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The Westminster Shorter Catechism A.D. 1647

Questions 83-107

Question 83. 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 84. What doth every sin deserve?

Answer. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come.

Question 85. 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 86. 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 87. What is repentance unto life?

Answer. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a¹ 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.

Question 88. What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?

Answer. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

Question 89. How is the word made effectual to salvation?

Answer. The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them in up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

Question 90. How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?

Answer. That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

Question 91. How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?

Answer. The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them.

Question 92. What is a sacrament?

Answer. A sacrament is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ and the benefits of the new covenant are represented, sealed, and applied to believers.

Question 93. Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?

Answer. The sacraments of the New Testament are baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Question 94. What is Baptism?

Answer. Baptism is a sacrament wherein the washing with water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.

Question 95. To whom is Baptism to be administered?

Answer. Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to him; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church, are to be baptized.

Question 96. What is the Lord’s Supper?

Answer. The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ’s appointment, his death is showed forth, and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.

Question 97. What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord’s Supper?

Answer. It is required of them that worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves.

Question 98. What is prayer?

Answer. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

Question 99. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?

Answer. The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer, but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called, The Lord’s Prayer.

Question 100. What doth the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?

Answer. The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, ‘Our Father which art in heaven,’ teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.

Question 101. What do we pray for in the first petition?

Answer. In the first petition, which is, ‘Hallowed be thy name,’ we pray that God would enable us and others to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known, and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.

Question 102. What do we pray for in the second petition?

Answer. In the second petition, which is, ‘Thy kingdom come,’ we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed, and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it, and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

Question 103. What do we pray for in the third petition?

Answer. In the third petition, which is, ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,’ we pray that God by his grace would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.

Question 104. What do we pray for in the fourth petition?

Answer. In the fourth petition, which is,‘ Give us this day our daily bread,’ we pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them.

Question 105. What do we pray for in the fifth petition?

Answer. 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 the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.

Question 106. What do we pray for in the sixth petition?

Answer. 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.

Question 107. What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?