Understanding how the Heidelberg Catechism is organized is important. The law exposes our sin and misery and drives us to Christ. This is the guilt section. The grace section unpacks the gospel. In this section, the Heidelberg helps us understand the Apostles’ Creed, an excellent historical summary of the gospel. Through the gospel, the Holy Spirit quickens and motivates us to live for God’s glory by increasingly obeying His commandments. This is the gratitude section. Gratitude is more...
Tag - guilt grace gratitude
From a very early age, we don’t like being told what to do. Right? “Theodore, do not put that in your mouth!” What does Theodore do? He crams it in his mouth quickly. From our earliest years, something inside us says, “No, I don’t want to do that, and you can’t make me.” Isn’t this right? Isn’t it right that we are born with an aversion to commands that promote our wellbeing? Growing up, I was taught not to use foul language. During my college years, my language became more...
Back in 2003, I ran the Philadelphia Marathon. I was 24 years old. That was almost 20 years ago. Wow. I’m getting old. Anyway, I ran the marathon on a beautiful day in October in Pennsylvania. The morning was cool and it warmed up to the point I could run without a shirt. This allowed spectators and other runners to see what Kristina had written in Sharpie across my chest: “I’d rather be preaching.” As I ran the 26.2 miles in Philly, I availed myself of the drink stations to stay...