3C: Heidelberg Catechism: Why do We Call Jesus God’s Only Begotten Son and Lord?

Q. 33. Why is Christ called the “only begotten Son” of God, since we are also the children of God?

A. Because Christ alone is the eternal and natural Son of God; [a] but we are children adopted of God, by grace, for his sake. [b]

 

Q. 34. Wherefore callest thou him “our Lord”?

A. Because he hath redeemed us, both soul and body, from all our sins, not with silver or gold, but with his precious blood, and has delivered us from all the power of the devil; and thus has made us his own property. [a]  View article…

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3C: WLC on Providence

WLC: God’s Works of Providence

Q. 18. What are God’s works of providence?

A. God’s works of providence are his most holy,[69] wise,[70] and powerful preserving[71] and governing[72] all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions,[73] to his own glory.[74]

 

Q. 19. What is God’s providence towards the angels?

A. God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation,[75] limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own glory;[76] and established the rest in holiness and happiness;[77] employing them all,[78] at his pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy, and justice.[79]

 

Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?

A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth;[80] putting the creatures under his dominion,[81] and ordaining marriage for his help;[82] affording him communion with himself;[83] instituting the sabbath;[84] entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience,[85] of which the tree of life was a pledge;[86] and forbidding to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.[87]

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3C:WLC – God’s Works of Providence

 

WLC: God’s Works of Providence

Q. 18. What are God’s works of providence?

A. God’s works of providence are his most holy,[69] wise,[70] and powerful preserving[71] and governing[72] all his creatures; ordering them, and all their actions,[73] to his own glory.[74]

Q. 19. What is God’s providence towards the angels?

A. God by his providence permitted some of the angels, willfully and irrecoverably, to fall into sin and damnation,[75] limiting and ordering that, and all their sins, to his own glory;[76] and established the rest in holiness and happiness;[77] employing them all,[78] at his pleasure, in the administrations of his power, mercy, and justice.[79]

Q. 20. What was the providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created?

A. The providence of God toward man in the estate in which he was created, was the placing him in paradise, appointing him to dress it, giving him liberty to eat of the fruit of the earth;[80] putting the creatures under his dominion,[81] and ordaining marriage for his help;[82] affording him communion with himself;[83] instituting the sabbath;[84] entering into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience,[85] of which the tree of life was a pledge;[86] and forbidding to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.[87]

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3: WSC – Creation

 

Shorter Catechism, week 4

 

Q. 9. What is the work of creation?

A. The work of creation is, God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power,[24] in the space of six days, and all very good.[25]

 

Q. 10. How did God create man?

A. God created man male and female, after his own image,[26] in knowledge,[27] righteousness, and holiness,[28] with dominion over the creatures.[29]

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3C: BC – The Trinity

 

Belgic Confession  – The Trinity

In keeping with this truth and Word of God we believe in one God, who is one single essence, in whom there are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct according to their incommunicable properties– namely, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is the cause, origin, and source of all things, visible as well as invisible. The Son is the Word, the Wisdom, and the image of the Father. The Holy Spirit is the eternal power and might, proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless, this distinction does not divide God into three, since Scripture teaches us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each has his own subsistence distinguished by characteristics– yet in such a way that these three persons are only one God. It is evident then that the Father is not the Son and that the Son is not the Father, and that likewise the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son. Nevertheless, these persons, thus distinct, are neither divided nor fused or mixed together. For the Father did not take on flesh, nor did the Spirit, but only the Son. The Father was never without his Son, nor without his Holy Spirit, since all these are equal from eternity, in one and the same essence. There is neither a first nor a last, for all three are one in truth and power, in goodness and mercy.

