Lords Day 21

Lords Day 21, in this beautiful poetic rendition by David Croft, declares the duties believers share as being members in the community of God. God has one church, one community of believers, which contains all Christians from the beginning to the end of time.

Lords Day 21

What Creedal Truth Doth Grace

What creedal truth doth grace thy heart
Of her, the holy catholic church?
Between Earth's epilogue and start
The sons of Adam's children searched
That God the blessed eternal Son
Doth by His Spirit, word, and grace
Defend from death and Abaddon
And gather out a holy race

A covenant community
Ordained unto eternal life
One holy faith and unity
Where lamb and lion know no strife
And of this great society
I am, and will forever be,
By Christ's imputed piety,
A member of God's family

What heav'nly joy do you embrace
In this communion of the saints?
Christ's cabinet of gifts and grace
And righteousness which knows no taint
To all who know their Shepherd's voice
Are meted for one common good
And so to serve must all rejoice
As sons of the Almighty should

Disclose, dear friend, your sacred strains
Of the forgiveness, then, of sins?
Because of Christ's atoning pains
Hath God removed the foul din
Of sin with her accusing host
Although I daily struggle yet
His righteousness alone I boast
That frees fore'er from wrath and debt

July 12, 1996
Lords Day 21 Heidelberg Questions & Answers 54-56
© Copyright 1996 David L. Croft

It is hard to believe, with the people of God split into thousands of churches and denominations, but God only has one true church. This church consists of all the true born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This church is literally a hand-picked group and given by God the Father to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ not only paid the price of redemption for each and every one, but He now busily shepherds His flock and will, by the end of time, bring each and everyone of them safely home.

As part of this body of believers, each of us owes a duty of love and protection to one another. Recognizing that the gifts we have were given to us by God, Himself, we must seek to use these gifts to aid and prosper God's church, with the goal that we all might walk closer and closer to the Lord.

Thus, we call our fellow believers brothers and sisters in Christ, for, indeed, they are our spiritual siblings!

Lords Day 21

Lords Day 22

Lords Day 20

Heidelberg Catechism Poetry

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