To Whom Is Baptism to Be Administered?

The 95th question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "To whom is baptism to be administered?"
It answers, "Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized."

To whom should baptism not be administered? 

Baptism should not be administered to any that are out of the visible church, and so strangers from the covenant of grace. We do not baptize those who are strangers from the covenant to thereby convert them. Baptism is to be given to the church. 

We might be tempted to say that only the regenerate should be baptized. But we cannot look into the heart and see the new birth directly. All kinds of churches baptize some people who turn out to be unbelievers. The question then is, who should be received as members of the covenant according to Scripture? What is the visible criteria we should use for welcoming someone into the church? Baptism is to be administered to the visible church, to those who are visibly members of the church.

What is the visible church? 

As the Larger Catechism puts it, “The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children.” (1 Cor. 1:2, 7:14)

What can and should people outside the visible church do to join it and be baptized? 

They should profess the true religion, that is, they should “profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him” (e.g. Acts 2:41, 22:16, 1 Cor. 1:2). The form for such a profession in our denomination consists of five questions, and they are also called membership vows, since it is by such a profession that the visible church is joined together and obligated to each other. Such a profession should be credible, that is, a believable profession, one that is not unbelievable due to the person’s ignorance or manifest ungodliness.

What about the children of those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to him? Should they be baptized? 

Yes, as the catechism said, “the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptized.” 

Why? 

The Larger Catechism expands on this statement by saying, “but infants descending from parents, either both, or but one of them, professing faith in Christ, and obedience to him, are in that respect within the covenant, and to be baptized.” Here are a few arguments for infant baptism:

1. Baptism is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace (Gal. 3:27-29, Ezek. 36:25-28), and the covenant of grace is made with believers and their children (Gen. 3:15, 6:28, 17:7, Deut. 29:10-15, Acts 2:38-39, 16:31), therefore the children of believers should be baptized.

The covenant of grace, simply put, is God’s covenant in and through Jesus Christ, requiring faith as the condition to receive the benefits of Christ’s mediation, promising life and salvation from sin in him. God has always established his covenant of grace with professing believers and their children, receiving them into the visible administration of his covenant. This is true as God made his covenant of grace with Adam and Eve and their offspring, so that Cain was not simply an unbeliever but an apostate (Gen. 3:15), with Noah and his household (Gen. 6:28, 9:9), with Abraham and his offspring (Gen. 17:7-13), with Israel, including their little ones (Deut. 29:10-15), and in its new covenant form, to you and your children (Acts 2:38-39, 16:31). The potential for apostasy through unbelief has always been possible, and thus all members have been called to keep the covenant. Your baptism is a sign of God’s covenant mercy and ought to stir you to respond with gratitude and loyalty all your life, keeping the covenant by believing in Christ and demonstrating such faith by obedience to God’s word.

Believers are to enter the covenant with their little ones, affirming that they and their offspring will serve the Lord (Deut. 29:10-13, Josh. 24:15). They are to follow through on this statement by teaching their children to serve the Lord, teaching them God's word and raising them to embrace the obligations of the covenant (Deut. 6:7, Gen. 18:19, Ps. 78:5-8). The covenant is conditional, and the members of the visible church have committed to keep the covenant. As Louis Berkhof explains, 

In this connection it is highly necessary to bear in mind that living in the covenant relationship is something more than living under the gospel, under the free offer of salvation. There is here something more than an offer, something more than a promise; there is an agreement. The covenant is an established covenant, a covenant agreed to, agreed to by parents also for their children. When they sought the seal of baptism for their offspring, they promised, as Joshua did in the days of old: ‘as for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah.’ This means that, for the children of the covenant, the covenant is not merely an offer which they can accept or reject, but an agreement which they entered; and that, if they do not live up to the terms of the agreement, they are covenant-breakers. (“The Covenant of Grace and Christian Education,” Foundations of Christian Education)

2. Circumcision was the initiatory sign and seal of the covenant in the old administration (Gen. 17:1-14, Rom. 4:11) and baptism is the functionally equivalent sign in the new covenant representing the same thing (Col. 2:11-12). As circumcision was applied to infant children of believers, so baptism should be as well.

Circumcision was a sign and seal of the righteousness that is by faith (Rom. 4:11) and the conversion of the heart (Deut. 30:6), and yet was given to infants who could not give a profession of faith. These children were then called to live in accordance with the symbol as heirs of the covenant (Deut. 10:16, Jer. 4:4). Sometimes they embraced God from their earliest years (Ps. 22:9-10, 71:5-6). But if they fell away, they were not told to be circumcised again, but to bring themselves into accordance with their circumcision by turning to the Lord and circumcising their heart.

Likewise, baptism into Christ is a new covenant sign and seal of the same blessings (Acts 22:16, Rom. 6:3-5). In Colossians 2:11-14 and Galatians 3:27-29, Paul argues that Christians need not be circumcised since they presumably have the spiritual substance of this ceremony already, something symbolized now by baptism. Like circumcised children in the Old Testament, children who are baptized are to be raised to live in accord with it, to trust in Christ for their cleansing from sin and to put on the ways of the new self in Christ and to put away what belongs to the old sinful nature.

Circumcision was given only to male believers and male children, due to the nature of the sign, although both male and female believers and their children were members of the covenant (Deut. 29:10-13). Circumcision was unique to the old administration of the covenant, but in the new covenant it is replaced by a ceremony that does not require the shedding of blood, similar to how Passover is replaced by the Lord’s Supper.

3. Baptism is our initiation as disciples of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20). The children of believers are disciples of the Lord Jesus, to be raised by their parents as such (Eph. 6:1-4). Therefore we should baptize the children of believers.

Our infants receive baptism so that from their earliest years they might be reminded that they are Christ’s disciples, learning from their baptism to rely on Christ for their spiritual washing and to learn from him as their Lord and Teacher.

4. The actions of the apostolic church recorded in the New Testament are fully compatible with the practice of infant baptism. Households were baptized following the conversion of a parent (Acts 16:14-15, 31-34), just as households were circumcised in the Old Testament (Gen. 17, Ex. 12:48). The inclusion of children would have been assumed because of the prior biblical pattern, and there is no teaching about a change in practice as would be expected if there was a change.

5. Baptism is to be administered to every member of the visible church (1 Cor. 12:13), and the visible church is composed of those who profess faith in Christ and obedience to him, and of their children (1 Cor. 1:2, 7:14). Therefore, those who profess faith and obedience and their children should be baptized.

Paul writes to the church of God that is in Corinth, which is composed of “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints…” (1 Cor. 1:2). Later in that epistle (7:14), he applies that terminology to describe the children of believers. For his argument concerning marriage, he takes as a premise admitted by everyone that the children of at least one believing parent are not unclean, but are “holy” (or, holy ones, the same Greek word translated “saints” in 1:2).

To say that these children “are holy” does not mean the same thing as saying the unbelieving spouse is “made holy” or “sanctified,” as is clear from the argument. The unbelieving spouse is made holy with respect to the believing spouse, so that the believer is not defiled by continuing in that marriage (similar to food being made holy for our use, 1 Tim. 4:1-5). But there was no question of a believer being defiled by their children. Rather, the fact of the believer’s children being holy was something everyone agreed upon and served as an argument to support Paul’s point - if the unbelieving spouse defiled the believing spouse, then their children would be unclean; but that is in fact not the case. The point is not that the believer makes his/her children holy unto him/her (as with the spouse), but that the believer’s children are holy, visible saints. As the Westminster Directory for Public Worship argues, such children “are Christians, and federally holy before baptism, and therefore are they baptized.” 

Consider also how Paul writes to “the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 1:1), and in that letter addresses children: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Eph. 6:1). Thus, the children of believers are included in the church as some of the saints. He exhorts the children to obey in the Lord, which in Paul’s usage refers to the Lord Jesus (cp. Eph. 3:11, 4:4-6, 5:20, 22). He holds forth to them the covenant promise contained in Exodus 20:12. He tells fathers to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Jesus himself received children, even infants, and blessed them (Luke 18:15, Mark 10:13-16), saying “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). While this has relevance for all of us, that we should receive the kingdom of God like a child, this also has relevance for children and infants themselves, as evidenced by the fact that they themselves were received and blessed by Christ. It would be odd for the kingdom, which is to be received like a child, to exclude children.

Is infant baptism a different sacrament than adult baptism? Is its meaning different? 

