Heidelberg Catechism

Question 54. What do you believe concerning the “holy catholic church” of Christ?

Answer: I believe that the Son of God (a) from the beginning of the world to the end, (b) gathers, defends, and preserves for himself, (c) by his Spirit and word, (d) out of the whole human race, (e) a church chosen to everlasting life, (f) unified in the true faith; (g) and that I am and forever will remain, (h) a living member of it. (i)

(Scriptural proofs after the fold.)

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Sunday's Hymn: I Sing The Almighty Power of God

I sing th’almighty pow’r of God,
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
And built the lofty skies.

I sing the goodness of the Lord
That filled the earth with food;
He formed the creatures with his word,
And then pronounced them good.

Lord! how thy wonders are displayed
Where’er I turn mine eye!
If I survey the ground I tread,
Or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below
But makes thy glories known;
And clouds arise, and tempests blow,
By order from thy throne.

Creatures as numerous as they be
Are subject to thy care;
There’s not a place where we can flee,
But God is present there.

—Isaac Watts

This hymn was written specifically for Watts’ children’s hymnal. 

Other hymns, worship songs, prayers, sermons excerpts, or quotes posted today:

• Update: God Will Send the Angels at Conjubilant With Song
• Crown Him With Many Crowns at Graces Daily
• Master, We Thy Footsteps Follow at The Happy Wonderer
• When the fear of God is dictator in the heart at Blogging Theologically
• A Living Sacrifice at Tried With Fire
• Lifting Up Our Hearts - 39 at The Upward Call
• A Prayer for Persecuted Christians from Trevin Wax
• Lord’s Day 38, 2014 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Your weekly dose of Spurgeon: “Almost persuaded” at Pyromaniacs

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.

Linked Together: Inerrancy

Some recommended weekend reading on the subject of biblical inerrancy.

Getting It Right
Not all historic church documents are 300 years old. Here’s a short history of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy by Stephen Nichols. 

If one were to lock three hundred evangelical leaders in a room today, it would be surprising if they all came out agreeing on the color of the paint on the walls. Crafting a theological statement with five points and nineteen articles of affirmation and denial would be a miracle. But that is precisely what happened in Chicago in 1978. The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy sustained a generation of churchmen, pastors and theologians. It brought this view of inerrancy back to the center of the church, and doctrinally affirmed it—for the life of the church and the life of the Christian.

If you’d like to read the Chicago Statement—and you should—here it is. 

Not Getting It Wrong
Michael Kruger is hosting a new blog series featuring guest posts from evangelical scholars addressing problematic passage in the Bible. The first four posts in this series are linked below. 

• Does the Bible Ever Get it Wrong? Facing Scripture’s Difficult Passages (#1): Greg Beale
• Does the Bible Ever Get it Wrong? Facing Scripture’s Difficult Passages (#2): Craig Blomberg
• Does the Bible Ever Get it Wrong? Facing Scripture’s Difficult Passages (#3): Darrell Bock
• Does the Bible Ever Get it Wrong? Facing Scripture’s Difficult Passages (#4): Andreas Köstenberger