Blessings of Being Reformed
Last week I spent a week at the Reformed Theological College (RTC) in Melbourne. For those who don’t know, I’m a Candidate for Ministry in the CRCA (our denomination), and the RTC is our denomination’s college. Once per semester, candidates travel down to complete an intensive training week, spending 9-5 each day in lectures. It’s long, tiring, and intense (pun intended!) but also a lot of fun. We get to meet other candidates, eat lunch together and wrestle through lots of different topics.
This particular semester, we looked at Pastoral Ministry in Reformed Churches. This means we looked a lot at the core beliefs of our church, how church is structured and run, and a bit of the history of our denomination as well. Throughout the week, something that stood out to me is the way in which our beliefs are articulated.
We live in a world where people are struggling with identity crises; people don’t know who they are, where they are going or why they are there. The ripple effects are widespread in our society: record levels of mental health issues; 1 in 3 marriages ending in divorce, with marriage rates at an all-time low; low productivity levels in our economy; the list goes on. And as AI continues to take over jobs and industries, the effects will only become more pronounced.
One of the many blessings that we have as a church is our creeds and confessions. These define who we are and what we believe. They clarify many questions people have about Scripture and what we believe, and give us a solid foundation on which we can do church and share the gospel; the Heidelberg Catechism, for example, was written at a time when many people were uneducated, so it was written in order to instruct its hearers in what they believed and give them a simple way to articulate it to others. It is a great tool for us too, as we seek to understand what we believe and grow in our own faith, and for us to teach our family, children and friends.
Let’s take a quick look at the Heidelberg Catechism. It is a question-and-answer summary of the Christian faith, comprised of three parts: guilt (our sin), grace (salvation), and gratitude (how we live in light of salvation), with each question building on the previous. It’s even split into 52 sections, allowing you to read little chunks each week of the year! The opening question is quite provocative: What is your only comfort in life and in death? Life can be tough, and death can be scary, so what hope do we have, and why? The catechism then asks in question 2: What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? And so the rest of it continues, with each asking a question of the heart and mind, drawing it closer to Christ. Each question also has several Scriptures attached to it so you can see where this belief comes from.
Another well-known catechism is the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which opens by asking: What is the chief end of man? Who hasn’t struggled with their purpose in life? Who wouldn’t feel the pull of this question? The question’s answer is simple, yet profound: man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever. This gives us direction, empowerment and confidence to act. Whatever we do, our purpose is to glorify our God, to make His name known, and to enjoy Him forever.
So, as we continue to grow in our faith together, why don’t we spend some time each week, by ourselves or with others, learning a little bit more about what it means and looks like to have Life in Jesus.
Grace and peace,
Lochy
Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 1, Q&A 1
Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q&A 1
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.
