Front matter (continued 3)

(3) We learn from our Catechism not only who Jesus, our Lord, is, but also what He has done for us to become our Lord. 1. What does our Catechism say concerning the work of our Lord? 2. Christ has redeemed me; how do we therefore call His work? 3. Why was it necessary that I should be redeemed? We are by nature lost and condemned creatures. 4. From which parable of the Lord can you learn what it means to be lost? 5. Why are we also condemned creatures? 6. Who had pronounced judgment upon us because of our sins? 7. What was this punishment? 8. We were under the power of sin, death, and the devil. Who alone could help us in this distress? 9. We confess that Christ redeemed me, a lost and condemned sinner; but I am not the only one whom He has redeemed. Whom did He also redeem? 10. Prove from Scripture that our Lord redeemed all men. 11. What conclusion may and should I draw from this truth?

(4) Our Catechism says that our Lord has redeemed and purchased us. 1. What is the meaning of the Word purchase? 2. Christ has bought us with a price. What is the price our Lord paid for our redemption? 3. Why could we not be bought with gold or silver? 4. We have been purchased with His blood. How did Christ purchase us with His blood? 5. It is, indeed, a high price which our Lord paid for us. Why do we call His blood a holy blood? 6. Why is it called a precious blood? 7. What does Christs blood do for us regarding our sins? 8. Christ has purchased us with His suffering. Why do we call His suffering an innocent suffering? 9. In whose stead did Christ suffer all the punishment of sin? 10. What is the punishment of sin?—11. Christ has purchased us with His holy blood and His innocent suffering. From whom did He purchase us? Christ redeemed us from the power of sin, and death, and the devil. 12. How did Christ redeem us from all sins? 18. What did He fulfil in our stead? 14. Why are we also free from death? 15. Being free from sin we are also free from the power of the devil. Why are we free from his power?

(5) Christ, our Lord, has redeemed and purchased us. He has also won us. He has won us after a severe fight with sin, death, and the devil. 1. Which is the first prophecy of this conflict between our Savior and the devil? 2. Christ gained the victory in this conflict. He won us. To whom do we now belong? 3. We are Christ's own; we live in His kingdom. To whose kingdom do we belong without Christ? 4. Christ has won me from the power and the kingdom of the devil; Christ now is my King. Who belongs to His kingdom? 5. What do we call His kingdom here on earth? 6. Why do we call it the Kingdom of Grace? 7. In His kingdom we live under Him. What does this mean? 8. Not only do we live under our King, under His care and protection, we also serve Him. How do we serve Him? 9. Out of whose hand has our Lord delivered us? 10. How do we serve our Lord? 11. Without Christ we had to serve sin and the devil. Why is this service such a degrading service? 12. Why should we gladly and willingly serve our Lord in His kingdom? 13. We serve our Lord in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Which righteousness is here meant? 14. In what respect are we innocent in the eyes of God? 15. Why does His service bestow blessedness upon us? 16. To what kingdom does our gracious Lord lead us after this life? 17. Why is this kingdom called the Kingdom of Glory?

Let us give thanks to our dear Savior, who has become our Lord, that we may be His own and in His kingdom live under Him and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Amen.

LESSON 26. The Second Article.

How Our Lord As Victor Descended Into Hell And Rose Again From The Dead.

Which is the Second Article?

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.... He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead.

1. We believe and confess in the Second Article of our faith that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, became also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, that He suffered, was crucified, died on the cross, and was buried. All this our Lord has done to redeem us lost and condemned creatures from all our sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, that He may be our Lord, that we may be His own and live under Him in His glorious kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness and blessedness. Our Lord died and was buried for our sakes to redeem us. Is, then, our Lord still in death and in the grave? Do we believe in a dead savior? Do we serve a dead and helpless king? Thank God, we do not! We know from Holy Writ that our Lord came to life again, that our living Lord descended into hell and on the third day after His death rose again from the grave.

2. We confess in the Second Article: "He," our Lord Jesus Christ, "descended into hell." When our Lord descended into hell, He was no longer dead. It is true, when they took Him from the cross and buried Him, He was really dead. Nobody, indeed, had taken His life from Him, He had laid it down of Himself, of His own free will, laid it down for us that we might not suffer eternal death; but in His grave Christ, the Son of God, took His life back again. "Christ was put to death in the flesh, but quickened [came to life again] by the Spirit." 1 Pet. 3,18. As our living Lord He went down into hell, into the place whither the evil spirits, the devils and condemned men, have been banished. Christ did not enter the gates of hell in order to be punished there for His sins; for our Savior was without sin and blemish. He did not descend into hell to suffer the penalty for our sins; this He had already done on the cross. He descended into hell to show that He had won the victory over the devil and all his hosts. "He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." Col. 2,15. As the triumphant Victor over all His enemies Christ entered hell, the abode of Satan. Now we are certain that the old Evil Foe cannot keep us in his power, that we are free from hell and damnation.

3. On the third day our Lord rose again from the dead. You have often heard the Easter-Gospel, the joyful tidings of Christ's glorious resurrection: Our Lord is not dead, but He lives. When, very early in the morning, the women came to the grave to anoint the body of their Master, they did not find Him, the grave was empty, and an angel of God brought them the message: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen." Luke 24,5.6. After His resurrection our Lord showed Himself to His disciples as their living Savior. They saw Him, they spoke to Him, and ate with Him. The Lord convinced them that He was risen. They are the witnesses of His resurrection. Even the soldiers whom the enemies had placed around the grave as a watch, lest His disciples might come by night and steal the body, could not deny that the grave was empty, that the Lord had risen. Matt. 28,4.11-15. We are sure that Christ, our Lord, is not dead, but lives; for God Himself tells us in His Word that Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father. Rom. 6,4. Joyously we confess: "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Job 19,25.

4. Christ is risen. He came forth from His sepulcher with the same body that was laid in the grave. The tomb was empty. The disciples knew Him when He showed Himself. They saw the print of the nails in His hands and His feet and the wound in His side. He let them touch His body in order to convince them that He was not a spirit. Luke 24,39.40. But after His resurrection His body was glorified; it was free from all human weakness and sufferings, free from death.

5. The resurrection of our Savior is full of comfort and consolation for us. "If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." 1 Cor. 15,17-19. This would be our sad lot if Christ were not risen. All our faith and hope in Him would be in vain. But He is risen, and now we know that He is the true Son of God. We know that Christ has gained the victory over all our enemies, sin, death, and the devil, who could not keep Him in their power. We know that Christ has paid the penalty for our sins, that our sins are forgiven. We know that we have a living Savior, who is with us alway, to govern and protect us in His kingdom. We know that we shall not perish when we die, that our risen Lord will not leave us in the grave, but will raise us again unto eternal life. "Because I live, ye shall live also." John 14,19. Our Lord is risen, and so we put our trust in Him both in life and death. "Jesus, my Redeemer, lives! I, too, unto life must waken Endless joy my Savior gives; Shall my courage then be shaken? Shall I fear, or could the Head Rise and leave His members dead?"

REMEMBER:—

1. Christ descended into hell to show Himself as Victor over our enemies, over the devil and all his hosts.

2. Christ is risen. We know that our Redeemer lives. We have a living Savior, our sins are forgiven. Our King lives forever; under Him we live in everlasting righteousness and innocence.

3. Christ is risen; He has conquered death. Though we must die, He will recall us from our graves and raise us to eternal life and everlasting blessedness.

MEMORIZE:—

I know that my Redeemer liveth. Job 19,25.

If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 1 Cor. 15,17.18.

