This is the 1896 edition of the Evangelical Catechism.
This edition had the benefit of an accompanying commentary: Evangelical Fundamentals Part Two: Evangelical Belief and Doctrine. The Evangelical Catechism Explained. The commentary was itself an abridged translation of Erklärung des kleinen evangel. Katechismus der deutsch-evang. Synode des Westens by Daniel Irion, son of Andreas Irion who reduced the catechism to its final short form.
The Evangelical Association prints this edition with modernized spelling as The Evangelical Catechism: Traditional Orthodox Edition.
Man's chief concern should be the eternal salvation of his soul.
Matt 6:33. Matt 16:26.We secure the eternal salvation of our soul through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
All that is essential to faith God has revealed unto us in His word, the Holy Scriptures, which were written by inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
2 Peter 1:21. 2 Tim. 3:15-17. Psalm 119:105.The contents of the Holy Scriptures are the law and the gospel.
We find the law of God concisely expressed in the Ten Commandments.
I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.
God requires that we fear and love Him, and trust in Him above all things.
Eccles. 12:13. 1 John 5:3. Psalm 37:5. Prov. 3:5.God forbids all idolatry.
Matt 4:10. Isaiah 42:8. 1 John 2:15. Matt 10:37. Jer. 17:5.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. For I, The Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
God says that we shall not worship Him in any image, but as He has taught in His word and revealed Himself unto us in His Son Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 40:18. John 1:18.Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
God says that we shall not by His name curse, swear, use witchcraft, lie or deceive, neither maliciously nor thoughtlessly.
James 3:10. Lev. 19:12. Psalm 50:16-17.God requires that we call upon His holy name in all our needs, and worship Him with prayer, praise and thanksgiving.
Rom. 10:13. Psalm 50:15. Matt 10:32-33. Psalm 92:1.Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, or thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and hallowed it.
We hallow the Sabbath by resting from worldly employment, by devoutly using God's word in church and at home and by devoting the whole Sabbath to our own and our neighbor's salvation, and thereby to the honor of God.
Ezekiel 20:20. Col. 3:16-17. Psalm 26:6-8.The Sabbath is profaned by worldly employment, spiritual indolence, and sinful pleasures.
Hebrew 10:25. Eccles. 5:1. Luke 11:28.Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
God requires that I always honor father and mother by truly loving, cheerfully obeying and filially serving them, and that I likewise honor all who by God's order are my superiors.
Prov. 1:8. Ephes. 6:1-3. Prov. 19:26. Prov. 30:17. Hebr. 13:17. Rom. 13:1. Ephes. 6:5-7.Thou shalt not kill.
God forbids murder, also every deed, word and thought, whereby my own life or the life of my neighbor is shortened or embittered.
Gen. 9:6. Rom. 12:19. Matt 5:21:22:1 John 3:15. Matt 5:44-45. Luke 21:34-35.This commandment is seriously transgressed when we injure the soul of our neighbor, or our own soul by enticement or negligence.
Matt 18:6-7. Prov. 24:1-2. 2 Cor. 6:14-15.God requires that we assist our neighbor in every need and aid him in his temporal and eternal welfare on all occasions.
Isaiah 58:7. Hebr. 13:16.1 Peter 4:10. Ephes. 4:32. Isaiah 1:17.Thou shalt not commit adultery.
God forbids adultery and fornication, likewise all unchaste thoughts, words and deeds.
1 Cor. 3:17. Ephes. 5:3-4. 1 Cor. 15:33.God requires that we lead a chaste and discreet life in body and soul, and that in wedlock husband and wife faithfully love and honor each other.
Prov. 4:23. Psalm 51:12. Matt 5:8. 1 Cor. 6:19-20.Thou shalt not steal.
God forbids robbery and theft, likewise trickery and fraud in business and conduct, also covetousness, avarice, envy, extravagance, idleness, etc.
Habakkuk. 2:9. Deut. 25:13-15. 1 Thess. 4:6. Deut. 27:17. Psalm 37:21. Jerem. 22:13. James 5:4. Prov. 10:4.God requires that we assist in protecting and improving our neighbor's possessions and livelihood, and that we be content with that which He gives us.
2 Cor. 9:7. Ephes. 4:28. 1 Thess. 4:11-12. 1 Tim. 6:6-10. 1 Tim. 6:17-19.Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
God forbids perjury and all manner of falsehood in speech and action, likewise treachery, slander, and deceit of every kind.
Prov. 19:5. John 8:44. Ephes. 4:25. Psalm 5:6. Prov. 11:13 Lev. 19:16. Luke. 6:37. Isaiah 5:20.God requires that we promote and maintain the honor and good name of our neighbor, also to be true and sincere throughout our life.
Psalm 34:13-14. Phil. 4:8.Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
God forbids all evil lusts and desires, which cause a longing for unrighteous acquisition or enjoyment.
James 1:14-15. Rom. 6:12. 1 John 2:15-17.God requires that we delight in Him and in His holy providence.
Psalm 37:4. Rom. 7:22. Prov. 23:26.Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deut. 6:5. Levit. 19:18. Matt 22:40.God says: "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them."Deut. 27: 26. (Gal. 3:10).
"Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord." Levit. 18:5. (Luke 10:28).
God threatens to punish all who transgress these commandments; therefore, we should fear His anger and not act contrary to His will. But He promises abundant grace and every blessing to all who keep His commandments. We should, therefore, love Him, trust in Him, and cheerfully do according to His will.
No man has ever perfectly kept the law of God. By nature we are evil and have in manifold ways transgressed God's commandments and well deserve the curse of the law.
Rom. 3:19-20. Psalm 130:3. Psalm 143:2.We can escape the curse, and be saved through the Grace of God, by which the gospel of Jesus Christ is given to us and faith in the same worked in us.
The scriptures teach us that God is one God, Spirit: that is, He is Life, Light, and Love; and therefore eternal, unchangeable, omnipresent; true, omniscient, all-wise, holy, omnipotent, just; blessed, good, gracious and merciful.
Deut. 6:4. John 4:24. 1 John 5:20.1 John 1:5. 1 John 4:8.God is independent of everything, therefore he had no beginning and will have no end.
Psalm 90:1-2. Revel. 1:8. Isaiah 26:4.In His being and in His will God is always the same.
Psalm 102:24-27. James 1:17.God fills heaven and earth and works everywhere at the same time.
Jeremiah 23:23-24. Acts. 17:27-28. Psalm 139:7-10. Psalm 23:4.God is truth itself, and certainly does fulfill all His promises and threats.
Numb. 23:19. 1 John 5:10. Psalm 119:89-90.God sees all, hears all, knows all, — the past, the present and the future: He discerns everything as it is.
Psalm 139:1-3. Psalm 139:16. Hebr. 4:13. I Sam. 16:7. Psalm 94:9. Matt 6:8.God ordains and directs all things to His own glory and to the salvation of man.
Rom. 11:33-34. Isaiah 55:8-9. Psalm 104:24. Rom. 8:28. 1 Peter 5:7. James 1:5.In His being and in His will God is good and pure; therefore He loves only that which is good. and pure; but judges and condemns that which is evil.
Matt 19:17. Isaiah 6:3. 1 Peter 1:15-16.All things are made and sustained by God; He can do and create whatsoever He will.
Isaiah 40:26. Psalm 115:3. Luke 1:37. Psalm. 33:8-9. Gen. 17:1.God is just in all His ways; He deals with every one according to his needs; He rewards the good and punishes the evil.
Psalm 145:17. Rom. 2:6-8. Psalm 103:6. Isaiah 41:10. Psalm 37:25. Matt 5:12. Psalm 5:4. 1 John 2:29.God has complete peace in Himself, and is eternally self sufficient.
1 Tim. 6:15–16. Acts 17:24-25.God does only good to all His creatures.
Psalm 145:9. Psalm 107:1. Psalm 36:5.God in His mercy and compassion condescends to forgive us all our sins for Jesus' sake; to bear with us in patience and long- suffering, although we daily sin greatly, and He is always willing to hear us when we come to Him with believing heart.
Psalm 103:8-10. Psalm 103:17-18. Lam. 3:22-23. Psalm 103:13. 2 Peter 3:9. 2 Peter 3:15. Rom. 2:4.They teach us that in the one God there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and that these three are One.
Matt 28:19. Num. 6:24-26. 2 Cor. 13:14.The whole Christian church confesses its faith in the Triune God with the Apostles’ Creed, which is as follows:
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the one Holy Universal, Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.
The first article of the Christian faith treats of God the Father and of the work of creation.
God created heaven and earth by the power of His almighty word.
Gen. 1:1. Psalm 33:6. Hebr. 11:3. Revel. 4:11. John 1:1-3.God continually proves Himself to be the Creator by His paternal providence, whereby He preserves and governs all things.
Gen. 8:22. Job. 10:12. Psalm 145:15-16. Gen. 50:20. Psalm 33:13-15. Prov. 16:9. Psalm 111:2. Deut. 8:10. Matt 6:25.Matt 10:29-31.I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me and still preserves my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my reason and all my senses, also food and raiment, home and family, and all my possessions; that He daily and abundantly provides me with all the necessaries of life, protects and preserves me from all danger; and all this he does purely out of paternal and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness on my part. For all this I am in duty bound to thank, praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.
The principal creatures in heaven are the angels.
The angels are holy and blessed spirits, who always do the will of the Father in heaven.
Hebr. 1:14. Luke 15:10. Psalm 103:20. Psalm 34:7. Psalm 91:11-12.No; many angels sinned against God and are banished to hell as enemies of God and man. Their chief is called devil, or Satan.
Ephes. 6:12. 1 Peter 5:8. James 4:7. 2 Peter 2:4.The principal creature on earth is man, created in the image of God, so that he might know God and live in blessed communion with Him.
Gen. 1:27. Gen. 1:31.No; our first parents were by Satan led astray from God.
Gen. 3.Man lost the image of God, came under the power of Satan, sin and death, and this corruption is transmitted from Adam upon all mankind.
Rom. 5:12. 1 John 3:8. Gen. 2:17. Rom. 7:14. Gen. 3:17-19.Since the fall man is corrupt, therefore unfit for anything good, but prepared for and inclined to evil. This inherited corruption is called original sin.
Gen. 8:21. John 3:6. 1 John 1:8.Out of original sin grows actual sin; that is, all thoughts and desires, words and deeds, whereby evil is done or good is neglected. The most grievous sins are those committed with malice aforethought.
Matt 15:18. Psalm 19:12.James 4:17. Luke 12:47. 1 Tim. 5:22.The punishment of sin is death, as it is written – Rom. 6:23: “The wages of sin is death.”
This death is threefold; physical, spiritual and eternal.
Psalm 90:7-8. Rev. 21:8.No; God in His mercy resolved from all eternity to redeem fallen mankind by His only begotten Son.
2 Tim. 1:9.God prepared mankind for redemption by the promise given in paradise, by the preaching of the prophets, and by various typical institutions in the old covenant.
Gen. 3:15. Gen. 22:18. Gen. 49:10. Jer. 33:15-16. Micah 5:2. Isaiah 9:6. Isaiah 53:7. Acts 10:43.John 3. 16:"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Gal. 4:4-5:"But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
The second article of the Christian faith treats of Jesus Christ, the son of God, and of the work of redemption.
He is true God and true man in one person; my Savior, Redeemer and Lord.
In the Holy Scriptures Jesus Christ is expressly called God; furthermore divine attributes and works are ascribed to Him, and divine honor is demanded for Him.
John 1:1-3. John 10:30. John 20:28. John 17:5.John 8:58. Matt 11:27. John 5:21-26. Matt 9:6. John 5:22-23. Coloss. 2:9.Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary; He thereby entered into human nature and became in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Luke 1:35. John 1:14. Luke 2:52. Matt 4:2. John 19:28. John 4:6. Matt 8:24.Luke 19:41.John 11:35.John 19:30. Hebr. 4:15.Christ revealed Himself as the Redeemer, even before His death, by His holy life, in which He perfectly fulfilled the law of God in our stead; by His preaching the forgiveness of sins through faith in His name; by His miracles, which are all works of life, to abolish misery and death.
John 4:34. John 8:46. Mark 1:15. John 3:17-18. Luke 19:10. Acts 10:38. John 5:36.Christ accomplished our redemption by His sufferings and death, in which He endured, in our stead, the wrath of God against sin, thereby redeeming us from sin, Satan and death.
Isaiah 53:4-6. 2 Cor. 5:19-21. 1 John 2:2. 1 John 1:7. Hebr. 9:14. 1 Peter 2:24. 1 Peter 1:18-19. Titus 2:14. 2 Tim. 1:10. Coloss. 1:13-14.The death of Christ is the most important fact in redemption, because we, lost sinners, could be redeemed neither by precept nor example, but only by the all -sufficient offering in the suffering and dying of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor. 2:2. 1 Cor. 1:23-24. Hebr. 7:26-27.Christ's burial is a testimony that he had really died.
Christ descended into hell to triumph over the dominion of darkness, and there to reveal Himself as the Redeemer of mankind.
1 Peter 3:18-20.The resurrection of Christ clearly establishes the redemption as all-sufficient for all eternity. It is, therefore, the foundation of all faith, the source of all new life, and a positive pledge for our future resurrection and perfection.
Rom. 1:4. Rom. 4:25. 1 Cor. 15:17-18.Rom. 6:4. 2 Cor. 5:15. John 11:25-26. 1 Cor. 15:20-22. Rom. 8:11.Forty days after His resurrection Christ was visibly taken up into heaven. All gifts of faith are thereby declared celestial and eternal, and our faith and hope directed heavenward.
John 14:2-3. John 16:7. John 17:24.Christ is in heaven in the perfection of His divine nature, and to Him, as the glorified Son of man, the Almighty Father has given all power in heaven and on earth, and as eternal Prophet, eternal Priest and eternal King, He enlightens, intercedes for, and governs His church.
Psalm 110:1. Ephes. 1:20-23. Ephes. 5:14. Rom. 8:33-34.Christ will come again on the last day with great power and glory to take the righteous into eternal glory, and to deliver the wicked over to eternal punishment.
Acts 1:11. Matt 25:31-32. 2 Cor. 5:10. Luke 21:27-28.We find the humiliation and the exaltation of Christ briefly described in the passage Phil. 2:5-11, which is as follows:
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross . Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a ame which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God, the Father.
I believe that Jesus Christ – true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary – is my Lord, who has redeemed, purchased and delivered me, a lost and condemned creature, from all sins, from death and from the power of Satan, not with silver or gold, but with His holy, precious blood, and with His innocent suffering and death; that I might be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness; even as he is risen from the dead, lives and reigns in all eternity.
The third article of the Christian faith treats of God, the Holy Ghost, and of the work of sanctification.
We believe that the Holy Ghost is the third person in the Holy Trinity, with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God, a Lord and distributor of all gifts, who enables us to come to Christ, our Lord, and to remain with Him forever.
Three offices are ascribed to the Holy Ghost; the office of punishment, in which He reproves man for his sins; the office of comforting, in which He assures the sinner of the grace of God; the office of teaching, in which He guides believers into all truth, and impels them to do all that is good.
John 14:16-17. John 14:26. John 16:13-14.The Holy Ghost works by the word of God and the holy sacraments, which are the means of grace instituted by God.
James 1:21. Acts 2:38. 1 Cor. 10:16.The order and manner observed by the Holy Ghost in imparting salvation to the individual is as follows:
Calling and enlightenment, repentance and faith, justification and sanctification.
We distinguish between a general and a special calling. In the general calling the Holy Ghost invites all mankind to enter into the Kingdom of God. In the special calling the Holy Ghost brings the general calling so effectually to the individual person, that he is compelled to either accept or reject it.
2 Peter 3:9. 1 Tim. 2:4. John 6:44. Luke 14:16-24. Matt 22:1–14. Matt 11:28-30. Isaiah 55:1. Rev. 3:20.Enlightenment is the work of the Holy Ghost, by which He convinces the sinner of his lost state, and shows him how he can be saved.
Ephes. 5:8. Ephes. 1:17-18.True repentance consists in conviction of sin, contrition for sin, confession and renunciation of sin, and longing for grace.
Matt 9:13. Psalm 38:4. 1 John 1:8-9.Prov. 28:13.Luke 15:18-19. Luke 18:13. Psalm 32:5. James 5:16. 2 Cor. 7:10. Matt 5:4. Psalm 51:17. Isaiah 55:7. Rom. 12:9. Luke 19:8. Psalm 42:1-2. Matt 5:6.Faith is the firm confidence with which the sinner accepts and retains the grace of God in Christ.
Hebr. 11:1 Hebr. 11:6. Rom. 4:20-21. 1 Tim. 1:15. John 6:40. John 6:68-69. Acts 16:31. Gal. 2:20.Justification is the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake, the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, and the adoption as children of God, and all this purely by paternal grace.
Isaiah 43:24-25. Psalm 32:1-2. Phil. 3:8-9. 1 John 3:1. Rom. 3:28. Rom. 3:22-23. Ephes. 2:8-9.The terms regeneration and conversion are often used to denote the state of justification.
Regeneration is the beginning of the new life in man, as wrought by the triune God through baptism of water and the Spirit.
John 3:5. Gal. 3:27. 1 Peter 1:23.Conversion is the faithful acceptance of the new life, wrought by God, hence a turning from the broad way and entrance upon the straitened way.
Ezekiel 33:11. Ezekiel 18:21. 1 Peter 2:25.We are assured of this state of grace by the testimony of the Holy Ghost, as it is written Rom. 8:15-16: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
Sanctification is that work of the Holy Ghost, by which the whole man is transformed and daily renewed in all his actions, and made acceptable to God.
1 John 5:4. 2 Cor. 5:17. 2 Peter 3:18. 2 Peter 2:1-2. Ephes. 4:22-24. Phil. 3:12. Hebr. 12:14. 1 Thess. 5:23.The entire body of Christians is called the one, Holy, Catholic Church.
The Christian church is called the one church because it has one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, as it is written Ephes. 4:3-6:
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in 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 you all.
The Christian church is called holy, because the Holy Ghost works mightily in it by word and sacrament; and because every one of its members shall thereby be sanctified and made perfect.
Ephes. 5:25-27.The Christian church is called a catholic, or universal, church, because every sinner of all nations and times can and
shall be admitted into it, according to the will of God, and because every one finds there what he needs.
John 10:16. Mark. 16:15.The church is a Christian church, because Christ alone is its foundation, its head and the object to which all its efforts are directed.
1 Cor. 3:11. Coloss. 1:18. Ephes. 4:13.The church has indeed existed at all times as the true church; but has frequently erred and been corrupted; its future perfection, however, is certain, according to God's promise.
Matt 16:18. Matt 13:24-26.By the communion of saints we understand that all Christians, as members of one body, be united in love, and aid one another in their temporal and eternal welfare.
1 Cor. 12:12-13. Ephes. 4:15-16. Phil. 2:2-4. 1 Cor. 12:26.The forgiveness of sins is offered in Christ to all mankind, so that through the Holy Ghost every person of every time can and may have part therein, according to the will of God.
Luke 24:46-47. Acts 17:30-31.On the last day Christ will raise up all the dead; the righteous to eternal life, the unrighteous to everlasting punishment.
John 5:28-29. 1 Cor. 15:42-44. Phil. 3:20-21. Matt 25:41.They, who are justified and perfected in Christ, after receiving in the resurrection the glory of Christ, in body and soul, shall enter into eternal bliss and glory.
John 17:24. 1 John 3:2. 1 Cor. 13:12. 1 Peter 1:7-9. Matt 25:34. Isaiah 35:10. Rev. 21:3-4.I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength, believe in my Lord Jesus Christ, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and preserved me in the true faith; as He calls, gathers, enlightens and preserves the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian church He daily and abundantly forgives me and all believers all sins, and on the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give unto me and all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.
Prayer is the conversation of the heart, addressed to God in making supplications, in giving thanks and in offering praise.
Psalm 19:14. Matt 6:6. Psalm. 34:3. Psalm 103:1-4. Matt 7:7-8. Matt 21:22. Matt 18:19-20. Ephes. 5:20. Psalm 50:23. Psalm 92:1. 1 Tim. 2:1-2. 1 Thess. 5:17.In the "Lord's Prayer," which is as follows:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
God desires us and all His children to call upon Him with cheerful confidence, as beloved children entreat a kind and affectionate father, knowing that he is both willing and able to help us.
Matt 7:9-11. John 16:27. Ephes. 3:14-15. Rom. 10:12. Psalm 121:1-2.God's name is indeed holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be holy among us also. This is done when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we as the children of God also lead a holy life in accordance with it. To this help us dear Father in heaven!
Psalm 72:18-19. Gal. 1:8. Matt 5:16.The kingdom of God is indeed established by the redemption; but we pray in this petition that we and all others may participate in this kingdom, and that the same may be completed in every respect.
Luke 17:20-21. Tit. 2:13.God's good and gracious will is indeed done without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may also be done among us, and everywhere, and that every one on the earth may do His will as cheerfully as the angels in heaven.
Matt 16:24. 1 John 2:17. Rom. 12:2. Hebr. 13:21.God indeed gives daily bread without our prayer, even to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to know this, and enable us to receive with thanksgiving what we daily need for body and soul.
