Second Part: God’s Grace (Cont.)
LORD’S DAY 7
20. Are all men then saved by Christ, as they have perished in Adam?No, only those are saved who by true faith are grafted into Him, and receive all His benefits.1
1 Mt 7:14; Jn 1:12, 3:16, 18, 36; Rom 11:16-21
21. What is true faith?
It is not only a certain knowledge, whereby I accept as true all that God has revealed to us in His Word;1 but also a deep-rooted assurance,2 created in me by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel,3 that not only to others, but to me also,4 forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation,5 are freely given by God, merely of grace, for the sake of Christ’s merits.
1 Jn 17:3, 17; Heb 11:1-3; Jas 2:19; 2 Rom 4:18-21, 5:1, 10:10; Heb 4:16; 3 Acts 16:14; Rom 1:16, 10:17; 1 Cor 1:21; 4 Gal 2:20; 5 Rom 1:17; Heb 10:10; 6 Rom 3:20-26; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-10
22. What, then, is necessary for a Christian to believe?
All that is promised us in the Gospel,1 which the articles of our catholic, undoubted Christian faith teach us in sum.
1 Mt 28:19; Jn 20:30-31
23. What are these Articles?
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only-begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit; a holy catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen
