Read: Matthew 6:9-15
The Heidelberg Catechism
presented in earlier Lord's Days the two great Scriptural truths called
"sin" and "grace." It presented sin in all of its
terribleness ("I am prone to hate God and my neighbor”). Our first father,
Adam, sinned and made all of those born from him guilty and corrupt, worthy of
eternal damnation in hell. He was the representative of man for succeeding
generations. Besides, each person continues to add to his guiltiness every day.
The Bible says that there is none righteous, no, not one (Rom 3:10).
The Heidelberg Catechism
presents the one way of deliverance from the wrath of the righteous God. God in
His grace sent His Son, the second Person of the Godhead, to pay for the sins
of those whom God gave to His Son (John 3:16; 17:24). The wonder of salvation
that God works for His people is in the way of the offering of Christ's shed
blood on the cross. What a wonder God has done--so that all the glory for the
deliverance of His people can be given to God alone.
In the third section of
the Heidelberg Catechism, we are taught concerning the proper part of
thankfulness to God for what He has done for His people. The question might be
asked: "What must I do in order to repay God for His great gift?" Is
His gift given conditionally? Must I do something to contribute towards this
deliverance? These questions must be answered. The answer is simple and short.
There is nothing that we can do to either contribute towards or earn this
salvation! Nor is there any possible thing with which we can repay God for this
great work of salvation.
But the fruit of salvation
must be seen in the way the Christian lives and walks. He shows thanksgiving in
all things before God. The Catechism emphasizes two ways that the Christian
shows proper thanksgiving. Scripture teaches that the saved person shows and
desires to show true thankfulness by obeying God's law--summarized in the Ten
Commandments. Obedience to the commandments is not a matter of repayment but
the fruit of God's work in His people.
The second aspect of
thankfulness is prayer. Prayer is the God-given avenue
to the very throne of God. Prayer is our "hotline" to the eternal
God. It is the means both to praise God for His greatness and glory and to make
petitions for our own needs and cares on this earth.
But how does one pray to
God? For what must we ask God? It was the concern of Christ's disciples too. In
Luke 11:1b, the disciples came to Christ and asked, "Lord, teach us to
pray, as John also taught his disciples." Then Christ taught them what is
called "The Lord's Prayer." What a prayer that is! In six petitions,
with few words, Christ gives a summary of what proper prayer is, and for what
we must ask. In a prayer that can be uttered in less than half a minute, Christ
shows us the model for and summary of prayer. This we must briefly study in the
remaining Lord's Days of the Catechism.