Baptist Catechism 48 & 49

Q. 48. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?

A. The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words; “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exodus 20:2)

Q. 49. What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?

A. The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments. (Deut 11:1)

Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 10:12–11:1

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it. Yet the LORD set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen. Your fathers went down to Egypt seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as numerous as the stars of heaven. You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always.” (Deuteronomy 10:12–11:1, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

In the weeks and months to come we will be learning all about the Ten Commandments. We learn what they are, what they require, and what they forbid. As you know, the Ten Commandments contain a summary of God’s moral law. God’s moral law is for all men living in all times and places. All men have this law written on their hearts. All men are bound to keep it. And all men will be judged by this law on the last day, if not in Christ. More was said about this in previous sermons. But I hope you would also agree with me that God’s people – those who have been redeemed by God, and who bear his name – have a special kind of obligation to obey their God. 

Really, this is what the preface, or the introduction, to the Ten Commandments teaches. All people have an obligation to obey God’s revealed will, that is to say, his moral law. Why? Because God is our Creator, and we are his creatures – we were made in his image, to know, worship, and serve him. But if we are in Christ – if we have been rescued by him and washed clean by his blood – then we have a special kind of obligation to keep God’s law, for God is not only our Creator, but is also our Redeemer. This is true for all who have faith in Christ, and this was pictured in an earthy way amongst the Hebrews in the days of Moses when they were redeemed from Egyptian bondage.  

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The Catechism Explained

Question 48 of our catechism asks, “What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?” A preface is an introduction that sets the tone for what will follow. And the answer to question 48 is simply a quotation of Exodus 20:2: “The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words; ‘I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). That is how the Ten Commandments are introduced in Exodus 20:2. 

By the way, you have probably noticed that the English found in our catechism is Old English. That is because this document was written a long time ago, originally in the 17th century. Parents, you are free to modernize the language for your children if you’d like. As a church, we have decided to retain the original because altering documents foundational to an institution such as catechisms and confessions can be tricky business. If you wish to memorize the preface to the Ten Commandments, or the Ten Commandments themselves using the language of the ESV or some other modern Bible translation, that would be fine. The point is that we learn what these questions and answers mean, for the Christian faith is summarized here – the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed in this document. Hopefully, we can also put these questions and answers to memory, for that will help us in our learning.  

But let us think about Exodus 20:2 for a moment and the preface to the Ten Commandments that is found there. What was the setting? Who was speaking? And to whom? These are important questions.  

Well, if you know the story of the Exodus you know that it was God who was speaking. Moses had gone up on Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments from God. The scriptures tell us that these words were written on tablets of stone by God. And Moses brought these tablets down to the people of Israel who, not long before this, were rescued from Egypt. If you wish to know more about that story, you should read the second book of the Bible, called Exodus. 

So these words that we are considering are God’s words. And they were delivered in this form to Israel. These were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The small clan of Jacob had grown to a very large multitude over the span of hundreds of years as they lived, and eventually, suffered, in Egypt. When the time was right, God rescued them. He brought them out from Egyptian bondage through Moses his servant. He brought them out by sending ten plagues. He led them into the wilderness. And when they were trapped with the Red Sea on one side, and the army of Egypt on the other side, God led them through the Sea by parting the waters. The Hebrews walked on dry land through waters of judgment. As the Egyptians pursued them, the waters of judgment fell upon them and consumed them. Finally, God lead them through the wilderness and brought them to Mount Sinai where he entered into a special, national, covenant with them and give them his law. First, he gave them a summary of his moral law in the Ten Commandments. And afterward, he gave them civil and ceremonial laws which, though they were based on the moral law, were additions to it, and were unique to Old Covenant Israel as a nation.    

So this is the setting. In brief, this law – the summary of God’s moral law – was given by God to Israel, after he rescued them from Egypt to be his special people on earth. The first words spoken were,  “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” (Exodus 20:2). 

The words, “I am the LORD thy God” were meant to remind Isarel that God is their Creator. In other words, this phrase would have reminded them of the story of creation that is told in Genesis 1 and 2 where God is first revealed by the names God (ʾelohiym) and LORD (YHWH). And the words, “which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” would have reminded them of the marvelous work of redemption that the LORD had just accomplished to free them from Egyptian bondage. 

So then, the preface to the Ten Commandments effectively communicates the relationship that exists between God and Isarel: God said, Israel, I am the LORD your God. I am your Creator and your Redeemer. Obey me, therefore. Here is my law. 

Question 49 of our catechism communicates this by asking, “What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?” Answer: “The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments.”

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Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, young and old, if I were to ask you the question, why should we obey God’s law? What would you say? 

If your response is this: we ought to obey God’s law to earn God’s love, to earn his favor, or to earn eternal life from him, then you have not understood the message of the Bible, nor the gospel of Jesus Christ contained within. We cannot earn anything from God by obeying his law. Why? Because Adam broke God’s law and the covenant of works that God made with him, and we are born in Adam, and in Adam’s guilt. Also, we ourselves have violated God’s law in thought, word, and deed,  all stand guilty before him, therefore. 

This is what Paul means when he says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in [God’s] sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20, ESV). And a little later in that same passage, he says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV). And in another place, he says, “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Ever since the fall it is impossible for men and women to earn God’s love, to earn his favor, or to earn eternal life through obedience to the law for the simple reason that we are all born in sin and do ourselves sin. The law condemns us as lawbreakers, therefore. 

As we study the Ten Commandments in the months to come I will remind you of this truth often.  Is the law good? Yes, it is! Should we strive to keep God’s law? Yes, indeed. But not to earn God’s love nor our salvation. That is impossible. And one way that I will remind you of this limitation of the law is by taking you to the catechism questions that immediately follow the section on the Ten Commandments.

After a prolonged study of the Ten Commandments, Q. 87 will ask, Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed. Q. 89 asks, What doth every sin deserve? A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. Q. 90 asks, What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin? A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. And finally, Q. 91 asks, What is faith in Jesus Christ? A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the Gospel. 

Why should we keep God’s law? Not to be saved! Now that we are fallen, salvation can only be received as free gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ the Savior. Notice, the duty which God requires of man “to escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin” is not obedience to the moral law, but “faith in Jesus Christ” and “repentance unto life”. 

Back to the question. Why should we keep God’s law, then? Answer: because God is our Creator and our Redeemer. It is only right for creatures to obey the law of their Creator – it is their natural duty. And it is only right that the redeemed obey the law of their Redeemer out of gratitude for all that has graciously been done for them. 

Brothers and sisters, young and old, if it was right for Old Covenant Israel to obey their LORD and God who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage (Exodus 20:2), how much more should we obey the LORD our God, now that we have been redeemed, not through Moses, but by Christ; not from Egypt, but from the power of sin, the fear of death, and from the kingdom of Satan itself; and not unto the land of Canaan, but unto the new heavens and earth in which righteousness dwells. Indeed, our motivation to keep God’s revealed will should be greater, because our redemption is greater. And more than this, the summary of the moral law which was written on stone in the days of Moses, is written on the heart of all who have faith in Christ by the working of the Spirit. So then, our motivation is greater because our gratitude is greater, and so is our ability, for in Christ we have been renewed in the mind and heart and set free as it pertains to our will. 

 Q. 48. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?

A. The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words; “I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exodus 20:2)

Q. 49. What doth the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?

A. The preface to the Ten Commandments teacheth us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments. (Deut 11:1)

Baptist Catechism 44-47

Q. 44. What is the duty which God requireth of man?

A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to His revealed will. (Micah 6:8; Eccles. 12:13; Ps. 119:4; Luke 10:26-28)

Q. 45. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?

A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law. (Rom. 2:14,15; 5:13,14)

Q. 46. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?

A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments. (Deut. 10:4; Matt. 19:17)

Q. 47. What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?

A. The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves. (Matt. 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-33)

Scripture Reading: Matthew 22:34–40

“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” (Matthew 22:34–40, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

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Baptist Catechism 44

Last week we entered into the third and final large section of the catechism when we considered question 44, which asks, “What is the duty which God requireth of man?” Answer: “The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to His revealed will.” “Duty” means responsibility or obligation. So the question is this, what does God expect man to do? What is man’s obligation before God? What is his responsibility or duty?

In that sermon, I pointed out that this is a very important question, and it is also very timely. And by timely I mean, it is the right question to ask at this point in our catechism given all that we have learned. And what have we learned? Well, in brief, we have learned about God! We have learned that God – the Triune God (BC 8, 9), who is “infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth” (BC 7) – is our Creator. He is the creator of all things seen and unseen. He has given us life, and he sustains us continuously. More than this, we have also learned that, though we have sinned against God, he has redeemed us. God the Father has accomplished our redemption through Son and he effectively applies it benefits to his elect by the working of the Holy Spirit. So then, in questions 7 through 43 we have learned all about God our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. 

If you have been paying attention to this teaching; if you have believed it in the mind and received it in the heart; if you have grasped, at least to some degree, the glory of God and his goodness to us in Christ Jesus, then you will agree that this is the right question to ask: “What is the duty which God requireth of man?” In other words, how should I respond to this Holy and Awesome God and to the marvelous grace that he has shown to me in redeeming me from bondage to sin? This is the question that a creature should ask his Creator. And I suppose it could be said that this is, even more so, the question that one who has been redeemed should ask his Redeemer. We ought to respond to God, our Creator, and Redeemer, saying, I’m grateful. I owe you everything.  What do you, O God, require of me?

The question is fitting. It is timely. Again the answer: “The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to His revealed will.” 

So then, what do we owe to our Creator and Redeemer? Out of reverence for him and gratitude for all he has done for us through Christ to redeem us, we owe him “obedience”. Obedience to what? Our catechism is right to say, obedience to his revealed will.

When we speak of God’s will, we are speaking of his command or decree. And his will may be considered in two ways. 

First, we may speak of God’s hidden or secret will. This is God’s will or decree concerning all that will come to pass in history. Why is it called “secret” or “hidden”? Because God has not revealed it to us! What will happen tomorrow? We don’t know! The future is a mystery to us. But does God know what will happen tomorrow? Yes! And he knows not only because he can see the future, but because he has decreed what will happen in the future. We call this decree his “hidden will”. The biblical teaching concerning God’s decree was summarized for us way back in Baptist Catechism 10: “What are the decrees of God?” A: “The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.”