Because I live, ye shall live also. John 14,19.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where did Christ go after He had come to life again in the grave? 2. Why did Christ not descend into hell? 3. What was His purpose in descending into the abode of Satan? 4. When did our Lord rise from the dead? 5. What message did the angel bring to the women at the grave? 6. Who are the witnesses of His resurrection? 7. How did our risen Lord convince His apostles that He was alive again? 8. Who even could not deny His resurrection? 9. What makes us perfectly certain that Christ is risen and lives forever and ever? 10. How was Christ's body after His resurrection? 11. What does that mean, Christ's body was glorified? 12. What do we know regarding our sins since Christ is risen? 13. What consolation does His resurrection give us for our Christian life? 14. What consolation does it give us in the hour of death?

LESSON 27. The Second Article.

The Triumphant Ascension Of Our Lord.

Which is the Second Article?

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.... He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

What does this mean?

Even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.

1. After His resurrection our Lord remained here on earth for forty days. During these days He repeatedly appeared to His disciples; He showed Himself alive to them by many proofs. He convinced them that He was not dead, but lived. He spoke to them about the kingdom of God, His kingdom. He finally gave them His great command or commission, to go out into all the world and preach the Gospel of their living Savior to all men. Acts 1,3.

2. On the fortieth day when the apostles were assembled in Jerusalem, the Lord appeared to them again. He told them: "Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high." Luke 24,49. He commanded His disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they had received the gift of the Holy Ghost, that in His power they might be His witnesses unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Then our Lord led them out to Mount Olivet, as far as to Bethany. And there He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He blessed them, He was parted from His beloved apostles and carried up into heaven. While the disciples looked on He was taken up higher and higher, until a cloud received Him out of their sight. Luke 24,50.51; Acts 1,8.9. In this manner our Lord was received up to His heavenly glory Visibly, before the eyes of His disciples, He ascended on high and entered into the glory of His Father.

3. Christ ascended into heaven, and He did so for our sake. He ascended up on high as the triumphant Victor over all His and our enemies. His entrance into heaven assures us that He has opened heaven again for us through His sufferings and death. Before His death He gave His apostles the promise: "In My Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you." John 14,2. This promise He has fulfilled. He went up to heaven to prepare a place in His Father's house for all who believe in Him, their Savior.—Our Lord ascended into heaven, and where He is, there shall we, His friends and disciples also be. He will not leave us behind in this world. As truly as Christ went up to heaven, we, His own, will follow Him to His and our Father's house. "Where I am, there shall also My servant be." John 12,26. Our Lord prayed for us before His death upon the cross: "Father, I will that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me." John 17,24. "Mighty Lord, in Thine ascension we by faith behold our own."—Remember: Our Treasure, our Lord and Savior, is in heaven, and where our Treasure is, our hearts and hopes should also be.

4. "He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God," thus we read Mark 16,19. We, therefore, confess that our ascended Lord now "sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty." What does this mean? It does not mean that in heaven, at the right hand of God the Father, there is a special throne, prepared for our Lord, the God-man Jesus Christ, upon which He is now seated in divine glory, adored and praised by all the heavenly hosts, and that, because He is sitting on that throne, He is far away from us, His own. It means—and so our Catechism explains it—that our dear Lord, after being raised from the dead, "lives and reigns to all eternity." It means that Christ, though He was dead, lives and is alive forevermore, that our living Lord is with us and reigns over us as our gracious King to all eternity. He is, and will be, according to His almighty power, our King forever and ever.

5. Christ, indeed, ascended into heaven. He now is in heaven, in the glory of His Father; but He is not far away from us. He is with us. We cannot see Him, as His apostles saw Him, but He is with us invisibly in His Word, His Gospel. When we read or hear His Gospel or think about it, our Savior is always at our side. He Himself has promised us: "I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you." John 14,18.— Our Lord lives and reigns to all eternity, that is, He rules and governs us, His own, His disciples. He leads and protects us against all our enemies. Out of His almighty hand no enemy can pluck us. Our mighty Lord on God's throne is our Good Shepherd, who leads us in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Ps. 23.—Christ's resurrection, His ascension, and His sitting at the right hand of God assure us of the fact that He is indeed our Lord, and will be our Lord and King to eternity; and in His kingdom we shall live and Him we shall serve in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.

REMEMBER:—

1. Christ, our Savior, ascended into heaven as the triumphant Victor over all His and our enemies. He entered into heaven, into the glory of His Father, there to prepare a place for us.

2. His ascension assures us that the gates of heaven are open to all who believe in Him, that we shall be where He is to see His glory.

3. Our Lord sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, that is, He, the God-man, lives to eternity, lives, and is with us in His Word, and reigns over His own with His almighty power forever and ever.

MEMORIZE:—

In My Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14,2.

I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14,3.

Where I am, there shall also My servant be. John 12,26.

I will not leave You comfortless; I will come to you. John 14,18.

QUESTIONS.

1. How long did our Lord remain on earth after His resurrection? 2. What did He do during these forty days? 3. Where were His disciples assembled on the fortieth day? 4. What promise did the Lord give them? 5. Why were they to be endued with the power of the Holy Ghost? 6. Where did Christ lead the apostles? 7. In what manner was the Lord taken up into heaven? 8. Who were the witnesses of His ascension? 9. What has Christ prepared for us in His Father's house? 10. What does our Savior say John 12,26? 11. Since our Lord is in heaven, who also shall be there? 12. What does the sitting of Christ at the right hand of the Father not mean? 13. With what words does our Catechism explain it? 14. How is our Lord with us after His ascension? 15. What does it mean that our Lord reigns over us? 16. Of what does His resurrection, His ascension, and His sitting at the right hand of God make us certain?

LESSON 28. The Second Article.

Christ Will Come To Judge The World

Which is the Second Article?

I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

1. When our Lord ascended into heaven and His disciples were looking after Him as He was taken up before their eyes, higher and higher, two men stood by them in white apparel, two angels, who said: "This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." Acts 1,11. We confess therefore that our Lord will come again, that He will come again in like manner as His apostles saw Him taken up into heaven. He will come visibly. All men on earth will see our Lord coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21,27. He will not come again in deep humility and poverty, as He came when He was born in Bethlehem, but with great power and glory. "The Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels." Matt. 16,27. All men will see Him as the almighty King surrounded by His heavenly hosts. Every one will then have to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and every one will have to bow to Him. Our Lord will come again visibly and in great glory.

2. When the Lord comes in His glory, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the earth and all the works therein shall be burned up. 2 Pet. 3,10. The Last Day, the end of this world, will then have come. On this Last Day our Lord will come to "judge the quick and the dead." Christ has been ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. Acts 10,42. He will judge the quick, that is, those who are still living when He comes. He will judge the dead. On that day all the dead will rise again and will be brought before the Lord to be judged by Him.

3. Christ Himself has given us a beautiful description of His Judgment. (Read the whole passage, Matt. 25,31-46.) He tells us: "When the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations." Matt. 25,31.32. Christ is the Judge of all nations, of all men. "We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in His body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5,10. No one, be He ever so mighty, rich, or learned, can escape His Judgment.

4. How will Christ judge? He says: "And He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." Matt. 25,32.33. The sheep are those who truly believe in Christ, their Savior, and in Him have forgiveness of their sins. The goats are those who in this life rejected Christ and His grace. To His sheep He will say: "Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." V. 34. On the goats He will pronounce this judgment: "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." V. 41. And then the Lord will prove to all men that His judgment is a righteous one by the good works of the believers and the evil deeds of His enemies.—This judgment is final and will never be altered. His enemies "shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." Matt. 25,46.

5. When will this great Day of Judgment, the day of our Lord, come? This we do not know. Our Lord says: "Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." Mark 13,32. We should not try to find out the exact day of the coming of our Lord. But God has in His Word revealed two important things about this day. He tells us that His day will come suddenly, when nobody expects it. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." 2 Pet. 3,10. "Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." Matt. 25,13.—We also know that this day will come soon. "The end of all things is at hand." 1 Pet. 4,7. We may and should expect the Lord daily and be prepared to receive Him. There are many signs which announce the coming of Christ. Matt. 24,14-31; Luke 21,25-36.

6. "This is most certainly true." With these words we conclude also our Second Article. From God's Word we know that all we have learned in the Second Article is most certainly true. Therefore we believe and confess it.

REMEMBER:—

1. On the Last Day our Lord will come again visibly and in great glory to judge the quick and the dead, all men. You, too, must appear before the judgment-seat of Christ.

2. On this day He will cast away the wicked and unbelievers into everlasting punishment. The righteous He will receive into His everlasting kingdom. Believe in Christ, and you will be saved.

3. We know neither day nor hour of His coming, but we know that His day will come unexpectedly and soon. Watch always and be prepared to receive your Lord.

MEMORIZE:—

He is ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. Acts 10,42.

The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. 2 Pet. 3,10.

The end of all things is at hand. 1 Pet. 4,7.

We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Cor. 5,10.

QUESTIONS.

1. How did the apostles learn of the coming of their Lord at His ascension? 2. How will the Lord come again, according to the words of the angels? 3. Who will see our Lord in His second coming? 4. What is the difference between His first and His second coming? 5. On what day will the Lord come again? 6. What is the purpose of His coming? 7. Who are the quick? 8. How can the Lord judge the dead? 9. Whom, therefore, will Christ judge? 10. How will Christ judge? 11. Who are His sheep? 12. Who are the goats? 13. What will Christ say to His sheep on that day? 14. What judgment will He pronounce on His enemies? 15. When will the last day, the Day of Judgment, come? 16. What has God revealed to us concerning this day? 17. When, therefore, should we expect our Lord and prepare for His coming?

LESSON 29. The Second Article.

REVIEW LESSON.

1. We confess in the Second Article that Christ, the God-man, is our Lord. In order to become our Lord, He had to redeem and purchase us from the cruel masters to whom we belonged, from all our sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. To purchase us He had to pay a price, a very high price—His holy, precious blood, His life. To purchase us He of His own free will gave up His life; He died on the cross. Christ was dead and buried. Do we now believe in a dead and buried Lord and Savior? What happened after His death, when He was still in His grave? Where did He go after having been quickened by the Spirit? What was His purpose in entering the habitation of Satan and his evil spirits? Christ showed Himself to be the Victor over Satan and hell. For whose benefit did He win this victory? From whose power are we free?

2. What happened on the third day after the death of our Lord? Christ rose from the dead. What does that mean? Christ came forth from His sepulcher. Who brought this glad message to the women? How did the Lord convince His disciples that He was living? Even who could not deny His resurrection? What makes us sure that Christ rose from the dead? What do we therefore gladly confess? (Job 19,25.)—With what body did Christ come forth from His grave? How can we prove that it was the same body that was laid in the grave? But how was Christ's body after His resurrection? His body, indeed, was glorified. What does this mean?— The resurrection of our Lord is of great importance for us. It is full of comfort and consolation. If Christ would still be dead and lying in the grave, how could He be our Savior and King, and how would it be possible for Him to help us? Our faith in Him would be vain; indeed, we would be of all men most miserable. What does the Apostle Paul say about this? (1 Cor. 15,17-19.) But Christ is risen indeed. What great comfort for us! Whom has He conquered? Who alone is able to conquer this powerful enemy? What, therefore, must our Lord be? Christ rose after He had given His life a ransom for our sins. What, therefore, does the resurrection of our Lord prove concerning our sins? Christ is risen and lives forever. What comfort does this give us for our whole life? What comfort does it give us in the hour of death?

3. How long did our Lord remain with His disciples after His resurrection? Why did He repeatedly show Himself to them? What happened on the fortieth day? Where did His ascension take place? What promise did the Lord give His apostles just before His ascension? Why were they to be endued with the power of the Holy Ghost? In what manner did the ascension of our Lord take place?—Christ ascended into heaven as the triumphant Victor over all His enemies. His enemies are our enemies. What does His ascension prove concerning our enemies? For whose sake, therefore, did Christ ascend into heaven?—Christ ascended into heaven. Heaven is His Father's house. Why did our Lord go to His Father's house for us? He has prepared a place for us in heaven. He has opened the gates of heaven for us. What does our Lord say John 12,26? Where will our Savior lead us, His disciples, too? Christ, our Treasure, is in heaven; what, therefore, shall be there also?

4. Christ ascended into heaven, and He now sits at the right hand of God in the glory of His Father. How does our Catechism explain this? Though Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, He is always with us, His disciples. In what manner is He with us? What must we use, read, hear, and think about in order that our Lord may be with us? What promise did He give us, John 14,18? The Lord sitting at the right hand of God reigns over us; what does this mean? Of what does Christ's resurrection, ascension, and the sitting at the right hand of God make us certain?

5. When our Lord ascended into heaven, two angels stood by the disciples. They told them that Christ would come again in like manner as they had seen Him taken up into His glory. What do we learn from these words about the coming of our Lord? Who will see Him when He returns? What is the difference between the first and the second coming of Christ? Our Lord will come again with power and glory. What will all men have to confess on that day, even His enemies? Who will escort the Lord when He returns in His glory?—What is the purpose of His coming? Whom will the Lord judge? What judgment will He pronounce on His sheep? How do we become His sheep? Who, therefore, will stand before the Son of Man on Judgment Day? What terrible sentence will His enemies hear? Our Lord tells us that after the Judgment His enemies will go away into everlasting punishment, but His sheep into everlasting life. How, therefore, is this Judgment?—Who alone knows the day and hour of the second coming of Christ? What should we therefore never try to do? What, however, does Scripture tell us concerning the Last Day? When, therefore, should we expect His coming and prepare for it? What does our Lord Himself say to us, Matt. 25,13? Believe in Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.

And we believe in Jesus Christ, Son of God and Mary's Son, Who from heaven above came down And leads us to heaven's throne; By whose blood and death are we Rescued from all misery.

LESSON 30. The Third Article: Of Sanctification.

The Holy Ghost. The Triune God.

Which is the beginning of the Third Article?

I believe in the Holy Ghost.

1. According to the Second Article we believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, that is, we do not only know that it is true what God's Word says about Christ and His work for us, but we put all our confidence, all our trust, in Him as our Savior who has redeemed us. That is the true, saving faith. This saving faith is not our own work. It is the work of God the Holy Ghost. Without Him and the work which He performs in us no man would come to Jesus and believe in Him. The Holy Ghost alone can and does bring to Christ those that believe in Him. About the Holy Ghost and the work which He performs in us we learn in the Third Article of our Christian Creed.

2. "I believe in the Holy Ghost," these are the first words of the Third Article. We believe in the Holy Ghost, thus we confess. To believe in some one means, as we have learned, to put one's whole confidence and trust in him. Now, God tells us in the First Commandment that we should fear and love Him above all things and trust in Him alone. In God only we should believe. And therefore we believe in the Holy Ghost, because He is the true God. In saying that we believe in the Holy Ghost, we confess that He is the one true God, that He is our God, God as truly as the Father and Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. The apostle says: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God, dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. 3,16. Because the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, dwells in us, we are God's temple. The Holy Ghost therefore is the true God.—Remember what you learned in the history of creation. There we read: "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Gen. 1,2. The work of creation is ascribed to the Spirit of God, to the Holy Ghost. Creation is the work of God. Therefore the Holy Ghost must be God.

3. We believe in the Father, and we believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, and we believe in the Holy Ghost. There are three distinct persons in whom we believe. There are three persons whom we confess to be our God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. And we confess this according to Scripture. Christ, our Lord, commands us to baptize in the name of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Matt. 28,19. Let me remind you of the baptism of our Lord. There the three divine Persons revealed themselves. God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, stood in the river Jordan, being baptized by John. God the Father revealed Himself in a voice from heaven, saying: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And the heavens opened, and the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, like a dove, descended upon our Lord. There are three distinct divine Persons in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

4. We confess that the Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. There are not three gods, however, but only one God. "Hear, O Israel: the Lord, our God, is one Lord." Deut. 6,4. The one and only true God has revealed Himself in three distinct divine Persons. Our God, the one true God, besides whom there is no other God in heaven and earth, is God the Father, God the Son, and God, the Holy Ghost, three divine Persons, but one God. Because God has revealed Himself in three divine Persons, we say: God is the Triune God, the Holy Trinity.—How it is possible that there are three distinct divine Persons, but only one God, we do not understand; but in accordance with the Word of God we believe in the Triune God, in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who has created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us, or makes us holy. In Him we believe, Him we praise and adore as our God.