No, there is only “one baptism.” Baptism means the same thing for infants as it does for adult believers. They bear the name of God, they have been called out of the world, they are disciples of Christ, his benefits are theirs, and they are his, provided they keep the covenant through faith in him and repentance unto life. It means they are visible saints, having the identity of Christians rather than pagans, to be treated as such, with hope and charity, as brothers and sisters.

Baptism is not a guarantee of salvation to those without true faith. We have the examples of the circumcised and “baptized” Israelites in the wilderness (1 Cor. 10:1-14) and the baptism of Simon the magician (Acts 8:9-24). Therefore parents ought to be diligent in bringing up their children in the ways of the Lord, knowing that God uses the instrumentality of parents to raise up another generation to serve him (Gen. 18:19, Eph. 6:4). And all the church, of whatever age, ought to be exhorted to repent and believe in Christ, living in accord with their baptism and embracing its promises. “In our baptism, the Lord puts his name on us, claims us as his own, and summons us to assume the obligations of the covenant. He calls us to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior, to renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, and to walk humbly with our God in devotion to his commandments.” (OPC Directory for Public Worship) 

What Is Baptism?

The 94th question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is baptism?"
It answers, "Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s." 

Baptism is a sacrament. What is a sacrament? 

“A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.” (WSC 92).

What is the an outward and sensible sign used in baptism? 

Washing with water (Acts 10:47, 22:16).

Is a certain amount of water needed for baptism to be valid? 

No, it simply needs to be washing with water. Baptism is legitimate whether it done by dipping, sprinkling, or pouring, although sprinkling and pouring are most expedient and especially appropriate (Is. 44:3, 52:15, Ezek. 36:25-27, 39:29, Acts 2:17-18, Heb. 9:19-22, 10:22).

What else must be added to the washing with water for it to be baptism? 

The word. The washing must be done into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ’s institution (Matt. 28:18-20).

What is the significance of being baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus' reference to baptism in the Triune name in Matthew 28:19 should be understood in the context of the earlier reference to baptism in Matthew 3's account of his own baptism. When Jesus was baptized, the Father affirmed his identity as his Son and the Spirit descended upon him. Likewise, baptism symbolizes our union with the Son, adoption by the Father, and sanctification by the Holy Spirit. It is a sign and seal of our ingrafting into Christ (Rom. 6:3-5). Christ brings us to the Father and pours out upon us the Holy Spirit.

This form refers to being taken under the care, protection, and tuition of the triune God, receiving this salvation from the triune God, being adopted into the household of God, enlisted in the army of the Lord Jesus, and joined to the temple of the Spirit. In baptism, the Triune God receives us as his people, and we are initiated into the confession of the God the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ his only Son, and the Holy Spirit - one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. The baptismal formula is the most basic form of the Christian creed and covenant.

What kind of sacrament is baptism? How is it different from the Lord’s Supper? 

There are basically two kinds of sacraments: one, in which covenant members actively renew the covenant repeatedly throughout their life, and the other, in which people are visibly admitted into the covenant and its community. Passover (in the Old Testament) and the Lord’s Supper (in the New Testament) are the type which is repeatedly practiced, while circumcision (OT) and baptism (NT) are the type which is done once as a sign of your reception into the covenant and its community. Baptism is to be administered only once to a person, and even to infants, as a sign and seal of that definitive break with the old man and putting on the new man, of your ingrafting into Christ. The Lord’s Supper, as we will see, is to be administered often, to such as can examine themselves, to represent and exhibit Christ as spiritual nourishment to the soul.

What then is the inward and spiritual grace signified by baptism? 

It signifies and seals our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s. (1) Our ingrafting into Christ is connected with baptism in Romans 6:3-5 and Galatians 3:27. (2) Our partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace flows from our union with Christ (Gal. 3:27-29). Baptism thus symbolizes the washing away of sins (Acts 22:16), the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5), and our membership in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). (3) Our engagement to be the Lord’s is also signified and sealed in baptism. This is our covenant obligation to be only and wholly his own, a holy people for his own possession. We receive him as our God in Christ and resolve to serve him according to his commandments as those bought with a price (Rom. 6:4, 13, Matt. 28:18-20). "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:15b). 

Is this grace not given until a person is baptized? 

No, baptism is given to represent, confirm, and tangibly hold forth this grace to a person for the strengthening of their faith. The efficacy of baptism is not tied to that moment of time wherein it is administered. Abraham had the reality before he was given the sign of circumcision (Rom. 4:11). The same is obviously true of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10. We do not baptize pagans to convert them, but we baptize Christians, that is, members of the visible church (those who profess true religion and their children), to confirm the promises to them. John Calvin put it this way,

Let us take as proof of this, Cornelius the centurion, who, having already received forgiveness of sins and the visible graces of the Holy Spirit, was nevertheless baptized [Acts 10:48]. He did not seek an ampler forgiveness of sins through baptism, but a surer exercise of faith - indeed, increase of assurance from a pledge. Perhaps someone will object: why, then, did Ananias tell Paul to wash away his sins through baptism [Acts 22:16; cf. ch. 9: 17-18] if sins are not washed away by the power of baptism itself? I reply: we are said to receive, obtain, and acquire what, according as our faith is aware, is shown forth to us by the Lord, whether when he first testifies to it, or when he confirms more fully and more surely what has been attested. Ananias meant only this: "To be assured, Paul, that your sins are forgiven, be baptized. For the Lord promises forgiveness of sins in baptism; receive it, and be secure." Yet it is not my intention to weaken the force of baptism by not joining reality and truth to the sign, in so far as God works through outward means. But from this sacrament, as from all others, we obtain only as much as we receive in faith. If we lack faith, this will be evidence of our ungratefulness, which renders us chargeable before God, because we have not believed the promise given there. (Institutes of the Christian Religion, 4.15.15)

Can the grace promised in baptism be given to a person at a time subsequent to his baptism? 

Yes, it is also possible that a person comes to possess the promised grace at a time after he was baptized (as was the hope for Simon Magnus when Peter exhorted him to pray in Acts 9:20-23). Baptism is given to members of the visible church, and so not all are necessarily regenerate when they receive the sign. Often the Israelites were exhorted to become in reality what they were supposed to be by their circumcision (Deut. 10:16). When they converted in truth, they were not to receive the sign again, but to embrace the promises and obligations once sealed to them in their circumcision. The same with baptism. God makes baptism effectual to his elect, in his appointed time.

When and how should we use baptism?

We should use it throughout our lives, for its fruit and power reaches to the whole course of our life (it does not only apply to pre-baptismal sins). Baptism is designed to strengthen, direct, and distinguish you for the rest of your life. We should reflect upon it, continually embracing the promises and obligations it confirms to us. In the New Testament epistles, baptism is often appealed to in order to exhort or instruct Christians concerning themselves and how they ought to live (Col. 2:12, Eph. 4:5, Rom. 6:3ff, 1 Cor. 1:13, 12:13). This is how the Larger Catechism explains our continual use of baptism:

Q. 167. How is baptism to be improved by us? A. The needful but much neglected duty of improving our baptism, is to be performed by us all our life long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the administration of it to others; 

• by serious and thankful consideration of the nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; 

• by being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; 

• by growing up to assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that sacrament; 

• by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace;  

• and by endeavoring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.

The Sacraments: How? What? Which?

The 91st question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?" It answers,
"The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them." 

Christ uses not only the word, but also the sacraments, to save his people. In fact, the sacraments are a visible extension and application of the word, symbolizing and confirming the same covenant presented in the gospel. In the sacraments, we do not get a different Christ than we do in the word, but we get Christ better. They are well adapted to our nature, to build us up unto salvation, in Christ, through faith.

Do the sacraments themselves have an intrinsic power to save? 

No, the grace that is conferred in or by the sacraments rightly used is not conferred by any power in them (“virtue” refers to “power”). We should not think of them as magical charms, crediting the means rather than the Savior. They do not work automatically or by the work itself. Not all who are baptized or who take the Lord’s Supper are saved (1 Cor. 10:1-5). Simon Magnus was baptized but proved himself to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity (Acts 8:12-24).

Does the efficacy of the sacraments come from the person who administers them? 

No, for the sacraments are signs from God, not from man. Just as the word of God remains true and powerful, even if declared by an evil man or through selfish motives (Phil. 1), so the sacraments, being appointed by God, do not receive their efficacy from the person who administers them. Those who plant and water are nothing, but only God who gives the growth (1 Cor. 3:7). They do not depend upon the piety of the administrator, which was the error of the Donatists. Nor do they depend upon the inward intention of the administrator, which would many all sacraments uncertain.