Matt 5:45. Psalm 145:15-16. Prov. 30:8-9. Matt 6:34. Psalm 127:1-2. 2 Thess. 3:10. Deut. 8:10. 1 Tim. 4:4-5. Matt 4:4.We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not regard our sins, nor on their account refuse us the forgiveness of all our sins; for we are worthy of none of the things for which we pray, either have we deserved them; but that He would grant them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment. We promise also, on our part, heartily to forgive and willingly to do good to those who sin against us.
Psalm 51:1-3. Matt 6:14-15. Matt 18:21-22.God indeed tempts no one, but we pray in this petition that God would protect and keep us, that Satan, the world and our own flesh may not deceive us, nor lead us into sin, infamy and vice; mistrust, unbelief and despair; and though we be assailed by them, we may nevertheless conquer and finally obtain the victory over them.
James 1:13. 1 Cor. 10-13. Luke 22:31-32. 1 Peter 2:11. 2 Tim. 2:5. 1 John 5:4-5.We pray in this petition as in a summary that the Father in heaven would deliver us from every evil of body and soul; and, finally, when our last hour has come, grant us a happy end, and graciously take us from this world of sorrow to Himself in heaven.
John 17:15. 2 Tim. 4:18.With these words we express a confident assurance that such petitions are agreeable to our Father in heaven and heard of Him; for He Himself has commanded us thus to pray and promised that we shall be heard."Amen."Amen, that is, yea, yea, it shall be so.
2 Cor. 1:20. Ephes. 3:20.A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ Himself, in which by visible signs and means He imparts and maintains the new life.
Christ has instituted two Sacraments, the Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which the triune God imparts the new life unto man. Thereby man is admitted into the communion of God and the whole Christian church.
The visible sign in Baptism is water, in which the candidate for Baptism is immersed or with which he is sprinkled in the name of the triune God; as it is written Matt 28:18-20:
"All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations; baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Holy Baptism requires of us that we, by daily contrition and repentance, renounce all sinful longings and desires, and by faith arise to a new life.
Rom. 6:3-4. Col. 3:9-10.Infants should be baptized because the new life is a divine gift of grace, which the infants are as needy and capable of receiving as adults; hence the Lord has explicitly promised His kingdom unto them.
Acts 2:39. Mark 10:13-14-16.Parents shall, by education and instruction, by prayer and example promote the growth of the new life in their baptized children.
Matt 28:20. Ephes. 6:4.Confirmation is the renewal of the baptismal covenant, that is, the baptized children, having been instructed in the Christian faith, publicly confess their faith and promise unto their Lord obedience until death.
The Lord's Supper is that sacrament by which we receive the body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ as the nourishment of our new life, sustain and confirm the communion with Christ and all believers, and proclaim that the Lord has died for us.
John 6:51. John 6:55-56. Ephes. 5:30. 1 Cor. 10:17. 1 Cor. 11:26.The visible signs and means of this sacrament are bread and wine, the worthy partaking of which is the eating and drinking of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; as it is stated in the words instituting this Holy Supper.
"Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread; and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you; this do in remembrance of Me."
"After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it: this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you, for the remission of sins; this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me."
Matt 26:26-28. Mark 14:22-24. Luke 22:19-20. 1 Cor. 11:23-25.By thus eating and drinking we receive the remission of sins, life and salvation; as it is stated in the words: "broken and shed for you for the remission of sins."
He, who eats and drinks with heartfelt repentance and with true faith; for he alone is truly worthy and well prepared, who has faith in these words: "Given and shed for you for the remission of sins." But he that does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unprepared; for the words: "for you" require truly believing hearts.
1 Cor. 11:28. 2 Cor. 13:5. Psalm 139:23-24. 1 Cor. 11:27. 1 Cor. 11:29-30. Matt 5:23-24.Our communion requires that we daily keep in remembrance the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus, and that we consider well how hard it was for our Savior to bear our sins and the sins of the whole world, and to gain eternal salvation for us by offering up His life and shedding His blood. And since our sins caused the Lord Jesus the greatest sufferings, yea bitter death, we should have no pleasure in sin, but earnestly flee and avoid it; and being reclaimed by our Savior and Redeemer we should live, suffer and die to His honor, so that at all times and especially in the hour of death we may cheerfully and confidently say:
"Lord Jesus, for Thee I live, for Thee I suffer, for Thee I die! Lord Jesus, Thine will I be in life and death! Grant me, O Lord, eternal salvation! Amen."