| Question
91. Why should you obey this law?
Not to win God's love, for God
already loves me. Not to earn my salvation, for Christ has earned
it for me. Not to avoid being punished, for then I would obey
out of fear. With gladness in my heart I should obey God's law
out of gratitude, for God has blessed me by it and given it
for my well-being.
Ps. 118:1 "O give thanks to the Lord,
for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!"
Col. 3:17 "And whatever you do, in
word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Question 92. What are the uses of God's law?
God's law has three uses. First, it shows me how grievously
I fail to live according to God's will, driving me to pray for
God's mercy. Second, it functions to restrain even the worst
of sinners through the fear of punishment. Finally, it teaches
me how to live a life which bears witness to the gospel, and
spurs me on to do so.
Rom. 3:20 "For 'no human being will
be justified in his sight' by deeds prescribed by the law,
for through the law comes the knowledge of sin."
Rom. 7:7 "What then should we say?
That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been
for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have
known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall
not covet.'"
Prov. 6:23 "For the commandment is
a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline
are the way of life."
Question 93. What is the first commandment?
"You shall have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:3;
Deut. 5:7).
Deut. 26:17 "Today you have obtained
the Lord's agreement: to be your God; and for you to walk
in his ways, to keep his statutes, his commandments, and his
ordinances, and to obey him."
Matt. 4:10 "Jesus said to him, 'Away
with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your
God, and serve only him.'"
Question 94. What do you learn from this commandment?
No loyalty comes before my loyalty to God. I should worship
and serve only God, expect all good from God alone, and love,
fear and honor God with all my heart.
Matt. 6:24 "No one can serve two masters;
for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or
be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
God and wealth."
Deut. 6:5 "You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your might."
Prov. 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is
the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One
is insight."
Matt. 10:37 "Whoever loves father or
mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves
son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
Question 95. What is the second commandment?
"You shall not make for yourself an idol" (Ex. 20:4;
Deut. 5:8).
Question 96. What do you learn from this commandment?
First, when I treat anything other than God as though it were
God, I practice idolatry. Second, when I assume that my own
interests are more important than anything else, I make them
into idols, and in effect make an idol of myself.
Deut. 6:14 "Do not follow other gods,
any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you."
1 John 5:21 "Little children, keep
yourselves from idols."
Ex. 34:14 "For you shall worship no
other god, because the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous
God."
1 Chron. 16:26 "For all the gods of
the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens."
Rom. 1:22-23 "Claiming to be wise,
they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal
God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or
four-footed animals or reptiles."
Phil. 2:4 "Let each of you look not
to your own interests, but to the interests of others."
Question 97. What is the third commandment?
"You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord
your God" (Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11).
Question 98. What do you learn from this commandment?
I should use God's name with reverence and awe. God's name
is taken in vain when used to support wrong. It is insulted
when used carelessly, as in a curse or a pious cliché.
Ps. 29:2 "Ascribe to the Lord the glory
of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor."
Rev. 15:3-4 "Great and amazing are
your deeds, Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your
ways, King of the nations! Lord, who will not fear and glorify
your name?"
Ps. 138:2 "I bow down toward your holy
temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love
and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and
your word above everything."
Eph. 4:29 "Let no evil talk come out
of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as
there is need, so that your words may give grace to those
who hear."
Ps. 103:1-2 "Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits."
Question 99. What is the fourth commandment?
"Remember the Sabbath Day, and keep it holy" (Ex.
20:8; Deut. 5:12).
Question 100. What do you learn from this
commandment?
God requires a special day to be set apart so that worship
can be at the center of my life. It is right to honor God with
thanks and praise, and to hear and receive God's Word, so that
I may have it in my heart, and on my lips, and put it into practice
in my life.
Rom. 10:8 "But what does it say? "The
word is near you, on your lips and in your heart."
Deut. 5:12 "Observe the sabbath day
and keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you."
Gen. 2:3 "So God blessed the seventh
day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the
work that he had done in creation."
