 Kings 15:9–14; Psalm 53:1–3; Luke 4:1–13; Ephesians 5:1–2; Hebrews 7:23–28) We will conclude today by praying First Pra...

Today is day 272 and we are studying The First Commandment. 272. How are you tempted to worship other gods? I am tempted to trust in myself, my pleasures, my possessions, my relationships, and my success, wrongly believing that they will bring me happiness, security, and meaning. I am also tempted to believe superstitions and false religious claims, and to reject God’s call to worship him alone. (...

Today is day 271 and we are studying The First Commandment. 271. Why are you tempted to worship other things instead of God? I am tempted because my sinful heart seeks my own desires above all else and pursues those things which falsely promise to fulfill them. (Deuteronomy 29:16–19; Psalm 10:2–7; Acts 19:23–27; James 4:1–10) We will conclude today by praying Prayer 94.For a Virtuous Heart found o...

Today is day 270 and we are studying The First Commandment. 270. What does it mean to have no other gods? It means that there should be nothing in my life more important than God and obeying his will. I should worship him only and love, revere, and trust him above all else. (Psalm 95; Jeremiah 10:6–10; Luke 16:10–15; 1 John 2:15–17) We will conclude today by praying Prayer 92.For Satisfaction in C...

Today is day 269 and we are studying The First Commandment. 269. What does it mean that the Lord is your God? It means that I have faith that the God of the Bible is the only true God and that I entrust myself to him wholly. (Exodus 3:1–15; Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Psalm 86:8–13; Mark 12:29–34; Revelation 15:3–4) We will conclude today by praying the Gimel Stanza of Psalm 119 which is verses 17-24 found...

Today is day 268 and we are studying The First Commandment. 268. What is the first commandment? The first commandment is “I am the Lord your God. . . . You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:2–3; Deuteronomy 5:6–7; see also Psalm 97; Luke 4:5–8; 1 Corinthians 8:1–6) We will conclude today by praying the Decalogue found on page 100 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like...

Today is day 267 and we are studying The Ten Commandments. 267. How should you keep the Ten Commandments? Because they both contain God’s prohibitions against evil and direct me toward his good will, I should both repent when I disobey them and seek by his grace to live according to them. (Psalm 25:11–18; Romans 6; Colossians 3:5–17) We will conclude today by praying the Collect for the Nativity o...

Today is day 266 and we are studying The Ten Commandments. 266. How do the Ten Commandments help you to grow in likeness to Christ? They reveal my sin in the light of God’s righteousness, guide me to Christ, and teach me what is pleasing to God. (Deuteronomy 4:32–40; Psalms 19; 119:127–35, 169–76; Galatians 3:19–26; James 1:21–25; 2:8–13) We will conclude today by praying the Collect for Faith fou...

Today is day 265 and we are studying The Ten Commandments. 265. How do the Ten Commandments help you to resist evil? They teach me that God judges the corrupt affections of this fallen world, the cruel strategies of the devil, and the sinful desires of my own heart; and they teach me to renounce them. (Deuteronomy 8; Psalm 19:7–14; John 16:7–15; Romans 2:1–16) We will conclude today by praying the...