Catechism Question 4
What must you know to be part of God’s people?
To be part of God’s people I must know how great my sin is, how God has delivered me from my sin and misery through Christ, and how I can show my gratitude to God for delivering me and grow in my Christian life.
Focus and Purpose of this Question
In this question, we are discussing how we can be part of the people that God is creating to glorify and enjoy Him forever. If this is the central message of the Bible (question 3), how do I become part of that people? This question provides that answer. Notice that as anticipated in question 3, Christ is central to becoming part of God’s people. For us to become part of God’s people can only happen through the Person and work of Christ.
This question and answer are really a summary of the Gospel. It shows us three central facets of the Gospel message and its fruit in our lives: our guilt, God’s grace through Christ, and our response of gratitude and growth. This structure – guilt, grace, and gratitude and growth – will govern the rest of the catechism. In part one, we will discuss our guilt because of sin, and the effect it has had upon every one of us. In part two, we will then discuss Christ and His work of delivering us from sin and all of its misery. In the final section of the catechism, we will then discuss how we, who have been delivered from our sin, guilt and misery by Christ, can show gratitude to God for our great salvation and grow in our Christian lives.
Note that the questions below will generally use the word ‘gratitude’ for the third part. Here gratitude refers to our response to God’s work to save us, and how that propels us to grow in our Christian faith, both in knowledge and also in a life that increasingly glorifies and enjoys God.
Additional Questions:
(Note – You might want to use the words guilt, grace, and gratitude to remember these three things).
What are the three big things you must know to be be part of God’s people?
What do you need to know to be saved? What do you do after you are saved?
Scripture References:
Romans 3:23-24
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
1 John 1:8-10
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:8-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Colossians 1:12-14
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Questions for Further Discussion:
This question speaks of the three g’s” guilt, grace, and gratitude. What does the Scripture teach about guilt, grace, and gratitude?
What must you know to live and die in the comfort the Gospel provides to His people?
What is the “bad news” that I must admit to be part of God’s people? What is the “good news” (Gospel) of what God has done? What difference must this “good news” make in how I live?
Some have said that the Gospel is grace, and ethics (how we live) is gratitude? Does this seem to be biblical? How does it line up with the three things talked about in this question?
Additional Information:
This question is based on question 2 from the Heidelberg Catechism. Any resources you find on Heidelberg catechism will have a good discussion on this question.
For additional information, see the teaching “Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude – A Biblically Shaped Life” (July 28, 2019) by Bret Hicks, and “Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude – The Gospel and Its Fruit” (May 16, 2010) by Bret Hicks.
Suggested Worship Song:
And Can It Be That I Should Gain (Charles Wesley, 1738)
And can it be that I should gain An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me who caused His pain! For me who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me?
Chorus: Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, should die for me!
He left His Father’s throne above, So free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love, And bled for Adam’s helpless race.
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free, For O my God, it found out me!
Long my imprisoned spirit lay, Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own.