Westminster Shorter Catechism 1-40

Question 1

What is the chief end of man?

Answer 1

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Question 2

What rule hath God given us to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?

Answer 2

The Word of God which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and New Testament is the only is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Question 3

What do the scriptures principally teach?

Answer 3

The scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man.

Question 4

What is God?

Answer 4

God is a spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangable is his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth.

Question 5

Are there more gods than one?

Answer 5

There is but one only, the living and true God.

Question 6

How many persons are there in the Godhead?

Answer 6

There are three persons in the Godhead. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. These three are one and the same in essence equal in power and glory.

Question 7

What are the decrees of God?

Answer 7

The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according the counsel of his will where by for his own glory he has foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

Question 8

How does God execute his decrees?

Answer 8

God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence

Question 9

What is the work of creation?

Answer 9

The work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing by the word of his power in the space of 6 days and all very good.

Question 10

How did God create man?

Answer 10

God created man male and female after his own image in knowledge righteousness and holiness with dominion over the creatures

Question 11

What are God’s work of providence?

Answer 11

God’s work of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and their actions.

Question 12

What special act of providence did god exercise towards man in the estate wherein he was created?

Answer 12

When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon the pain of death.

Question 13

Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?

Answer 13

Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sining against God.

Question 14

What is sin?

Answer 14

Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

Question 15

What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein there were created?

Answer 15

The sin whereby our first parents fell from the state wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.

Question 16

Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?

Answer 16

The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself, but for his posterity; all mankind, descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him, in his first transgression.

Question 17

Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?

Answer 17

The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

Question 18

Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?

Answer 18

The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.

Question 19

What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?

Answer 19

All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.

Question 20

Did God leave all mankind to perish into the estate of sin and misery?

Answer 20

God, having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to have everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.

Question 21

Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?

Answer 21

The only Redeemer of Gods elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was, and continuity to be, God and man int two distinct natures, and one person, forever.

Question 22

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

Answer 22

Christ the son of God became man by taking 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 did Christ execute as our Redeemer?

Answer 23

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 24

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 25

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 26

Christ executeth the office of a king in subduing to 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 27

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

Question 28

Wherein consisteth Christ’s exaltation?

Answer 28

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 made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?

Answer 29

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 by Christ?

Answer 30

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 31

Effectual calling is the world of God’s Sprit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our mind 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 32

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

Question 33

What is justification?

Answer 33

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 sanctification?

Answer 34

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

Question 35

What is adoption?

Answer 35

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 36

What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow form justification, adoption, and sanctification?

Answer 36

The benefits which intros 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 are benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?

Answer 37

The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united in Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.