Our Father in Heaven: H.C. Lord’s Day 46
Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 46
Q 120. Why did Christ command us to call God “our Father”?
A 120. To awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer what should be basic to our prayer—a childlike reverence and trust that through Christ God has become our Father, and that just as our parents do not refuse us the things of this life, even less will God our Father refuse to give us what we ask in faith.
Q 121. Why the words “in heaven”?
A 121. These words teach us not to think of God’s heavenly majesty as something earthly and to expect everything needed for body and soul from God’s almighty power.
A 121. These words teach us not to think of God’s heavenly majesty as something earthly and to expect everything needed for body and soul from God’s almighty power.
Being a Father has been life-changing for me. The unquenchable love that I feel day in and day out for this little girl is absolutely mind-blowing. She hasn’t done anything to earn my love. As a matter of fact, if left to simple logic, she has done more in her one and a half years to break me of my fondness for her than she has to amplify it. Yet, my love for her has known no bounds, something I still cannot even fathom within my own mind.
One thing that has been a joy to me as a father has been to watch my daughter learn. It is uncanny what she picks up as she learns to play with toys, to interact with other people, and even to speak. I’ve had to take a step back and examine my own habit when it comes to such things and here’s why: she copies everything I do. When she first discovered matchbox cars she would just carry them around. Then she saw my driving them around on the floor so she started doing that do. Next, I would run them into each other… suffice to say I am glad she won’t be driving anytime soon. Later I would crash them and then flip the cars over as if it were a big wreck; she does that as well now.
All of Scripture refers to God as the “Heavenly Father.” This isn’t to say that God is male or female; God is Spirit. God certainly has many feminine and maternal characteristics. But Scripture’s revelation of God has Father displays for us an image of who God is to us. Sadly, today’s culture has twisted that image through both positive and negative movements.
As our culture becomes increasingly aware of the equality of gender in the world, a positive movement if ever there was one. In that, however, there has been considerable pushback against the notion of God as being a masculine reference. There is some validity to this as God is not a man and men throughout time have used the masculine reference to God as a way of cementing abusive dominance over others. This is wrong, but it is not itself a reason to abandon the Scriptural witness of God as Father.
In a similar, but much more negative way, the breakdown of the family in North America as well as the coming to light of so many destroyed relationships due to abusive fathers & husbands has led to a wholesale questioning of whether “Father” is an appropriate reference to God. For many who have been hurt in this way, whether by abuse or absence, even the term “Father” can bring up painful, bad memories. Without being insensitive to this, however, it is important to understand that our pain does not supersede Scripture’s revelation.
The reality of God is this: God is our loving Father, the best of what was intended for that position and person in people’s lives. God created us as His children and loves us in a way that is beyond comprehension to us, despite our disobedience and turning from Him time and time again. God is overjoyed to see us grow and learn, maturing in our live, our faith, and even in the great gifts and abilities that He has given to us. God is also the opposite of everything negative that has been infused into the father figure of the 21st century. He will never abandon us nor is He ever absent; His love is perfect and encourages flourishing within our lives, even healing rather than hurt.
More than this, though, is our reaction to this perfect Father figure in our lives. As we grow from proverbial infants in our faith into more mature individuals, we, like my daughter with me, begin to see how God is working in the world and how He interacts with and loves His children. The more we see this modeled for us in our lives, the more we begin to follow those patterns, loving others as God loves us. Our experience with God, when we turn to Him and fully experience His love, molds and shapes us, informing who we become in Christ.
Sadly, this too has been soured in the world through the unhealthy actions of people within the church. God’s people have, often, missed the mark when it comes to modeling this for each other as well. Because of this, people have blamed God for the actions of His people. Sadly, parents can experience this too, being blamed as a bad parent for the momentary behavioral lapse of a child. In any case, we must understand that we must look to Scripture to understand God better, not to the actions of His children which, in some circumstances, are not in line with God’s eternal love and purpose.
Additionally, it is vitally important to mention then second part of this week’s question: God’s location. We are not looking to some local offical, a governmental authority, or even the clergy of a church for help, advice, or anything else. No, our Divine Father is in Heaven, unconfined by the limits of mortal and material existence, God reigns from His throne, holding the entire universe in the palm of His hand. Yet, despite God’s infinite magnitude, He concerns Himself with each one of us so much that, as the 1st Question and Answer reminds us: “not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven.”
“In Heaven” H.C. Question 121
Why the words “in heaven”?
Jeremiah 23:23-24 – “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.
