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Question 41. What is a sacrament?
A sacrament is a special act of Christian worship which uses
visible signs to present God's grace for us in Jesus Christ.
We believe that two sacraments were given by Jesus: baptism
and the Lord's Supper.
Mark 1:9-11 "In those days Jesus
came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in
the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water,
he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like
a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son,
the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'"
Mark 14:22-25 "While they were eating,
he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it,
gave it to them, and said, 'Take; this is my body.' Then he
took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and
all of them drank from it. He said to them, 'This is my blood
of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell
you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.'"
Question 42. What is baptism?
Through baptism I am adopted and welcomed into God's family.
In the water of baptism I share in the dying and rising of Jesus,
who washes away my sins. I am made one with him, and with all
who are joined to him in the church.
Rom. 6:3-4 "Do you not know that
all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized
into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by
baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk
in newness of life."
Gal. 3:27-28 "As many of you as were
baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave
or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you
are one in Christ Jesus."
1 Cor. 12:12-13 "For just as the body
is one and has many members, and all the members of the body,
though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the
one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks,
slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
1 Cor. 6:11 "But you were washed, you
were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."
Acts 2:39 "For the promise is for you,
for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone
whom the Lord our God calls to him."
Eph. 4:4-6 "There is one body and one
Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is above all and through all and in all."
Question 43. Why are you baptized in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?
Because of the command Jesus gave to his disciples. After
he was raised from the dead, he appeared to them, saying: "Go
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt.
28:19).
Matt. 28:16-20 "Now the eleven
disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus
had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him;
but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority
in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching
them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember,
I am with you always, to the end of the age.'"
1 Pet. 1:2 "who have been chosen and
destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to
be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood."
1 Cor. 12:4-6 "Now there are varieties
of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of
services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities,
but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone."
Question 44. What is the meaning of this name
?
It is the name of the Holy Trinity. The Father is God, the
Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not
three gods, but one God in three persons. We worship God in
this mystery.
2 Cor. 13:13 "The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the
Holy Spirit be with all of you."
Rom. 8:11 "If the Spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ
from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through
his Spirit that dwells in you."
John 1:1-4 "In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He
was in the beginning with God. All things came into being
through him, and without him not one thing came into being.
What has come into being in him was life, and the life was
the light of all people."
Question 45. What is the Lord's Supper?
In the Lord's Supper I am fed at the table of God's family.
Through the bread that I eat and the cup that I drink, the Lord
offers me his body and blood. He renews my faith, and gives
me the gift of eternal life. As I remember that he died for
all, and therefore also for me, I feed on him in my heart by
faith with thanksgiving.
1 Cor. 11:23-26 "For I received
from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord
Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This
is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'
In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often
as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For as often as you
eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's
death until he comes."
Matt. 26:26-29 "While they were eating,
Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke
it, gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is
my body.' Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave
it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is
my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for
the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will never again drink
of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new
with you in my Father's kingdom.'"
1 Cor. 10:16 "The cup of blessing that
we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The
bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?"
Question 46. Why do we pray to God?
Because we were created to live with God, who desires the
prayers of our hearts. Our hearts long for God, for we need
God's help and guidance every day.
Ps. 42:1-2 "As a deer longs for
flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul
thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and
behold the face of God?"
Matt. 6:5-8 "And whenever you pray,
do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and
pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that
they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received
their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and
shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are
praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do;
for they think that they will be heard because of their many
words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you
need before you ask him."
Rom. 8:26-27 "Likewise the Spirit helps
us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.
And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of
the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God."
Ps. 38:9 "O Lord, all my longing is
known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you."
Question 47. What do we do when we pray?
When we pray, we adore God, we confess our sins, we give God
thanks, and we pray for the needs of others and ourselves.
Ps. 63:1,3 "O God, you are my
God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints
for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will
praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; I will
lift up my hands and call on your name."
Ps. 51:3-4, 10 "For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have
I sinned Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new
and right spirit within me."