Lev. 23:3 "Six days shall work be done;
but the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy
convocation; you shall do no work: it is a sabbath to the
Lord throughout your settlements."
Acts 2:42,46 "They devoted themselves
to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking
of bread and the prayers. Day by day, as they spent much time
together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their
food with glad and generous hearts."
Question 101. Why set aside one day a week
as a day of rest?
First, working people should not be taken advantage of by
their employers (Deut. 5:14). My job should not be my tyrant,
for my life is more than my work. Second, God requires me to
put time aside for the regular study of Holy Scripture and for
prayer, not only by myself but also with others, not least those
in my own household.
Deut. 5:14 "But the seventh day is
a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you,
or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave,
or your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the
resident alien in your towns, so that your male and female
slave may rest as well as you."
Ex. 31:17 "It is a sign forever between
me and the people of Israel that in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was
refreshed."
Question 102. Why do we Christians usually
gather on the first day of the week?
In worshipping together on the first day of the week, we celebrate
our Lord's resurrection, so that the new life Christ brought
us might begin to fill our whole lives.
Mark 16:2 "And very early on the first
day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the
tomb."
Acts 20:7 "On the first day of the
week, when we met to break bread, Paul was holding a discussion
with them; since he intended to leave the next day, he continued
speaking until midnight."
Acts 4:33 "With great power the apostles
gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and great grace was upon them all."
Question 103. What is the best summary of
the first four commandments?
These teach me how to live rightly with God. Jesus summed
them up with the commandment he called the first and greatest:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind" (Matt.
22:37; Deut. 6:5).
Question 104. What is the fifth commandment?
"Honor your father and your mother" (Ex. 20:12;
Deut. 5:16).
Question 105. What do you learn from this
commandment?
Though I owe reverence to God alone, I owe genuine respect
to my parents, both my mother and father. God wills me to listen
to them, be thankful for the benefits I receive from them, and
be considerate of their needs, especially in old age.
Eph. 5:21 "Be subject to one another
out of reverence for Christ."
Rom. 12:10 "Love one another with mutual
affection; outdo one another in showing honor."
Eph. 6:2 "Honor your father and mother—this
is the first commandment with a promise."
Prov. 1:8 "Hear, my child, your father's
instruction, and do not reject your mother's teaching."
Lev. 19:32 "You shall rise before the
aged, and defer to the old; and you shall fear your God: I
am the Lord."
Luke 2:51 "Then [Jesus] went down with
them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother
treasured all these things in her heart."
Question 106. Are there limits to your obligation
to obey them?
Yes. No mere human being is God. Blind obedience is not required,
for everything should be tested by loyalty and obedience to
God. When it seems as though I should not obey, I should always
be alert to possible self-deception on my part, and should pray
that we may all walk in the truth of God's will.
1 Pet. 2:17 "Honor everyone. Love the
family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor."
Acts 5:29 "Peter and the apostles answered,
'We must obey God rather than any human authority.'"
Question 107. What is the sixth commandment?
"You shall not murder" (Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17).
Question 108. What do you learn from this
commandment?
God forbids anything that harms my neighbor unfairly. Murder
or injury can be done not only by direct violence but also by
an angry word or a clever plan, and not only by an individual
but also by unjust social institutions. I should honor every
human being, including my enemy, as a person made in God's image.
1 John 3:15 "All who hate a brother
or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not
have eternal life abiding in them."
Prov. 24:17 "Do not rejoice when your
enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they
stumble."
Rom. 12:19-20 "Beloved, never avenge
yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is
written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'
No, 'if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty,
give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap
burning coals on their heads.'"
Col. 3:12-13 "As God's chosen ones,
holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, meekness, and patience. 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. 5:21-22 "You have heard that
it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder';
and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say
to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you
will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or
sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say,
'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire."
Matt. 26:52 "Then Jesus said to him,
'Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the
sword will perish by the sword.'"
Question 109. What is the seventh commandment?
"You shall not commit adultery" (Ex. 20:14; Deut.
