Lord’s Day 23: Q&A 59-61: By Grace, Through Faith

Within the tenants of Reformed Theology, one of the oldest articulations of this corner of the faith that we have are the Five Solas: Sola Scriptura, Solus Cristus, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, et Soli Deo Gloria (Scripture Alone, Christ Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, and Only to the Glory of God).

The writers of the Heidelberg Catechism don’t necessarily explicitly lay these out as such, but in this week’s Lord’s Day we do get some of the theology behind these, especially Faith, Grace, and Christ.

We are also closing out the portion of the Catechism on the Apostles’ Creed and transitioning into the Sacraments. We have articulated what we believe and why, and now we are moving into an outpouring of that faith and how we receive the Grace that we have been freely granted.

Lord’s Day 23

SENDING

Brothers and Sisters, in Christ we have been made righteous before God. We are co-heirs to the Kingdom. God calls us out of this place to do the work of his Kingdom in this world. Go, therefore, and live out your righteousness through faith, bringing our hope of eternal life to this dark world.

Q&A 59

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

This is an instance in which the Q&A can simply be read out as the Assurance of Pardon on its own, or incorporated with Scripture as seen below.

ASSRUANCE OF PARDON (Romans 5:1-2)

One: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. 

All: And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

One: What good does it do you, however, to believe all this?

All: In Christ I am righteous before God and heir to life everlasting.

Q&A 60

CONFESSION OF SIN (Ephesians 2:8)

Righteous God,

We have sinned against all of your commandments

And it feels like we have not kept them at all

We know that we are still inclined towards evil.

Even our conscience accuses us of the evil we do.

We are helpless on our own. 

Forgive us, Father, and set us free from our evil.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON

One: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

All: It is not by our work or our goodness, but through Christ’s sheer grace that we are saved.

One: God grants and credits Christ’s satisfaction, righteousness and holiness to us.

All: As if we have never sinned or been sinners.

One: We have been offered this grace as a gift. 

All: Thank you Savior for this wonderful gift.