Baptist Catechism 6

Q. 6. What things are chiefly contained in the Holy Scriptures?

A. The Holy Scriptures chiefly contain what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man. (2 Tim. 3:16,17; John 20:31; Acts 24:14; 1 Cor. 10:11; Eccles. 12:13)

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 4:6–16

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:6–16, ESV)

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This is the last Sunday of 2023. And given that we concluded our study through the Baptist Catechism last Sunday, I thought I would take the opportunity to speak to you about the importance of catechetical (or doctrinal) 0preaching and to give you a very brief overview of our catechism, the Baptist Catechism.

What is catechetical preaching? It is preaching that aims to teach the core doctrines of the Christian faith – that is to say, the core doctrines contained within Holy Scripture – in a systematic way, using a catechism as a guide.

What is a catechism? It is a document that seeks to communicate the core doctrines of the Christians through a series of questions and answers. 

Many catechisms have been produced in the history of the church. Some are good and some are bad. The good ones are faithful to the teaching of Holy Scripture. The bad ones are not. Some are longer and others are shorter. Some are old and others are new. 

The catechism we use here at Emmaus is called the Baptist Catechism. I’d like to tell you about it. 

1. The Baptist Catechism was written sometime between 1693 and 1695. 
2. In 1693 an association of Baptist churches in London requested that a catechism be drawn up for use in the churches. By 1695 the Baptist Catechism was in its fifth edition. We do not have copies of the first four editions, and so we say it was written before 1695 and as early as 1693. It must have been very well received by the churches to have gone through five printings in a two year period of time.
3. Pastor William Collins edited this catechism.  
4. I refer to them as editors, and not as authors, because the Baptist Catechism is very similar to the Westminster Shorter Catechism, which was written in 1646/47. The Baptists adopted most of the WSC, not because they were incapable of producing this work on their own, but to express agreement with their Presbyterian and paedobaptist brethren. There are only 18 of the 114 questions in the Baptist Catechism that differ from the WSC. The main differences are found in the section on Baptism – the WSC teaches infant baptism; the Baptist Catechism teaches baptism upon a credible profession of faith only.  
5.  The Baptist Catechism consists of 114 questions and answers. These were carefully crafted to summarize the teaching of Holy Scripture and to agree with the doctrines expressed in the Second London Confession of Faith, which is Emmaus’ confession of faith. 

Please allow me to present you with a brief overview of the content of the Baptist Catechism.

1. First Principles (1-6)

Foundational truths are established here which make the gospel of Jesus Christ intelligible.

2. What Man Ought To Believe Concerning God (7-43) (7-43)The gospel is presented in this section in a redemptive-historical way (see especially questions 32-34).
   1. God: His Nature, Decrees, Creation, Providence, And Covenant (7-15)
   2. Sin: Man’s Alienation From God By His Fall Into Sin (16-22)
   3. Redemption Accomplished By God Through Christ (23-31)
   4. Redemption Applied By God Through The Spirit (32-43)
   5. Effectual Calling Unto Faith In Christ (32-34)
   6. What Those Effectually Called Are Saved Unto (The Benefits Of Salvation) (35-41)
   7. What Those Effectually Called Are Saved From (The Miseries Of Damnation) (42-43)
3. What Duty God Requires Of Man (44-114)
   The gospel is presented in this section in a law/gospel way. First, we learn God’s law (44-86). Second, we learn that no mere man is able to keep God’s law, but sins and deserves God’s judgment (87-89). Third, to escape God’s wrath, we are told that we must turn from our sins and trust in Jesus Christ (see especially questions 90-92). Lastly, the ordinary means of grace are presented to us in questions 93-114. These are the means that God ordinarily uses to purify, strengthen, and sustain his people by his grace.
   1. God’s Law (45-89)
   2. The Gospel (90-114)
      1. Faith and Repentance (90-92)
      2. The Outward And Ordinary Means Of Grace (93-114)
         1. The Word Of God (94-95)
         2. Baptism (96-101)
         3. The Lord’s Supper (102-104)
         4. Prayer (105-114)

Why preach catechically? Because ministers of the gospel are called to teach the faith and to contend for the faith. It is true that God’s word – The Holy Scripture – is our final authority in matters of faith and obedience. Our confession of faith states this from the outset. The first line is this: “The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.” And our catechism teaches this too. Q. 3 asks, “How may we know there is a God?”

A. “The light of nature in man and the works of God plainly declare that there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only do it fully and effectively for the salvation of sinners.” Q. 4 then asks, “What is the Word of God?” A. “The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, and the only certain rule of faith and obedience.” Our belief in the supreme authority of Holy Scripture cannot be more clearly stated. But ministers of the word are called to teach the word. They are to teach and “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). This requires a systematic, theological, study of the Holy Scriptures. This requires systematic teaching. 

Brothers and sisters, there are multiple ways to teach the Bible. Preachers may preach the word in an expositional way, moving through the text of Scripture verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. This is a very good approach. And this is the approach we take in the first service. The Scriptures can also be taught topically. Here some particular topic of interest to the people of God is addressed from the totality of the Scriptures. Catechetical preaching is topical or systematic, but it is unique in that it focuses attention on the core tenets of the Christian faith. 

I hope and pray that you never grow tired of catechetical preaching. For one, it is good for those seasoned in the faith to be reminded of old, foundational truths. Two, there will always be young people and new believers who need to be instructed in the fundamentals. Everyone in the church – young and old, seasoned believers and new believers – ought to rejoice over the proclamation of the foundational truths of the Christian faith.   

Q. 6. “What things are chiefly contained in the Holy Scriptures?”

A. “The Holy Scriptures chiefly contain what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man.”

Lord God, may we never stop growing in our understanding of you and what it is that you require of us. May we grow in our knowledge and appreciation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  

Baptist Catechism 113 & 114

Q. 113. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?

A. In the sixth petition, which is, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted. (Matt. 6:13; 26:41; Ps. 19:13; 1 Cor. 10:13; John 17:15)

Q. 114. What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?

A. The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen,” teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him; and in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen. (Matt. 6:13; Dan. 9:18,19; 1 Chron. 29:11-13; 1 Cor. 14:16; Phil. 4:6; Rev. 22:20)

Scripture Reading: John 17

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17, ESV)

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Introduction

This is the second to last Sunday of 2023 and you will notice that we have come now to the end of our catechism. Our custom has been to progress through the Baptist catechism together as a church once every two years. We have done this many times now. In this way, the essentials of the Christian faith are taught to our members and our children with some regularity. We will conclude another journey through the Baptist Catechism today, and we will begin again on the first Sunday of 2024, Lord willing. I will likely take the opportunity to present on the history and structure of our catechism next Sunday given that we have an extra week.

Questions 113 and 114 of our catechism deal with the last petition and the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer. By the way, don’t you appreciate the way that our catechism concludes with this emphasis on prayer? Sound biblical doctrine is laid down for us in the first third of the catechism, but the last two-thirds is especially practical (yes, I agree that all doctrine is practical, but you know what I mean). It is question 44 that asks, “What is the duty which God requireth of man? A: “The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to His revealed will.” And this question does eventually give way to long consideration of the Ten Commandments. After that, we find material on the ordinary means of grace, the last of these being prayer. We’ve been considering the topic of prayer ever since question 105 which asks, what is Prayer? The answer is, “Prayer is an offering up of our desires to God, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, believing, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of His mercies.” What I’m trying to point out is this: our catechism is not only rich in doctrine, it is also practical. It tells us what we ought to believe, and it also tells us how we should live, according to the scriptures. I love it. I think it is a very useful teaching tool for the people of God. 

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What Do We Pray For In The Sixth Petition 

So we have now to the sixth and final petition of the prayer that Christ taught his disciples to pray, which is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. 

The first petition is “Hallowed be your name.”

The second is “your kingdom come.”

The third is “your will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”

The fourth: “give us this day our daily bread.”

