REFORMATION 500 WEEK 26: HEIDELBERG CATECHISM QA’S 69-71

Reformation 500 WEEK 26: Heidelberg Catechism QA’s 69-71

Question 69: How is it signified and sealed to you [the believer] in Holy Baptism that you have part in [received the benefits of] the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross? Thus: that Christ instituted this outward washing with water and joined to it this promise, that I am washed with His blood and Spirit from the pollution of my soul, that is, from all my sins, as certainly as I am washed outwardly with water, whereby commonly the filthiness of the body is taken away.

     We have already learned that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the NT signs and seals of salvation for believers, replacing the OT signs and seals of salvation: circumcision and Passover. We will now begin to learn that baptism is the sign and seal of the beginning of our salvation in forgiveness and regeneration; whereas the Lord’s Supper is the sign and seal of the continual growth of our salvation in communion with Christ. “Baptism is the sign of the covenant between God and the faithful; the Lord’s Supper is the sign of the preservation of the same covenant” (Ursinus, 380).

     It is clear that baptism has replaced circumcision, because they both symbolize and certify for believers “circumcision of the heart” (Rom. 2:29) – which is a forgiven and regenerated heart (Deut. 30:6; Isaiah 52:1; Jer. 4:4; Phil. 3:3; Col. 2:11-14). We have already learned that God first established His covenant of grace with Abraham by saving him through faith in the Christ who was to come (John 8:58). Then He gave him circumcision as “a sign of the covenant” (Gen. 17:11), to certify his salvation in Christ (Rom. 4:11). For the believer, circumcision certified both forgiveness (the removal of sin’s guilt) and regeneration (the removal of sin’s inborn corruption). Since Christ’s blood on the cross has abolished all other blood-shedding, baptism is now the sign and seal of a forgiven and regenerated heart (Col. 2:11-14).

     God designs baptism to be a visible symbol to certify His promise to every believer: “whoever believes in Him will receive the remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). God uses water (a cleansing agent) to certify the same promise: “just as certainly as water washes away the dirt of your body, I have washed away the dirt of your soul. I have forgiven you and regenerated you for the sake of My Son’s sacrifice on the cross.” Thus, God “uses this external symbol as a means, and as a visible word or promise to stir up and confirm the faith of those who are baptized” (Ursinus, 372). We must first have faith before our baptism can confirm or strengthen our faith (cf. Acts 8:36-38).

     The amount of water used in baptism is not the important thing. The Greek word for baptism “means to plunge, to dip, to wash, or to sprinkle. In the eastern church they were ordinarily immersed. Those, however, who lived in the colder regions of the north were commonly sprinkled with water. But this is a matter of no importance, as washing may be performed either by dipping or sprinkling” (Ursinus, 357). Being cleansed by the blood of Jesus is referred to as a “sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:2); which is appropriately symbolized and certified by the sprinkling of water: “I will sprinkle clean water on you…I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart…I will put My Spirit within you” (Ezek. 36:25-27). We believers have “our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb. 10:22).

Question 70: What is it to be washed with the blood and Spirit of Christ? It is to have the forgiveness of sins from God through grace, for the sake of Christ’s blood, which He shed for us in His sacrifice on the cross; and also to be renewed by the Holy Spirit and sanctified to be members of Christ, so that we may more and more die unto sin and lead holy and blameless lives.

     Our spiritual cleansing has two parts: (1) cleansing by the blood of Christ, which is to be forgiven the penalty of sin for the sake of Christ’s shed-blood on the cross; and (2) cleansing by the Spirit of Christ, which is to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5), which is the beginning of sanctification (the removal of the inward corruption of sin), “which consists in a change of evil inclinations into those which are good, which the Holy Spirit works in the will and heart, so as to produce in us hatred to sin, and a desire to live according to the will of God” (Ursinus, 361).

     Baptism is to be administered only once (just as circumcision was never performed more than once on the same individual) because it symbolizes and certifies for every believer what happens only once: the forgiveness of the eternal penalty of sin; and regeneration. Therefore, as we stated earlier, baptism is the sign and seal of the beginning of our salvation in forgiveness and regeneration.

