- #HC31 Why is He called Christ, that is, Anointed? Because He has been ordained by God the Father, and anointed with the Holy Spirit, to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our r...
- #HC32 Why are you called a Christian? Because I am a member of Christ by faith and thus share in His anointing, so that I may as prophet confess His Name, as priest present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to Him, and as king fig...
- #HC33 Why is He called God’s only begotten Son, since we also are children of God? Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. We, however, are children of God by adoption, through grace, for Christ’s sake.
- #HC34 Why do you call Him our Lord? Because He has ransomed us, body and soul, from all our sins, not with silver or gold but with His precious blood, and has freed us from all the power of the devil to make us His own possession.
- #HC35 What do you confess when you say: He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary? The eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took upon Himself true human nature from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, through the working of the Holy Spirit. Thus He is als...
- #HC36 What benefit do you receive from the holy conception and birth of Christ? He is our Mediator, and with His innocence and perfect holiness covers, in the sight of God, my sin, in which I was conceived and born.
- #HC37 What do you confess when you say that He suffered? During all the time He lived on earth, but especially at the end, Christ bore in body and soul the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race. Thus, by His suffering, as the only atoning sac...
- #HC38 Why did He suffer under Pontius Pilate as judge? Though innocent, Christ was condemned by an earthly judge, and so He freed us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us.
- #HC39 Does it have a special meaning that Christ was crucified and did not die in a different way? Yes. Thereby I am assured that He took upon Himself the curse which lay on me, for a crucified one was cursed by God.
- #HC40 Why was it necessary for Christ to humble Himself even unto death? Because of the justice and truth of God satisfaction for our sins could be made in no other way than by the death of the Son of God.
- #HC41 Why was he buried? His burial testified that He had really died.
- #HC42 Since Christ has died for us, why do we still have to die? Our death is not a payment for our sins, but it puts an end to sin and is an entrance into eternal life.
- #HC43 What further benefit do we receive from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross? Through Christ’s death our old nature is crucified, put to death, and buried with Him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer reign in us, but that we may offer ourselves to Him as a sacr...
- #HC44 Why is there added: He descended into hell? In my greatest sorrows and temptations I may be assured and comforted that my Lord Jesus Christ, by His unspeakable anguish, pain, terror, and agony, which He endured throughout all His sufferings but...
- #HC45 How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us? First, by His resurrection He has overcome death, so that He could make us share in the righteousness which He had obtained for us by His death. Second, by His power we too are raised up to a new life...
- #HC46 What do you confess when you say, He ascended into heaven? That Christ, before the eyes of His disciples, was taken up from the earth into heaven, and that He is there for our benefit until He comes again to judge the living and the dead.
- #HC47 Is Christ, then, not with us until the end of the world, as He has promised us? Christ is true man and true God. With respect to His human nature He is no longer on earth,[2] but with respect to His divinity, majesty, grace, and Spirit He is never absent from us.[3]
- #HC48 But are the two natures in Christ not separated from each other if His human nature is not present wherever His divinity is? Not at all, for His divinity has no limits and is present everywhere. So it must follow that His divinity is indeed beyond the human nature which He has taken on and nevertheless is within this human...
- #HC49 How does Christ’s ascension into heaven benefit us? First, He is our Advocate in heaven before His Father. Second, we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that He, our Head, will also take us, His members, up to Himself. Third, He sends us His Spi...
- #HC50 Why is it added, And sits at the right hand of God? Christ ascended into heaven to manifest Himself there as Head of His Church, through whom the Father governs all things.
- #HC51 How does the glory of Christ, our Head, benefit us? First, by His Holy Spirit He pours out heavenly gifts upon us, His members. Second, by His power He defends and preserves us against all enemies.
- #HC52 What comfort is it to you that Christ will come to judge the living and the dead? In all my sorrow and persecution I lift up my head and eagerly await as judge from heaven the very same person who before has submitted Himself to the judgment of God for my sake, and has removed all...
- #HC53 What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit? First, He is, together with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God. Second, He is also given to me, to make me by true faith share in Christ and all His benefits, to comfort me, and to remain wi...
- #HC54 What do you believe concerning the holy catholic Christian church? I believe that the Son of God, out of the whole human race, from the beginning of the world to its end, gathers, defends, and preserves for Himself, by His Spirit and Word, in the unity of the true fa...
- #HC55 What do you understand by the communion of saints? First, that believers, all and everyone, as members of Christ have communion with Him and share in all His treasures and gifts. Second, that everyone is duty-bound to use his gifts readily and cheerfu...
- #HC56 What do you believe concerning the forgiveness of sins? I believe that God, because of Christ’s satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, nor my sinful nature, against which I have to struggle all my life, but He will graciously grant me the righteousne...
- #HC57 What comfort does the resurrection of the body offer you? Not only shall my soul after this life immediately be taken up to Christ, my Head, but also this my flesh, raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul and made like Christ’s glorious...
- #HC58 What comfort do you receive from the article about the life everlasting? Since I now already feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, I shall after this life possess perfect blessedness, such as no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived—a blessed...
- #HC59 But what does it help you now that you believe all this? In Christ I am righteous before God and heir to life everlasting.
- #HC60 How are you righteous before God? Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Although my conscience accuses me that I have grievously sinned against all God’s commandments, have never kept any of them, and am still inclined to all evil, yet...
Showing 31 - 60 of 129