5. The Holy Ghost is the true God, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. The Third Person is called the Holy Ghost because He Himself is perfectly holy, even as the Father and the Son. He is without sin. "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory." Is. 6,3. Three times God is called holy, because there are three divine Persons in God.—But the Holy Ghost is called holy also because He makes us sinners holy. That is His work, making us holy, who by nature are unholy and sinful. He makes us holy by bringing us to Christ, our Savior, by kindling faith in Him in our hearts. This work of the Holy Ghost we call sanctification.

REMEMBER:—

1. The Holy Ghost is true God together with the Father and the Son. Therefore we confess that we believe in Him.

2. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. According to Scripture we confess three distinct divine Persons in God.

3. There are not three gods, however, but only one true and eternal God, who has revealed Himself in three Persons.

4. The one true God, our God, is the Triune God, the Holy Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

MEMORIZE:—

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor. 3,16.

Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Matt. 28,19.

Hear, O Israel: the Lord, our God, is one Lord. Deut. 6,4.

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. Is. 6,3.

QUESTIONS.

1. Of whom does the Third Article treat? 2. In whom do we believe? 3. What does it mean to believe in some one? 4. In whom alone should we believe? 5. What do we therefore confess when we say that we believe in the Holy Ghost? 6. How do we prove from 1 Cor. 3,16 that the Holy Ghost is true God? 7. What divine work is ascribed in Scripture to the Holy Ghost? 8. What, therefore, must the Holy Ghost be? 9. How many divine persons do we confess in the Three Articles of our Christian Faith? 10. How are they called? 11. In whose name are we baptized? 12. How did the three divine persons reveal themselves at the baptism of our Lord? 13. How many gods are there? 14. In how many persons did the one true God reveal Himself? 15. Who, therefore, is the one true God? 16. How do we call God because He has revealed Himself in three distinct persons? 17. Which person of the Holy Trinity is the Holy Ghost? 18. Why is He called holy? 19. What is His work? 20. By what other name is this work of the Holy Spirit known?

LESSON 31. The Third Article.

Without The Holy Ghost I Cannot Believe In Jesus Or Come To Him.

Which is the Third Article?

I believe in the Holy Ghost.

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him.

1. We confess that we cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ or come to Him. Whoever would be saved must believe in Jesus Christ and so come to Him "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16,31. Christ, our Lord, it is true, has done everything that was necessary for our salvation. He redeemed us, He paid the penalty for all our sins, by His sufferings and death He gained for us the grace of God and the forgiveness of sins. He has done everything that we might be His own and live under Him as our Lord. All things are made ready for our salvation.

2. The only thing that we need do now is to come to Christ and accept from Him all He has gained for us. Take an example. You are in great want and distress. A rich and charitably inclined man offers you a sum of money sufficient to help you out of your trouble. The money is yours, for the rich man has given it to you. If you take it, your want will be at an end. But suppose you do not take it. Perhaps you do not believe that the rich man really means what he says, or you do not want to accept it from him, or, if you have taken it, you are not making use of it. The help has then been offered to you in vain. Your sad condition remains as it was. So it is with what Christ, our Savior, has merited for us. He has gained full salvation for us, and He offers it to us in His Word. If we do not accept it, His work is in vain as far as we are concerned; we remain in our sins.

3. How do we accept what Christ has gained for us? By believing in Him as our Savior. He believes in Christ who from his whole heart confesses: I know from the Word of God that Christ is my Lord, that He has redeemed me from all my sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. I know from the Word of God that I am Christ's own, His child, that He is really my Lord. For His sake all my sins are forgiven. Through His suffering and death I am free from death and damnation and have everlasting life. What Christ has done He has done for me, a lost and condemned sinner. In Him is my only hope. By faith we come to Christ. Faith is, as it were, the hand with which we take everything that Christ has gained for us.

4. Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be saved, that is the only way to heaven and everlasting life. But we confess that we cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to Him. Alas! also this is most certainly true. We are lost and condemned sinners. The Scriptures tell us that all men are by nature blind in these things. We do not understand the glorious message that in Christ alone is our salvation. We always try to save ourselves by our good works. If we are told about this salvation, we think it foolishness. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto Him." 1 Cor. 2,14.—We have not the strength to come to Jesus, our Savior. We are dead in the sight of God. "Ye were dead in trespasses and sins." Eph. 2,1. A dead person cannot do anything to bring himself to life again. Lazarus could not raise himself from the grave. So we cannot do anything to raise ourselves from our death in sins. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord [that is, believe in Him] but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Cor. 12,3. And even if we could, we would not come to Jesus and believe in Him. We are by nature God's enemies. We do not want to be saved by Him. We cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to Him. As far as we are concerned, we are lost.

5. But God has had pity on us. He sent His Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost does what we cannot do. He brings us to Christ, He works in us true faith. True faith is God's work in us, the work of the Holy Ghost, His work alone. Not our works, but His grace alone moves Him to do this work. "By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2,8.9.

REMEMBER:—

1. Christ has done everything for my salvation. All now depends upon my coming to Jesus, my Lord and Savior.

2. I come to Jesus by believing in Him. True faith in Christ is not my own work. I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, or come to Him.

3. Saving faith in Christ is the work of the Holy Ghost alone. Not my works or my merits, but only His grace has moved Him to bring me to Christ and save me.

MEMORIZE:—

The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto Him. 1 Cor. 2,14.

Ye were dead in trespasses and sins. Eph. 2,1.

No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost. 1 Cor. 12,3.

By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.

QUESTIONS.

1. What has Christ done for our salvation? 2. In what manner did He gain for us the grace of God, forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting? 3. What is now the one thing necessary for our salvation? 4. What happens if we do not accept all that Christ offers us for our salvation? 5. How do we come to Christ and accept in true faith what He has gained for us? 6. What does it mean to believe in Christ? 7. In what respect may we compare our faith with a hand? 8. Which is the only way to heaven? 9. What do we confess in the Third Article about our coming to Christ and believing in Him? 10. Why are we not able to come to Christ by our own reason? 11. How do we always try to save ourselves? 12. Why do we not have strength to come to Jesus and believe in Him? 13. What does the apostle say 1 Cor. 12,3? 14. Who alone can bring us to Christ and work faith in us? 15. What moves the Holy Ghost to perform this work in us?

LESSON 32. The Third Article.

The Holy Ghost Has Called Me.

Which is the Third Article?

I believe in the Holy Ghost.

What does this mean?

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him, but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel.

1. We cannot by our own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, or come to Him. The Holy Ghost alone is able to bring us to Christ, our Savior. How does He bring us to Christ? We confess as children of God that the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel. By calling me through the Gospel, the Holy Ghost has brought me to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Let us see what this means.

2. Our Lord, in a parable, once spoke of a certain rich man who made a great supper for his guests. And he sent out his servants at supper-time to say to those who were bidden: "Come, for all things are now ready." Luke 14,16.17. The meal was prepared, and the rich man invited his guests to come and partake of it. At dinner-time, when your mother has prepared dinner for the family, she calls to you, "Dinner is ready. Now come and eat! It is prepared for you too." In a similar manner the Holy Ghost calls us and invites us to come to Christ and accept His salvation. Christ, our Savior, has prepared all things; He has prepared forgiveness of all our sins, life, and salvation. All things necessary for our salvation are ready in Christ. All is finished. And now the Holy Ghost brings us these glad tidings: All things are now ready, all things needed for your salvation. Come, whosoever you are, come to your Savior! Come and take and enjoy what He in His great love has prepared for you. We come to Jesus only by faith. The Holy Ghost calls us and invites us, Come, believe in your Savior, and You will be saved.