     This is why baptism is used as an initiation ceremony into the Christian church (Acts 2:40-41, 47), just as circumcision was the initiatory ceremony into the Jewish church. Initiation into the new covenant community by baptism is a sign and seal of the believer’s initiation into the covenant of grace through forgiveness and regeneration.

     Since “external baptism is a sign of the internal, that is, of regeneration, salvation and of spiritual absolution” (Ursinus, 372), “the church administers baptism lawfully…only to those whom she ought to regard among the number of the regenerate” [Acts 10:48] (Ursinus, 373). This will be explained more fully in QA 74.

Question 71: Where has Christ promised that we are as certainly washed with His blood and Spirit as with the water of Baptism? In the institution of Baptism, which says: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” [Matt. 28:19]. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” [Mark 16:16]. This promise is also repeated where Scripture calls Baptism “the washing of regeneration” [Titus 3:5] and “the washing away of sins” [Acts 22:16].

     Question 71 quotes the four main proof texts of the Catechism’s teaching on baptism: Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Titus 3:5; and Acts 22:16. The latter three will be explained in connection with Question 72. Concerning Matthew 28:19, Ursinus has a good summary: “Baptism is a sacred rite instituted by Christ in the NT, by which we are washed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, to signify that God receives us [believers] into His favor, [He forgives us] on account of the blood which His Son shed for us, and that we are regenerated by His Spirit; and that we, on the other hand [as Christ’s disciples and members of His church], bind ourselves to exercise faith in God, and to perform new obedience to Him” (Ursinus, 357). 

NOTE: These Posts were written and  designed as bulletin inserts by Pastor David Fagrey of the Grace Reformed Church of Rapid City, SD .  

Link to this blog entry as a bulletin insert:  Reformation 500 Heidelberg Catechism 69-71

For a double-sided PDF for easy printing: Reformation 500 Week 26

Official Seal of  the RCUS

This is the seal of the Reformed Church of the United States (RCUS).  As you can see its history goes back to 1748, when the RCUS began.  We celebrate with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we praise God for what is probably the most amazing spiritual revival in the history of the world.

Page on Omaha Reformed Church's Website: Links to all Bulletin Inserts.

REFORMATION 500 WEEK 25: HEIDELBERG CATECHISM, QUESTION 65-68

Reformation 500 WEEK 25: Heidelberg Catechism, QUESTION 65-68

Question 65: Since, then, we are made partakers of Christ and all His benefits by faith only, where does this faith come from? The Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the Holy Gospel, and confirms it by the use of the holy sacraments.

     We have learned that salvation is received by faith alone in Christ alone. Now we will learn where our faith in Christ comes from, and how it is strengthened.

     We have already learned in Question 8 that we are spiritually dead, unable to believe in Christ, unless we are regenerated. Therefore, our faith in Christ is “not of ourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph. 2:8). “For to you it has been granted…to believe in Him” (Phil. 1:29). Saving faith is given to us “through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Saving faith is given only to God’s elect.

     Question 65 correctly teaches that, “the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the Holy Gospel.” “How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? …So, then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:14, 17). It pleases God “through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21); you have “been born again…through the word of God...which was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:23, 25). While Paul preached to Lydia, “the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (Acts 16:14; cf. 10:44). “Justifying faith is, therefore, “not ordinarily produced in adults without the preaching of the gospel” (Ursinus, 113).

     After the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts He confirms it, that is, strengthens it “by the use of the holy sacraments [i.e. baptism and the Lord’s Supper].”  The Bible’s teaching concerning the sacraments is explained in Questions 66-82.

Question 66: What are the sacraments? The sacraments are visible holy signs and seals appointed by God for this end, that by their use He may the more fully declare and seal to us [believers] the promise of the Gospel, namely, that of free grace He grants us the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life for the sake of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross.

