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The Westminster Shorter Catechism A.D. 1647

Questions 22-38

Question 22. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?

Answer. Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

Question 23. What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?

Answer. Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a Prophet. of a Priest, and of a King, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.

Question 24. How doth Christ execute the office of a Prophet?

Answer. Christ executeth the office of a Prophet, in revealing to us by his Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Question 25. How doth Christ execute the office of a Priest?

Answer. Christ executeth the office of a Priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.

Question 26. How doth Christ execute the office of a King?

Answer. Christ executeth the office of a King, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.

Question 27. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?

Answer. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under die law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under die power of death for a time.

Question 28. Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation?

Answer. Christ’s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.

Question 29. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased  by Christ?

Answer. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.

Question 30. How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased Christ?

Answer. 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.

Question 31. What is effectual calling?

Answer. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the gospel.

Question 32. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?

Answer. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which, in this life, do either accompany or flow from them.

Question 33. What is justification?

Answer. Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

Question 34. What is adoption?

Answer. Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God.

Question 35. What is sanctification?

Answer. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after die image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.

Question 36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?

Answer. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

Question 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?

Answer. The souls of believers are, at their 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.

Question 38. 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 in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.

Questions 39-57