Notice, we are not called to obey God’s hidden will. How could we? For it has not been revealed or told to us! But we are called to obey God’s revealed will, that is to say, his laws or commandments which he has given to us. And that is the second way we speak of God’s will. His revealed will is his law. 

You know, one thing I have noticed over the years is that people sometimes get this backward. The obsess over knowing God’s hidden will while ignoring God’s revealed will. Even Christians can fall into the trap of obsessing over questions like this: “what is God’s plan for my life”, or “what does the future hold for me”, while failing to do that which God has clearly commanded.  Jesus had something to say about that in Matthew 6:25: “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on… do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:25–33, ESV). That’s really marvelous, isn’t it? Jesus is saying, don’t obsess over the future. Don’t be anxious about things outside of your control. Instead, trust God as it pertains to these things, and focus instead on living in obedience to God while seeking to further his Kingdom.  

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Baptist Catechism 45-47

Questions 45 through 47 of our catechism clarify which law we are obligated to obey and where it is found. 

First, in question 45 we are rightly taught that God revealed his will, or law, by first writing it on the heart of man at creation. Q 45: “What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?”

A: “The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.” You would do well to notice that Romans 2:14-15 and 5:13-14 are listed as proof texts for this Q&A. Romans 2:14-15 teaches that God wrote his law on man’s heart at creation, and Romans 5:13-14 teaches that the God’s law was in fact in the world prior to the giving of the Ten Commandments at Sinai. The point is this: God’s law was not given for the first time when it was written on those stone tablets and given to Israel through Moses. No, God’s law was first written on the heart of man when God created him. Adam knew right from wrong, and good from evil because God made him in his image. Man has God’s moral law written on his heart. He knows right from wrong. Now, granted, man is now fallen. This law is now badly bent out of shape, marred, distorted, and suppressed so that men by nature love what is evil and flee from what is good. But it is important for us to confess that God made man with this capacity to know right from wrong, and that man was upright in the beginning. 

Secondly, question 46 connects the moral law of God (which was written on man’s heart at the beginning and is universal and unchanging) with the Ten Commandments that were written on stone and given to Israel at Sinai. Q 46: “Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?” A: “The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.” That question and answer are worded very carefully to guard against error. 

One, it is clear that there is a connection between the moral law and the Ten Commandments written on stone. Do you wish to know God’s moral law which is for all people living in all times and places? Then you should go to the Ten Commandments, for there the moral law is comprehended or known. 

Two, it is also important to notice that the moral law and the Ten Commandments are not equated. If they – the moral law and the Ten Commandments –  were the exact same thing the question would have been more direct, perhaps something like this: Where do we find the moral law? And the answer would have simply been, in the Ten Commandments. Instead, the question and answer are more nuanced. “Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?” A: “The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.” 

“Summarily comprehended” means summarized in a way that is clear and knowable. It is important that the question and answer be phrased in this way for two reasons. 

One, there are some things stated in the Ten Commandments that were unique to Old Covenant Israel, and are not, therefore, for all people living in all times and places. In other words, not everything stated in the Ten Commandments is to be regarded as “moral law”. Take for example the preface, which mentions Israel’s redemption from Egypt. Consider also the commandment to observe the Sabbath on the seventh day. Also, remember the blessings attached to the keeping of the fifth commandment, namely, blessings in the land that would be given to Israel. And do not forget the curses attached to the breaking of the second commandment, namely, God’s “visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep [his] commandments” (Exodus 20:5–6, ESV). The point is this, the moral law and the Ten Commandments are not to be equated because there are some things stated with them that were unique to Isarel, and are not for all people living in all times and places. Nevertheless, the moral law is comprehended within the Ten Commandments. 

Two, the phrasing of this question and answer is important because the Ten Commandments are to be regarded as a summary of the moral law. In other words, the Ten Commandments do not say all that can possibly be said about living in a way that is right before God but function as a summary. The implications must be fleshed out. This will be demonstrated beautifully in questions 45 through 89 as our catechism will follow this pattern with each one of the Ten Commandments. What is the _____ commandment? What does this commandment require? What does this commandment forbid? You will notice that we are not only going to memorize the Ten Commandments. We will also, with the help of Srcripture, tease out the implications or necessary consequences, of each commandment. For example, the fifth commandment, honor your father and mother, “requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.” The Scriptures clearly teach that this is the implication of the fifth commandments, which is to be regarded as a summary of God’s moral law. 

Finally, we come to question 47 which asks, “What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?” Or to put it another way, what is the sum of the summary of God’s moral law? Answer: “The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.” 

The proof texts cited here are Mattew 22:36-40 and Mark 12:28-33. These passages record for us Jesus’ answer to the question, “which is the great commandment in the Law?” And said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36–40, ESV). 

Clearly, Jesus was summarizing the first four of the Ten Commandments when he spoke of the love we are to offer up to God, and the last six of the Ten Commandments when he spoke of the love we are to show to our neighbor. It should be remembered that this idea was not unique to Jesus. No, he was simply quoting the law of Moses, Deuteronomy 6:5, and Leviticus 19:18.

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Conclusion

So then, what duty does God require of man? A: Obedience to His revealed will. This reminds me of what Jesus said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15, ESV).

And what did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? He gave man his moral law. He wrote it on Adam’s heart at the time of creation. This is a part of what it meant for Adam and Eve to have been made in God’s image. 

