Final Short Answers

Question 1

Who is the agent of sanctification?

Answer 1

The agent of sanctification is the Holy Spirit. This is a monergistic act of God whereby the Spirit uses the ordinary means of grace for the progressive work of mortification and vivification in the life of the believer.

Question 2

What are the three parts of faith?

Answer 2

Faith has three necessary functions: 1) Knowledge (notitia): the saving illumination by the Spirit and Word that a person is indeed a sinner, has wholly lost all ability to save themselves, and pardon of sin is only in Jesus Christ; 2) Ascent (assensus): accepting this knowledge as true; 3) Trust (fiducia): the initial receiving Christ and continual resting upon His righteousness for the forgiveness of sins unto everlasting life.

Question 3

What are the elements of repentance?

Answer 3

Repentance has three aspects: 1) Knowledge (intellect): sight of the danger, condition, and filthiness of sins and an understanding of the mercy of God in Christ; 2) Grief and hatred (affection): a sorrow and holy shame of sin that grows in sanctification; 3) Volition (will): the turning of sin and pursuing righteousness in Christ.

Question 4

What makes a work a good work?

Answer 4

Works are only considered good when they are according to the Word of God as a fruit of saving faith. Even then, good works are only accepted by the Father through Christ.

Question 5

What are the three grounds of assurance?

Answer 5

The three grounds of assurance are 1) the promise of salvation in Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, 2) the evidence of inward graces that flow from these promises, and 3) and the Spirit’s bearing witness to the work which He has done in the believer.

Question 6

What are the three types of law?

Answer 6

The three types of the law are moral, ceremonial, and judicial. The ceremonial and judicial law were positive commands, but the moral law is ever binding on all men.

Question 7

What is Christian liberty?

Answer 7

Christian liberty, which was purchased by Christ, frees believers from the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, and the curse of the moral law. This liberty give believers free access to the throne of grace with boldness and the ability to zealously obey the moral law.

Question 8

What are the three uses of the law?

Answer 8

The law is used to convict one of sin and drive them to Christ, to restrain sin in this world, and to direct believers in holy obedience to Christ.

Question 9

What is liberty of conscience?

Answer 9

Liberty of conscience is the assertion that God alone can bind the conscience of man according to the Word of God. The conscience is free from the commands of men (particularly in matters of faith and worship), but a person may voluntarily submit to the recommendations of others without their consciences being bound.

Question 10

What is the regulative principle of worship?

Answer 10

The regulative principle of worship limits the acceptable worship of God as being only what is commanded in the Scriptures while at the same time obligating the church to do all that is commanded in the Scriptures.

Question 11

How is the Sabbath a positive law?

Answer 11

The Sabbath, as a moral law, is forever binding upon all men; however, the Sabbath is a positive law as regards the day of the week it is to be observed because it is a temporary law to govern the church at various times in its history.

Question 12

How does one sanctify the Sabbath?

Answer 12

The Sabbath is a day with the spiritual purpose of a holy rest in the Lord while communing with Him. This means the cessation from ordinary employments and recreations and spending the whole day in public and private worship, except those works of necessity and mercy.

Question 13

What are the purposes of marriage?

Answer 13

The purposes of marriage are fourfold: companionship, procreation, to advance the covenant seed, and for sexual pleasure.

Question 14

Define invisible church.

Answer 14

The invisible church is the whole number of the elect throughout time that have been or will be united to Christ through saving faith.

Question 15

Define visible church.

Answer 15

The visible church is all those throughout the world who have professed faith in Christ and their children. This is the visible kingdom of Christ, and the house of God gathered in local congregations to worship God, out of which there is ordinarily no hope of salvation.

Question 16

What is the work of the church?

Answer 16

The work of the church is spiritual in nature and is abiding till the end of time. Its work is to gather the people for their perfecting through the Spirit’s blessing by means of teaching, preaching, discipling, administering the sacraments, and governing the church according to the Word of God.

Question 17

What are the marks of the church?

Answer 17

According to the Confession, the marks of the church are the true preaching of the gospel, the administration of the sacraments (which implies proper church discipline), and the local gathering of correct public worship.

Question 18

What are the types of Church discipline?

Answer 18

The three types of church discipline are formal admonition, suspension from the sacraments, and excommunication.

Question 19

What are the purposes of Church discipline?

Answer 19

The purposes of church discipline are to reclaim the sinner, deter others from following in sin, a purging of sin from the church, vindicate the name of Christ, and preventing the wrath of God from bearing down upon the church.

Question 20

What is the communion of the saints?

Answer 20

Through union with Christ, all believers have fellowship with Christ and are bound in fellowship with one another by profession of faith. All believers add to and are beneficiaries of each other’s gifts and graces for the building up of the church.

Question 21

What is the purpose of baptism?

Answer 21

The purpose of baptism is to be a visible mark of citizenship into the visible church and is a sign and seal of the covenant of grace with the benefits of being ingrafted in Christ, regeneration, forgiveness of sins, walking in newness of life in Christ, adoption, and resurrection.

Question 22

When is baptism efficacious?

Answer 22

The efficacy of water baptism is not bound to the time of its administration, but, by the blessing of Christ, the Spirit works the promised grace offered in baptism at God’s appointed time.

Question 23

What is the purpose of the Lord’s Supper?

Answer 23

The purpose of the Lord’s Supper is to remember Christ’s death and satisfaction until His return, as a sealing of the benefits of the covenant of grace, spiritual nourishment, growth in grace, renewing of their vows to Christ and obedience to Him, and a means of communing with Christ and fellowshipping with other believers.

Question 24

What is the purpose of Synods and Councils?

Answer 24

The purpose of Synods and Councils is for the better governing of the church and for its edification.

Question 25

Define the intermediate state.

Answer 25

At death, the bodies of all men return to dust and see corruption while their immortal souls return to God where the souls of the righteous are made perfect in holiness and enjoy the presence of God and the souls of the wicked are cast into hell until the future resurrection of their bodies on the Last Day.

Question 26

What will occur at the return of Christ?

Answer 26

When Christ returns, the souls of men will be united with their bodies forever and will stand before Christ as their Judge. The righteous will stand with Christ in judgement against the apostate angels and fallen men.

Question 27

What is the doctrine of perseverance?

Answer 27

Perseverance is the doctrine which states that all those who are effectually called, justified, adopted, and are being sanctified will never fall away from the faith because the Spirit gives the grace to endure to the end.

Question 28

What is the state of Christians who die before the return of Christ?

Answer 28

The souls of believer immediately enjoy the perfection of holiness in the state of glory whereby they experience the face of God in light and glory awaiting the full redemption where they will be united body and soul in the new heavens and earth. Their bodies, even in death while seeing corruption, stay united to Christ until the future resurrection.

Question 29

Why will God judge believers at the end of the age?

Answer 29

God will judge believers at the end of the age to manifest His glorious mercy in the salvation of sinners in Christ. After the righteous are judged first, they will join in Christ the judgement of fallen men and angels.