3. You do not see the Holy Ghost when He calls you. The Holy Ghost calls you by the Gospel. The Gospel, as you have learned (Lesson 14), is the glad tidings of the grace of God for all men, the tidings of what Christ has done for us to save us. As the rich man in the parable, so the Holy Ghost sends His servants. These servants are all those who tell you the Gospel of Christ, your minister, your teacher, your parents, etc. When you hear the Gospel or read it, the Holy Ghost comes to you and calls you. In the Gospel He says to you: All things have been prepared by Christ; they are ready for you, for your salvation. In Christ you have forgiveness of your sins and salvation. Come now, you lost and condemned sinner, and take what your Lord freely offers you. Believe in Christ, and you will be saved. That is the call of the Holy Ghost by the Gospel. "He called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 2,14.

4. When your mother calls you to dinner, you must come by your own will and strength, and you have the strength to do so. We sinners have neither the will nor the strength to come to Jesus. The Holy Ghost knows that we cannot by our own strength come to our Savior. By calling us He gives us the strength to hear and to follow His call. By His call He brings us to Christ and works in us faith in our Lord, so that we willingly come to Him. The call of the Holy Ghost is God's call, full of power. This work of the Holy Ghost we also call conversion. The Holy Ghost alone converts us, that is, He turns us from our sins to Christ. "Turn Thou me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art the Lord, my God." Jer. 31,18.

5. Remember that the Holy Ghost brings you to Christ by the Gospel. Only through the Gospel does He work in the hearts of men. The Gospel is the means by which we obtain the grace of God and salvation. If we do not read or hear the Word of God, the Gospel, the Holy Ghost cannot perform His work in us. Therefore you should diligently read and hear the Word of God, the Gospel. "It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1,16.

REMEMBER:—

1. Christ has prepared your whole salvation. All is ready, ready for you. The Holy Ghost calls and invites you to come and partake freely of what Jesus has gained for you.

2. By His call the Holy Ghost gives you strength to follow His call, to come to your Lord. He Himself works by His call in your heart the true faith in your Savior and so brings you to Christ. This work of the Holy Ghost is also called conversion. Conversion is the work of the Holy Ghost alone. Our salvation is a free gift of God.

3. The Holy Ghost calls us by the Gospel of Christ. Diligently read and hear God's saving Word.

MEMORIZE:—

Come, for all things are now ready. Luke 14,17.

Turn Thou me, and I shall be turned; for Thou art the Lord, my God. Jer. 31,18.

By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast. Eph. 2,8.9.

I am not ashame of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Rom. 1,16.

QUESTIONS.

1. What do we confess in the Third Article concerning ourselves? 2. Whose work is it that we come to Christ? 3. Who has prepared all things necessary for our salvation? 4. Who calls us to come and partake of all that Christ has gained? 5. What do we mean when we say that the Holy Ghost calls us? 6. By what means does the Holy Ghost call us to Jesus? 7. What is the Gospel? 8. Who are the servants the Holy Ghost sends to us with the Gospel message? 9. What the Holy Ghost do when you hear or read the Gospel? 10. What are we not able to do of ourselves when the Holy Ghost calls us? 11. What does the Holy Ghost give us when He calls us? 12. What does He work in us by His call? 13. What other name have we for this work of the Holy Ghost? 14. Whose work alone is our conversion? 15. To whom does the Holy Ghost tun us when He converts us? 16. The Holy Ghost converts us by the Gospel; what should we therefore diligently do?

LESSON 33. The Third Article.

The Holy Ghost Has Enlightened, Sanctified, And Kept Me In The True Faith.

Which is the Third Article?

I believe in the Holy Ghost.

What does this mean?

I believe that the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.

1. The Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, and in doing so He has also enlightened me with His gifts. By calling me, He has kindled true faith in Christ in me, so that I know Christ and acknowledge Him to be my Savior, I believe and trust, rejoice and find comfort in Him alone for life and death. These are gifts of the Holy Ghost with which He enlightens every child of God: true knowledge of Christ as his Redeemer, true faith in Him, peace with God, his Father, joy and comfort in all distress. What wonderful gifts! How rich does the Holy Ghost make a child of God! Do not forget to thank Him daily for the precious gifts He bestows upon you.

2. "The Holy Ghost has sanctified me," that is, He has made me holy, and He does this every day, more and more. He sanctifies me "in the true faith." By His call the Holy Ghost has called forth in us true faith in our Lord. Through faith you have forgiveness of sins and are a child of God, with whom God, for Christ's sake, is well pleased. But it is God's will that His children lead a holy life, flee and shun all sin, and live according to His commandments. "This is the will of God, even your sanctification." 1 Thess. 4,3. Of ourselves we cannot do this, but the Holy Ghost comes to our aid. He sanctifies us, He makes us holy. Through faith He comes into our heart and dwells in us. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. 3,16. And the Holy Ghost works in us, the children of God. In His strength we begin to hate the sins that we formerly loved, and to flee them. In His strength we begin to fear and love God above all things, and to trust in Him. We no longer serve the devil and our sins, but begin to serve our Lord who has redeemed us, and our Father in heaven.

3. True, we are not perfectly holy, nor do we become so as long as we live here on earth. True children of God also must confess that they daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment. But they are heartily sorry for this. They daily ask God's forgiveness for Christ's sake. And the Holy Ghost daily gives them new strength and power to fight and struggle against all temptations of the devil and the world and their own evil lusts. He daily gives them new strength to walk in godliness, to love God and their neighbor. Let us abide in Him, and we shall more and more overcome the devil, the world, and our sins, become more and more holy as our Lord and God is holy. "He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing." John 15,5.

4. "The Holy Ghost has kept me in the true faith," so a child of God confesses. The Holy Ghost has already called and enlightened us and begun to sanctify us in Holy Baptism. There already He has brought us to Christ and has bestowed His precious gifts upon us. And to-day we still have the true faith; we believe in our Savior, and in Him we are children of God. That is not our own merit, it is the work of the Holy Ghost in us. He has worked in us by the Gospel, through our parents, through the Christian school and the church, and by the Gospel. He has kept us in the true faith. "Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." 1 Pet. 1,5.—And He has promised in His Word that He will keep us in this faith until our end. "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phil. 1,6.

5. This is the work of the Holy Ghost in all true believers, and He is willing to perform this work in every one who hears the Gospel. God earnestly desires to save all men. "God will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. 2,4. Christ died for all men; He redeemed all lost and condemned sinners. The Gospel is a power of God unto salvation to all who read and hear it.—And yet not all men are saved; most men are lost. What is the cause of this? They are lost by their own fault. Most men will not be saved. They obstinately resist the Holy Ghost and the saving Gospel, and so they do not come to Christ, but are condemned. "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thine help." Hos. 13,9.

REMEMBER:—

1. The Holy Ghost has enlightened me and bestowed on me His precious gifts, the right knowledge of Christ, true faith in Him.

2. He sanctifies me and makes me holy. He daily gives me strength to struggle against Satan, world, and sin, to overcome them and to lead a godly life, to love God and my neighbor.

3. He has, by the Gospel, kept me in the true faith until this day, and He has promised me that He will do so until the end.

4. This work the Holy Ghost desires to perform in all that hear the Gospel. Whosoever is lost is lost by his own fault.

MEMORIZE:—

This is the will of God, even your sanctification. 1 Thess. 4,3.

Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. 1 Pet. 1,5.

He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Phil. 1,6.

God will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Tim. 2,4.

QUESTIONS.