Ps. 92:1-4 "It is good to give thanks
to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to
declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness
by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody
of the lyre. For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy."
Phil. 1:3-5,9-11 "I thank my God every
time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every
one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing
in the gospel from the first day until nowAnd this is my prayer,
that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and
full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that
in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having
produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus
Christ for the glory and praise of God."
Question 48. How did Jesus teach his followers
to pray?
He taught them the words of the Lord's Prayer.
Question 49. What is the Lord's Prayer?
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Question 50. What do we mean when we pray
to God as "Our Father"?
As Jesus taught us, we call upon God like little children
who know that God cares for them and loves them. Because Jesus
prayed to God as his Father, we too can pray to God in this
way.
Matt. 18:1-5 "At that time the
disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven?' He called a child, whom he put among
them, and said, 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become
like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in
my name welcomes me.'"
Matt. 7:7-11 "Ask, and it will be given
you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be
opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone
who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door
will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child
asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for
a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know
how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
Rom. 8:15-16 "When we cry, 'Abba! Father!'
it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that
we are children of God."
Gal. 4:6 "And because you are children,
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying,
'Abba! Father!'"
Question 51. When we pray to God as our Father,
do we mean that God is male?
No. Only creatures who have bodies can be male or female.
But God is Spirit and has no body.
John 4:24 "God is spirit, and
those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
Gen. 1:27 "So God created humankind
in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them."
Is. 49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing
child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even
these may forget, yet I will not forget you."
Is. 66:13 "As a mother comforts her
child, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."
Matt. 23:37 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are
sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children
together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you
were not willing!"
Matt. 23:9 "And call no one your father
on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven."
Question 52. What do we mean when we pray
to God "in heaven"?
We mean that God draws near to us from beyond this world,
and hears our prayers.
1 Kings 8:27, 30 "But will God
indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven
cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built!.
. . Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel
when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling
place; heed and forgive."
Luke 2:13-14 "And suddenly there was
with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising
God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace among those whom he favors!'"
Ps. 14:2 "The Lord looks down from
heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise,
who seek after God."
1 Kings 22:19 "Then Micaiah said, 'Therefore
hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne,
with all the host of heaven standing beside him to the right
and to the left of him.'"
2 Kings 19:15 "And Hezekiah prayed
before the Lord, and said: 'O Lord the God of Israel, who
are enthroned above the cherubim, you are God, you alone,
of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and
earth.'"
Question 53. What do we ask when we pray "Hallowed
be your name"?
We pray that God's name will be honored in all the world and
everywhere treated as holy, because God's name really stands
for God.
Ex. 3:13-15 "But Moses said to
God, 'If I come to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God
of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What
is his name?' what shall I say to them?' God said to Moses,
'I Am Who I Am.' He said further, 'Thus you shall say to the
Israelites, 'I Am has sent me to you.'' God also said to Moses,
'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God
of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and
the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever,
and this my title for all generations.'"
1 Pet. 1:15-16 "Instead, as he who
called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct;
for it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"
Lev. 20:26 "You shall be holy to me;
for I the Lord am holy, and I have separated you from the
other peoples to be mine."
Num. 15:40 "So you shall remember and
do all my commandments, and you shall be holy to your God."
Deut. 5:11 "You shall not make wrongful
use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not
acquit anyone who misuses his name."
Question 54. What do we ask when we pray "Your
kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven"?
We ask God to fulfill God's purpose for the whole world. We
also ask God to make us able and willing to accept God's will
in all things, and to do our part in bringing about God's purpose.
Mark 14:36 "He said, "Abba,
Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from
me; yet, not what I want, but what you want."
Ps. 103:19 "The Lord has established
his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all."
Rom. 14:17 "For the kingdom of God
is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Spirit."
Mark 14:25 "Truly I tell you, I will
never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day
when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
Question 55. Why do we pray "Give us
today our daily bread"?
Because all good things come from God. Even in our most ordinary
needs, God cares for us completely.
Ex. 16:4 "Then the Lord said
to Moses, 'I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and
each day the people shall go out and gather enough for that
day.'"