     The word sacrament (sacred or holy ceremony) is the word the Christian church has traditionally used to refer to the holy ceremonies of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

     Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the NT signs and seals of salvation for believers, replacing the OT signs and seals of salvation: circumcision and Passover. A sign symbolizes or points to something. A seal confirms or certifies something (like a seal on a diploma or a signature on a contract). The terms sign and seal come from Romans 4:11 where Paul spoke of Abraham receiving “the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised.” God first established His covenant of grace with Abraham by saving him through faith in Christ (Rom. 4:12; Gal. 3:17). Then He gave him circumcision as “a sign of the covenant” (Gen. 17:11), to certify Abraham’s salvation in Christ. The cutting of the foreskin symbolized and certified the removal of sin’s penalty and corruption in Christ who “was cut off” for the sins of His people (Isaiah 53:8). In this way, Abraham’s faith in Christ was confirmed and strengthened (John 8:58). The Passover was also a sign of salvation for believers. The blood of the Passover Lamb – “the blood shall be a sign for you” (Ex. 12:13) – was a picture of salvation from the bondage of sin through the blood of “Christ, our Passover, sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7) – “the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Heb. 13:20). “This is My blood of the new covenant” (Mark 14:24). 

     Now that the true blood has flowed, there is no longer the shedding of blood in either circumcision or Passover. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are now the signs and seals of God’s covenant of grace with believers in Christ. “Sacraments are, therefore, the signs of the everlasting covenant between God and the faithful” (Ursinus, 354).

     The holy sacraments symbolize and certify what God promises all believers in the Gospel: forgiveness of sins and everlasting life for the sake of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross (Acts 10:43-48).

Question 67: Are both the Word and the sacraments designed to direct our faith to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation? Yes, truly, for the Holy Spirit teaches in the Gospel and assures us by the holy sacraments, that our whole salvation stands in the one sacrifice of Christ made for us on the cross.

     The word and sacraments preach the same Gospel, only in different ways. The Holy Spirit teaches us believers in the Gospel that Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross is the only ground of our salvation. There is no other reason why God saves us from our sins “except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). The Holy Spirit uses the sacraments (the symbols of salvation through the cross) to assures us of the same Gospel. The water in baptism symbolizes and certifies that “the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper symbolize and certify that we are saved only because of His broken body and shed blood on the cross. “The sacraments differ from the word in this, that they signify by actions and gestures what the word does by language” (Ursinus, 356). It is like showing your love with a kiss after saying, “I love you.” The kiss without the words is not a sign of love (Judas kissed Jesus!). Water, bread and wine without the Gospel are not signs and seals of salvation. They need the word of the cross to set them apart from ordinary use so they become holy (set apart) signs and seals of salvation for believers.

Question 68: How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the New Testament? Two: Holy Baptism and the Holy Supper.

     Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only two sacraments instituted by Christ. The Roman Catholic Church adds confirmation, penance, ordination, extreme unction, and marriage. But the Bible does not support this. Neither do the ancient church fathers, two of whom, Ambrose and Augustine, said the only two sacraments were baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These two sacraments are to be faithfully observed in the church until Christ returns (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:26); so “they may be marks by which the true church may be known and distinguished from all other religions” (Ursinus, 342). 

NOTE: These Posts were written and  designed as bulletin inserts by Pastor David Fagrey of the Grace Reformed Church of Rapid City, SD .  

Link to this blog entry as a bulletin insert:  Reformation 500 Heidelberg Catechism 65-68

For a double-sided PDF for easy printing: Reformation 500 Week 25

Official Seal of  the RCUS

This is the seal of the Reformed Church of the United States (RCUS).  As you can see its history goes back to 1748, when the RCUS began.  We celebrate with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we praise God for what is probably the most amazing spiritual revival in the history of the world.

Page on Omaha Reformed Church's Website: Links to all Bulletin Inserts.