So how are they made effectual means of salvation? 

By the blessing of Christ and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them (Matt. 28:20, 1 Cor. 12:13, 1 Peter 3:21). Jesus makes his people clean and members of his body by his Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13, Titus 3:5). Jesus feeds his people with his flesh and blood by his Spirit (John 6:53-63).

How is this made evident in the administration of the sacraments? 

By the fact that they are administered with prayer and according to Christ’s “word of institution, which contains, together with a precept authorizing the use thereof, a promise of benefit to worthy receivers” (WCF 27.3). Baptism is administered using the words Christ gave us, “into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). The Lord’s Supper is administered with his words that this is his body and this is his blood of the covenant (Matt. 26:26-29, 1 Cor. 11:23-25). By these words, he not only instituted these sacraments, but he also promises benefit to worthy receivers.

Are the sacraments effectual to unbelievers? 

No, the things promised in the sacraments are received by faith. The sacraments are not given to outsiders to convert them, but to members of the visible church, who are supposed to be believers, to further build them up in Christ. The sacraments should be received by faith. Those who use them with faith in Christ can be confident of receiving what is symbolized, but those who lack faith should not presume their own salvation simply because they have received the sacraments (1 Cor. 10).

The 92nd question of the catechism asks, "What is a sacrament?" It answers,
"A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers." 

Did the old covenant also have sacraments? 

Yes, it had sacraments instituted by God to represent Christ and his benefits and to confirm his people’s interest in him, such as circumcision and the Passover. 

Who instituted the sacraments of the new covenant? 

Jesus Christ, during his earthly ministry. Christ came in the flesh to fulfill the covenant of grace, setting up its permanent form, the new covenant. Only he is authorized to appoint its sacraments. 

What are the parts of a sacrament?

"The parts of a sacrament are two; the one an outward and sensible sign, used according to Christ’s own appointment; the other an inward and spiritual grace thereby signified.” (WLC 163; cp. Matt. 3:11, 1 Peter 3:21, Rom. 2:28-29) A “sensible sign” refers to a sign that can be sensed, a tangible, physical sign. 

What is held forth in the sacraments? 

Christ and the benefits of the new covenant (Gal. 3:27, Matt. 26:26-28, Acts 2:38, 1 Cor. 10:16).

What kind of sign is a sacrament? 

Not a natural sign, like how smoke signifies fire; and not a bare sign that simply calls something to mind, like how a picture you took might call a person to mind; but a sign that seals and conveys something, like a handshake or wedding ring or a crown (Rom. 4:11). It is a symbol given to signify the will of the person giving it and to confirm a right to the thing promised. The sacraments are not bare signs, but truly offer and apply Christ and the benefits of the new covenant to believers, confirming our interest in Christ (cp. WLC 162, WCF 27.1).

What other related purposes does God have in instituting sacraments? 

The answer to question 162 in the Larger Catechism begins much like the Shorter Catechism’s answer but adds more to it: “A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ in his church, to signify, seal, and exhibit unto those that are within the covenant of grace, the benefits of his mediation; to strengthen and increase their faith, and all other graces; to oblige them to obedience; to testify and cherish their love and communion one with another; and to distinguish them from those that are without.” Likewise, the Confession of Faith (27.1) begins with the main end, “Sacraments are holy signs and seals of the covenant of grace, immediately instituted by God, to represent Christ, and his benefits; and to confirm our interest in him,” and continues by saying, “as also, to put a visible difference between those that belong unto the church, and the rest of the world; and solemnly to engage them to the service of God in Christ, according to his Word.” The apostles appeal to the sacraments in motivating God's people to gratefully live as God's people (Rom. 6:2-4, 1 Cor. 10:21, 12:13, etc.), for they visibly mark us as his people and seal our covenant obligations to our God and to one another. 

Is confirmation a sacrament? 

No, to the extent that "confirmation" is biblical, it is a profession of faith, not a sacrament. Tangible ceremonies used in some denominations, like the use of oil, are not instituted by Christ. 

Is penance a sacrament?

No, repentance is an inward reality, expressed by deeds; and the sign and seal of forgiveness continues to be baptism, the promise and use of which is life-long. Church discipline is an ordinance, but not a tangible sign and seal of the covenant.

Is the anointing of the sick a sacrament? 

No, Christ did not appoint anointing with oil as a sign of the covenant. Elders should pray for the sick and minister to them, as James 5 teaches, but the mention of anointing in that passage is incidental, debatable, and given no sacramental significance.

Is ordination a sacrament?

No, it is not a sign of Christ and the benefits of the new covenant. It is the solemn setting apart of a person to a public church office.

Is matrimony a sacrament? 

No, it is a creation ordinance, common to humanity. It is also not a sensible sign, but is fundamentally an invisible reality, often with its own sensible signs (e.g. rings). 

The 93rd question of the Shorter Catechism asks, "Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?"
It answers, "The sacraments of the New Testament are baptism and the Lord’s supper." 

With the coming of Christ, new sacraments were instituted by him as part of the clearer and more powerful new covenant administration: baptism and the Lord’s supper (Matt. 26:26-29, 28:18-20). Both of these are holy ordinances instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

How Should the Word Be Read and Heard?

The ninetieth question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "How is the word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?" It answers,
"That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives."

If you want to benefit from the word of God, you should read it and hear it in the right manner. Consider how the elements of this catechism answer are found in Proverbs 2:1-6 as it directs us to seek wisdom and the knowledge of God.

• Verse 1 speaks of faith (receiving) and laying up: "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,"
• Verse 2 speaks of attending with diligence: "making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;"
• Verse 3 speaks of preparing with prayer: "yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding," 
• Verse 4 speaks of a diligence moved by love: "if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,"
• Verses 5-6 then say regarding those who do these things: "then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding..."

What does it mean to "attend thereunto with diligence"? 

To attend to the word of God with diligence refers to reading and listening to the word consistently and teachably, setting your mind to understand it. You should attend to the word, and you should do so diligently. The church described in Acts 2 set a good example when they "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching" (Acts 2:42). Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:19 that we have been given the word of God, and "you will do well to pay attention [to it] as to a lamp shining in a dark place." Proverbs teaches that earnest teachableness is essential to profiting from instruction. Proverbs 2:2 exhorts you to make your ear attentive to wisdom and to incline your heart to understanding, that you might find the knowledge of God.

How should we attend to it with preparation? 

Preparation refers to putting yourself in a teachable frame of mind, turning away from rebellion, and remembering whose word this is that you are receiving. As you come to read or hear it, consider the majesty and presence of God (Acts 10:33) and lay aside all sins that might choke out the word (James 1:19-21, 1 Peter 2:1-3, Matt. 13:22). 

How should we pray as we come to God’s word? 

The prayer we should pray is that God would give us a true understanding of his word and bring it to us, not only in word, "but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction" (1 Thess. 1:5). "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law … Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes" (Ps. 119:18, 135). We should also pray for those who preach the word, that they might make it clear (Col. 4:4), and declare it boldly (Eph. 6:19-20), and that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored (2 Thess. 3:1).

Is it important to receive the word with faith? What does that mean? 

Hebrews 4:2 tells us that the gospel did not benefit the generation that died in the wilderness because they did not receive the word with faith. To receive it with faith means to accept it as the word of God (1 Thess. 2:13, 2 Tim. 3:16), as therefore having divine authority and infallible truth, giving assent to what it asserts and teaches, and to trust in it and its promises. The Westminster Confession of Faith helpfully explains a believing reception of the word of God when it says,

By this faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come. (WCF 14.2)

Is it important to receive the word with love? What does that look like? 

2 Thessalonians 2:10 says of those who are perishing, “that they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” We should love the truth and cherish God's word. To paraphrase Thomas Vincent, our love to the word should be shown in three ways: (1) in highly prizing the word of God, above all the treasures of this world. As Psalm 119:72 says, “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (2) In earnestly desiring the word of God. As 1 Peter 2:2 says, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation…” (3) In taking delight in the word of God. As Psalm 119:24 says, “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.”

What do people usually do with treasure? 

They store it up. They are careful to watch over it, that they might use it well. So also with the word of God: you should lay it up in your heart. Take it to heart and put it on your heart (Deut. 6:4). Meditate upon it and bring it to remembrance. "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Ps. 119:11). Do not be a hearer who forgets. Jesus described those who received the the word well by saying, "As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15). 

