Fridays with the Heidelberg

Lord’s Day 46

120. Q. WHY DID CHRIST COMMAND US TO CALL GOD “OUR FATHER”?

     A. At the very beginning of our prayer Christ wants to kindle in us what is basic to our prayer-the childlike awe and trust that God through Christ has become our Father. Our fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith.

121. Q. WHY THE WORDS “IN HEAVEN”?

     A. Those words teach us not to think of God’s heavenly majesty as something earthly, and to expect everything for body and soul from His almighty power.

Sunday morning during the High School lesson, we studied the Love of God demonstrated through the sacrificial death of His Son.  The message of the gospel is the good news that by faith in Jesus the Son of God, who died for our sins, we are adopted as God’s children.  Adopted into the very family of God.

In our fallen condition, the Scriptures teach that we are “children of wrath” (Eph. 2:3).  But through Christ alone, sinful man can be reconciled to the Father.  The Scriptures identify believers as “Children of God” (John 1:12),  “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Gal. 3:26), “for all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Rom. 8:14).

As believers, we have been adopted into God’s family, so we can now approach Him by faith in prayer.  And just as any father will not refuse the needs of his children, “God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith.”

Fridays with the Heidelberg

Lord’s Day 45

116. Q. WHY DO CHRISTIANS NEED TO PRAY?

     A. Because prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness God requires of us. And also because God gives His grace and Holy Spirit only to those who pray continually and groan inwardly, asking God for these gifts and thanking Him for them.

117. Q. HOW DOES GOD WANT US TO PRAY SO THAT HE WILL LISTEN TO US?

     A. First, we must pray from the heart to no other than the one true God, who has revealed Himself in His Word, asking for everything He has commanded us to ask for. Second, we must acknowledge our need and misery, hiding nothing, and humble ourselves in His majestic presence. Third, we must rest on this unshakable foundation: even though we do not deserve it, God will surely listen to our prayer because of Christ our Lord. This is what He promised us in His Word.

118. Q. WHAT DID GOD COMMAND US TO PRAY FOR?

     A. Everything we need, spiritually and physically, as embraced in the prayer Christ our Lord Himself taught us.

119. Q. WHAT IS THE PRAYER?

     A. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Why Pray? Who do we pray to?  How are we to pray?  What are we to pray? These are all good questions.  Questions that you have likely asked yourself, or have been asked by others.  The HC briefly deals with them all in today’s reading.

 The remainder of our time in the Heidelberg will be commenting on “The Lord’s Prayer”, so we will be able to think much upon the “how” and the “what” in the coming weeks.  For today, lets think about the “why”.

Since God is sovereign over all things, why pray?  He has everything under control, His eternal purposes cannot be thwarted, He knows all things, He can do all things, so why pray?   The Heidelberg points out two reasons; gratitude and means.

We pray because of who God is, what He has done and what He is going to do.  We also pray because God has chosen prayer as a means to carry out His sovereign purposes.

If you would like to think further upon this question of “why”, I suggest the following article by John Piper, “The Sovereignty of God and Prayer.”

Fridays with the Heidelberg

Lord’s Day 44

113. Q. WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU IN THE TENTH COMMANDMENT?

     A. That not even the slightest thought or desire contrary to any one of God’s commandments should ever arise in my heart. Rather, with all my heart I should always hate sin and take pleasure in whatever is right.

114. Q. BUT CAN THOSE CONVERTED TO GOD OBEY THESE COMMANDMENTS PERFECTLY?

     A. No. In this life even the holiest have only a small beginning of this obedience. Nevertheless, with all seriousness of purpose, they do begin to live according to all, not only some, of God’s commandments.

115. Q. NO ONE IN THIS LIFE CAN OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS PERECTLY: WHY THEN DOES GOD WANT THEM PREACHED SO POINTEDLY?

     A. First, so that the longer we live the more we may come to know our sinfulness and the more eagerly look to Christ for forgiveness of sins and righteousness. Second, so that, while praying to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, we may never stop striving to be renewed more and more after God’s image, until after this life we reach our goal: perfection.

As the Catechism brings the summary of the Ten Commandments to completion in today’s reading, we find helpful instruction as to the unity and purpose of the law.

Unity of the Law

James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it”.  Likewise, Col. 3:5 states, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”  To disobey the tenth commandment is to disobey the first as well.  Covetousness, as well as a variety of other sins, is a form of idolatry in that we are holding something in such a high regard that we are putting it in place of God.  So then, when we covet, we are violating the first and second Great Commandment (Mark 12:30-31).

Purpose of the Law

In that Q&A 114 remind the Christian of his inability to keep the law perfectly, what purpose then does the law fulfill in our lives?  Q&A 115 suggests the law produces an increased;

-       awareness of our sinfulness

-       recognition of our dependence on God for growth in Christlikeness

-       desire for such growth