And where is this moral law summarized for us so that it might be known? A: “The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.” 

And what is the sum of the Ten Commandments? A: The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.“

May the Lord do two things for us. One, may he show us that we cannot keep this law but daily break it in thought, word, and deed, and therefore, are in need of a Savior, Christ the Lord. Two, may he give us faith in Christ along with a renewed mind, heart, and will so that we might do what God has commanded, out of gratitude for what he has graciously done for us as our Creator and Redeemer.

Baptist Catechism 44

Q. 44. What is the duty which God requireth of man?

A. The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to His revealed will.

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 12:13

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

From time to time I like to take a step back from our catechism to consider where we have been and where we are going. There is a structure to our catechism, and recognizing this structure can be very helpful. Now, it’s not as if the compilers of our catechism placed the 114 questions into these categories for us, but if you pay careful attention to the themes and their development, categories do clearly emerge. I’d like to share my outline of the catechism with you this afternoon. I think this broad overview will help us to better appreciate the individual questions and answers as we come to them.

I will admit that others might outline the catechism a little differently. And it is possible that their outline is better than mine. If I find that to be the case, I’ll alter my view. But as of right now, here is how I see it. 

Our catechism is most obviously divided into three major parts.

Questions 1 through 6 of our catechism make up the first part, and we may give it the heading, “First Things” or “Foundational Truths”.   Here in questions 1 through 6 foundational truths are established. Q. 1. Who is the first and chiefest being? Q. 2. Ought everyone to believe there is a God? Q. 3. How may we know there is a God? Q. 4. What is the Word of God? Q. 5. May all men make use of the Holy Scriptures? Q. 6. What things are chiefly contained in the Holy Scriptures? These questions are addressed first because it would be impossible to say anything meaningful or sure about God, his ways with man, and what he requires of us, without these foundational truths being established. 

Question 6 of our catechism is very important. Not only does it wrap up the “First Principles” section, but it also introduces parts two and three when it asks, “What things are chiefly contained in the Holy Scriptures?”, and then answers: “The Holy Scriptures chiefly contain what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man.” The rest of the catechism teaches us about these two things: “what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man.”

The second major part of the catechism is found in questions 7 through 43. Here we will find a  summary of what the Holy Scriptures teach concerning God, his nature, works, and dealings with man. 

And finally, in questions 44 through 114  we find the third major part, which is a summary of what the Holy Scriptures teach concerning mans duty or responsibility before God. Notice, we are considering question 44 this afternoon. It asks, “What is the duty which God requireth of man?” So then, you can see that we are now entering into the third and final section of the catechism. 

Clearly then, the catechism is divided into three major parts. Questions 1-6 establish “first principles”. Questions 7-43 tell us what man ought to believe concerning God, according to the Scriptures. And questions 44-114 tell us what duty God requires of man, according to the Scriptures. 

I would like to break the catechism down just a little bit more for you before briefly considering question 44. I think this will be helpful. 

Part one need not be broken down any further. It stands as a single unit. But part two can be divided into four sections. Remember, this entire section is telling us what we ought to believe concerning God. First, in questions 7 through 15 we are told about God, his nature, decrees, creation, providence, and covenant. Second, in questions 16-22 we are told about man’s alienation from God by his fall into sin. Now, some may object, saying, I thought this section was about God, but this is a section about man. Well, yes. It is about man. But more specifically, it is about man in relation to God. Third, in questions 23-31 we are told about the redemption accomplished by God through Christ. There in that section, Christ is identified as the redeemer of God’s elect. There, we are told about the incarnation, and the threefold offices of Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King. And there were are told about his humiliation and exaltation. Finally, in questions 32-43 we are told about how the redemption earned by Christ is applied by God to his elect through the Spirit. There we are told about effectual calling, the gift of faith, and the benefits that come to all who believe in Christ in this life, at death, and at the resurrection. At the end of that section, we are told about what Christ has saved us from, namely eternal condemnation. 

Notice two things about this second major section of our catechism running from questions 7 through 43. 

One, it is profoundly Trinitarian. After being taught about God as Trinity in questions 7-9, and after being told about man’s alienation from God in questions 16-22, then we are told about the accomplishment of our redemption by the Son of God incarnate, and the application of it in time to the elect of God by the Spirit.  Section two of our catechism is profoundly Trinitarian. 

Two, in questions 7 through 43 the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented in a redemptive-historical way. There in that section, we are told about God, creation, covenant, man’s fall into sin, the accomplishment of our redemption by Christ in time, and the application of the redemption that Christ has earned to sinners in time. And “how doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?” Answer 33 says, “The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling.” Finally, the benefits that come to all who have faith are described – the benefits that come in this life, at death, and the resurrection. This is the good news of salvation through faith in Christ presented in a historical way. 

Question 44 then asks, “What is the duty which God requireth of man?” Answer: “The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to His revealed will.”

Notice three things about Baptist Catechism 44: 

One, this question marks the beginning of the third major section of the catechism. Back in question 6 we were told that the Scriptures mainly teach “what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man.” We have considered the first theme, now we are considering the second. 