What does James say is the opposite of the hearer who forgets? 

The doer who acts. "But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing" (James 1:25). God wants you to keep his word and practice it in your lives, more and more. Act upon his word by believing in it and learning to obey it. The one who hears the words of Christ and does them that is like the man who built his house on the rock, but he one who hears his words and does not do them is like the man who built his house on the sand (Matt. 7:24-27).

Here are a few additional Q&As from the Westminster Larger Catechism on this topic:

Q. 157. How is the Word of God to be read?


A. The holy Scriptures are to be read with an high and reverent esteem of them; with a firm persuasion that they are the very Word of God, and that he only can enable us to understand them; with desire to know, believe, and obey the will of God revealed in them; with diligence, and attention to the matter and scope of them; with meditation, application, self-denial, and prayer.

Q. 159. How is the Word of God to be preached by those that are called thereunto?


A. They that are called to labor in the ministry of the word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, in season and out of season; plainly, not in the enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power; faithfully, making known the whole counsel of God; wisely, applying themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers; zealously, with fervent love to God and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory, and their conversion, edification, and salvation.

Q. 160. What is required of those that hear the word preached?


A. It is required of those that hear the word preached, that they attend upon it with diligence, preparation, and prayer; examine what they hear by the Scriptures; receive the truth with faith, love, meekness, and readiness of mind, as the Word of God; meditate, and confer of it; hide it in their hearts, and bring forth the fruit of it in their lives.

How Is the Word Made Effectual to Salvation?

The eighty-ninth question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "How is the word made effectual to salvation?" It answers, "The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation." 

The Holy Scriptures are the word of God, and they “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). God has delivered his message to man, and all of Scripture is that message. All of that message (special revelation) is contained in Scripture.

How is the word to be administered? 

Both by the reading of the word and the preaching of the word.

Is the Word of God to be read by all? 

This question is asked by the Larger Catechism. It answers, "Although all are not to be permitted to read the Word publicly to the congregation, yet all sorts of people are bound to read it apart by themselves, and with their families: to which end, the Holy Scriptures are to be translated out of the original into vulgar languages." How do we know that each of us should read it? At the very least, from what the Bible says about meditating upon God’s word daily (e.g. Psalm 1). The word can be read from the page or remembered from what you have memorized. That said, each one should learn to read to be able to read the Scriptures, all of which is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16).

How do we know that we should read it with our families? 

Because the Bible says to diligently teach these words to your children and to talk of them throughout the day (Deut. 6:7). This implies both a reading or recalling of Scripture and instruction in it. 

How should each Christian promote knowledge of the word of God? 

Only some Christians are called to be ministers of the word, but all Christians have some responsibility to promote the knowledge of the word of God. We should all confess Christ before men (Matt. 10:32-33) and be ready and eager to give a defense of the faith and a reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15) and to invite and encourage others to come to Christ and his word (Is. 2:2-3, Zech. 8:21, 2 Chron. 30:1, Acts 10:24, 33). Likewise, we should also encourage one another with the teachings of Scripture in a brotherly way (1 Thess. 4:18, Acts 18:26).

How should ministers of the word administer the word? 

Both by the public reading of Scripture and by the preaching of Scripture (Deut. 31:9-13, Neh. 8, 1 Tim. 4:13-16, 2 Tim. 4:2, 1 Cor. 1:21). Paul told Timothy to devote himself to “the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13) because if he kept a close watch on himself and on the teaching, he would save both himself and his hearers (1 Tim. 4:16). The word of God is to be preached only by such as are sufficiently gifted, and also duly approved and called to that office (WLC 158, 1 Tim. 3:2, 6; 2 Tim. 2:2, 1 Cor. 12:28-29, Rom. 10:15, 1 Tim. 4:14), or in preparation, under the supervision of the church. 

Why might the catechism say “but especially the preaching”?

Consider how 1 Corinthians 2-3 and Romans 10 speak of the preaching of the word. In preaching, when it is rightly done, the message of Scripture is explained, so that it is especially clear and convicting (Neh. 8:8-9, Acts 8). As the Ethiopian said when Philip asked him if he understood what he read, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31). In his wisdom, God uses mortal men, vessels of clay, to proclaim the treasures of the gospel (2 Cor. 4:7, see also 2 Cor. 5:20).

Where does the efficacy of the word come from? 

The Spirit of God makes the word of God effectual to salvation. The Spirit of God is the one who delivered the word of God to us, producing Scripture by working through its human authors (2 Tim. 3:16, 1 Peter 1:10-12, 1 Cor. 2:13). The Spirit of God is also the one who makes the word effectual to salvation. The natural person is not able to understand the word of God, but the spiritual person (the one who has the Spirit of God) is able to understand it (1 Cor. 2:11-14). While men may “plant” and “water” by preaching, yet it is God who gives the increase (1 Cor. 3:6-7).

How does the Spirit make the word effectual for salvation in the calling of sinners? 

The Spirit makes the word an effectual means of "convincing and converting sinners." It is the instrument he uses to bring sinners from darkness to light, from death to life. It is the ordinary means by which the Spirit produces active faith and repentance in sinners (Rom. 10:17, Acts 26:18, 1 Peter 1:23-25). It is through the word that the Spirit

• convicts the sinner of his sin and convinces him of his misery and danger;
• enlightens the sinner in the knowledge of Christ, persuading him of God’s mercy in Christ; and
• draws the sinner to convert, to embrace Christ for salvation and to repent from sin to God.

How does the Spirit make the word effectual for salvation in the life of believers?

The Spirit uses the reading and preaching of the word to build up those who have been converted. He builds them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation. In this way, he prepares and preserves us for glory. He keeps us on the narrow way by the word.

• Those who have been born again by the word ought to long for the word, as infants long for milk, that by it they may grow up into salvation (1 Peter 2:2).
• Christ gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers not only for the gathering of the elect, but also for the training and perfecting of the saints, that they might be steadfast and mature (Eph. 4:12, Col. 1:28, 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
• The word of God shows us the way of holiness and motivates us to walk in it. By the word, the Spirit sanctifies us.
• The word of God is also the means by which the Spirit - the Comforter - comforts and strengthens us, giving us hope and confidence (Rom. 15:4, John 14:26).
• We are built up in holiness and comfort by the word through faith. Just as faith is worked in us by the word, so it is strengthened by the ministry of the word too (1 Thess. 3:2, 10).

What Are the "Means of Grace"?

The eighty-eighth question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?" It answers, "The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation."

What does it mean for Christ to communicate to us the benefits of redemption? 

This phrase does not simply refer to telling us about it, but actually sharing these benefits with us, giving them to us, giving us communion in them. Christ purchased redemption on the cross, and he then in due time gives the benefits of that redemption to the elect (e.g. justification, adoption, sanctification, the benefits that accompany or flow from them). 

What are means? 

A mean is something that is between, a middle point or place, and in this context it refers to an instrument, that which is used to accomplish a goal, to achieve an effect; the medium through which something is done.

What are the inward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?

The catechism explains in questions 29-31 that we are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ by the work of the Spirit in us, who applies it to us by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling (John 6:35, 44, 63, 1 Cor. 6:11).

Does Christ also ordinarily use outward means to communicate to us the benefits of redemption?

Yes, this catechism answer points out that Christ ordinarily uses outward means to give us the benefits of redemption (Rom. 10:14-17, 1 Tim. 4:15-16), both initially and continually, in our effectual calling and growth in grace. The Spirit makes these outward means effectual. Sometimes we refer to these outward and ordinary means as “the means of grace.”

Why do we call them the ordinary means?

First, because there may be exceptions, such as with elect infants who die in infancy and are nevertheless regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit, who works when, and where, and how he pleases (John 3:8). Second, because these means are the ordinary means and we should use them with that expectation. You should seek Christ and his benefits by a diligent and right use of the ordinary means appointed by him, as was said earlier. 

Are they made effectual for salvation to everyone?

No, the wilderness generation is used several times in the Bible as an illustration of those who had the means of grace but did not benefit from them (Heb. 4, 1 Cor. 10). Apart from the Spirit’s work, the gospel is veiled to those who are perishing, for their minds are blinded, kept from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

To whom are they made effectual to salvation? 

