Heidelberg Catechism Week 7

20. Q. Are all saved through Christ just as all were lost through Adam? A. No. Only those are saved who by true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all His blessings.

21. Q. What is true faith? A. True faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in His Word is true; it is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Christ, not only others, but I too, have had my sins forgiven, have been made forever right with God, and have been granted salvation.

22. Q. What then must a Christian believe? A. Everything God promises us in the gospel. That gospel is summarized for us in the articles of our Christian faith - a creed beyond doubt, and confessed throughout the world.

23. Q. What are these articles? A. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; He descended to hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

My reflections on the reading from the book...

A good synopsis: "The object of our faith is the whole point. Our faith, no matter how sincere, will be sincerely mistaken if it trusts in something other than the gospel. The gospel, after all, is the power of salvation to everyone who believes" (Kevin DeYoung).

And those essential articles of our faith is considered in the "Apostles' Creed," the common name for the statements found in Q. 23. The churches I have been a part of have not had the habit of reciting this creed, but would hold to its tenets. Perhaps there can be some debate pertaining to the understanding of some of its phrases (i.e., "descended to hell," "holy catholic church"), but it is outside the scope of this one entry. That shall come in the weeks that follow.

But I think it all boils down to this: We must know what we believe and why we believe it!