Two, this question is the only reasonable question to ask after hearing about God, creation, covenant, man’s fall into sin, and the redemption that God has so graciously accomplished for us by Christ and applied by his Spirit. Having considered all that Christ has done for us, and having considered the wonderful benefits that come to those who have faith in Christ, the reasonable question to ask is, “What is the duty which God requireth of man?”  In other words, how should I respond to this salvation that has been freely given to me? Answer: we ought to obey God’s revealed will, that is to say, his law. 

This reminds me of what Jesus says in John 14:15: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” And listen to Jesus’ words to his disciples in John 15:9-11: “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Those who have been redeemed by Christ and effectually called by his Spirit so that they have faith, have had the love of Christ graciously set upon them. And how are they to respond to this love? With love! And what does it look like to abide in the love of Christ? Those who have been loved by Christ and who love him will strive to keep his commandments. 

So then, I hope you agree that question 44 is most appropriate. After considering the love that has been lavished upon by God through Christ and by the Spirit to redeem us from the curse of sin and to bless us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, our impulse should be to ask, what does God require of us? Having been redeemed by him, justified, and adopted, I want to serve him, for I am grateful. What does he require? Again the answer: “The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to His revealed will.”

The third thing I want you to recognize about question 44 is that it does not only state the appropriate response to the redemption that has been graciously earned and applied to us, but it does also set us up for yet another presentation of the gospel, l but in another way, namely, through a consideration of the law and the gospel. 

 Please allow me to very briefly break down this third major section of the catechism into two parts. Questions 44 through 114 are about the duty that God requires of man. 

First, in questions 45 through 89 we are taught about God’s moral law. Here we learn that God’s moral law was first written on Adam’s heart at creation. And here we also learn that this moral law is summarized for us in the Ten Commandments, the sum of those Ten Commandments being “to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves” (Baptist Catechism 47). Here in this section the meaning of the Ten Commandments is carefully and clearly explained. With each one of them our catechism asks, what is this commandment? And after that it asks, what does this commandment require and what does it forbid? So then, here in questions 45 through 89, we find very helpful teaching on God’s moral law. 

But at the end of this section, a very important question is asked. Question 87: “Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?” The answer is bad news. “No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed. Question 88 then  asks, “Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?” Answer: “Some sins in themselves and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. Question 89, which is the last question in this section that we are beginning to consider today, then asks. “What doth every sin deserve?” More bad news: “Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come.”

So then, this entire section on God’s law which runs from questions 45-89 does two things. One, it tells us what duty God requires of man. And two, it condemns us. And this is exactly what the Scriptures say about God’s law. One, it does function as a light to our feet. It reveals to us how we ought to live and the way we should go. But the is also like a schoolmaster or a strict disciplinarian. It magnifies our sin and proves that we are guilty and in need of a Savior. 

That brings us to the second part of the third section of our catechism, where the gospel is proclaimed yet again. I think questions 90 through 92 are my favorite. Here is the gospel again: Question 90: “What doth God require of us, that we may escape His wrath and curse, due to us for sin?” Answer: “To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.” Question 91: “What is faith in Jesus Christ?

Answer: “Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon Him alone for salvation, as He is offered to us in the Gospel.” Question 92: “What is repentance unto life?”

Answer: “Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.”

Finally, our catechism concludes with a wonderful presentation of the outward and ordinary means of grace that God uses to give his people the benefits of the redemption that Christ has earned for us. These outward and ordinary means of grace are the Word of God (94-95), baptism (96-101), the Lord’s Supper (102-104), and prayer (105-114).

So, I hope you can see that the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented twice in our catechism. First, in a redemptive-historical way, and then a second time in a law-gospel way. Twice, our catechism presents “faith in Christ” alone as the way to salvation. First in question 33, and then again in question 90. 

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Why have I taken the time to provide you with this sweeping overview of the structure and teaching of our catechism?

I hope that by seeing the structure, and especially by seeing the way in which the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented, not once, but twice, and in two different ways, you will be further motivated to use this great catechism in your own life, with your family, and to appreciate and support the preaching and teaching of these great doctrines within the church year after year and for decades to come.   

As you can see, these are not a random collection of 114 questions and answers intended to merely fill your mind with cold, hard, facts. No, here we have a succinct and beautifully warm presentation of the teaching of Holy Scripture concerning our great God, our miserable condition before him because of sin, and the marvelous grace that he has shown to us in providing a Redeemer, Christ the Lord.  This document urges the very thing that the Scriptures urge, namely, reconciliation with God the Father, through faith in the incarnate Son, by the working of the Holy Spirit. May we be faithful to proclaim the crucified and risen Christ in the years to come. May we be found mature in him when Christ returns or calls us home (Colossians 1:28). 

Baptist Catechism 43

Q. 43. What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?

A. At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41)

Scripture Reading: Revelation 20:11–15

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11–15, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Talk of hell is weighty. It is a very heavy and serious subject. Every Christian does feel this heaviness within their soul when they think of someone being sentenced to hell, and it is right that they do. It is similar to the heaviness that fills a courtroom when a criminal is tried, convicted, and finally sentenced. Everyone in the room can feel the weightiness of the moment. Everyone knows that something serious is happening. And even if all agree that the man is guilty and the penalty is just, those who have love in their hearts will feel a sense of sorrow even for the condemned, knowing that a life has been ruined by sin. And how much more is the weightiness of the final judgment, and eternal damnation?