God makes them effectual to the elect for salvation. “…and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). These outward means are how God effectually calls and preserves his elect unto salvation. The efficacy of all the means of grace come from God, who removes our spiritual blindness and stubbornness, not from the means themselves.

Generally speaking, what are these outward and ordinary means?

They are Christ’s ordinances. Why is it important for us to specify that? Because it is only through ordinances of his appointing, appointed in his word, that we should expect to find salvation, not through ordinances invented by man. As Thomas Vincent (1634-1678) explains, “We ought not to make use of any ordinances which are of men’s appointment only, in order unto salvation, because this is will-worship, which is both vain and offensive; and we cannot groundedly expect the blessing of the Lord upon, or to receive any true benefit of any ordinances, but by those alone which are of his own appointment only.”

What are the chief ordinances of Christ? 

The Word of God, the sacraments (baptism and the Lord's Supper), and prayer (Matt. 6:5-13, 26:26-29, 28:18-20). Acts 2:41-42, 47 describes how these ordinances were diligently observed by the apostolic church, and how God made them effectual to the elect for salvation. “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). 

What Is Repentance unto Life?

The eighty-seventh question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is repentance unto life?" It answers, "Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience." 

Repentance ought to be preached as part of the gospel proclamation (Luke 24:47). “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Along with faith, repentance ought to be our response to the gospel of Christ. While our repentance does not earn salvation or pardon (Christ does), nor is it a means by which we receive Christ (faith alone is), yet it is a condition of the gospel, of the covenant of grace, as something that is inseparable from saving faith and which prepares us for the enjoyment of glory. No one can expect pardon without it (WCF 15.3). “…unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3). “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:19, cp. 2:38).

Where does repentance unto life come from? 

It comes from God. He works it in our hearts by the word and Spirit. “And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life’” (Acts 11:18, see also Ezekiel 36:26-32). It is something that man does, as God works within him to produce it (Phil. 2:13). 

What knowledge leads to repentance unto life?

Repentance begins with a true sense of your sin and an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ (Ezek. 36:31, Acts 2:36-38, Joel 2:12-13, Is. 55:7). If you do not think you are a sinner, there is no reason to repent. Likewise, if there is no mercy for repentant sinners in God, then there is no hope in turning to God, but only despair. So Scripture exhorts people to repent by revealing the truth about their sin (in the light of God’s righteousness, God’s law, and God’s goodness) and the truth of God’s mercy in Christ.

Is a conviction of sin repentance? 

No, a conviction of sin is not in itself repentance. Someone like Judas can be convicted that he did wrong, and even be distressed and seek to do something about it, and yet not repent and turn to God. There is a worldly grief that leads to death rather than salvation (a conviction that causes despair as in Judas or that passes away as in King Saul). A mere conviction of sin is not repentance unto life, but it can lead to it when combined with an apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ.

What attitude and action does this knowledge of your sin and God’s mercy lead to? 

With this understanding, a repentant person grieves for his sin and hates his sin. With that grief and hatred, he therefore turns from sin unto God (Joel 2:12-13, Acts 26:18, 20). He confesses his sin, he grieves for his sin, and he turns from his sin to God. Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret (2 Cor. 7:8-11). Repentance is fundamentally a turning, a return to God from the heart, a conversion. It involves repudiating the ways of sin which we formerly practiced and devoting ourselves to the Lord.

What purpose and endeavor forms part of repentance? 

A purpose of new obedience and an endeavor after new obedience. Those who turn from sin to God will sincerely purpose and endeavor to obey all the commandments of God. “I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules” (Ps. 119:106). “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Ex. 24:7). 

How is obedience and good works related to repentance? 

Obedience and good works are the fruits of repentance. “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8, see also 3:10-14). “... that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (Acts 26:20).

Should we seek to make satisfaction for our sins? 

We should seek to give restitution to our neighbor and to repair the damage caused by our sins when possible (Lev. 6:2-5, Luke 19:8), confessing and declaring our repentance to those whom we have offended (Luke 17:3-4, Matt. 5:23-24), but before God we confess our sins to him and rest in and appeal to the satisfaction of Christ as we repent of and forsake our sins (1 John 1:7-9).

Is repentance done only once in the Christian life? 

No, while repentance forms an essential part of the beginning of the Christian life, to which we ought to conform, repentance is to be practiced throughout life as we turn from particular sins and in general put to death the deeds of the body and strive after holiness (Col. 3:5ff). Repentance is the human side of sanctification, which has a decisive beginning and continual progress to the end of this life.

What Is Faith in Jesus Christ?

The eighty-sixth question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is faith in Jesus Christ?" It answers, "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel."

What is the object of saving faith? 

Saving faith is faith in Jesus Christ. It is not a mere sense of dependance or optimism. It is not faith in just anything. The object of our faith matters greatly. Those who place their faith in false gods, money, or themselves will be disappointed and put to shame. Those who believe in Jesus Christ shall be saved (Acts 16:31).

What is faith?

Faith in its fullest sense, as in saving faith, is knowledge, assent, and trust. Saving faith is not a mere awareness of Christ and his claims about himself. Nor is it merely assenting to the truth of his claims. The demons admitted that Jesus was the Son of God, and yet they remained his enemies. Saving faith is not only knowledge and assent, but also trust. A believer not only recognizes that Jesus is Lord and Savior, but receives Jesus as his Lord and Savior and rests upon Jesus for salvation (John 1:12, Acts 10:43). 

Where does God offer Jesus to us? 

In the gospel, in the covenant of grace. In the Old Testament, God presented this Savior to his people by promises, sacrifices, and other types and ceremonies. In the New Testament, the Christ who has come is offered in the gospel and the new covenant sacraments with greater clarity and efficacy to all nations. But in both administrations, sinners have been saved by faith in Christ, by whom they have had full remission of sins and eternal salvation. As Philip Melanchthon wrote,

Accordingly, faith is nothing else than trust in the divine mercy promised in Christ, and it makes no difference with what sign it has been promised. This trust in the goodwill or mercy of God first calms our hearts and then inflames us to give thanks to God for his mercy so that we keep the law gladly and willingly. (Loci Communes (Westminster Press, [1521] 1969), 92.)

Saving faith does not take hold of some invention of the imagination, but it takes hold of Jesus as he is offered to us in the gospel, as God presents him to us. How is Jesus offered to us in the gospel? 

He is held forth to us, (1) freely, (2) as the Son of God who became our redeemer, as prophet, priest, and king, (3) for justification, sanctification, and eternal life. Acts 16:31, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” As Petrus van Mastricht wrote,

Yet, the proper object of faith, as it is the faith of a sinner, is Christ the Mediator (Acts 10:43; John 1:11-12; 2:23; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim. 2:5; etc.) ... and not according to this or that function of his office separately - either as Prophet, Priest, or King only - but as it embraces the threefold office in its entirety. ... Therefore, specifically, he must be received by faith not only as the Redeemer through whom we are freed from the punishments of our sins and eternal destruction, but also as the Lord to whom we offer ourselves obedient in all things. (Theoretical-Practical Theology, vol 2 (Reformation Heritage, [1698] 2019), 11)

More broadly, what else does saving faith receive?

While the principal acts of saving faith are receiving and resting upon Christ alone for salvation, it also receives God’s word in general. As the Westminster Confession of Faith says,

By this faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth; yielding obedience to the commands, trembling at the threatenings, and embracing the promises of God for this life and that which is to come. (WCF 14.2) 

We see this in Hebrews 11. By faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place God would show him (Heb. 11:8). By faith, Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. He heeded the warning (Heb. 11:7). By faith the patriarchs, not having received the things promised, yet saw them and greeted them - embraced them - from afar (Heb. 11:13).

And so as Luther says, “what a living, creative, active, powerful thing is faith!” Faith works. Faith produces good works. As Paul says, faith works through love (Gal. 5:6). It is also foundational for our hope and steadfastness. Not only does faith justify us as an instrument by which we receive Christ, but it also sanctifies us. Saving faith sanctifies, not only as a reception of Christ, who is our sanctification, but also as a virtue within us by which we live. We now live by our faith in Jesus Christ, acting upon the God of word by faith. 

In what way is faith unique among Christian virtues? 

It is by faith alone that we receive salvation and are justified. “...yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified” (Gal. 2:16; see also Eph. 2:8). Faith alone is the instrument of justification because only faith receives Christ and unites us to him. The saving act of faith is that of receiving Jesus (John 1:11-12, Phil. 3:8-9), for all of salvation is to be found in him.

