The sixth question of the Westminster Larger Catechism starts a new section of the catechism. The first five questions serve as a sort of introduction as well as covering the basics. The purpose of man, the existence of God, and the purpose of scripture are all foundational to everything else that will follow. As the catechism continues to develop, it delves deeper into some of the topics already outlined and introduces new ones that come as implications of the first principles. This second section, titled "What man ought to believe concerning God," consists of questions 6 - 90. Throughout these questions, we will look at important topics such as justification, the work of creation, and many more. All of these are important for us as Christians to understand. So, with all that laid out, it's time to dig right in with the sixth question of the catechism.
Question #6
The sixth question starts us off with a little more foundational knowledge. The catechism is structured in a way that each question builds off the previous ones. So we come to this question;
What does Scripture make known about God?
In previous questions, the catechism helped us to understand the purpose of Scripture and what Scripture principally teaches. This led to us learning that the primary purpose of Scripture is to reveal the character and nature of God to us. This question takes that concept a little further. It is one thing to know that that Scripture teaches us about who God is, it is another thing to look at what those things are. So the catechism answers;
The Scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution of his decrees.
If you have been paying attention so far, you can probably guess that the next several questions go into greater detail on each of these four elements. Going into each of the four parts of the answer now would mean that the next few questions would be a bit repetitive, so what we are going to do is go ahead and look at question seven for the rest of this post.
Question #7
This question simply asks;
What is God?
The answer we find in the catechism is a good one.
God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
There is a lot here, and none of it comes from the writers of the catechism. All the elements of the answer come to us directly from Scripture. For example, we are told in John 4:24 that "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." In Exodus 3, God reveals his covenant name to Moses, saying in verse 14, "I AM who I AM." The covenant name of God reveals his lack of dependence on anything. He is, as the catechism says, "In and of himself." As we continue to look at the rest of the answer, we will continue to reference Scripture, but not by any means exhaustively. For one, that would be next to impossible in the format of this devotional. However, the main reason is as Christians, we need to be diligent on our own to search out these things. In other words, it is one thing for someone to tell you what Scripture says, but it is better if we go and test things for ourselves.
God's Attributes
The majority of this question deals with the attributes of God. It states that the Lord is eternal, unchangeable, and so on. You have likely heard some of these mentioned in another way, namely the omni statements. For example, you have probably been told that God is omnipresent, which the catechism states as "everywhere present." Another one is omniscient, which the catechism relates to us as "knowing all things." One of the attributes of God that we often struggle with is the unchangeable nature of God, but it is also something that we find clearly laid out for us. In Malachi 3:6, we are told, "For I the Lord do not change." The statement is made in several other places in Scripture, such as Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17, Isaiah 40:8, and Numbers 23:19. The unchangeable nature of God is the foundation of our hope. He has promised that he will bring us home to him, and because we know that he does not change, we know that he will keep his promises.
Summary
In Matthew 24:35, Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." The Lord's profound statement resonates with the enduring power of His words, emphasizing the eternal nature of His promises. This verse serves as a reminder of the unwavering trustworthiness of God, highlighting His faithfulness, unchangeability, wisdom, holiness, and justice. At the core of understanding God lies a deep exploration of His nature and character, which forms the very essence of our faith. While the Scriptures present a myriad of crucial topics for contemplation, none hold as much significance or provide as solid a foundation as the attributes of God. While the gospel serves as the gateway to comprehending God's actions and intentions, its essence is intricately intertwined with the essence of God Himself. Therefore, immersing ourselves in the study of God's attributes as outlined in Scripture becomes not just a valuable pursuit but a pivotal one in our spiritual journey.
Soli Deo Gloria
Further Scriptural References
Heb. 11:6; 1 John 5:7; Acts 15:14-15, 18; Acts 4:27-28.
John 4:24;Â Ex. 3:14;Â Job 11:7-9;Â Acts 7:2;Â 1 Tim. 6:15;Â Matt. 5:48;Â Gen. 17:1;Â Ps. 90:2;Â Mal. 3:6;Â Jas. 1:17;Â 1 Kings 8:27;Â Ps. 139:1-13;Â Rev. 4:8;Â Heb. 4:13;Â Ps. 147:5;Â Rom. 16:27;Â Isa. 6:3;Â Rev. 15:4;Â Deut. 32:4;Â Ex. 34:6.
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