1. Which is the second work of the Holy Ghost mentioned in our Catechism? 2. With what does the Holy Ghost enlighten us? 3. What are His gifts? 4. What has the Holy Ghost by His call kindled in us? 5. Whose children are we through faith? 6. What is God's will regarding His children? (1 Cor. 3,16.) 7. What does the word "sanctify" mean? 8. Who performs this work in us? 9. What do we, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, begin to hate? 10. Whom do we begin to love? 11. What must even true believers confess? 12. What do we therefore daily ask of God? 13. And what does the Holy Ghost daily grant us? 14. Which is the last work which the Holy Ghost performs in us? 15. Since when has He kept us in the true faith? 16. How long has He promised to keep us in the faith? 17. In whom will the Holy Ghost perform this work He has begun in us? 18. What is the gracious will of God toward all men? 19. What is the reason that not all men are saved? 20. Whose fault is it that they are lost? 21. By whose work alone are we saved?

LESSON 34. The Third Article.

REVIEW LESSON.

1. In the Third Article of our Creed we learn about the Holy Ghost, about His person and His work. We confess that we believe in the Holy Ghost. In whom alone should we believe? What do we therefore confess of the Holy Ghost when we say that we believe in Him? How can we prove from Holy Scripture that the Holy Ghost is true God? 1 Cor. 3,16. Which divine work is ascribed to the Holy Ghost?

2. In whom do we believe according to the First Article? In whom according to the Second Article? And in whom according to the Third Article? In how many Persons of the Godhead do we believe, according to our Creed? There are three distinct Persons in whom we believe. We believe in them; what, therefore, are they? All these three persons are the true God. In whose name have we been baptized? On what occasion did these three divine Persons reveal themselves to us? How did they reveal themselves at the baptism of Christ? The Father is God, the Son is God, and tho Holy Ghost is God; how many Gods are there? In how many Persons did the one true God reveal Himself? Who, therefore, is the one true God? What do we call God because He is one and has revealed Himself in three Persons?—Why is the third Person of God called the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost makes us holy; what do we call this work of the Holy Spirit?

3. What has Christ done for our salvation? What has He gained for us in order to save us? What is now the one thing necessary for our salvation? What becomes of us if we do not come to Jesus and accept what He has merited for us? How do we come to Jesus and accept all that He offers us?—Believe in Jesus Christ, your Savior; that is the only way to heaven. But what must we confess concerning our believing and coming to Christ? Why can we not by our own reason and strength believe in Christ or come to Him? What do we read Eph. 2,1? Wo are dead in trespasses and sins. A dead person cannot do anything to raise himself from death to a new life. As far as we are concerned, we are lost and condemned creatures. Who took pity on us? Whom did God send to raise us from the death of our sins? To whom does the Holy Ghost bring us? Do we and can we help Him to perform this work in us? Whose work alone is it? By what is the Holy Ghost moved to bring us to Christ, our Lord, and thus to save us?

4. The Holy Ghost alone can bring us to Christ. Our Catechism tells us how the Spirit of God performs this work in us. What do we confess in the Third Article about this work of the Holy Ghost? The Holy Ghost has called me. In which parable does Christ Himself explain what this means? As this rich man had prepared a supper for His guests, so Christ has prepared, as it were, a supper for us, for all men. What is this supper which Christ has prepared for all men? In what manner did He prepare everything for our salvation? Who now calls us to the salvation Christ has prepared? What does the Holy Ghost say to us in this call? We come to our Lord and to the meal He has prepared for us by believing in Him. The Holy Ghost calls and invites us to believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord, and be saved.—By what means does the Holy Ghost call and invite us to Christ, to faith in Him? Who, generally, are the servants He sends out to call us to Christ by the Gospel? But who is it that really calls us when we hear the Gospel?—The Holy Ghost calls us by the Gospel. He says to us, Come to your Lord and be saved. What are we not able to do by our own strength when the Holy Ghost calls us? What does the Holy Ghost give us in calling us? What does He call forth in us by His call? What do we call this work of the Spirit? Who alone performs conversion in us? The Holy Ghost brings us to Christ, or converts us, only through the Gospel. When can the Holy Ghost not perform this work in us? What should we therefore diligently do?

5. What is the second work of the Holy Ghost? With what does the Holy Ghost enlighten us? What are His gifts?—The Holy Ghost sanctifies me; what does that mean? The Holy Ghost sanctifies us in the true faith. Whose children are we through faith? What is God's will toward His children? 1 Thess. 4,3. Who performs this work in us? The Holy Ghost dwells in our heart, and renews and sanctifies it. What do we hate now by the power He has granted us? Whom do we begin to love?—Our sanctification in this life is never perfect. What must also the children of God confess? What do they therefore ask of their Lord every day? But what does the Holy Ghost daily give them? Against whom do the children of God daily struggle and fight? In whose strength do they more and more overcome the devil, the world, and their own sins?—Which is the last work performed in us by the Holy Ghost? Since when has the Holy Ghost kept us in the true faith? How long has He promised to keep us with Christ?—In whom is the Holy Ghost willing to perform His work to the end in order to save them? What is God's gracious will towards all men? What additional proof can you give for the fact that God desires all men to be saved? How is it that not all men are saved? Whose fault is it that those are lost who are condemned? By whose grace and work alone are we saved?

LESSON 35. The Third Article.

The Holy Christian Church.

Which is the Third Article?

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.

What does this mean?

I believe that ... the Holy Ghost has called me, ... even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.

1. God the Holy Ghost has called me to Christ, sanctified me, and kept me in the true faith. The Holy Ghost, however, has performed this work of His grace not only on me. Besides me He has called, and still calls, many poor lost sinners to Christ, enlightens them with His precious gifts, with faith in their Savior. All these the Holy Ghost also "gathers," as our Catechism states. The Holy Ghost does not suffer those who have been converted by the Gospel to be separate, but adds them to His disciples, as on that first Pentecost all those were added to the congregation of the disciples who had been converted by Peter's sermon. Acts 2,41. All true believers are Christ's own; through faith in Him they are closely united as brethren and sisters in the one Lord. All true believers, taken together are the holy Christian Church on earth, which the Holy Ghost sanctifies and keeps in the one true faith.

2. The Third Article calls the Christian Church the communion of saints. It is a communion, a congregation, of saints, that is, of holy people. They are not holy in themselves, but the Holy Ghost has sanctified them, or made them holy, through faith in Christ. In Christ they have forgiveness of all their sins and are holy in the eyes of God. Only true believers in Christ therefore belong to the Christian Church; only they, but all of them. Instead of the communion of saints we might also say the communion of true believers.—The Church is the communion of saints. All believers in Christ are a communion, a congregation; they form, as it were, one body. They do not all live together at one place, in one city, or in the same country,—we find them scattered over all the earth,—but they are closely bound together by one and the same faith in Christ. They belong to one family, of which Christ is the Head and Master, and all are members. The Church is the communion of saints; for believers only, but all believers, are members of it.

3. We believe that the holy Christian Church is here on earth, but we do not see it; it is invisible. Only true believers belong to the Church, and no man can look into another's heart and see his faith. Only One really knows who the members of the Church are. "The Lord knoweth them that are His." 2 Tim. 2,19. We cannot see the Church, but we believe that it is here on earth; for holy Scripture assures us that the Holy Ghost by the Gospel at all times calls men to Christ and keeps them in the true faith to the end of the world. Our Lord says: "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matt. 16,18.—The Church is holy because all its members are holy by faith in Christ and in the strength of the Holy Ghost lead a godly life and serve their Lord in His kingdom in righteousness.—It is called the Christian Church because it is built on Christ. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3,11. And He is not only its Foundation, but also the Head and King of the Church.

4. We do not see the Church, but we know where it is, where we can find it. The Holy Ghost calls and keeps the Church only by the Gospel. God has promised us that, where His Gospel is preached, it shall not remain without fruit; some of those who hear it will come to Christ and believe in Him. Wherever the Word of God is preached, and only where it is in use, the holy Christian Church is to be found.