How does faith save? 

Faith does not save as a virtue. It does not save as a good work. It is a good work and a virtue, but that is not how it saves. Faith saves as an instrument by which we receive Christ. God pardons us and accepts us as righteous in his sight on the basis of Christ's righteousness. Romans 3:24-25 speaks of this, that we “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”

Must faith be a strong faith to be a saving faith? 

No, faith does not save by its virtue or strength, but by its object. Saving faith may be weak or strong, small or great. We pray that God would increase our faith (Mark 9:24), but whether it is weak or strong, this faith is equally precious in its nature, object, and saving efficacy, giving an equal share in Christ and his promises (2 Peter 1:1).

Where does saving faith come from?

Our faith comes from God. We do not boast about our faith because it is a gift that God gives, producing it in our hearts (Eph. 2:8-9). As Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44).

What does God use to produce faith in us?

The ordinary means by which God works active faith in the heart is the ministry of the word. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).

What does God use to maintain and increase faith in us? 

The ministry of the word, the administration of the sacraments, and prayer (1 Peter 2:2, Rom. 4:11, Luke 17:5).

What Should We Do to Escape God's Wrath and Curse?

"Q. 85. What doth God require of us that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption."
(Westminster Shorter Catechism)

Since every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, and each of us have sinned, the question that arises is how may we escape from God’s wrath and curse? This is what the people asked the apostles on the day of Pentecost, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). Or as the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30). The answers can be found in Acts 2:38–42 and Acts 16:31–33 and are summarized by this catechism question. Here are a few questions and answers of my own to unfold it:

Is the gospel of salvation unconditional?
No, the gospel is not unconditional. If it was, all people would be saved. Christ and the apostles regularly offer salvation upon conditions. "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out..." (Acts 3:19).

The gospel proclaims the saving work of God in Christ. Christ has obtained full redemption for his people through his life, death, and resurrection. The gospel also calls sinners to respond to the message and receive this salvation. Otherwise, it will not benefit them. “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God ... Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 5:20, 6:2).

Are these conditions, duties?
Yes, we are commanded to repent (Acts 17:30) and to believe in Jesus Christ (1 John 3:23) and to diligently use the outward means of grace (Ps. 79:6, Prov. 1:24-26). People ought to “obey the gospel” by receiving it in this way (Rom. 10:16, 2 Thess. 1:8, 1 Peter 4:17).

Man’s duty is obedience to God’s revealed will. The rule which God first revealed to man for his obedience is the moral law. But the moral law reveals man’s sin and need for salvation. The second part of his revealed will (and thus, our duty) is what he requires of us that we may escape his wrath and curse. God tells everyone to do these things.

What is the first thing that God requires of us that we may be saved?
Faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31, John 3:16). We must receive and rest upon Christ for salvation, as he is offered in the gospel.

Why is this a condition?
Because by faith in Christ we are linked to him and receive a share in him (John 6:35, Eph. 3:17). By faith, and only by faith, we receive the righteousness of Christ (Rom 3, Phil. 3:9, Eph. 2:8).

What is the second thing that God requires of us that we may be saved?
Repentance unto life (Acts 2:38, 3:19). We must turn from sin unto God, purposing and endeavoring after new obedience.

Why is this a condition?
Because repentance is necessarily joined with saving faith, and also because it befits those who will be saved and the purpose of salvation.

Must we repent before we believe? Or believe before we repent?
No, saving faith and repentance unto life are a united response. Each is inseparable from the other. They are exercised together.

What is the third thing that is required with these other two?
The diligent use of all the outward means by which Christ gives to us the benefits of redemption (1 Peter 2:2, Acts 22:16). We must diligently make use of the preaching and reading of Scripture, the sacraments, and prayer.

Why is this a condition?
Because faith, produced in our hearts by the Spirit, "is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened" (WCF 14.1, see Rom. 10:14, 17, 1 Peter 2:2, Rom. 4:11, Luke 17:5). 

Is the use of the sacraments absolutely necessary for a person to be saved?
No, since they are given to confirm grace and strengthen and exercise faith. Grace and salvation is not so inseparably annexed to the sacraments as that no person can be saved without them (WCF 28:5). Nevertheless, we are told to use the sacraments in order to be saved in places like Acts 2:38 and 22:16 because they are ordinary means by which God sustains and preserves us through faith unto salvation.

Does faith, repentance, and use of outward means satisfy the justice of God or fulfill the penalty of the broken law?
No, they do not. Only the satisfaction and obedience of Christ can satisfy divine justice and fulfill the demands of the law of God. We must not trust in our faith or repentance or use of means, but only in Christ. Yet, as John Thompson wrote, "they are the terms and conditions, by the performance of which, by the gospel promises, we may hope for the benefit of Christ’s obedience, which he performed to the law of God, in behalf of all those, who, by grace and assistance of the Holy Spirit, are enabled truly to perform them. John 3:18, Acts 2:37" (An Explication of the Shorter Catechism).

How are we able to do these things?
Through the power of the Spirit. Faith and repentance are saving graces, produced by God in the hearts of the elect (Eph. 2:8, Acts 11:18). We have nothing to boast of, but give glory to God even for the faith and repentance we exercise.

Do all those who do these things escape God’s wrath and curse?
Yes, there is no condemnation for those who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. They have passed from death into life (John 5:24, Rom. 8:1).

Must we wait until we feel the Spirit moving us before doing these things?
No, we are called to do these things without delay. The Spirit’s work is known after the fact, from the effect of his work. The Spirit works through our mind and will, which we must exercise to embrace Christ (Phil. 2:12-13).

Must we wait until we know we are elect or regenerate before we do these things?
No, we only know if we are regenerate by whether we have done these things. All men everywhere are told to repent and believe, not just the regenerate or the elect. We only know we are regenerate and elect after we have repented and believed.

Is it legalistic to tell the natural man to diligently use the ministry of the word and prayer?
No, Peter exhorted Simon the sorcerer to repent and pray to God (Acts 8:22). It is through the word of God, read and preached, that people are effectually called by God to salvation (1 Cor. 2, Rom. 10).

Catechizing and the Westminster Shorter Catechism

Presbyterian Catechising by John Phillip (1817-1867). National Galleries of Scotland.

"Catechizing" refers to teaching the doctrines of the Christian faith in a systematic manner, especially through the use of questions and answers. The word comes from a Greek word found in the Bible (Luke 1:4, Gal. 6:6), κατηχέω (katécheó), which means “I teach orally, I instruct,” from kata and echos; to “sound down.” In English, catechism refers both to oral instruction and to written catechisms. Historically and etymologically, the oral instruction is primary, and the use and memorization of written catechisms is an aid in this work of catechizing. 

The Bible teaches the importance of such instruction. Exodus 12:26-27 and Deuteronomy 6:20-25 describe giving instruction in the faith through questions and answers. Deuteronomy 6:7 teaches parents to diligently teach the word of God to their children. "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." This point is confirmed in the New Testament as well (Eph. 6:4). And not only parents are responsible for catechizing. The Greek word katécheó is used to describe the pastor-teachers of the church in Galatians 6:6, "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches." It is important for the pastors of the church to teach as well as preach (1 Tim. 4:13, 16), to give instruction in sound doctrine, in "the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness" (1 Tim. 6:3, cp. 2 Tim. 1:13-14). Ministers must not shrink back from declaring everything profitable, the whole counsel of God, giving the saints a systematic understanding of what God's word teaches (Acts 20:20, 27). 

Not only do we find biblical grounds for this doctrinal instruction by both parents and pastors, but also its use in church history. In the early church, catechetical lectures were given to catechumens before they were admitted to the sacraments, along with catechetical instruction afterwards. From early on, this instruction followed the outline of the Creed (Nicene or Apostles), the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the sacraments.

Catechetical instruction blossomed during the Reformation. Many catechism were written by the Reformers to assist in this work, such as Luther’s Large and Small Catechisms and the Genevan Catechism. The Roman Catholic Church responded with the “Roman Catechism” in 1566. 

Both parents and pastors were to be engaged in the work of catechism. Calvin held a catechism class on Sunday afternoons in between the morning and evening services, especially for the children. The Dutch Reformed tradition prescribed that pastors preach through the Heidelberg Catechism in their evening service. The Church of England in 1603 prescribed that all its pastors examine, instruct, and teach at least the youth and ignorant persons of their parish before the evening service for 30 minutes or more. The Church of Scotland prescribed in 1560 that the minister catechize on Sunday afternoons by publicly examining the youth before the congregation, instructing the whole congregation. In 1639, the Church of Scotland prescribed that every minister hold gatherings during the week for this catechizing (as portrayed in the painting above). It also prescribed that parents and masters catechize their households. 

The Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms were produced by the Westminster Assembly in the 1640s and they form part of the doctrinal standards of Presbyterian denominations like my own, the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. The Westminster Assembly produced these catechisms as a "Directory for ... catechising" for the churches of England, Scotland, and Ireland, in accord with the Solemn League and Covenant (1643). Its Form of Presbyterial Church Government included "catechising" among the ordinances to be practiced in each congregation and "To catechise, which is a plain laying down the first principles of the oracles of God" as among the duties of pastors. 

The Westminster Shorter Catechism has been used for centuries by Puritans, Presbyterians, and others to give instruction in the Christian faith, especially to the young and to those new to the faith. This catechism was used by English Puritans, with commentaries written on it by Thomas Vincent, Thomas Watson, and Matthew Henry. It was used throughout Presbyterian Scotland for centuries. It was also used in America, by Presbyterians and Congregationalists. It was included in the influential New England Primer, which was first published in 1690 and continued to be reprinted through the 19th century, and served as the basic textbook for beginning students as they learned to read. Thus, especially in the 1600s and 1700s, generations of American children were taught and discipled by this reliable tool of Christian discipleship.

The American Presbyterian Directory for Public Worship, approved in 1788, directed that 

Children, born within the pale of the visible Church, and dedicated to God in baptism, are under the instruction and government of the Church; and are to be taught to read, and repeat the Catechism, the Apostles Creed, and the Lord's prayer. They are to be taught to pray, to abhor sin, to fear God, and to obey the Lord Jesus Christ. And, when they come to years of discretion, if they be free from scandal, appear sober and steady, and to have sufficient knowledge to discern the Lord's body, they ought to be informed, it is their duty, and their privilege, to come to the Lord's Supper.

It also said, 

Let heads of families be careful to instruct their children and servants in the principles of religion. — Every proper opportunity ought to be embraced for such instruction. But we are of opinion that the sabbath evenings after public worship, should be sacredly preserved for this purpose.

Much of the responsibility for catechizing was on the parents, but often the church or school would also help in this work (e.g. public recitations, examinations, classes, or home visits). Sometimes the Scripture proofs were also memorized. 

For example, young Charles Hodge (1797-1878) and his brother were drilled in the catechism by their mother, who brought them to the catechism classes held by their pastor Ashbel Green for children, ages 3 or 4 to 10 or 12. When children of Dr. Green’s congregation had learned the catechism, they joined a Bible class which met weekly in the pastor’s study, which included continued review of the catechism. Then the youth attended Dr. Green’s series of lectures on the Shorter Catechism, which also attracted people of all ages. When Archibald Alexander (1772-1851) was a pastor, he held regular catechism classes for the children of the church on Saturday afternoons. He “put the class through the Shorter Catechism. The older children were required to bring written proofs of certain points assigned’” (Calhoun, Princeton Seminary, vol. 1, p. 57). Archibald himself had memorized it by the age of 7, at which point he had begun working on the Larger Catechism.

I am currently catechizing at church at 10:00 am on Sunday mornings with all ages welcome, working through the Westminster Shorter Catechism. You can find the recordings of those lessons here. You can find several written commentaries on it at this link and an outline of it here. You can also learn more about catechizing at this links:

Is the Shorter Catechism Worth While? by B.B. Warfield (1851-1921) 

Why Catechize? by Thomas Watson (1620–1686)

Catechizing: A Forgotten Practice by John Murray (1898-1975) 

The Parson Catechising by George Herbert (1593-1633)

How Did God Create Man?

The tenth question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "How did God create man?"
 It answers, "God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness and holiness, with dominion over the creatures."

The doctrine of man is a major area of conflict in our day. Contrary to popular belief, you do not get to create yourself and choose all your obligations. You are created by God, and while you have some chosen obligations in life, you have other obligations by virtue of how God made you. You are created and designed by God as either male or female and as one made after his own image, to reflect his knowledge, righteousness, holiness, and dominion. 

"So God created man in his own image,

 in the image of God he created him;

 male and female he created them."

 (Genesis 1:27)

How did God make man male and female? 

He formed the man's body from the dust of the ground and formed the woman's body from the man's rib. Notice, God did not at first create an androgynous person without a sex, and then divide that person into a man and a woman. No, he created first the man, and then from him the woman. Sex identity as male or female was there from the beginning and is good.

Are there more sexes than two? 

No, there are but two sexes, male and female. Rare physical anomalies may occasionally make it complicated to identify, but they do not create a third sex or nullify the link God has made between biological sex and a person's identity as male and female. A woman is an adult human female, and female denotes the sex that can bear offspring or produce eggs. That is what old and new dictionaries say and is the biblical usage too. When Adam named the woman, he did not ask her about her psychological experience and whether she felt like a woman. He named her "woman" because her body was formed from the man’s, corresponding to it.

What implications might this have for you? 

You should affirm the goodness of this distinction. Affirm it in the way you dress and act (Deut. 22:5). Treat men as men, women as women. Fulfill your particular responsibilities as men or women, using your particular gifts well (e.g. 1 Peter 3:1-7). Men marry women, and women marry men. Sin seeks to blur the distinctions God has appointed, and the more it holds sway, the more it distorts human desires, destroying natural orientations (Rom. 1:26-27) and natural affections (Rom. 1:30-31). In our day, this sinful distortion is an ideology being promoted in our society. The creation order (natural law) is contrary to androgyny, egalitarianism, queerness, homosexuality, transgenderism, effeminacy, irresponsibility, and the hatred of either sex. Both men and women should be valued and honored as such.

What was made after God’s own image? 

God created man in his own image. "Man" here refers to mankind, male and female. And it refers to man, not merely some part of him

What does an image do? 

An image resembles something and it represents that thing. As the image of God, man represents God and resembles God. Genesis 5:1-3 connects the ideas of image and son. The son resembles his father and represents his father. Especially in an ancient household, the son would represent his father and would bear his authority under him. Likewise, Adam was created as a son of God (Luke 3:38), to resemble God and to rule God’s earthly household on his behalf (cp. Acts 17:28). The doctrine of the image of God shows us what we are and what we are called to do. If you learn that a rock is a statue, you know what it is and what it is supposed to do. It is a statue that represents someone and it is suppose to resemble that person.

How does man represent God? 

Man is God’s representative on earth, his vice-regent. Just as a king might set up statues and flags and images on coins to assert his reign - the violation of which is taken personally - so God has set up man as a symbol of his royal authority on earth. To mistreat man is to attack God (Gen. 9:6, Prov. 14:31). Man’s basic value does not come from his abilities, his usefulness, his race, his independence, or his mental capacity, but on his or her identity as a human, made in the image of God. From conception, each child is made in the image of God. 

How does man resemble God? 

Particularly, we resemble him in knowledge, righteousness, holiness, and dominion. This resemblance is connected to the first point - we resemble him to display his glory on earth.

Does man’s body resemble God? 

The divine nature is spiritual and invisible (1 Tim. 1:17, John 4:24), so no, the resemblance is not physical. Nevertheless, man was made to physically manifest God's invisible attributes. Our bodies are intended to be instruments of righteousness and dominion. Our bodies do not physically resemble God, but our resemblance to God does express itself through the body. The whole man is the image of God.

How does man resemble God in his dominion? 

Man was made as a productive being who at least originally exercised true and good dominion (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:15). God had worked to create the world with power, wisdom, and goodness, forming and filling the earth. He also created mankind to have dominion over his creation and work the earth, to exercise power, wisdom, and goodness. We are sub-creators who reflect God in our work, working on his behalf.

How does man resemble God in his knowledge? 

Man was made as a rational being with true knowledge (Col. 3:10). Think also of how knowledge and wisdom is discussed in Proverbs 8, as active in God’s work of creation and as something which man is to take hold of and exercise. Man was created with the knowledge of God and was taught right away about God’s covenant and creation. Man is able to know God and communicate with him. He can communicate with one another, and reason about and investigate this world.

How does man resemble God in his righteousness? 

