The Blessing of the Confession and Catechisms

 By Kyle E. Sims - Posted at Gentle Reformation:

Confessional Christianity can bring people to a stronger walk with Jesus. Growing up in a non-confessional church left me ignorant and spiritually malnourished. The churches I grew up in lacked a unified theological understanding. After I asked a question at 13 years old, someone finally explained the doctrine of the Trinity to me. I read my Bible, but I only got a hit-or-miss idea about the central doctrines of our faith.

In the Fall of 1994, I took a class with Dr. Morton Smith on Reformed Theology. He did not lecture but read the Confession and Catechisms and explained their teaching. During this semester, the Lord answered the theological questions I had been wrestling with since childhood. Now I had a foundation, and my spiritual life began to grow.

It is surprising and saddening that many are unfamiliar with our Confession and Catechisms. Many churches have replaced the Shorter Catechism with the Children’s Catechism, and many churches have no catechism instruction. Elders and Deacons have vowed to uphold the Westminster Standards, but many have little idea what they say. I went through the Shorter Catechism for a few years with our adults. The comments were telling. The members said, “Why have we never been taught this before?”

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