5. Scripture also speaks of a visible Church, of visible congregations of Christians. A visible Church is the number of all those who call themselves Christians, who profess their faith in Christ and are gathered about God's Word. In these visible congregations there are not only true believers, but also hypocrites, who indeed confess the Christian faith, but do not believe in their Savior. Among the visible churches there are many false churches and one true visible Church. The true visible Church teaches and confesses the Word of God in all its purity, without false doctrines. This true visible Church is the Evangelical Lutheran Church. To this Church we ought to belong, and to no other; for our Lord says: "If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth; and the truth shall make you free." John 8, 31.32. "Beware of false prophets!" Matt. 7,15.

REMEMBER:—

1. Let it be your earnest concern to be and remain a member of the invisible Church of Christ; remain steadfast in the true faith. He that believes, and He only, shall be saved.

2. Let it also be your earnest concern to belong to the true visible Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church. In this Church the pure Word is preached, the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation. Avoid all false churches. "Beware of false prophets!"

3. Pray and work with all diligence for your Church that it may be maintained and extended. Matt. 28,19.

MEMORIZE:—

The Lord knoweth them that are His. 2 Tim. 2,19.

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt. 16,18.

Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 3,11.

If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth; and the truth shall make you free. John 8,31.32.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who are the members of the holy Christian Church? 2. By whom was the Church founded? 3. In what way does the Holy Ghost build up and preserve the Church? 4. What is the Church also called in the Third Article? 5. Who are the saints? 6. Why are believers called saints? 7. How are they sanctified by the Holy Ghost? 8. What does the Word "communion" mean? 9. What binds true believers so closely together? 10. Why is the Church called the holy Church? 11. Why is it called the Christian Church? 12. Where do we find the true Church? 13. Why is this so? 14. What is the visible Church? 15. Who also, besides true believers, belongs to these visible churches? 16. Which is the true visible Church? 17. How is the true visible Church called? 18. Why should we belong to this Church and avoid all false churches?

LESSON 36. The Third Article.

The Forgiveness Of Sins.

Which is the Third Article?

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins.

What does this mean?

In which Church He [the Holy Ghost] daily and richly forgives all sins to me and all believers.

1. We confess in our Catechism that the Holy Ghost forgives all sins to me and all believers. We believe that there is a forgiveness of sins. God's Word assures us of this. "There is forgiveness with Thee." Ps. 130,4. How sorely do we need forgiveness of sins! You know that all men, also believers, commit sin. A child of God indeed earnestly strives against committing any sin, he tries not to transgress the commandments of his heavenly Father; but, alas! also God's children sin daily and much. "There is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not." Eccl. 7,20. With our sins we deserve nothing but God's punishment. "The wages of sin is death." Rom. 6,23. Without forgiveness of sins we are lost.

2. But there is a forgiveness of sins with God. He assures us in His Word that by grace, for Christ's sake, He will forgive me all my sins. He will do so daily and richly. Whenever we have sinned, we should come to Him and pray to Him: Forgive me my trespasses. Even as a child who has grieved his father by his disobedience penitently comes to him and asks his forgiveness, so we in true penitence should daily come to our heavenly Father, whom we have so sorely grieved, whose punishment we deserve, and ask His forgiveness. He will not cast us out. He will hear our prayer, and we will praise Him: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases." Ps. 103,2.3. The publican came into the Temple and humbly said: "God be merciful to me, a sinner!" and God was merciful to him; he went down to his house justified. He had received forgiveness of his sins. Luke 18,9-14.

3. God forgives us our sins. He is moved to do this not by our good works or merits. God does not see anything in us which could induce Him to forgive us our trespasses. We deserve nothing but punishment. His free grace alone moves God to forgive us all our sins. Our God is a merciful God. He takes pity on us, His sinful children.—By grace God forgives us our sins, that is, He does not look upon our sins, does not impute them to us, but declares us sinners righteous. In the beautiful parable of our Lord which we find Matt. 18,23 ff., the wicked servant asks his Lord to have patience with him, whom he owed so much. And the kind lord, moved with compassion, loosed the servant from his fetters and forgave him all his debts, which he never would have been able to pay. Thus God, moved with compassion, does not punish us as we have deserved, and declares us free from debt, declares us righteous, or in other words, God justifies us.

4. How can the just and holy God who has threatened to punish all who transgress His commandments forgive sins and declare sinners righteous? He does so for Christ's sake. In Christ we have the forgiveness of sins. "In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." Eph. 1,7 Christ fulfilled the Law of God in our stead, He suffered the punishment for our sins, and so made good for us. He has earned full forgiveness for us; for His sake all our sins are forgiven.

5. Who receives forgiveness of sins? We confess that God forgives all sins to me and all believers. It is true, Christ has procured forgiveness for all men—Christ died for every sinner. God, in His grace, offers this forgiveness by the Gospel to all who hear it. We read: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world [all men] unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation." 2 Cor. 5,19. Yet not all receive forgiveness, but only those who believe in Christ and thus accept the forgiveness which Christ has earned for all men. Without faith in Christ there is no forgiveness of sins. We are justified by faith alone.

6. We receive forgiveness of sins, we are justified before God, without the deeds of the Law, by grace alone, for Christ's sake, through faith in our Lord. This is the chief article of our Christian faith. This doctrine is taught only by the Christian Church. It gives all the glory for our salvation to God and affords true comfort to all sinners.

REMEMBER:—

1. God has promised in His Word to forgive us all our sins daily and richly. Come to Him every day and with true penitence, with a contrite heart, ask His forgiveness for Christ's sake. He will graciously grant it.

2. We are justified in the sight of God without the deeds of the Law, by His grace, for Christ's sake, through faith in Him. This is the chief doctrine of the Christian Church and the only one that gives lasting comfort to all sinners.

MEMORIZE:—

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases. Ps. 103,2.3.

In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Eph. 1,7.

God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and has committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5,19.

QUESTIONS.

1. Why do we so sorely need daily forgiveness of sins? 2. What do we deserve with our sins before God? 3. Of what does God assure us in His Word with regard to our sins? 4. What should we therefore do every day? 5. How did the publican in the Temple ask for forgiveness 6. How did God answer his prayer? Luke 18, 13.14. 7. Why cannot our works and merits induce God to grant us forgiveness? 8. By what is God moved to forgive us our sins? 9. God forgives us our sins—what does that mean? 10. What do we also call this act of God by which He forgives us our sins? 11. For whose sake does God forgive, or justify, us? 12. Why do we have forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake? 13. Who only receives forgiveness of sins? 14. Why is faith in Christ necessary if we wish to receive forgiveness? 15. How are we justified before God? 16. Why is this doctrine the chief doctrine of our Church?

LESSON 37. The Third Article

The Resurrection Of The Body And Life Everlasting.

Which is the Third Article?

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

What does this mean?

He [the Holy Ghost] will at the Last Day raise up me and all the dead and give unto me and all believers in Christ eternal life. This is most certainly true.

1. We believe the resurrection of the body, so we confess. We believe that God will raise up me and all the dead, so that our bodies which have died shall again be made alive and come forth from their graves. Our bodies die and are buried, and in the grave they decay. These same bodies will live again. It is true, we cannot understand how this is possible. To unbelievers it seems ridiculous, they laugh and mock at this doctrine. Still we believe it; we are assured by the Word of God that our dead shall live again. And "the Word of the Lord is right." Ps. 33,4. Our Lord says: "The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth." John 5,28. Our God is almighty, with Him nothing is impossible. Luke 1,37.

2. God will raise me and all the dead. All that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth from their graves. Christ will not only raise His own, His believers, but all men, those, too, who did not believe in Him, but died in their sins.—"The hour is coming," our Lord says: it is coming on the Last Day of the world. On that great day, when our Lord will come again to judge the quick and the dead, all the dead shall hear the almighty voice of the Son of God and whether they will or not, shall come forth from their graves to meet their God and Lord at His judgment-seat.

