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Q.68: What is a covenant?
A. A covenant is an agreement between two or more persons.
( 1Samuel 18:3; Matthew 26:14-15 )
Q.69: What is the covenant of grace?
A. It is an eternal agreement within the Trinity to save certain persons called the elect, and to provide all the means for their salvation.
( Genesis 17:1-8; Romans 11:27; Hebrews 10:16-17; 13:20-21; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-28 )
Q.70: What did Christ undertake in the covenant of grace?
A. Christ undertook to keep the whole law for his people, and to suffer the punishment due to their sins.
( Romans 8:3-4; Galatians 4:4-5; Hebrews 6:17-20; 7:22; 9:14-15; 13:20-21 )
Q.71: Did our Lord Jesus Christ ever sin?
A. No. He was holy, blameless, and undefiled.
( Hebrews 7:26; Luke 23:47; Hebrews 4:15; 1Peter 2:22; 1John 3:5 )
Q.72: How could the Son of God suffer?
A. Christ, the Son of God, took flesh and blood, that he might obey and suffer as a man.
( John 1:14; Romans 8:3; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 2:14,17; 4:15 )
Q.73: What is meant by the atonement?
A. The atonement consists of Christ’s satisfying divine justice, by his sufferings and death, in the place of sinners.
( Mark 10:45; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 3:24-26; 5:8-9; 2Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 3:13; 1Peter 3:18 )
Q.74: For whom did Christ obey and suffer?
A. Christ obeyed and sufffered for those whom the Father had given him.
( Isaiah 53:8; Matthew 1:21; John 10:11,15-16, 26-29; 17:9; Hebrews 2:13 )
Q.75: What kind of life did Christ live on earth?
A. Christ lived a life of perfect obedience to the law of God.
( Matthew 5:17; Romans 10:4; 1Peter 2:21-22 )
Q.76: What kind of death did Christ die?
A. Christ experienced the painful and shameful death of the cross.
Q.77: Who will be saved?
A. Only those who repent of sin and believe in Christ will be saved.
( Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:37-41; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:20 )
Q.78: What is it to repent?
A. Repentance involves sorrow for sin, leading one to hate and forsake it because it is displeasing to God.
( Luke 19:8-10; Romans 6:1-2; 2Corinthians 7:9-11; 1Thessalonians 1:9-10 )
Q.79: What is it to believe in Christ?
A. A person believes who knows that his only hope is Christ and trusts in Christ alone for salvation.
( John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1Timothy 2:5; 1John 5:11-12 )
Q.80: How were godly persons saved before the coming of Christ?
A. They believed in the Saviour to come.
( John 8:56; Galatians 3:8-9; 1Corinthians 10:1-4; Hebrews 9:15; 11:13 )
Q.81: How did they show their faith?
A. They offered sacrifices according to God’s commands.
( Exodus 24:3-8; 1Chronicles 29:20-25; Hebrews 9:19-23; 10:1; 11:28 )
Q.82: What did these sacrifices represent?
A. They were symbolic of Christ, the Lamb of God, who was to die for sinners.
( Exodus 12:46; cf. John 19:36; Hebrews 9-10; John 1:29; 1Corinthians 5:7; 1Peter 1:19 )
Q.83: What does Christ do for his people?
A. He does the work of a prophet, a priest and a king.
( Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:5; Matthew 13:57; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 18:37 )
Q.84: How is Christ a prophet?
A. He teaches us the will of God, reveals God to us, and really was God in human flesh.
( Deuteronomy 18:15,18; John 1:18; 4:25; 14:23-24; 1John 5:20 )
Q.85: Why do you need Christ as a prophet?
A. Because I am ignorant.
( Job 11:7; Matthew 11:25-27; John 6:67-69; 17:25-26; 1Corinthians 2:14-16; 2Corinthians 4:3-6 )
Q.86: How is Christ a priest?
A. He died for our sins and prays to God for us.
( Psalm 110:4; 1Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 4:14-16; 7:24-25; 1John 2:1-2 )
Q.87: Why do you need Christ as a priest?
A. Because I am guilty.
( Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:19-23; Hebrews 10:14,27-28; 1John 1:8-9 )
Q.88: How is Christ a king?