5:18).
Question 110. What do you learn from this
commandment?
God requires fidelity and purity in sexual relations. Since
love is God's great gift, God expects me not to corrupt it,
or confuse it with momentary desire or the selfish fulfillment
of my own pleasures. God forbids all sexual immorality, whether
in married or in single life.
Eph. 5:3 "But fornication and impurity
of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you,
as is proper among saints."
Matt. 5:27-29 "You have heard that
it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to
you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye
causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better
for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body
to be thrown into hell."
Heb. 13:4 "Let marriage be held in
honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled;
for God will judge fornicators and adulterers."
1 Thess. 4:3-4 "For this is the will
of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication;
that each one of you know how to control your own body in
holiness and honor."
Question 111. What is the eighth commandment?
"You shall not steal" (Ex. 20:15; Deut. 5:19).
Question 112. What do you learn from this
commandment?
God forbids all theft and robbery, including schemes, tricks
or systems that unjustly take what belongs to someone else.
God requires me not to be driven by greed, not to misuse or
waste the gifts I have been given, and not to distrust the promise
that God will supply my needs.
Job 20:19-20 "For they have crushed
and abandoned the poor, they have seized a house that they
did not build. They knew no quiet in their bellies; in their
greed they let nothing escape."
Jer. 22:13 "Woe to him who builds his
house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice;
who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give
them their wages."
Prov. 18.9 "One who is slack in work
is close kin to a vandal."
1 Tim. 6:9-10 "But those who want to
be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless
and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction."
1 John 3:17 "How does God's love abide
in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or
sister in need and yet refuses help?"
Luke 12:15 "And he said to them, 'Take
care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's
life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.'"
Phil. 4:19 "And my God will fully satisfy
every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ
Jesus."
Question 113. What is the ninth commandment?
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor"
(Ex. 20:16; Deut. 5:20).
Question 114. What do you learn from this
commandment?
God forbids me to damage the honor or reputation of my neighbor.
I should not say false things against anyone for the sake of
money, favor or friendship, for the sake of revenge, or for
any other reason. God requires me to speak the truth, to speak
well of my neighbor when I can, and to view the faults of my
neighbor with tolerance when I cannot.
Zech. 8:16-17 "These are the things
that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render
in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace,
do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and
love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate,
says the Lord."
1 Pet. 3:16 "Yet do it with gentleness
and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you
are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in
Christ may be put to shame."
Prov. 14:5 "A faithful witness does
not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies."
James 4:11 "Do not speak evil against
one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against
another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and
judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer
of the law but a judge."
1 Pet. 4:8 "Above all, maintain constant
love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins."
Question 115. Does this commandment forbid
racism and other forms of negative stereotyping?
Yes. In forbidding false witness against my neighbor, God
forbids me to be prejudiced against people who belong to any
vulnerable, different or disfavored social group. Jews, women,
homosexuals, racial and ethnic minorities, and national enemies
are among those who have suffered terribly from being subjected
to the slurs of social prejudice. Negative stereotyping is a
form of falsehood that invites actions of humiliation, abuse,
and violence as forbidden by the commandment against murder.
Rom. 3:13, 15 "Their throats are opened
graves; they use their tongues to deceive. The venom of vipers
is under their lips. . . . Their feet are swift to shed blood."
Prov. 31:8-9 "Speak out for those who
cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out,
judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy."
Matt. 7:1-2 "Do not judge, so that
you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you
will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure
you get."
Question 116. What is the tenth commandment?
"You shall not covet what is your neighbor's" (Ex.
20:17; Deut. 5:21).
Question 117. What do you learn from this
commandment?
My whole heart should belong to God alone, not to money or
the things of this world. "Coveting" means desiring
something wrongfully. I should not resent the good fortune or
success of my neighbor or allow envy to corrupt my heart.
Heb. 13:5 "Keep your lives free from
the love of money, and be content with what you have; for
he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.'"
Gal. 5:26 "Let us not become conceited,
competing against one another, envying one another."