REFORMATION 500 WEEK 24: HEIDELBERG CATECHISM QA’S 62-64

Reformation 500 WEEK 24: Heidelberg Catechism QA’s 62-64

Question 62: But why cannot our good works be the whole or part of our righteousness before God? Because the righteousness which can stand before the judgment seat of God must be perfect throughout and entirely conformable to the divine law, but even our best works in this life are all imperfect and defiled with sin.

     We have learned that, “to justify” means “to declare one righteous.” The key question is: on what basis does God declare the believer in Christ to be righteous?

     For the Roman Catholic Church, God declares someone righteous only if they are first sanctified, that is, made inwardly righteous by an infusion of grace (which happens by baptism) and then they cooperate with infused grace by doing righteous things (good works). As long as they keep doing good works, God will keep declaring them righteous. Those who commit a mortal sin lose the grace of justification. But they can be restored to a state of justification through the sacrament of penance. Therefore, for Rome, we are justified on the basis of an imperfect righteousness done by us.

     How does Rome interpret Paul’s statement in Romans 3:28: “a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law”? They argue that “works of the law” refers only to the ceremonies of the law (e.g. circumcision, animal sacrifices, etc.), and not the moral law (i.e. the Ten Commandments). Therefore, they maintain that no one is justified by the ceremonial works of the law, but they are justified by doing the good works required in the NT. With this understanding, they appeal to James 2:24, “a man is justified by works [i.e. good works], and not by faith only.”

     But Rome misinterprets both Paul and James. First of all, nowhere does Paul say a man is not justified by ceremonial works but he is justified by good works. Second, James uses the term justify differently than Paul. “To be justified” has another meaning besides “to be declared righteous before God.” It can also mean “shown to be righteousness before men” (e.g. Luke 7:35; Rom. 3:4). Therefore, Paul speaks “of that righteousness by which we are justified before God…but James speaks of that righteousness by which we are justified before men by our works” (Ursinus, 338). James is rebuking the person who claims to believe in Jesus, but does not have good works to show for it. “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” (James 2:14). True believers bear fruit out of thankfulness for salvation: “every good tree produces good fruit” (Matt. 7:17). Therefore, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (2:17). James challenges the professing believer without good works, to “show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (2:18). Thus, the correct way to understand James 2:24 is: “a man is justified [shown to be righteous] by works, and not by faith only.”

     Rome’s fatal mistake is to refuse to accept the biblical truth that perfect righteousness is the requirement for eternal life (Gal. 3:21), which is precisely why we need Christ’s perfect righteousness imputed to us!

     Thus, our “works, as they proceed from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God, forasmuch as they are all sanctified by His grace. Nevertheless, they are of no account towards our justification, for it is by faith in Christ that we are justified, even before we do good works (Belgic Confession, Article 24).

Question 63: Do our good works merit [DESERVE] nothing, even though it is God's will to reward them in this life and in that which is to come? The reward comes not of merit, but of grace.

The Bible says that God will reward our good works, both in this life and in that which is to come (Psalm 18:20; 19:10-11; Mark 10:28-29; Matt. 5:11-12; 6:6; Heb. 6:10; 11:6; Rev. 22:12). The rewards include peace, joy, and spiritual prosperity (Deut. 12:28; Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 119:165; Prov. 3:13-17; John 10:10; 14:21).

But this does not mean our good works deserve to be rewarded. Only perfect righteousness deserves to be rewarded. “Therefore, we do good works, but not to merit by them (for what can we merit?); nay, we are indebted to God for the good works we do, and not He to us, since it is He who works in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure [Phil. 2:13]. Let us therefore attend to what is written: When you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do [Luke 17:10]. In the meantime, we do not deny that God rewards good works, but it is through His grace that He crowns His gifts” (Belgic Confession, article 24).

Question 64: But does not this doctrine make men careless and profane? No, for it is impossible that those who are implanted into Christ by true faith, should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness.

     The Roman Catholics slander the reformed doctrine of justification by saying that it makes men careless and profane. They maintain that if you teach people to believe they are justified by faith in Christ even before they do good works, then that will make them care less about doing good works and encourage them to live in sin.

