THE GOSPEL CATECHISM

GOD & MAN:  

1) Who is God?

God is my Creator, my King and my Judge, deserving of all my worship and obedience.
(Psa 24; Acts 17:24, 31; Rom 2:5-11, 16; Psa 50:6)

2) What is God’s character?

God is perfectly Good, perfectly Just & perfectly Holy.   (Psa 136; Deut 32:4; Isa 6:3; 1John 1:5)

3) Why can’t God allow any stain of evil whatsoever into Heaven?

Because He is perfectly Good, perfectly Just & perfectly Holy.   (Psa 5:4-6; Hab 1:13; Rev 21:27)

4) Who are humans?

Created very good in God’s image, humanity fell into sin and a ruined nature.   (Gen 3; Rom 5)

5) What is humanity’s character?

All of us are wicked sinners who rebel against God.   (Rom 2:5, 5:10; Eph 2:1-3)

6) What is sin?

Sin is disobeying God in any way.   (1John 3:4)

7) Are you a sinner?

Yes, I am a sinner. I have disobeyed God and I deserve His punishment.   (Rom 3:23)

8) What is God’s just punishment upon sinners?

Hell. Jesus Himself taught that Hell is eternal torment in fire, forever and ever.
(Mat 10:28, 13:41-42, 18:8-9, 25:46; Mark 9:43-49; 2Thess 1:5-10; Rev 20:11-15)

9) What did God do to save sinners from Hell?

In love, God the Father sent His Son into this world to save sinners. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.   (John 1:14, 3:16; Gal 4:4; Rom 8:1)

GOD’S RESCUE:

10) Who is Jesus Christ?

Jesus is fully God & fully Man.  He lived a life without sin, He died as a sacrifice, and He resurrected from the dead in glory.   (1Cor 15:3-4; John 3:16; 1John 4:9-10)

11) How did God prepare us to understand Jesus’ death on the cross?

God’s Law allowed a sinner to sacrifice an animal substitute on an altar, so that the sinner could avoid death for that sin.   (Lev 1-7)

12) Can the blood of animals truly take away sin, though?

It is impossible for the blood of lambs and bulls and goats to take away sins.  A perfect and eternal sacrifice was needed.   (Heb 10:4,10,14)

13) What does Jesus’ death on the cross mean?

Having lived the perfectly Good, Just & Holy life that I could not live, Jesus died on the altar of the cross as my substitute, taking upon Himself God’s punishment for my sin.   (Rom 3:24-26; Eph 1:7-8)

14) What does Jesus’ resurrection prove?

1) That He is God, 2) that His perfect sacrifice can wash away sin, and 3) that He is alive, ruling from Heaven and coming back one Day soon.   (Rom 4:25, 10:9)

YOUR RESPONSE:

15) What must you do to be saved from Hell?

God commands me to repent, surrender and believe in Jesus.   (Mark 1:15)

16) What does it mean to repent and surrender?

Repent means to turn away from sin while surrendering my life to the Kingship of Jesus Christ.   (Mark 1:15, 8:34-38)

17) What does it mean to believe in Jesus?

Believing in Jesus as the God-Man means trusting that His sacrifice has paid off my personal sin-debt before God that His perfect Righteousness has been applied to me.
(Acts 2:38, 16:30-31; John 3:18&36)

18) What gift does God give to everyone who believes in Jesus?

The gift of God is eternal Life in Christ Jesus our Lord.   (Rom 6:23; John 3:36)

19) Did I choose God or did God choose me?

God chose me in Christ before the foundation of the world. God graciously enabled me to believe, giving me the gift of faith.   (John 6:44&65; Eph 1:4, 2:8-10; Rom 9:16&18)

20) Can a genuine believer lose salvation?

Never! God preserves His children to the end, and no one can snatch them out of His hand.   (John 10:27-30; Phil 1:6)

NEW LIFE:

21) According to God’s promise, who indwells every believer in Jesus Christ?

The Holy Spirit lives in a believer to sanctify me, comfort me, preserve me, grow my faith in Christ, and guide me into all truth through His Word.   (Eph 1:13-14; John 16:13)

22) What should a new believer in Jesus Christ do first?

1) Be baptized, 2) Pray & study my Bible every day, doing what it says, 3) Join a Bible-teaching church to grow in my faith.   (Acts 2:38, 42)

23) What identity before God does the believer have now?

In Christ, I am fully forgiven, set free from sin and adopted into God’s family as His child.
(Rom 8:31-39; Gal 4:3-7)

24) What calling from God does the believer have now?

To know God intimately in personal relationship, and to pursue holiness, which pleases Him.   (Col 1:10; 1Thess 4:3,7; 1Pet 1:13-16)

25) What assurance does the believer Hope in now?

That Jesus will return to resurrect me to eternal Life to dwell with God forever in His Kingdom.   (1Thess 1:9-10; John 14:1-6; 1Cor 15)