Question 118. What is the best summary of
the last six commandments?
These teach me how to live rightly with my neighbor. Jesus
summed them up with the commandment which is like the greatest
one about loving God: "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself" (Matt. 22:39; Lev. 19:18).
Question 119. Can you obey these commandments
perfectly?
No. I am at once a forgiven sinner and a forgiven sinner.
As a sinner without excuse, I fail to obey these commandments
as God requires. "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails
in one point has become accountable for all of it" (James
2:10). I should not adjust the law to my failures, nor reduce
my failures before God. Yet there is more grace in God than
sin in me. While I should not cease to pray to God for mercy,
I can be confident that God is forgiving and that I will be
set free from all my sins. By grace I can confess my sins, repent
of them, and grow in love and knowledge day by day.
Ps. 14:3 "They have all gone astray,
they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good,
no, not one."
Eph. 2:8 "For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is
the gift of God."
Ps. 130:3-4 "If you, O Lord, should
mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness
with you, so that you may be revered."
Col. 1:13-14 "He has rescued us from
the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom
of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins."
1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."
III. The Lord's Prayer
Question 120. What is prayer?
Prayer means calling upon God whose Spirit is always present
with us. In prayer we approach God with reverence, confidence
and humility. Prayer involves both addressing God in praise,
confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, and listening for
God's word within our hearts. When we adore God, we are filled
with wonder, love and praise before God's heavenly glory, not
least when we find it hidden in the cross of Golgotha. When
confessing our guilt to God, we ask for forgiveness with humble
and sorry hearts, remembering that God is gracious as well as
holy. When giving thanks to God, we acknowledge God's great
goodness, rejoicing in God for all that is so wonderfully provided
for us. Finally, when calling upon God to hear our requests,
we affirm that God draws near in every need and sorrow of life,
and ask God to do so again.
Ps. 48.1 "Great is the Lord and greatly
to be praised."
Ps. 96:8-9 "Ascribe to the Lord the
glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all
the earth."
James 5:16 "Therefore confess your
sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you
may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and
effective."
1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins,
he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse
us from all unrighteousness."
Ps. 107:8 "Let them thank the Lord
for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind."
Ps. 75:1 "We give thanks to you, O
God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your
wondrous deeds."
Ps. 50:15 "Call on me in the day of
trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
Ps. 145:18 "The Lord is near to all
who call on him, to all who call on him in truth."
Eph. 6:18 "Pray in the Spirit at all
times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert
and always persevere in supplication for all the saints."
Question 121. What is the purpose of prayer?
Prayer brings us into communion with God. The more our lives
are rooted in prayer, the more we sense how wonderful God is
in grace, purity, majesty and love. Prayer means offering our
lives completely to God, submitting ourselves to God's will,
and waiting faithfully for God's grace. Through prayer God frees
us from anxiety, equips us for service, and deepens our faith.
Ps. 62:8 "Trust in him at all times,
O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge
for us."
Ps. 139:1 "O Lord, you have searched
me and known me."
Phil. 4:6 "Do not worry about anything,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God."
Matt. 7:7-8 "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."
Question 122. How does God respond to our
prayers?
God takes all our prayers into account, weighing them with
divine wisdom, and responding to them by a perfect will. Although
for the time being God's answers may seem beyond our understanding,
or sometimes even bitter, we know nonetheless that they are
always determined by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God
answers our prayers, particularly for temporal blessings, only
in ways that are compatible with the larger purposes of God's
glory and our salvation. Communion with God is finally the answer
within the answers to all our prayers.
1 John 5:14 "This is the boldness we
have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will,
he hears us."
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."
Matt. 6:33 "Strive first for the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well."
Question 123. What encourages us to pray each
day?
The God who has adopted us as children is the God who encourages
and commands us to pray. When we pray, we respond with love
to that greater love which meets us from above. Before we enter
into prayer, God is ready to grant all that we need. We may
turn to God with confidence each day, not because we are worthy,
but simply because of God's grace. By praying we acknowledge
that we depend on grace for all that is good, beautiful, life-giving
and true.