The fifth: “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” 

And now the sixth: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” 

When we pray this prayer we are asking “that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.”

The world is filled with temptation, brothers and sisters. One of the benefits of praying this prayer daily is that we are reminded of this reality. When we pray, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, we are reminded of the fact that there is a right way and a wrong way to live – there is a narrow path that leads to life, and a broad path that leads to destruction. Not only this, we are reminded that we will often be tempted to stray from the right way. 

The world – that is to say, this sinful world and its ways – will tempt us. 

The Evil One will seek to lead us away. This is why Peter says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV)

And our own flesh will often work against us. Yes, those in Christ have been renewed by the Spirit, but we do also confess that corruptions remain within us. 

So these are the three ways of temptation: the world, the flesh, and the Devil. When we pray, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, we are reminded of the reality of temptation, and we are able to prepare ourselves to walk in a sober, clear-minded, and alert manner.  

But you will notice that this is no mere reminder. No, in the sixth petition, we make an appeal to God and we ask him to lead us, not in the wrong way, but in the right way. “

In the sixth petition, we are requesting that God would “keep us from being tempted to sin… or that he would “support and deliver us when we are tempted.”

Why the “or”? Well, sometimes the Lord’s will is that we be tempted and that we be strengthened through the ordeal. 

Can you think of an example in the scriptures where God permitted a man to be tempted? Think of Christ in the wilderness. God did not keep Christ from temptation, but he did keep him through it! 

And we know that God does permit temptation to strengthen, test, and prove those who are his. James speaks to this saying, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:12–14, ESV). Did you hear it?  “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life…” In this context, the trials are temptations. 

So our prayer is that God would either keep us from temptation or keep us through temptation. 

You will notice that this is what Christ himself prayed for in that prayer of John 17 which I read earlier – that his disciples would be kept. He prayed to the Father, saying, “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world… I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours… While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth…” etc. (John 17, ESV)

Jesus himself prayed for us that we would be kept, and when he taught us to pray, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”, he was teaching us to pray that the Father would keep us.

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What Does The Conclusion Of The Lord’s Prayer Teach Us?

Please allow me to say just a couple of things about the conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer, which is “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen.”

One,  this conclusion is based upon 1 Chronicles 29:11–13:  “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:11–13, ESV).

Two, this ending teaches us to “take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him; and in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.” Amen means, truly, indeed, or let it be so. 

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Conclusion

Q. 113. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?

A. In the sixth petition, which is, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil,” we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted. (Matt. 6:13; 26:41; Ps. 19:13; 1 Cor. 10:13; John 17:15)

Q. 114. What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?

A. The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, Amen,” teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to Him; and in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen. (Matt. 6:13; Dan. 9:18,19; 1 Chron. 29:11-13; 1 Cor. 14:16; Phil. 4:6; Rev. 22:20)

Baptist Catechism 112

Q. 112. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?

A. In the fifth petition, which is, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are rather encouraged to ask, because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others. (Matt. 6:12; Ps. 51:1,3,7; Mark 11:25; Matt. 18:35)

Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:21–35

“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.’” (Matthew 18:21–35, ESV)

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Catechetical Sermon

The Lord’s prayer is to be prayed daily. This is made clear by the fourth petition which is, “Give us this day our daily bread”. So daily we are to be concerned with giving thanks to God, praying that his name be glorified, for the furtherance of his kingdom, and for the strength to obey his commandments. We are also invited to pray for his provision concerning our earthly needs. And here is another thing that we are to pray for daily: the forgiveness of sins. 

Some have wondered, if we are forgiven of all our sins the moment we believe in Jesus, then why must we pray for the forgiveness of sins repeatedly? That is a good question, and there is a good answer. When we believe in Christ our sins are forgiven. We are justified, which means that we are declared not guilty by God. That can never change. If faith is true, then justification is real and permanent. We did nothing to earn our justification, and we cannot do anything to lose it. Furthermore, we were adopted the moment we believed. That does not change either. Christians are not perpetually justified and then unjustified, adopted and then unadopted every time they sin. No, these gifts are freely given by God and received by faith alone. When we believe in Christ a great exchange takes place. He bore our sins when he died on the cross, and we come to have his righteousness as our own. This cannot change or be diminished in any way, for the work is finished.  