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Creeds, Confessions Cate… BC 7: The Sufficency of Scripture

 

Belgic Confession Article 7: The Sufficiency of Scripture

We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire manner of service which God requires of us is described in it at great length, no one– even an apostle or an angel from heaven, as Paul says–[2] ought to teach other than what the Holy Scriptures have already taught us. For since it is forbidden to add to or subtract from the Word of God,[3] this plainly demonstrates that the teaching is perfect and complete in all respects. Therefore we must not consider human writings– no matter how holy their authors may have been– equal to the divine writings; nor may we put custom, nor the majority, nor age, nor the passage of time or persons, nor councils, decrees, or official decisions above the truth of God, for truth is above everything else. For all human beings are liars by nature and more vain than vanity itself. Therefore we reject with all our hearts everything that does not agree with this infallible rule, as we are taught to do by the apostles when they say, “Test the spirits to see if they are of God,”[4] and also, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house.”[5]

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Creeds, Confessions, Cat…. WCF: Of God’s Eternal Decree

 

 Westminster Confession: Of God’s Eternal Decree

1: God from all eternity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own will, freely, and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass;[65] yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin,[66]nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures; nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away, but rather established.[67]

2: Although God knows whatsoever may or can come to pass upon all supposed conditions;[68] yet has He not decreed anything because He foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.[69]

3: By the decree of God, for the manifestation of His glory, some men and angels[70] are predestinated unto everlasting life; and others foreordained to everlasting death.[71]

4: These angels and men, thus predestinated, and foreordained, are particularly and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished.[72]

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Canons of Dort: Elect or Not?

Divine Election and Reprobation

Article 7: Election

Election [or choosing] is God’s unchangeable purpose by which he did the following:

Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace, according to the free good pleasure of his will, he chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of particular people out of the entire human race, which had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence into sin and ruin. Those chosen were neither better nor more deserving than the others, but lay with them in the common misery. He did this in Christ, whom he also appointed from eternity to be the mediator, the head of all those chosen, and the foundation of their salvation. And so he decided to give the chosen ones to Christ to be saved, and to call and draw them effectively into Christ’s fellowship through his Word and Spirit. In other words, he decided to grant them true faith in Christ, to justify them, to sanctify them, and finally, after powerfully preserving them in the fellowship of his Son, to glorify them.

God did all this in order to demonstrate his mercy, to the praise of the riches of his glorious grace.

As Scripture says, God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world, so that we should be holy and blameless before him with love; he predestined us whom he adopted as his children through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, by which he freely made us pleasing to himself in his beloved (Eph. 1:4-6). And elsewhere, Those whom he predestined, he also called; and those whom he called, he also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified (Rom. 8:30).

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Westminster Confession on the Trinity

Chapter 2: Of God, and of the Holy Trinity

1: There is but one only,^[25] living, and true God,^[26] who is infinite in being and perfection,^[27] a most pure spirit,^[28] invisible,^[29] without body, parts,^[30] or passions;^[31] immutable,^[32] immense,^[33] eternal,^[34] incomprehensible,^[35] almighty,^[36] most wise,^[37] most holy,^[38] most free,^[39] most absolute;^[40] working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will,^[41] for His own glory;^[42] most loving,^[43] gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin;^[44] the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him;^[45] and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments,^[46] hating all sin,^[47] and who will by no means clear the guilty.^[48]

2: God has all life,^[49] glory,^[50] goodness,^[51] blessedness,^[52] in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He has made,^[53] nor deriving any glory from them,^[54] but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things;^[55] and has most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleases.^[56] In His sight all things are open and manifest,^[57] His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature,^[58] so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain.^[59] He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands.^[60] To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them.^[61]

3: In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost:^[62] the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father;^[63] the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son.^[64]

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Children’s Catechism: The Bible, Adam and Eve

Children’s Catechism

 

Q. 14. Where do you learn how to love and obey God?
A. In the Bible alone.

Q. 15. Who wrote the Bible?
A. Holy men who were taught by the Holy Spirit.

Q. 16. Who were our first parents?
A. Adam and Eve.

Q. 17. Of what were our first parents made?
A. God made the body of Adam out of the ground, and formed Eve from the body of Adam.

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