Is. 65:24 "Before they call I will
answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear."
Luke 11:12-13 "If the child asks for
an egg, will he give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more
will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who
ask him!"
Phil. 4:8 "Finally, beloved, whatever
is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever
is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if
there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of
praise, think about these things."
Eph. 3:20-21 "Now to him who by the
power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far
more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and
ever. Amen."
Question 124. What prayer serves as our rule
or pattern?
Our rule or pattern is found in the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus
taught to his disciples:
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.
These words express everything that we may desire and expect
from God.
Question 125. What is the design of the Lord's
Prayer?
The Lord's Prayer falls into two parts, preceded by an opening
address, and concluded by a "doxology" or word of
praise. Each part consists of three petitions. The first part
concerns God's glory; the second part, our salvation. The first
part involves our love for God; the second part, God's love
for us. The petitions in part one will not be fulfilled perfectly
until the life to come; those in part two relate more directly
to our present needs here and now.
Question 126. What is meant by addressing
God as "Our Father in heaven"?
By addressing God as "our Father," we draw near
with childlike reverence, and place ourselves securely in God's
hands. Although God is certainly everywhere, God is said to
exist and dwell "in heaven." For while God is free
to enter into the closest relationship with the creature, God
does not belong to the order of created beings. "Heaven"
is the seat of divine authority, the place from which God reigns
in glory and brings salvation to earth. Our opening address
expresses our confidence that we rest securely in God's intimate
care, and that nothing on earth lies beyond the reach of God's
grace.
Rom. 8:15 "For you did not receive
a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received
a spirit of adoption. When we cry, 'Abba! Father!'"
Jer. 23:23-24 "Am I a God near by,
says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret
places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not
fill heaven and earth? says the Lord."
Acts 17:24-25 "The God who made the
world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in shrines made by human hands."
Question 127. What is meant by the first petition,
"Hallowed be your name"?
This petition is placed first, because it comprehends the
goal and purpose of the whole prayer. The glory of God's name
is the highest concern in all that we pray and do. God's "name"
stands for God's being as well as for God's attributes and works.
When we pray for this name to be "hallowed," we ask
that we and all others will know and glorify God as God really
is, and that all things will be so ordered that they serve God
truly for God's sake.
Jer. 9:23-24 "Thus says the Lord: Do
not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty
boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their
wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand
and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love,
justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things
I delight, says the Lord."
Rom. 11:36 "For from him and through
him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever.
Amen."
Ps. 115:1 "Not to us, O Lord, not to
us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast
love and your faithfulness."
Question 128. What is meant by the second
petition, "Your kingdom come"?
We are asking God to come and rule among us through faith,
love and justice — and not through any one of them without
the others. We pray for both the church and the world, that
God will rule in our hearts through faith, in our personal relationships
through love, and in our institutional affairs through justice.
We ask especially that the gospel will not be withheld from
us, but rightly preached and received. We pray that the church
will be upheld and increase, particularly when in distress;
and that all the world will more and more submit to God's reign,
until that day when crying and pain are no more, and we live
forever with God in perfect peace.
Ps. 68:1 "Let God rise up, let his
enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him."
2 Thess. 3:1 "Finally, brothers and
sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread
rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you."
Rev. 22:20 "The one who testifies to
these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.' Amen. Come,
Lord Jesus!"
Rom. 8:22-24 "We know that the whole
creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not
only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits
of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption,
the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now
hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?"
1 Cor. 15:20,28 "Christ has been raised
from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. When
all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will
also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection
under him, so that God may be all in all."
Question 129. What is meant by the third petition,
"Your will be done, on earth as in heaven"?