It is certainly right to say that the Christian should never rejoice at the thought of someone going to hell. The Christian should feel sorrow at the thought of even their worst enemy coming under God’s condemnation. Just as it would be concerning if a courtroom erupted in jubilant celebration when the sentence of death is pronounced upon the condemned, so too it would be concerning if someone rejoiced in their heart concerning the thought of a man going to eternal punishment. Only one who is consumed with anger and a desire for vengeance could feel such a thing in their heart. As I have said, it is right that we feel a sense of sorrow for those condemned, for this is a weighty matter.

But let us be sure to not err in another direction, and that is, to consider the judgments of God to be somehow unnecessary or unjust. While it is true that the thought of men coming under the judgment of God is weighty and ought to produce a sense of sorrow, it is also true that we ought to say this is right and even good.

If we go back to the courtroom you’ll see what I mean. If when the guilty murderer is sentenced to death the courtroom erupts in jubilant and cheerful celebration, that shows that men are very angry and vengeful — this cannot be the disposition of the Christian. But will anyone dare to say that it is wrong for them to rejoice in the fact that justice has been served? Will anyone dare to say that those who have lost a loved one at the hands of the murder are wrong to consider the judgment to be fitting, right, and even good? And so you see that justice will always produce a mixture of thoughts and emotions. It is right for us to grieve over the destruction that sin brings, but it is also right for us to rejoice when justice is served. 

If we rejoice in this way over the just judgments of men, how much more should we rejoice over the just judgments of God? And brothers and sisters, rest assured God’s judgments are always perfect.

God is not driven by a passion for vengeance as we sometimes are so he is moved to overdo it.  In fact, the scriptures reveal that he takes no pleasure at all in the death of the wicked. Listen to Ezekiel 33:11: “ As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11, ESV).

And when God judges, he does not judge with limited knowledge as we do, for he is all-knowing. Human judges and juries do their best to judge according to what they know. They rely upon evidence and testimonies. But they do not see for themselves whether or not the crime was committed. Not so with God. The Judge of all the earth sees everything with perfect clarity. He even knows the thoughts of man and the intentions of his heart. He does not struggle with the issue of limited knowledge when he administers justice. 

And when God judges he will get it perfectly right, for he is just. The punishment will fit the sin, and perfectly so. Psalm 96:10 speaks to this: “Say among the nations, ‘The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity” (Psalm 96:10, ESV). Equity means rightness or fairness. God’s judgments will be perfectly right and fair. And this is why Paul says in Romans, “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God” (Romans 3:19, ESV). At the judgment, every mouth will be stopped. No one will say, God, you got it wrong. 

In our prisons, there are men and women who insist that they are innocent. Some of them probably are! For we are flawed in our judgments. But many of them are guilty. They know it, but they lie. There will be none of that at the judgment on the last day, for God will judge with perfect equity, and all will see it. 

This truth should bring a kind of comfort to the people of God. This world is filled with sin, wickedness, and injustice. We long for justice because we are made in the image of God who is just. And so it is comforting to know that on the last day God will right every wrong. 

And isn’t it interesting how even those who do not believe in God or in the Christ whom he sent will comfort themselves with the idea of justice in the afterlife when faced with some great evil? “This predator will get what is coming to him”, they say. Or “this terrorist who killed thousands of innocents will pay in the life to come.” These same people may deny that hell exists for the common folk, but they hope that it exists for those who are particularly heinous. They assume that hell is sparsely populated, I guess. They assume that it is for Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and other characters like these. But when it comes to the common man, hell is a myth to them. Those who think in this way are right to take some comfort in the fact that wrongs will be made right in the end and that justice will be served. But they are terribly wrong to minimize their own sin and the sin of others.  

The scriptures teach that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, ESV), and “the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Yes, there are particularly heinous sins. But all sin is truly heinous and will be punished on the last day, unless we are found in Christ, washed in his blood. 

Do not believe the lie that your sin is not serious. It is truly terrible for humans to live in the world that God has made, to enjoy his blessings in this life, and to partake of his mercy, but fail to give him honor and glory. How ungrateful we are by nature. And not only do we fail to honor our Creator, we worship the creature instead. We rob him of the glory due to his name. This is a heinous sin deserving of God’s just condemnation. And add to this the disrespect we have shown to mother and father and to others with authority over us, the hatred we have shown to our fellow man, our sexual immorality, our thievery, and dishonesty. We are ungrateful sinners by nature. Do I really need to convince you of this!? It is strange how we read the news and say, look at all the wickedness in the world! But we are unable to see the wickedness in our own hearts. We see it in the lives of others while convincing ourselves that we and those who are close to us are basically good. 

Brothers and sisters, God would be just to send us to hell for all eternity for our sin against him –  for failing to love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves –  But he is merciful and kind, as you know. He has provided a Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord.    

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Catechism Explained

Question 43 of our catechism helps us to understand these things. It asks, “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” Answer: 

“At the Day of Judgment” 

“At the Day of Judgment…” When will this day be? It will be on the last day when Christ returns. Christ came the first time to pay for sins and to accomplish our salvation. And the scriptures teach that he “will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28, ESV), and to judge. Christ himself taught this when he said, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left… Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”(Matthew 25:31–33, 41 ESV).