Acts 17:24-25 – “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
Matthew 6:25-34 – “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Romans 8:31-32 – What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
“Our Father” H.C. Question 120
Why did Christ command us to call God “our Father”?
Matthew 7:9-11 – “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Luke 11:11-13 – “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Romans 8:14-17 – For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Galatians 4:1-7 – What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. The heir is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Concerning Prayer: H.C. Lord’s Day 45
Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 45
Q 116. Why do Christians need to pray?
A 116. Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. And also because God gives his grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking God for them.
Q 117. What is the kind of prayer that pleases God and that he listens to?
A 117. First, we must pray from the heart to no other than the one true God, revealed to us in his Word, asking for everything God has commanded us to ask for.
Second, we must fully recognize our need and misery, so that we humble ourselves in God’s majestic presence.
Third, we must rest on this unshakable foundation: even though we do not deserve it, God will surely listen to our prayer because of Christ our Lord. That is what God promised us in his Word.
Q 118. What did God command us to pray for?
A 118. Everything we need, spiritually and physically, as embraced in the prayer Christ our Lord himself taught us.
Q 119. What is this prayer?
A 119. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.* For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.
This Lord’s day begins the final section of the Heidelberg Catechism which focuses specifically in on the Lord’s Prayer. It is fitting, I think, to end the teaching about how we are called to live here. We have talked about our sin, our Savior, and our response to that. First, the gratitude that comes from us for our salvation, then the specifics of what we believe. Next we talked about the Law, a guide for our lives that ultimately points us back to our need for a Savior and the reason for our faith. Finally, now, we will talk about our connection to God which is prayer.
The first Lord’s day that talks about prayer starts off, rightly, by showing us some of the whys and whats of prayer. Given the recent events in Texas, and the subsequent negative reactions about prayer that have taken place, these teachings are now, more important than ever.
So why pray? I think, at least for those who are believers, the appropriate counter question is “why not?” We believe that God is the creator of the universe, that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift including our lives, and that God loves us so much the He has saved us from our sins through His Son, Jesus. He also invites us into a relationship with Him, one that is connected to Him through prayer and the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, we bring praise, worship, gratitude, and all sorts of requests.
It isn’t, however, so much about what we bring in prayer as it is what God brings in those moments too. When we approach God, we are shown His love and grace, His welcoming arms are open and He is present there more than any person in our lives ever is to us. In these moments, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we are also built up in our trust of God, humility of ourselves, and in our identity before Him in Jesus Christ.
God also invites us to bring anything and everything to Him in prayer. In a close relationship, you would talk to your friend about the happenings of your day. You would most likely also share some of your concerns and frustrations. Our Heavenly Father desires this with us as well. He wants to hear about our struggles at work, the joy we get from our children, our frustration in not being able to find our keys. More than that, though, He wants to be a part of those things in our lives.
What this doesn’t mean, however, is that whatever we ask God for we will get. God is not some sort of cosmic vending machine. That is why the “How” of this teaching is so important. Jesus teaches us how to pray and in following this teaching, we begin to get a sense of what is most important. While God certainly cares about the things that you want, what He has promised you is the things that you need. He is the ever-present, always providing Father who gives us everything we stand in need of. The teaching of the Lord’s Prayer reveals to us what those needs actually are.
As we look to this, and the teaching that will follow, we will begin to see unfolded before us, God’s deep desire for intimacy in our lives, and also His unending love for us, and His unfailing provision and presence in our lives.
The Lord’s Prayer: H.C. Question 119
What is this prayer?
Matthew 6:9-13 – “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
Luke 11:2-4 – He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
For What do We Pray? H.C. Question 118
What did God command us to pray for?
James 1:17 – Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Matthew 6:33 – But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Philippians 4:6 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Pleasing Prayer: H.C. Question 117
What is the kind of prayer that pleases God and that he listens to?
Psalm 145:18-20 – The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.
John 4:22-24 – You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
Romans 8:26-27 – In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
1 John 5:14-15 – This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
2 Chronicles 7:14 – if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Psalm 2:11 – Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 62:8 – Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Isaiah 66:2 – Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
Revelation 4 – After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:
“‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.”
Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”
Daniel 9:17-19 – “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”
Matthew 7:8 – For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
John 14:13-14 – And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 16:23 – In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
Romans 10:13 – for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
James 1:6 – But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Prayer: H.C. Question 116
Why do Christians need to pray?
Psalm 32:5 – Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Romans 3:19-26 – Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his
righteousness,
because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Romans 7:7 – What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
Romans 7:24-25 – What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Philippians 3:12-14 – Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1 John 3:1-3 – See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Contentment: H.C. Lord’s Day 44
Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 44
Q 113. What is the aim of the tenth commandment?