But Christians do continue to struggle with sin even after they are saved. Temptations come through the Evil One and the world. Weakness and corruption remain in us. And so we do not always obey the Lord. And even when we do, our obedience to God is less than perfect. These sins are real sins and they do really grieve the Spirit of God. And you should know that the Father disciplines those he loves. Notice, I did not say, he pours his wrath on those he loves, but disciplines. And so it is a very important part of the Christian life to confess sin to the Lord, to turn from sin, and to ask the Lord for cleansing. This is not a cleansing unto salvation, but it is cleansing that renews a right relationship with the Lord.   

This is what John was talking about when he wrote to Christians saying, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8–9, ESV)

I believe this is what Jesus was illustrating in that exchange he had with Peter regarding the washing of his feet. Do you remember it? Jesus was washing the feet of his disciples when “Peter said to him, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.’ For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, ‘Not all of you are clean’” (John 13:8–11, ESV).

In this illustration, those who have true faith in Christ have been bathed. They’ve been cleansed from their sins, justified, adopted, and sanctified positionally. They need not be bathed over and over again. But as these justified ones walk in this world, their feet get dirty with sin. You know this to be true, just as I do. This is why we must come to the Lord daily, and even momentarily, to confess our sins to the Lord. To use the language of John 13, we are not saying, Lord, bathe me, but rather, Lord, wash my feet, for I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed.  Again, “If we [Christians] say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we [Christians] confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, thanks be to God. 

Notice this about the fifth petition: not only does it lead us to confess our sins to God daily, it also leads us to freely forgive the wrongs that others have done to us daily. The fifth petition is “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” The two things – forgiveness from God and the forgiveness of others – are tied together. In fact, it is assumed and expected that if we are going to ask God for forgiveness, we have already forgiven our fellow man from the heart. 

The parable of Christ that we read a moment ago regarding the unforgiving servant is powerful, isn’t it? What a terrible thought that a servant who was forgiven so much by his master would be so unwilling to forgive his fellow servant just a little bit in comparison. We are to forgive as we have been forgiven. We are to forgive from the heart. 

Please allow me to make just a few clarifying remarks about forgiveness before concluding. 

One, Christians must forgive from the heart even when there is no repentance on the part of the one who offended. In other words, we must not hold on to bitterness or resentment. We must prepare ourselves to extend forgiveness should forgiveness be sought by the one who has wronged us. 

Two, forgiveness can only be extended or transacted when there is repentance on the part of the one who sinned against you. This is how it works with God, and this is how it works with man. Forgiveness cannot be transacted unless the offender says, I have wronged you, please forgive me. If repentance is true and sincere, forgiveness must be extended. 

Three, in Christ we should be willing to forgive one another over and over again. In Matthew 18:21 we read, “Then Peter came up and said to [Jesus], ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.’” Some translations say, “seventy times seven.” Either way, the point is clear. If repentance is true, forgiveness should be extended over and over again. 

Four, this does not require Christians to subject themselves to manipulators or abusers. Clearly, this is not what Christ was referring to. If your brother sins against you, and if your brother repents truly, then forgive him truly from the heart. Move on. Do not hold the sin against him. But you and I both know that there are people in this world who abuse and manipulate. These will pretend to be repentant but prove by their way of life that they are not. The Scriptures do not require Christians to subject themselves to their abuse. Forgive them from the heart? Yes! But if forgiveness is going to be transacted leading to a restored relationship there must be true repentance. 

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Conclusion

Q. 112. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?

A. In the fifth petition, which is, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are rather encouraged to ask, because by His grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others. (Matt. 6:12; Ps. 51:1,3,7; Mark 11:25; Matt. 18:35)