“The bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves” 

“At the Day of Judgment the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves…” Notice that the resurrection day is the Day of Judgment. On the last day when Christ returns, the dead in Christ will be raised, and so too will the dead who are not in Christ. Question 41 of our Catechism taught us that on that day those in Christ, “being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity.” Here we learn that those not in Christ will be raised bodily too.  

John was shown a vision of this as recorded for us in Revelation 20:12-13: ​​“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened…. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done” (Revelation 20:12–13, ESV).

“Shall be sentenced, together with their souls” 

So then, or catechism is right to say that the wicked will be raised and “shall be sentenced, together with their souls”. Just as the righteous will be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity”, so too the wicked will be judged in body and soul, that is to say, as whole persons. 

 “To unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.”

Lastly, our catechism says, “to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever.” Three things should be noted. One, hell is described as a place of torment. And this is clearly the teaching of scripture. Two, hell is also a place of torment for the devil and his angels. It will be a place of punishment for all who have rebelled against their maker, the exception being those to whom God has shown mercy in Christ Jesus (see Revelation 20:10). Three,  our catechism is right to say that this punishment is forever. The Matthew 25:41 passage that was cited earlier teaches this. There Jesus says to the goats, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels”(Matthew 25:31–33, 41 ESV, emphasis added).

Some have questioned if eternal punishment fits the crime of a lifetime of sin and rebellion. Though there is some mystery concerning what heaven and hell will be like, we must believe and confess what the scriptures teach. Hell is eternal, and God is perfectly just. Perhaps we need to adjust our view concerning the severity of sin instead of standing in judgment over God’s justice. 

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Conclusion

Let me conclude with three suggestions for application. They will sound familiar to you because they are similar to the points of application that were made last week.

One, this teaching should move you to ask the question, where will I go when Christ returns to judge? Will I be openly acknowledged and acquitted by him and invited to experience the glories of heaven, or will I fall under his just condemnation and be cast into the torments of hell? What makes the difference? Answer: faith in Christ! We are all born in sin. We all violate God’s law in thought word in thought, word, and deed. We all deserve the torments of hell. But God has provided a Savior for us, Christ the Lord. We must be found in him, and so I urge you to turn from your sins, trust in Christ as Savior, and confess him to be your Lord.  

Two, this teaching should move us to pray for those who do not believe in Christ and also to tell them about Jesus. These are the means that God uses to bring his people to salvation: the proclamation of the gospel and prayer. 

Three, this teaching should increase our gratitude for the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. In questions 35 through 41 of our catechism, we were taught about what Christ has saved us to. There we learned about the benefits that come to those who have faith in Christ in this life –  justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them, namely, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. There we also learned about the blessings that come to believers at the moment of death and at the resurrection. But here in questions 42 and 43, we have learned what Christ has saved us from, namely, eternal judgment in hell. 

Thanks be to God for his mercy and grace shown to us in Christ Jesus.

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Baptist Catechism 42

Q. 42. But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?

A. The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14)

Scripture Reading: Luke 16:19–31

“There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” (Luke 16:19–31, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

Over the past several weeks our catechism has been helping us to consider the blessings that come to those who have faith in Christ. In our catechism, these blessings (or benefits), are presented in three stages. 

First, in questions 35-39 we are told of the benefits that come to those who have faith in Christ in this life. They are justification, adoption, and sanctification. And there in that section, we are also told about the “several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them, namely, the “…assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.” These are all blessings (or benefits) that come to the believer in this life.

Question 40 then asks, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? That is a good question, don’t you think? We experience many benefits in this life through faith in Christ Jesus, but what about when we die? Are there blessings that come to the believer then? Yes. Here is the answer: “The souls of believers are at death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.” This is very comforting, is it not? Though death is an unpleasant thing for all people, for the believer there is a sense in which it is a blessed thing because of what Christ has accomplished for us. 

Question 41 then asks, what benefits do believers receive from Christ at the Resurrection? Answer: At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in full enjoyment of God to all eternity. We considered this question and answer last Sunday, so I will not comment on it now. 

Notice that each one of these questions and answers helps us to better appreciate what Christ has done for us. When did Christ accomplish our salvation? A long time ago. He accomplished our salvation nearly 2,000 years ago when he lived, died, rose again, and ascended to the Father. Our catechism teaches us all about the accomplishment of our redemption in questions 23-31. But when are the benefits of that salvation that Christ has earned applied or given to the people for whom Christ died? Answer: when they turn from their sins and place their faith in Christ. Questions 32-43 teach us about the application of the redemption which Christ earned so long ago to the believer in due time. 

Notice that here in question 42 (which we are considering today) and in question 43 (which we will be considering on the next Lord’s Day), the blessings that will be enjoyed by those who have faith in Christ at death and at the resurrection are contrasted with the awful destiny of those who die in unbelief and in their sins. 

Listen again to question 42: “But…” That word is important. It is a word indicating contrast. “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” Answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” 

Brothers and sisters, these are unpleasant truths. But please hear me. These are essential truths that must be proclaimed. For here we have the biblical truth concerning the destiny of the wicked. And here we also have the biblical truth concerning the thing that Christ has saved us from, if he is our Lord and Savior. And so as we consider these next two catechism questions and answers, we should be moved to both pray for and evangelize the lost, and also to give heartfelt thanks to God for this salvation that he has provided. For here we see that in Christ we are not only saved unto heaven, we are also saved from the eternal torments of hell. Thanks be to God. 