Luke 12:22-24 "He said to his disciples,
'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what
you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For
life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider
the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse
nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are
you than the birds!'"
James 1:17 "Every generous act of giving,
with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the
Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow
due to change."
Question 56. What do we ask when we pray "Forgive
us our sins"?
Telling God we are sorry, we ask God not to hold our sins
against us, but to accept us again by grace.
Ex. 32:30-32 "On the next day
Moses said to the people, 'You have sinned a great sin. But
now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement
for your sin.' So Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'Alas,
this people has sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves
gods of gold. But now, if you will only forgive their sin--but
if not, blot me out of the book that you have written.'"
Luke 18:9-14 "He also told this parable
to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous
and regarded others with contempt: 'Two men went up to the
temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, 'God,
I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues,
adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice
a week; I give a tenth of all my income.' But the tax collector,
standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was
beating his breast and saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a
sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his home justified
rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be
humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.'"
Luke 24:47 "Repentance and forgiveness
of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning
from Jerusalem."
Ps. 86:5 "For you, O Lord, are good
and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call
on you."
Ps. 25:18 "Consider my affliction and
my trouble, and forgive all my sins."
Question 57. Why do we continue with "as
we forgive those who sin against us"?
Because we are to forgive others, just as God has forgiven
us.
Matt. 18:32-33 "You wicked slave!
I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should
you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy
on you?"
Col. 3:13 "Bear with one another and,
if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other;
just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Matt. 6:14-15 "For if you forgive others
their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;
but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses."
Matt. 11:25 "Whenever you stand praying,
forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your
Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."
Question 58. What do we ask when we pray "Save
us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil"?
We ask God to protect us, especially when we most need it.
We pray for God to free us from all desires that would lead
us to sin, and to shelter us from the powers of evil that may
threaten us.
Luke 4:1-2 "Jesus, full of the
Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit
in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by
the devil."
1 Cor. 10:12-13 "So if you think you
are standing, watch out that you do not fall. No testing has
overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful,
and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but
with the testing he will also provide the way out so that
you may be able to endure it."
Ps. 34:4 "I sought the Lord, and he
answered me, and delivered me from all my fears."
Ps. 61:4 "Let me abide in your tent
forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings."
Deut. 32:10-12 "He sustained him in
a desert land, in a howling wilderness waste; he shielded
him, cared for him, guarded him as the apple of his eye. As
an eagle stirs up its nest, and hovers over its young; as
it spreads its wings, takes them up, and bears them aloft
on its pinions, the Lord alone guided him."
Question 59. What does it mean to pray "For
the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for
ever"?
We praise God for being able and willing to do everything
we have asked in this prayer. We give ourselves over to God's
wise and gracious rule, because we know that God can be trusted
to make all things work together for good, now and forever.
Phil. 2:9-11 "Therefore God also
highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every
name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father."
Jude 1:24-25 "Now to him who is able
to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish
in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God
our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty,
power, and authority, before all time and now and forever.
Amen."
Gen. 50:20 "Even though you intended
to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve
a numerous people, as he is doing today."
1 Chron. 29:11-12 "Yours, O Lord, are
the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the
majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is
yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as
head above all. Riches and honor come from you, and you rule
over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your
hand to make great and to give strength to all."
Question 60. Why does our prayer end with
"Amen"?
"Amen" means "so be it" or "let it
be so." It expresses our complete confidence in God, who
makes no promise that will not be kept and whose love endures
forever.
Rev. 22:20 "The one who testifies
to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come,
Lord Jesus!"
2 Cor. 1:20 "For in him every one of
God's promises is a 'Yes.' For this reason it is through him
that we say the 'Amen,' to the glory of God."
Jer. 28:6 "The prophet Jeremiah said,
'Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord fulfill the words
that you have prophesied, and bring back to this place from
Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the
exiles.'"
1 Pet. 5:11 "To him be the power forever
and ever. Amen."
Questions 1-20
Questions 21-40 |
