New City Catechism

I am not a fan of big words. They are hard to say. And often people are unsure what they mean. So they fail to do what words are supposed to do - communicate effectively! Words have meaning. And each word has a particular meaning. That's why it is important we know and understand what a word means. Theology is full of big words, with particular meanings. We come to two of these in the catechism now. Q32. What do justification and sanctification mean? A. Justificatio

Exam season is upon us and for those facing exams, there is a lot to learn. When studying for an exam, we want to know the main points; key things to remember and get down in your answer. When is comes to the Christian faith - what is the main thing? What are the key points for us to know, understand and put our faith in? What is a good summary of our faith? It is to that question the catechism now turns, and rather than reinvent the wheel, the answer has been tried and

How have you got on learning the catechism? I admit, that I'm not able to repeat many of the answers for the catechism so far... but, this is one I am going to learn. Let me encourage you to learn this answer too! Q30. What is faith in Jesus Christ? A. Faith in Jesus Christ is acknowledging the truth of everything God has revealed in his word, trusting in him, and also receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel. Some points to not

We come to a crucial question: Q29. How can we be saved? A. Only by faith in Jesus Christ and in his substitutionary atoning death on the cross; so that even though we are guilty of having disobeyed God and are still inclined to all evil, nevertheless, God, without any merit of our own but only by pure grace, imputes to us the perfect righteousness of Christ when we repent and believe in him. This answer teaches us about ourselves, God and the way of salvation. Let's look

Good question. And it is one we see people ask in various ways. Take the recent debate surrounding Israel Folau and Billy Vunipola - roundly being condemned for posting a orthodox Christian belief on social media. A lot can be said, a lot can be learnt from the comment surrounding this case. However, what has struck me is that no-one wants to be judged. In fact, people are repulsed by the idea of a God who judges. Especially, one who judges eternally. With that in mind

Whenever a law is passed, it can have a profound impact of the lives of many. The change happens immediately and often we don't have to do anything. On the 25th March 1807, the Slave Trade Act was passed, and from that moment on people could no longer be traded as slaves. In June 2015, 16 and 17 year olds gained the right to vote in local government elections in Scotland. Two examples of changes in the law, which affected many lives - without the people themselves doing a

Have you ever looked at something and thought that it is such a mess I don't know where to begin? Sometimes when we do, we choose to focus in on one little thing. We try and sort that and ignore the rest. We tidy the part of the house visitors will see, and shut the door on the rest. God isn't like that. He doesn't do keeping up appearances, he sorts the whole mess out. That's what the next question in the catechism is all about. Q26. What else does Christ's death redeem? A.

On Sunday morning, when we looked at Q25 in the catechism, we reflected a bit about how good our memory is, asking the question - do you forget things? No-one of us has a perfect memory. It is simply impossible for us to remember everything we have experienced, read or person we meet. Yet, we also know what it is to want to forget things, but we simply can't. Some memories and experiences haunt us. God's different - he can remember everything. However, when our sins are

A wise man once said 'I love it when a plan comes together' Now, I admit it wasn't quite planned, but this Sunday morning two things came together in a beautiful way. Our passage for Sunday was Colossians 1:15-23 and two of those verses are the text given in the catechism question for the day. As it so happens, the catechism is about THE GREATEST coming together. Q24. Why was it necessary, for Christ, the Redeemer to die? A. Since death is the punishment for sin, Christ d

One plus one equals two - doesn't it? When it comes to Jesus Christ - one plus one equals one! It is this mystery, which the next two questions in the catechism touch on. Q22. Why must the Redeemer be truly human? A. That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weakness. Q23.Why must the Redeemer be truly God? A. That because of his divine nature his obedience and

You can't fit a square peg in a round hole - so the saying goes. And it is true. You can try. And you may sort of get it to fit. But there will be gaps round the edges. If you pour some water over it, you'll soon see the peg may be in, but the hole isn't plugged! You need a round peg for a round hole. And come to think of it, you need the right size of round peg, to perfectly fit a round hole. With this in mind, we come to the next question in the catechism. Q21. Wha

We face countless choices every day. Choice is good. But it also complicates our lives. Things are so much simpler if there is only one choice. The next question in the catechism has that feeling of simplicity. God has provided a Redeemer. And there is only one Redeemer. Simples! Q20. Who is the Redeemer? The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and bore the penalty for sin himself. Some things to note: It really is G

We left the catechism in a bleak place. God will not allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished. What hope do we have? Q19 asks that very question. Q19. Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God's favour? Yes, to satisfy his justice God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin by a Redeemer. There is hope The last answer (Q18) began with a clear no . All looked bleak.

What are you more scared of - cheating or getting caught cheating? If we are honest, there is a thrill when you get away with it. But we all know that feeling of fear when you are caught, especially if you think you have got away with it! In the catechism we have learnt that we all sin. So the next obvious question is - can we get away with it? Simple answer, no. Here's the longer one. Q18. Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished? A. No, every sin

Over Christmas we took a break from the New City Catechism, returning to it on the first Sunday in the new year... but I have been neglecting blogging on it. Nothing else for it but to get back to it now! We pick the catechism up at Q16 - What is sin? And to help us catch up, shall include Q17 - What is idolatry? However it is more that expediency - these questions belong together. Q16. What is sin? Sin is rejecting or ignoring God in the world he created, rebelling again

I have to admit it - I rely a lot on Google. Gmail, Calendar, Keep and Maps are apps I use daily. I am using Google Assistant more too. But sometimes it lets you down. Take this for example. I was hugely disappointed with this answer. It is so unhelpful. Where Google lets you down, our catechism question for this week helps! Q15. Since no one can keep the law, what is its purpose? That we may know the holy nature and will of God, and the sinful nature and disobedie

Last time in the catechism, we discovered that we have nae chance of keeping God's law. You might think that's not only tough - it's no fair. The next question helps us understand more. Q14. Did God create us unable to keep his law? A. No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God's law. This helps us understand the issue more. Here are a cou

Have you ever seen someone attempt something and think - they have nae chance? It could be on the sports pitch or going for a promotion at work, the odds seem stacked against them. They have nae chance! What are our chances of keeping God's law? Even for a day? Question 13 of the New City Catechism tells us we have 'nae chance'. Q13. Can anyone keep the law of God perfectly? A. Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistentl

We come to the last two commandments in this weeks catechism Q12. What does God require in the ninth and tenth commandments? Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive, but speak the truth in love. Tenth, that we are content, not envying anyone or resenting what God has given them or us. Some thoughts. Truth and love belong together Oil and water don't mix; truth and love do. Sometimes we think the best thing to do is to spin the truth slightly. At other times we are tempted just

On Sunday morning, Remembrance Day, we came to the sixth commandment. It is often misquoted as 'Do not kill' - and with that questions are raised about the justification of war. We didn't address such questions, and I am not going to now either - apart from reminding us that he commandment actually says 'You shall not murder'. As we turn to the catechism, we see that the commandment is more concerned about how we live than big moral questiosn. Q11. What does God require i