A 113. That not even the slightest desire or thought contrary to any one of God’s commandments should ever arise in our hearts.
Rather, with all our hearts we should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right.
Q 114. But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly?
A 114. No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience.
Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments.
Q 115. Since no one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly, why does God want them preached so pointedly?
A 115. First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness.
Second, so that we may never stop striving, and never stop praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, to be renewed more and more after God’s image, until after this life we reach our goal: perfection.
Of all the commandments we’ve just worked through, the 10th one is more than likely the one that everyone looks at and can say they need some work on it. Coveting, a word that is not used much at all these days, is something we likely do on a daily basis. In fact, advertisers have picked up on that idea and now seek to touch on those unhealthy desires so as to sell you their product. They know in part what God is fully aware of: our hearts are not content. More than that, though, is the fact that we will look everywhere and anywhere to find that contentment… and most of the time we don’t look to God for it.
Whether we are looking at our neighbor’s possessions, another person’s spouse, or the things that they get to do (like grandiose vacations every year), wanting them as a pursuit of happiness and fulfillment is both coveting and a sign of discontentment. Augustine, one of the great church Fathers, once wrote, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” He recognized the reality that we are indeed made to desire, but the ultimate end of that our desires must be God. True fulfillment cannot be found anywhere else.
This truth, however antiquated it might be, is part and parcel to how this section on the 10 Commandments ends. Realistically, there is no way that we can keep these commands perfectly… or at all. But the point here is not to shame us or to show us how bad we are, but rather to point our hearts in the right direction. For us, that requires the revelation of the sin in our lives and its effects on both our hearts and our minds. More than that, however, is that in doing so, it also points us to our need for a Savior and the ultimate source of all our provision and therefore our contentment as well.
It is abundantly true that we will search for things in our lives to make us happy. On the surface, this is a good thing. In fact, if we didn’t have this desire, we probably wouldn’t search for God or salvation in the first place. But sin, and
it deleterious effects,
have twisted this good desire into a selfish want for more things in an effort to satisfy our hearts. Unfortunately, this leads to a good number of the sins which are revealed in these commandments, all of which fall under the umbrella of idolatry, putting something ahead of God in our lives.
Our reality is simply this: we need a Savior. If we’ve learned anything in the past 10 weeks it is that. Yes, we covet, we murder, we steal, and we do many other things. Yet, even in the midst of our wretched actions, we are introduced to the grace of God in Jesus Christ. When we realize how broken we are, that by rights we should be left in our own misery, but that in our time of greatest need God has turned His face toward us and lifted us up, we can shout and rejoice! God’s salvation is for us and, there is nothing that can take it away from us once we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Paul’s words in Romans 7 sum up this section so beautifully:
Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man.
4 So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. 5 For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. 6 But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment,deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Need for a Savior: H.C. Question 115
Since no one in this life can obey the Ten Commandments perfectly, why does God want them preached so pointedly?
Psalm 32:5 – Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Romans 3:19-26 – Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
Romans 7:7 – What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”
Romans 7:24-25 – What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
1 Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Philippians 3:12-14 – Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
1 John 3:1-3 – See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Obedience to the Law: H.C. Question 114
But can those converted to God obey these commandments perfectly?
Romans 7:14-15 – We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
1 Corinthians 13:9 – For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
1 John 1:8-10 – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
Psalm 1:1-2 – Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
Romans 7:22-25 – For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Philippians 3:12-16 – Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
The 10th Commandment: H.C. Question 113
What is the aim of the tenth commandment?
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
Romans 7:7-8 – What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead.
Liar Liar Pants on Fire: H.C. Lord’s Day 43
Heidelberg Catechism Lord’s Day 43
Q 112. What is the aim of the ninth commandment?
A 112. That I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone rashly or without a hearing.
Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are the very devices the devil uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense wrath. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name.
Yikes! That’s all I can say after reading the commentary on this commandment. While I know that I’ve lied here and there in my life, the number of things that are covered under this doesn’t just render me kind of guilty, I’ve apparently blown this commandment out of the water. It’s hard to read this commandment and the explanation that the catechism gives without feeling a bit convicted.
How often have we embellished a story or changed a small fact here or there to make it better? Maybe the facts have changed to cast your role in a much better light, making everyone else look rather pathetic. Gossip is one of those things that can suck us in without our even knowing. Whether we are sharing untrue things about people maliciously or sharing true things about people unnecessarily, we are participating in gossip, and it is something that runs rampant in church circles as well.