3. All the dead will be raised from death and the grave; but there will be a great difference in their resurrection. Our Lord says: "They that have done good [shall come forth] unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." John 5,29. Those who here on earth believed in Christ, and by the power of His grace served Him in His kingdom, and died in the Lord trusting in Him, will come forth to life everlasting and go with their Lord to His eternal glory. They that have done evil, those who rejected their Savior and died in their sins, will rise unto the resurrection of damnation. They will be thrown into hell, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt. 25,41. May our heavenly Father keep us steadfast in the true faith and preserve us from hell and damnation!

4. They that have done good, those who believed in Christ and died in the Lord, shall come forth unto the resurrection of life. At the Last Day the risen Lord will raise all that fell asleep in Him, and will give them life everlasting, life without end. We confess that the Lord will "give me and all believers eternal life." The Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, by His grace I believe in my Savior, by grace He has kept me in the faith, and so I am assured that He will give me eternal life. "Whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3,16. To me and all believers the Lord will give eternal life, but to believers only. "He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life, and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3,36.

5. God will give us believers eternal life. Christ will lead His own, His believers, soul and body, into His heavenly kingdom, there to live and reign with Him in everlasting joy and glory. In heaven there will be no sin; in perfect holiness we shall serve our Lord. There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. Rev. 21,4. All these things shall have passed away. There will be pure and true joy and happiness forever and ever. We shall be with God: we shall see Him, our heavenly King and Father, and His wondrous ways. "We shall see Him as He is." 1 John 3,2. We shall see our dear Lord and Savior, whom we love now even without having seen Him. We shall see Him in His glory, in the glory which His Father has given Him. What unspeakable joy to see God, our Lord and Savior, to be and live with Him! "In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Ps. 16,11.—Our bodies will share this joy. They will come forth glorified, freed from all sin, sickness, and infirmity, fashioned like unto the glorious body of our risen Lord.

REMEMBER:—

1. It is most certainly true that the Holy Ghost by the Gospel has called me to Christ, my Lord, and enlightened me with His gifts, with true faith in my Savior.

2. It is most certainly true that in Christ I have forgiveness of all my sins, that I am justified before God without the deeds of the Law, by grace alone, for Christ's sake through faith.

3. It is most certainly true that the Holy Ghost will keep me in the true faith, and at the day of my Lord raise my glorified body and give to me and all believers in Christ eternal life. I am assured of all of this by the Word of God. This is what I firmly believe and hope for in life and death.

MEMORIZE:—

The hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth: they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation. John 5,28.29.

We shall see Him as He is. 1 John 3,2.

In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore. Ps. 16,11.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, and He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3,36.

QUESTIONS.

1. "We believe the resurrection of the body"—what does this mean? 2. What happens to our bodies when we die? 3. Why do we believe that God will raise our bodies? 4. Why do we firmly believe that God can do this though to us it seems impossible? 5. Who will hear the voice of the Son of God when His hour has come? 6. When will His hour come? 7. What difference will there be in the resurrection of the dead? 8. Who are "they that have done good"? 9. Who are "they that have done evil"? 10. To what kind of resurrection will these come forth? 11. What will the Lord at the Last Day give unto me and all believers? 12. Why am I assured that He will give eternal life also to me? 13. What does our Lord say John 3,36? 14. What will there no longer be in eternal life? 15. What will give us everlasting joy and happiness in eternal life? 16. How will the bodies of the believers rise at that day? 17. Like unto whose body will they be fashioned? 18. Why do we believe that all we have confessed in the Third Article is most certainly true?

LESSON 38 The Third Article.

Review Lesson.

1. God the Holy Ghost has called me to Christ, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. Besides me He has called and calls others. What does the Holy Ghost also do in regard to all that He has brought to Christ? What does it mean that He gathers them? What does Scripture call the whole number of all true believers?—What is the Christian Church also called in the Third Article? Why are the believers called saints? What does the word communion signify? Who only, therefore, belongs to the one true Christian Church?—Why is this Church invisible? The true Church is invisible; still we know and are convinced that it is always here on earth. Why are we certain about this? What does our Lord say concerning His Church Matt. 16,18? We call the Church the holy Church; why do we do this? Why is the Church called the Christian Church? Christ is the Foundation of the Church, what else?—We cannot see the Church, still we know where we can find it. Where is it to be found? Why can we be certain that the Church is where the Word of God, the Gospel, is preached and used?—There is one true Church of Christ, the congregation of all believers on earth. But Scripture also speaks of visible churches, visible congregations. What do we mean when we speak of visible churches? To these churches not only true believers belong, but who also? Of these visible churches, or denominations, there is quite a number. What difference exists among these churches? Which is the true visible Church? What is it called? To which Church should we belong?

2. In the Third Article we also confess the forgiveness of sins. Why do we so sorely need forgiveness of sins? What have we deserved with our sins? What will be our fate if we do not receive forgiveness of sins?— Of what does God assure us in His Word concerning our sins? We daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment; what should we therefore do every day? How did the publican in the Temple pray to God for forgiveness? How do you know that God answered his prayer?—God forgives the sins of all who come to Him in true penitence. What does not move God to forgive us our sins? Why cannot anything He sees in us induce Him to grant us forgiveness? What moves God to forgive us our sins? What do we mean when we say that God forgives sin? For whose sake does the just and holy God grant us forgiveness? In whom have we redemption, the forgiveness of sins? What has Christ done to earn this forgiveness?—For whom has Christ procured forgiveness? How does God offer this forgiveness? What, however, is necessary if we wish to receive this precious gift of God? How, therefore, are we justified in the sight of God? Why is this doctrine of justification so important? We should by all means hold fast to this doctrine: We are justified without the deeds of the Law, by God's grace alone, for Christ's sake, through faith in Him, our Savior.

3. In the Third Article we furthermore confess the resurrection of the body. How does our Catechism explain these words? How is the doctrine of the resurrection of the body regarded by the unbelievers? Why do we nevertheless believe it?—God will raise the dead. How many of them will He bring to life again? All shall hear the voice of the Son of God and come forth. When will Christ raise all the dead? What is this "Last Day"? All the dead will rise again at the Last Day; but there will be a difference among them. What will this difference be? Who will come forth unto the resurrection of damnation? Who are they that have done evil? What will be their punishment on that day? May our heavenly Father preserve us from hell and damnation!—Who will come forth unto the resurrection of life? Who are they that have done good? What will God give to me and all believers on that day? From what shall we be free in eternal life? With whom shall we be? Not only shall we be with Him, united with Him by faith, what, too, has He promised us? 1 John 3,2. Whom also shall we see in the heavenly kingdom? What do we read Ps. 16,11? How will our bodies be after the resurrection? Like whose body will they be fashioned? What do we mean by adding: "This is most certainly true"?

And we confess the Holy Ghost, Who from both fore'er proceeds, Who upholds and comforts us In the midst of fears and needs. Blest and holy Trinity, Praise forever be to Thee!

LESSON 39. The Lord's Prayer.

The Introduction.

Which is the Introduction?

Our Father who art in heaven.

What does this mean?

God would by these Words tenderly invite us to believe that He is our true Father, and that we are His true children, so that we may with all boldness and confidence ask Him as dear children ask their dear father.

1. We have thus far considered the Ten Commandments, the holy Law of the Lord, in which our heavenly Father tells us what we should do and not do, how we, as His children, should live according to His will. We have considered the Law, which teaches us that we have not kept it, that we have sinned against God and therefore deserved His punishment, eternal death and damnation.—We have considered the Three Articles of the Christian Faith, which teach us the Gospel, the glad tidings of what the Triune God, our Redeemer, has done and will do for us to save us from sin and death, that we may live in His kingdom in everlasting innocence, righteousness, and blessedness. In its Third Part our Catechism explains to us the Lord's Prayer, that is, the prayer that our Lord once taught His apostles.