     But the easy reply is that being set free from eternal condemnation makes us thankful, not profane! For when we are united to Christ by true faith we receive both justification and sanctification (1 Cor. 6:11; see again Question 43). God first justifies us by declaring us perfectly righteousness in Christ, and then by His Holy Spirit He begins the process of sanctification which restores God’s holy image in us, purifying us from the inward corruption of sin, and making us inwardly righteous and holy, so that we hate sin and do good works out of thankfulness for salvation (Eph. 4:24-25; Tit. 2:14; 1 John 2:4; 3:10). True believers are “those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some hundred” (Mark 4:20). “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10). Good works are the fruit of justification – which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23); “the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth” (Eph. 5:9). Since the Holy Spirit is producing good fruit in our lives (He “makes me heartily willing and ready to live unto Him,” Question 1), it is impossible that those who are implanted into Christ by true faith, should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness (Jer. 32:40; Ezek. 36:27).

     “He, therefore, who boasts of having applied to himself by faith the death of Christ, and yet has no desire to live a holy and godly life… gives conclusive evidence that the truth is not in him; for all those who are justified are willing and ready to do those things which are pleasing to God” (Ursinus, 227).

NOTE: These Posts were written and  designed as bulletin inserts by Pastor David Fagrey of the Grace Reformed Church of Rapid City, SD .  

Link to this blog entry as a bulletin insert:  Reformation 500 Heidelberg Catechism 62-64

For a double-sided PDF for easy printing: Reformation 500 Week 24

Official Seal of  the RCUS

This is the seal of the Reformed Church of the United States (RCUS).  As you can see its history goes back to 1748, when the RCUS began.  We celebrate with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we praise God for what is probably the most amazing spiritual revival in the history of the world.

Page on Omaha Reformed Church's Website: Links to all Bulletin Inserts.

REFORMATION 500 WEEK 23: HEIDELBERG CATECHISM QA’S 59-61

Reformation 500 WEEK 23: Heidelberg Catechism QA’s 59-61

Question 59: What does it help you now, that you believe all this [that is, the articles of the Apostles creed]? That I am righteous in Christ before God, and an heir of eternal life.

     Remember that Question 21 taught us that true faith is to believe everything God has revealed in His Word is truth (John 17:17), and especially to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Since the articles of the Apostles’ Creed are a summary of who Jesus is and what He has done to save His people from their sins, to believe these articles means we have true faith, and are united to the ascended Lord Jesus Christ (we are in Him) in order to receive all the benefits of the salvation He obtained for us by His life and death.

     The first and primary benefit for the believer is, “I am righteous in Christ before God, and an heir of eternal life.” Righteousness is perfect obedience to God, and is the requirement for eternal life, for disobedience brings death. God told a sinless Adam and Eve: “obey Me perfectly or die.” Jesus Christ obeyed God perfectly and died on the cross to fully pay for our disobedience. Therefore, when we are united to Him by true faith, His perfect righteousness – “the gift of righteousness” (Rom. 5:17) – is ours and thus we have eternal life. How it becomes ours is explained in Question 60.

Question 60: How are you righteous before God? Only by true faith in Jesus Christ: that is: although my conscience accuses me, that I have grievously sinned against all the commandments of God, and have never kept any of them, and am still prone always to all evil; yet God, without any merit of mine, of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness and holiness of Christ, as if I had never committed nor had any sin, and had myself accomplished all the obedience which Christ has fulfilled for me, if only I accept such benefit with a believing heart.

     The question, “How can a man be righteous before God?” (Job 9:2) is the same question as, “How can man be justified before God?” (Job 25:4). For “to justify,” means “to recognize and declare one righteous [Psalm 51:6]” (Ursinus, 330).

     God cannot justify or declare us righteous because of any righteousness which we have done. “For [as David confessed to God] in Your sight no one living is righteous” (Psalm 143:2); “that is, no one shall be acquitted, or declared just by inherent righteousness” (Ursinus, 327). This is because “his works are unholy before his justification,” and “after his justification they are also imperfect [Luke 17:10]” (Ursinus, 328). We need perfect righteousness in order for God to declare us righteous.