Of course, God's will is always done, and will surely come
to pass, whether we desire it or not. But the phrase "on
earth as in heaven" means that we ask for the grace to
do God's will on earth in the way that it is done in heaven
— gladly and from the heart. We thus ask that all opposition
to God's will might be removed from the earth, and especially
from our own hearts. We ask for the freedom to conform our desires
and deeds more fully to God's, so that we might be completely
delivered from our sin. We yield ourselves, in life and in death,
to God's will.
Ps. 119:34-36 "Give me understanding,
that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in
it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain."
Ps. 103:20,22 "Bless the Lord, O you
his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to
his spoken word. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places
of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul."
Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing,
remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done."
Rom. 12:2 "Do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so
that you may discern what is the will of God—what is
good and acceptable and perfect."
Question 130. What is meant by the fourth
petition, "Give us today our daily bread"?
We ask God to provide for all our needs, for we know that
God, who cares for us in every area of our life, has promised
us temporal as well as spiritual blessings. God commands us
to pray each day for all that we need and no more, so that we
will learn to rely completely on God. We pray that we will use
what we are given wisely, remembering especially the poor and
the needy. Along with every living creature we look to God,
the source of all generosity, to bless us and nourish us, according
to the divine good pleasure.
Prov. 30:8 "Remove far from me falsehood
and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with
the food that I need."
Ps. 90:17 "Let the favor of the Lord
our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands—O
prosper the work of our hands!"
Ps. 55:22 "Cast your burden on the
Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous
to be moved."
Ps. 72:4 "May he defend the cause of
the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and
crush the oppressor."
Ps. 104:27-28 "These all look to you
to give them their food in due season; when you give to them,
they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled
with good things."
Question 131. What is meant by the fifth petition,
"Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against
us"?
We pray that a new and right spirit will be put within us.
We ask for the grace to treat others, especially those who harm
us, with the same mercy that we have received from God. We remember
that not one day goes by when we do not need to turn humbly
to God for our own forgiveness. We know that our reception of
this forgiveness can be blocked by our unwillingness to forgive
others. We ask that we will not delight in doing evil, nor in
avenging any wrong, but that we will survive all cruelty without
bitterness, and overcome evil with good, so that our hearts
will be knit together with the mercy and forgiveness of God.
Matt. 18:33 "Should you not have had
mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?"
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."
Ps. 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart,
O God, and put a new and right spirit within me."
1 John 2:1-2 "My little children, I
am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But
if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for
our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the
whole world."
Question 132. What is meant by the final petition,
"Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil"?
We ask God to protect us from our own worst impulses and from
all external powers of destruction in the world. We ask that
we might not yield to despair in the face of seemingly hopeless
circumstances. We pray for the grace to remember and believe,
despite our unbelief, that no matter how bleak the world may
sometimes seem, there is nonetheless a depth of love which is
deeper than our despair, and that this love — which delivered
Israel from slavery in Egypt and raised our Lord Jesus from
the dead — will finally swallow up forever all that would
now seem to defeat it.
2 Cor. 4:8 "We are afflicted in every
way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair."
Eph. 3:19 "To know the love of Christ
that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all
the fullness of God."
Matt. 26:41 "Stay awake and pray that
you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed
is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Question 133. What is meant by the closing
doxology, "For the kingdom, the power and the glory are
yours now and for ever"?
We give God thanks and praise for the kingdom more powerful
than all enemies, for the power perfected in the weakness of
love, and for the glory that includes our well-being and that
of the whole creation, both now and to all eternity. We give
thanks and praise to God as made known through Christ our Lord.
Rev. 5:12 "Singing with full voice,
'Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power
and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'"
Rev. 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord
and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created
all things, and by your will they existed and were created."
1 Chron. 29:11,13 "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. And now, our God, we give thanks to you and
praise your glorious name."
Question 134. What is meant by the word, "Amen"?
"Amen" means "so be it" or "let it
be so." It expresses our complete confidence in the triune
God, the God of the covenant with Israel as fulfilled through
our Lord Jesus Christ, who makes no promise that will not be
kept, and whose steadfast love and mercy 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."
2 Tim. 2:13 "If we are faithless, he
remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself."
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