Man was made as a moral being with true righteousness (Eph. 4:24). True righteousness is conformity to the moral perfection of God. Unlike the pagan gods who expressed human vices on a supernatural scale, the true God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. He is faithful and just. His children ought to be as well. His moral law is not an arbitrary expression of his whims, but a definition of what it looks like for man to reflect his righteous character.

How does man resemble God in his holiness? 

Man was made as a religious being with true holiness (Eph. 4:24). True holiness is total consecration to God and separation from the defilement of sin. You shall be holy, for the Lord your God is holy (Lev. 19, 1 Peter 1). God is set apart, undefiled, and pure - completely good. He is “inclined to all moral purity and recoils from all impurity of sin.” Mankind reflects God’s holiness by being totally consecrated to God, conforming its will to love and reject what he loves and rejects, demonstrating its devotion to him in worship and service.

What has sin done to God’s image? 

Sin distorts and defaces the image of God. If you learn that a rock is a statue, you know what it is and what it is supposed to do. If it gets defaced, it is still a statue, but it does not fulfill its purpose well, and it is in need of restoration. Humanity should still be respected as God’s image, but man has marred the image and acts contrary to it. He remains a rational, moral, religious, and productive being, capable by God's common grace of some earthly good, but his thinking is blind to God and ultimately futile, his righteousness is as filthy rags before God, his religion is idolatrous, and his dominion is ultimately vain and often cruel.

How might God’s image be renewed and restored? 

Only by God's grace. Thanks be to God that he has sent Jesus Christ to redeem his people, to break the power of sin over them, and to write God's law on their hearts by his Spirit. When we come to Christ, we "put off the old self and its practices" and "put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Col. 3:10). The resemblance to God is being restored in believers, who are transformed by the renewing of their minds, enabled and taught to put to death their former sinful practices and to put on the ways of Christ.

“For as when a figure painted on wood has been soiled by dirt from outside, it is necessary for him whose figure it is to come again, so that the image can be renewed on the same material - because of his portrait even the material on which it is painted is not cast aside, but the portrait is reinscribed on it.” 

- Athanasius, On the Incarnation

Attributes of God

The fourth question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is God?" It answers, "God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth." 

God has revealed himself to man, so that we are not in the dark about his existence or nature. Our knowledge of him, when based upon his revelation of himself, is limited but true. He has revealed himself in his creation (Rom. 1:19-20) and in the Holy Scriptures.

What does it mean that God is a Spirit?
God reveals that he is a Spirit (John 4:24). This means that the divine nature is not physical. God as God has no body. As our confession of faith says, he is "a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions." When Jesus rose from the dead, he contrasted spirit with body: "Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have" (Luke 24:39). Jesus only had a body because he took on human nature. 

What about references to God’s hand, God’s arm, God’s eyes, God’s face?
These are figures of speech that use human body parts to refer to God’s invisible attributes (e.g. his power, knowledge, favor, etc.). He sees, he hears, he acts, he speaks, but without physical eyes, ears, hands, or mouth. He does not need the organs for these activities.

What does it mean for God to be infinite?
He is without limit. He is not bound or measured. He is everywhere, filling heaven and earth, and even they cannot contain him (Jer. 23:24, 1 Kings 8:27).

What does it mean for God to be eternal?
He is not limited by time, but is beyond time. He existed before time began. He has no beginning and no end. "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You return man to dust and say, 'Return, O children of man!' For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:2–4).

What does it mean for God to be unchangeable?
He is perfect and therefore cannot grow better or get worse. He is infinite and eternal, not a creature of time. He does not vary or change (James 1:17). “They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end. The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you” (Psalm 102:26-28).

How is God’s being different from our being?
It is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. God is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, and these attributes apply to his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. That is, his being is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. His wisdom is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. His power is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. And so forth.

What is God’s wisdom?
It is his perfect knowledge of himself and all things by which he orders and connects all things with purpose and design and ultimately for his glory. His wisdom is displayed in the design and order of the creation and his providence (Psalm 104), in his law (Deut. 4:6), and in his work of salvation through Jesus Christ, the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1-2).

What is God’s power?
It is his ability to do whatever he pleases (Ps. 135:6-7). He has supreme authority over all things and he has infinite power. He works all things according to the counsel of his will (Eph. 1:10; note the union of wisdom and power). His power is displayed in creating all things out of nothing by his word (Rev. 4:11), by sustaining all things by his word (Heb. 1), by working all things to fulfill his purposes (Dan. 4:35), and by overcoming sin and Satan through the miraculous incarnation and work of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 1:24).

What is God’s holiness?
Holiness has to do with separation, consecration, and purity. Thomas Vincent describes it this way: “The holiness of God is his essential property, whereby he is infinitely pure; loves and delights in his own purity, and in all the resemblances of it which any of his creatures have; and is perfectly free from all impurity, and hates it where he sees it.” Consider Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8, and 1 Peter 1:15-16.

What is God’s justice?
God is perfectly just and right in himself and in his dealing with others, rendering to everyone his due. He is just in the laws he gives, in his actions toward his creatures, and in his judgments as the Judge of the earth. As Abraham said, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Gen. 18:25). He will by no means clear the guilty (Ex. 34:7). As Deuteronomy 32:4 says, “The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” He displays his justice in the sacrifice of Christ to satisfy divine justice, in his temporal judgments in history, and in the final judgment on the last day. His justice is a good thing, for which creation longs (Ps. 96, 98), and to which we appeal as those in Christ (1 John 1:9, Gen. 18:25, Luke 18:1-8).

What is God’s goodness?
It is that whereby he is goodness himself, is generous and kind, and is the author of all good. Consider how man was made. Before man did anything, God supplied him with a world of good things, full of beauty, usefulness, and delight, and gave him dominion over it. Even now, God is generous to all and patient toward the rebellious. “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). His kindness is meant to lead men to repentance. His goodness is especially shown in his work of love and grace in the salvation of sinners through Christ. By grace, he brings us back to an enjoyment of himself, the true good, and the right use of all his good gifts. To the redeemed, the creation is their Father’s world. Truly, as Psalm 145:8–9 says, “The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The LORD is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”

What is God’s truth?
God is faithful and true and speaks the truth, not falsehood. “…in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began…” (Titus 1:2).  The devil is a liar and the father of lies who deceived Eve. But God cannot be mistaken and he cannot be unfaithful. He is faithful, so that what he says is true and what he has said he will do he will perform - he is true to his word. He abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness (Ex. 34:6).

God is not limited by time or space. Neither is God foolish, weak, common, unjust, miserly, or fickle. Our experience can at times provoke us to feel that God is weak, unjust, miserly, etc. But we must hold fast to his word and believe that God is who he says he is in the midst of trials. Remember what he has done for you. Remember what you have received from him. Remember what he has done for his people in the past. Remember what he has done in your life, taking pity on you when you were doomed to death. 

For Thine Is the Kingdom

Question 107: What doth the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
Answer: The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen. teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him; and, in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen. (WSC)

If you open your Bible to Matthew 6:13, you may or might not see this conclusion to the prayer in the text depending on what translation you are using. This conclusion is not in some early Greek manuscripts of the Bible, some of the church fathers do not include it when discussing the Lord’s Prayer, and Jerome did not include it in his Latin translation of the Bible. But it is in most of the Greek manuscripts as well as the Didache (an early church manual from around AD 90) and it is an expected end to a prayer. I think either (1) it is original but accidentally got dropped from a few manuscripts, or (2) the prayer was designed with the expectation that a doxology would be used at the end, and this one was adapted from Scripture (1 Chron. 29:11-12, 2 Tim. 4:18) and put to the prayer very early on, and that it was included in biblical manuscripts because due to its widespread use it was thought to be original. In either case, it is fitting and biblical in content.

This conclusion is a doxology, an expression of praise to God. It declares that he reigns, he is all-powerful, and he is glorious, eternally. Therefore he deserves to be reverenced and obeyed, and therefore he is able to help and deliver us.

This conclusion teaches us to rest upon God alone in prayer. He is our confidence. We make our petitions resting upon his power and goodness. It also teaches us to praise him in our prayers. Not only are we to confess our sins and make our requests known to God, but we are also to give him glory. We are to thank him for all his benefits. We are to praise him for all his excellencies. “Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!” (Psalm 150:2)

God is sovereign over all and deserves praise and service from his creation. He is also our Father who cares for us. Therefore we we draw near to him, that we might glorify God and enjoy him, both now and forever. And to commit to the words of our prayer, witnessing to our sincere desire to be heard and our assurance that we will be heard, we say, “Amen.”