Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 19

19. Lord’s Day

Q. 50. Why is it added, “and sitteth at the right hand of God”?
A. Because Christ is ascended into heaven for this end, that he might appear as head of his church, [a] by whom the Father governs all things. [b]

Q. 51. What profit is this glory of Christ, our head, unto us?
A. First, that by his Holy Spirit he pours out heavenly graces upon us his members; [a] and then that by his power he defends and preserves us against all enemies. [b]

Q. 52. What comfort is it to thee that “Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead”?
A. That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person, who before offered himself for my sake, to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as judge from heaven: [a] who shall cast all his and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, [b] but shall translate me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joys and glory. [c]

Westminster Confession, week 19

Chapter 11: Of Justification

4: God did, from all eternity, decree to justify all the elect,^[244] and Christ did, in the fullness of time, die for their sins, and rise again for their justification:^[245] nevertheless, they are not justified, until the Holy Spirit does, in due time, actually apply Christ unto them.^[246]

5: God does continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified;^[247] and although they can never fall from the sate of justification,^[248] yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.^[249]

6: The justification of believers under the Old Testament was, in all these respects, one and the same with the justification of believers under the New Testament.^[250]

Canons of Dordt, week 19

The Second Head of Doctrine: Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It

Article 6: Unbelief Man’s Responsibility

However, that many who have been called through the gospel do not repent or believe in Christ but perish in unbelief is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault.

Article 7: Faith God’s Gift

But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction receive this favor solely from God’s grace - which he owes to no one - given to them in Christ from eternity.

Larger Catechism, week 19

Q. 82. What is the communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ?
A. The communion in glory which the members of the invisible church have with Christ, is in this life,[357] immediately after death,[358] and at last perfected at the resurrection and day of judgment.[359]

Q. 83. What is the communion in glory with Christ which the members of the invisible church enjoy in this life?
A. The members of the invisible church have communicated to them in this life the firstfruits of glory with Christ, as they are members of him their head, and so in him are interested in that glory which he is fully possessed of;[360] and, as an earnest thereof, enjoy the sense of God’s love,[361] peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, and hope of glory;[362] as, on the contrary, sense of God’s revenging wrath, horror of conscience, and a fearful expectation of judgment, are to the wicked the beginning of their torments which they shall endure after death.[363]

Q. 84. Shall all men die?
A. Death being threatened as the wages of sin,[364] it is appointed unto all men once to die;[365] for that all have sinned.[366]

Q. 85. Death, being the wages of sin, why are not the righteous delivered from death, seeing all their sins are forgiven in Christ?
A. The righteous shall be delivered from death itself at the last day, and even in death are delivered from the sting and curse of it;[367] so that, although they die, yet it is out of God’s love,[368] to free them perfectly from sin and misery,[369] and to make them capable of further communion with Christ in glory, which they then enter upon.[370]

Q. 86. What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death?
A. The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible church enjoy immediately after death is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness,[371] and received into the highest heavens,[372] where they behold the face of God in light and glory,[373] waiting for the full redemption of their bodies,[374] which even in death continue united to Christ,[375] and rest in their graves as in their beds,[376] till at the last day they be again united to their souls.[377] Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness, and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.[378]

Belgic Confession, week 19

Article 28: The Obligations of Church Members

We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, regardless of his status or condition. But all people are obliged to join and unite with it, keeping the unity of the church by submitting to its instruction and discipline, by bending their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ, and by serving to build up one another, according to the gifts God has given them as members of each other in the same body. And to preserve this unity more effectively, it is the duty of all believers, according to God’s Word, to separate themselves from those who do not belong to the church, in order to join this assembly wherever God has established it, even if civil authorities and royal decrees forbid and death and physical punishment result. And so, all who withdraw from the church or do not join it act contrary to God’s ordinance.

Shorter Catechism, week 19

Q. 29. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.^[83]

Q. 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us,^[84] and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.^[85]

Children’s Catechism, week 18

Q. 60. How long ago is it since Christ died?
A. More than nineteen hundred years.

Q. 61. How were pious persons saved before the coming of Christ?
A. By believing in a Savior to come.

Q. 62. How did they show their faith?
A. By offering sacrifices on God’s altar.

Q. 63. What did these sacrifices represent?
A. Christ, the Lamb of God, who was to die for sinners.

Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 18

18. Lord’s Day

Q. 46. How dost thou understand these words, “he ascended into heaven”?
A. That Christ, in sight of his disciples, was taken up from earth into heaven; [a] and that he continues there for our interest, [b] until he comes again to judge the quick and the dead. [c]

Q. 47. Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as he has promised?
A. Christ is very man and very God; with respect to his human nature, he is no more on earth; but with respect to his Godhead, majesty, grace and spirit, he is at no time absent from us. Matt.28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Heb.8:4 For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: Matt.26:11 For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. Matt.28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Eph.4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Eph.4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Q. 48. But if his human nature is not present, wherever his Godhead is, are not then these two natures in Christ separated from one another?
A. Not as all, for since the Godhead is illimitable and omnipresent, [a] it must necessarily follow that the same is beyond the limits of the human nature he assumed, [b] and yet is nevertheless in this human nature, and remains personally united to it.

Q. 49. Of what advantage to us is Christ’s ascension into heaven?
A. First, that he is our advocate in the presence of his Father in heaven; [a] secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that he, as the head, will also take up to himself, us, his members; [b] thirdly, that he sends us his Spirit as an earnest, [c] by whose power we “seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and not things on earth.” [d]

Westminster Confession, week 18

Chapter 11: Of Justification

1: Those whom God effectually calls, He also freely justifies;^[234] not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous; not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christ’s sake alone; nor by imputing faith itself, the act of believing, or any other evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness; but by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them,^[235] they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.^[236]

2: Faith, thus receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, is the alone instrument of justification:^[237] yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but works by love.^[238]

3: Christ, by His obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real and full satisfaction to His Father’s justice in their behalf.^[239] Yet, in as much as He was given by the Father for them;^[240] and His obedience and satisfaction accepted in their stead;^[241] and both, freely, not for any thing in them; their justification is only of free grace;^[242] that both the exact justice, and rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners.^[243]

Error Corrected?

Apologies to any subscribers via FeedBurner Email or RSS, but something broke on or about Apr 25 (providentially, when I was away from my own email for a week!)  I think I have identified the problem, and hopefully also a fix!  (Thanks to Dale for alerting me to the problem)