Lord’s Day 44: Q&A 113-115: Set Up to Fail?
We have finally reached the end of the section of the Catechism on the Ten Commandments. We of course get a Q&A on what it means for us to not covet (that we should desire God and not anything else), but the part of this week that I find more interesting is the two other Q&As that wrap up this section. These ask if these commandments can be obeyed perfectly (they cannot) and then what the point of them is. This is where we really get into the meat of the issue, both for this section of the Catechism and our walk with God.
It’s not that God has assigned us an impossible task for the sake of watching us struggle and fail time and time again. No, it’s so that we may be reminded of our fallenness before him and strive all the more to follow him. Without knowing the depths of our sin, we cannot know the depths of God’s love for us. That certainly doesn’t mean that we should sin all the more so that grace will abound (thanks, the Apostle Paul), but that we should not be ultimately discouraged by our sins, but rather make sure that we are looking to God for forgiveness all the more as we truly desire after him and him alone.
Lord’s Day 44
Q&A 113
GOD’S LAW
For the final time, this can be read responsively
Q&A 113-115
CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE
Gracious God, we know that we do not follow your commandments that you have given us. Like your people of old when you first gave them, we are constantly disobeying you even as you are giving us Words for life. We are always seeking after other things in this life, both to try to satisfy our human desires and to try to satisfy that which only you can, Lord. Forgive us for our wandering eyes and hearts. Forgive us for desiring anything other than you.
Almighty One, as we read your word and as we see the commands you have given us for holy living, we know that we cannot follow after you perfectly. We know that we will never fully live up to the lives that you have called us to. Help us, Lord, to see you in this. Jesus, we pray that as we recognize how deep our sin is that we would turn and see how deep your love is for us. Have mercy on us, fallen sinners, Lord. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
-time for silent confession-
Friends, let us look to Christ. Let us look to him for forgiveness of our sins and righteousness, because we know that he has already paid for our sins on the cross and forgives us of all our sins. May we receive this grace and let it cover us and our sinfulness, removing our sins before the throne of God. May we then strive every day to follow more and more after Jesus, the one who forgives us.
Amen. Thanks be to God!
SENDING
Brothers and sisters,
As we depart from this time of worship today, having confessed our sins, worshipped our God together, and heard from his Word, may we go out and strive to be the people that God has called us to be. May we do that knowing that we will fail, but that we should never fail to ask God for the grace that comes with the Holy Spirit, that we may know our sins all the more but know God and God’s grace all the more. Go now as forgiven people to reach out to the world to bring them into the Kingdom of God as we share with them how we have been forgiven.