A. He rules over us and defends us.
( Psalm 2:6-9; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 1:13,18; Revelation 15:3-4 )
Q.89: Why do you need Christ as a king?
A. Because I am weak and helpless.
( John 15:4-5; 2Corinthians 12:9; Philippians 4:13; Colossians 1:11; Jude 24- 25 )
Q.90: What did God the Father undertake in the covenant of grace?
A. By His goodness and mercy, God the Father elected,and determined to justify, adopt and sanctify those for whom Christ should die.
Q.91: What is election?
A. It is God’s goodness as revealed in his grace by choosing certain sinners for salvation.
( Ephesians 1:3-4; 1Thessalonians 1:4; 1Peter 1:1-2 )
Q.92: What is justification?
A. It is God’s regarding sinners as if they had never sinned and granting them righteousness.
( Zechariah 3:1-5; Romans 3:24-26; 4:5; 8:33; 2Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 8:12; Philippians 3:9 )
Q.93: What is righteousness?
A. It is God’s goodness as revealed in his law, and as honored in Christ’s perfect obedience to that law.
( Exodus 33:19; 34:6; Psalm 33:5; Hosea 3:5; Romans 11:22 )
Q.94: Can anyone be saved by his own righteousness?
A. No. No one is good enough for God.
( Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:10-23; Philippians 3:8-9 )
Q.95: What is adoption?
A. It is God’s goodness in receiving sinful rebels as his beloved children.
( John 1:12; Ephesians 1:5; 5:1; Galatians 4:7,31; 1John 3:1-3 )
Q.96: What is sanctification?
A. In sanctification God makes sinners holy in heart and conduct so that they will demonstrate his goodness in their lives.
( John 17:17; Ephesians 2:10; 4:22-24; Philippians 2:12-13; 1Thessalonians 5:23 )
Q.97: Is this process of sanctification ever complete in this life?
A. No. It is certain and continual, but is complete only in heaven.
( Philippians 3:12-15; 2Peter 1:4-8; 1John 3:1-3 )
Q.98: What hinders the completion of sanctification in this life?
A. The Scripture says “The flesh lusts against the Spirit so that you cannot do the things you would.”
( Galatians 5:17 )
Q.99: Since we are by nature sinful, how can one ever desire to be holy and to gain heaven where God lives?
A. Our hearts must be changed before we can be fit for heaven.
( Ephesians 4:17-24; Colossians 3:5-12 )
Q.100: Who can change a sinner’s heart?
A. Only the Holy Spirit can change a sinner’s heart.
( John 3:3; Romans 8:6-11; 1Corinthians 2:9-14; 2Thessalonians 2:13-14; Titus 3:5-6 )
Q.101: What did the Holy Spirit undertake in the covenant of Grace?
A. He regenerates, baptizes, and seals those for whom Christ has died.
( Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:1-8; 4:30; 1Corinthians 12:13; 2Corinthians 1:22 )
Q.102: What is regeneration?
A. It is a change of heart that leads to true repentance and faith.
( Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 2:5-8; 2Thessalonians 2:13 )
Q.103: Can you repent and believe in Christ by your own power?
A. No. I can do nothing good without God’s Holy Spirit.
( John 3:5-6; 6:44; Romans 8:2, 5, 8-11; 1Corinthians 2:9-14; Galatians 5:17, 18; Ephesians 2:4-6 )
Q.104: How does the Holy Spirit baptize believers?
A. He puts them into the body of Christ by making them a living part of all those who truly believe in Him.
( 1Corinthians 12 )
Q.105: How does the Holy Spirit seal believers?
A. He comes to live within them to guarantee that they will receive the wonders God has promised those who love Him.
( Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 2Timothy 1:9; 2Corinthians 1:22 )
Q.106: How can you receive the Holy Spirit?
A. God has told us that we must pray to him for the Holy Spirit;
( Luke 11:9-13; John 4:10; 16:24 )
–but the evidence of His presence is seen most clearly in our trusting and loving the Lord Jesus Christ.
( Luke 12:8-10; John 3:3-5,16,20-21; 14:17-21; 1Corinthians 12:3; 1Peter 1:2; 1John 5:6-12 )
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