Sadly, though, when we participate in the giving of “false testimonies,” we are only feeding the arsenal of the enemy. Satan is the “father of lies” and deceit is the primary tool that he uses against the people of God. We’ve all experienced lies in our lives that are placed in our hearts by the enemy. They often have to do with our self-worth and identity. Satan also uses other people to put lies into our lives, standing readily by to expose and convict us of our participation in them.
Like many of the other commandments, this too points us to the reality of sin in our lives. If sin is indeed disordered love, then what we find ourselves doing is, in fact, loving ourselves and our desires above those of God and our neighbor. Participating in things like this show our lack of respect and love for those around us, whether we are consciously or unconsciously bringing our neighbor into a lie about someone else, or if we are slandering our neighbor. Either way, we are not showing love to them.
If indeed we were to love our neighbor as ourselves, we would work hard to protect and advance their good name at every twist and turn. Recently, our physical neighbors moved and a new family moved in. Those who lived there before had been there a long time and are well known in our town. The new neighbors have come in from the “outside” and it is very interesting how many questions I’ve received regarding them. “How are the new neighbors?” people will say, “Do you like your new neighbors?” The emphasis on the new is not an accident either. Whether people are hoping that they are nice people or are looking for some nice juicy dirt on some new people in town, I don’t know. But really, if people want to know about our new neighbors, wouldn’t we just take a moment to go meet them rather than asking everyone around them for their opinion? The questioning seems more like gossip to me.
Finally, this commandment gets at something that seems to also be running rampant in our society: condemnation without a hearing. Especially in today’s charged political climate, we are quick to jump on any news story that accuses, convicts, and tries to sentence those who do not necessarily think like us. Individuals from both policial parties are actively involved in political assassination attempts almost daily… and it’s not even an election year.
How quick are we to judge those who do not necessarily think the same way we do, agree with our political affiliations, or even practice the same religion as us? Whereas one of the founding notions of this country was the premise of “innocent until proven guilty,” which is arguably also a Biblical model of justice and judgment, America seems to have succumbed to a media-driven judicial system that topples people and parties for the sake of its own ratings. Truth, sadly enough, is no longer a yes or a no, but rather a stream of grey haze that happily interpret to our own liking when it is convenient for us and ignore when it isn’t.
What would it look like for us to apply the teaching of the ninth commandment to all of our “neighbors?” We are called to love God above all and love our neighbor as ourselves which, when Biblically applied, refers to all of those made in God’s image. How can we love each other as Jesus loves us, willingly laying down our lives so that in God’s sight, our name would be protected and made good? It is only through His power, the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives, that we can begin to see others in this way, especially our enemies, and show them His love in our lives.
The Ninth Commandment: H.C. Question 112
What is the aim of the ninth commandment?
Psalm 15 – Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
Proverbs 19:5 – A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.
Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.
Luke 6:37 – “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Romans 1:28-32 – Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Leviticus 19:11-12 – “‘Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the Lord.
Proverbs 12:22– The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Proverbs 13:5 – The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked make themselves a stench and bring shame on themselves.
John 8:44 – You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Revelation 21:8 – But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
1 Corinthians 13:6 – Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
1 Peter 3:8-9 – Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Matthew 21:23-32 “The Right Way?”
This morning we come to worship God through Jesus Christ, His Son, the embodiment of Truth. God’s Truth, Love, Grace, and all of the characteristics of God are communicated in His Word to us. From that we are able to learn both who we are in Christ and how God calls us to respond and live into that identity.
Sometimes, however, we like to pick and chose which truths we think are the right way to live while ignoring others that seem to be more culturally acceptable. We claim to have Christ in us, claim Him as our Savior, even claim to follow Him, but then choose not to when it’s too difficult or inconvenient. Sadly, in that same thought, we also readily question and point fingers at those who are “off the path” in a more visible or, perhaps, culturally unacceptable way forgetting that we too are God’s people, fully dependent on His grace alone.
Questions to take home:
- Are there some Truths that Scripture teaches that you tend to look at more than others? How about us as a church? Is there a way that we could be better about not cherry picking the truths and sins for our own convenience?
- Jesus poses an interesting question about which kid actually did what the father wanted. Is it better to say yes and then not do something, or say no and then change your mind? Why do you think so?
- What if we cast this question in the form of “religion” vs. “relationship”? Who is doing what the Bible wants, the one who says yes to relationship with Christ but then follows religion, or the one who says no to religion but then finds a relationship with Christ?