     The good news is that when we are united to Christ by true faith, God gives us the gift of Christ’s perfect righteousness. “Christ fulfilled the law by the holiness of His human nature, and by His obedience, even unto the death of the cross [Phil. 2:8]” (Ursinus, 328). Indeed, the “entire humiliation of Christ, from the moment of His conception to His glorification, including His assumption of humanity, His subjugation to the law, His poverty, reproach, weakness, sufferings, death, …is all included in the satisfaction which He made for us [Rom. 5:15-19; Gal. 3:10-13]” (Ursinus, 327).

     The only way that Christ’s perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness can become ours is if God imputes it to us. The word impute is taken directly from the Bible, and it means to credit someone with doing what someone else did for them [Philemon 1:18]. “God imputes righteousness apart from works” (Romans 4:6). To impute righteousness “is to regard one that is unrighteous, as righteous, and to absolve him from guilt, and not to punish him, all of which is done on account of the satisfaction of another imputed to him” (Ursinus, 329). God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us. He credits us for doing what Christ did for us, as if we had never committed nor had any sin, and had ourselves accomplished all the obedience which Christ has fulfilled for us!

     Therefore, on the basis of Christ’s perfect righteousness imputed to us God justifies us, declaring us righteous! God does not treat us as guilty sinners deserving of condemnation. He treats us as if we had no sin! This means God will not punish us for our sins (Rom. 8:31-38). We are forgiven the eternal penalty of sin! God imputed our sins to Jesus. He treated Jesus as a sinner even though He wasn’t, and made Him pay for our sins, so that He could treat us as perfectly righteous, even though we’re not, and not make us pay for our sins (2 Cor. 5:19, 21).

     We only have to accept this benefit with a believing heart (and even the faith to do this is a gift). How else do you receive the gift of imputed righteousness? If someone else did something for me, the only thing left for me is to believe and say thank you! If God wants to give perfect righteousness as a gift, the only proper response is to reach out the empty hand of faith to receive the gift, and say thank you. “Justifying or saving faith” is “when we firmly believe that the righteousness of Christ is granted and imputed to us, so that we are justified in the sight of God” (Ursinus, 111).

     “Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law” (Rom. 3:28).

Question 61: Why do you say that you are righteous by faith only? Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God; and I can receive the same and make it my own in no other way than by faith only.

     We are justified by faith not because of faith. When someone gives you a gift, it is not because of your outreached hands, as if you were doing something worthy to receive the gift. Rather, you simply receive the gift by your outreached hands. Likewise, when God gives us the gift of righteousness it is not because of our faith, as if our faith makes us worthy of being declared righteous. Rather, we simply receive God’s gift by our faith. Faith is the only way to receive a gift. It “is of faith that it might be according to grace” (Rom. 4:16).

     “We are justified only by believing, and receiving the righteousness of another, and not by our own works, or merit. All works are excluded from justification, yes even faith itself in as far as it is a virtue, or work…. It is for this reason, that Paul always says, that we are justified by faith, and through faith, as by an instrument; and never on account of faith;” for “if we were justified on account of our faith, then faith would no longer be the acceptance of the righteousness of another, but it would be the merit, and cause of our own righteousness” (Ursinus, 332). 

NOTE: These Posts were written and  designed as bulletin inserts by Pastor David Fagrey of the Grace Reformed Church of Rapid City, SD .  

Link to this blog entry as a bulletin insert:  Reformation 500 Heidelberg Catechism 59-61

For a double-sided PDF for easy printing: Reformation 500 Week 23

Official Seal of  the RCUS

This is the seal of the Reformed Church of the United States (RCUS).  As you can see its history goes back to 1748, when the RCUS began.  We celebrate with the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation we praise God for what is probably the most amazing spiritual revival in the history of the world.

Page on Omaha Reformed Church's Website: Links to all Bulletin Inserts.