Let us now briefly consider the catechism piece by piece. 

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Catechism Explained

“But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” 

Notice that question 42 asks, “But what shall be done to the wicked at their death?” 

I suppose some might be thinking, but aren’t we all sinful? Aren’t we all wicked? Well, by nature, yes. But when our catechism speaks of “the wicked” here it is referring to those who remain in their unbelief and die in the guilt of their sins. Though it is true that we are all born in sin, when a person is drawn to faith in Christ it is because they have been born again. No longer are they “wicked”, for when they turn from their sins and trust in Christ they are, at that moment, washed and forgiven. And though it is true that we all continue to struggle with sin, those who have faith in Christ have been justified (declared not guilty), adopted (as children of God), and are being sanctified further with each passing day. For these reasons, those in Christ cannot be called “wicked”. They are instead called “saints”. And this is by the grace of God alone. So then, this catechism question is asking, what happens to the wicked, that is to say, to those who do not believe in Christ, and are therefore still in their sins, when they die?     

Here is the answer:

“The souls of the wicked” 

“The souls of the wicked…” Notice that a distinction is being made between the body and the soul. This should sound familiar to you. In an earlier catechism question, we learned that believers have a body and soul. And here we are taught that non-believers have a body and soul too. In other words, all humans have a body and soul. A soul is not unique to those who have faith but is an essential part of human nature. 

“Shall at death”

Back to the answer: “The souls of the wicked shall, at death…” Here we are talking about the moment of physical death. Question: what happens to the souls of those who have faith in Christ when they die? We have learned that at the moment of death “the souls of believers are… made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory…” (BC 40), that is to say, into the blessed presence of God.  

“Be cast into the torments of hell”

But this is to be contrasted with the destination of the souls of the wicked. What will happen to the souls of those who do not have Christ as Lord and Savior when they die?  “The souls of the wicked shall, at death, be cast into the torments of hell…” What is hell? I suppose we might say that it is the opposite of heaven. While heaven is a place of eternal blessedness in God’s glorious and gracious presence, hell is a place of eternal torment wherein God’s perfectly just wrath is poured out on the unrighteous.

Earlier I read from Luke 16:19–31. I will not take the time to explain that text in detail now, for that is not the purpose of this sermon. But I would encourage you to go back to that text later today or later this week to reflect upon it. In that passage, Jesus tells us about the destinies of two people at the moment of death. There was a rich man who prospered in this life. But where did his soul go when he died? To Hades. This is what the place of hellish torment was called prior to the resurrection of Christ from the dead. The rich man suffered in Hades because he was wicked and unbelieving. But where did the poor man go? The text says his soul went to “Abraham’s side”, or “Abraham’s bosom”. Before Christ from the grave, that is what the heavenly and pleasant portion of Hades was called (Hades is a general term referring to the place of the dead before the resurrection of Christ. And within Hades, there was a place of torment and a place of comfort. By the way, why do you think the place of comfort was called “Abraham’s side” or “Abraham’s bosom”? It is because it was those who had the faith of Abraham who went there. It was those who believed in the promises concerning the coming Messiah that were entrusted to Abraham who went to be with him in paradise to be comforted there. Now that Christ has accomplished our redemption through his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, there is no longer Abraham’s bosom, but only “heaven” and “hell”, for through Christ the way into the heavenly holy of holies has been opened up. All who were in Abraham’s bosom before Christ’s resurrection are in heaven now. And all who have died in Christ ever since his resurrection and heaven too. They went there immediately and in their soul. In so too will we if we have faith in Christ and die before he returns. 

Though there are some things that require explanation in Luke 16:19–31 because of the fact that Jesus spoke these words before his resurrection, the text does illustrate the point, doesn’t it? When people die, their souls go either to a place of torment or a place of blessedness and comfort. Now that Christ has risen, we call these two places heaven and hell. 

“And their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.”

What happens to the bodies of those who do not believe in Christ when they die? The same thing that happens to the bodies of believers. “[T]heir bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.” This mention of the “resurrection” day, which is the “day of judgment”,  anticipates the next question, which is this: “What shall be done to the wicked, at the Day of Judgment?” The answer to this question will have to wait until next Lord’s Day.

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Conclusion

Let me conclude with three suggestions for application.

One, this teaching should move you to ask the question, where will I go when I die? Will I go to experience the glories of heaven, or will I go to experience the torments of hell? What makes the difference? Answer: faith in Christ! We are all born in sin. We all violate God’s law in thought word in thought, word, and deed. We all deserve the torments of hell. But God has provided a Savior for us, Christ the Lord. Listen to John 3:16-18: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16–18, ESV)

Two, this teaching should move us to pray for those who do not believe in Christ and also to tell them about Jesus. These are the means that God uses to bring his people to salvation: the proclamation of the gospel and prayer. This is why Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, ESV)
Three, this teaching should increase our gratitude for the mercy and grace that God has shown to us in Christ Jesus. This teaching concerning what Christ has saved us from should cause us to wholeheartedly agree with the apostle Paul, when he says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places… In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, … In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:3–14, ESV). May our gratitude towards God increase. May our love for him grow and grow. May we, like the Apostle, be moved to praise.