Finally, what do you confess with the words “this is most certainly true”?

With the words “This is most certainly true” I confess, that everything that has been stated in the article, is the absolute, certain and unchangeable truth, in which my heart trusts in life and in death.

What is my responsibility to God?

I am to confess from my heart that all of God’s loving care for me is a free gift. I am to thank and praise Him for His grace and throughout my whole life gladly obey all His Commandments.

Ps. 116:12: What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?

Ps. 118:1: O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, because His mercy endureth forever.

1 Joh. 5:3: This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous.

What moves God to do all this for you?

God does all these good things for me purely out of His goodness, without any of my own merit or worthiness, for He is a merciful Father and gracious God.

Ps. 145:9: The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.

Rom. 11:35: Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

Gen. 32:10: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant.

Assignment: Read Luke 7:6-7: the Centurion of Capernaum.

How does God protect you?

God rules, guides and leads me on life’s journey, in such a way that I have a sure protection in the midst of all danger. He does not permit any real evil to befall me, only that which is for my good. In this way I will one day reach my eternal destination and enjoy the eternal bliss of heaven.

Matt. 10:29-30: Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Ps. 23:4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Rom. 8:28: We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

Assignment: Recall from Bible history how God has protected His children, for example Joseph (Gen. 37-50) and Moses (Ex. 2), and even caused evil to serve His own good purpose. Consider how God has guided your life and protected you.

In what way does God give us our food and the other necessities of life?

God gives us our food and the other necessities of life through other creatures. He uses other people, animals, plants, earth, air, water, natural resources, the sun, etc. God’s will is that we earn our living from them through diligent work, trusting every day in His blessing.

Ps. 145:15-16: The eyes of all wait upon Thee; and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Gen. 3:19: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.

1 Pet. 5:7: Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.

God can at times preserve people without the use of these usual means mentioned above, in a supernatural manner through miracles. He cared for the Israelites in this way during their journey in the wilderness (Deut. 8:3-4), Elijah at the home of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17), and He fed people through miracles that Jesus performed (Joh. 6:1-15, Matt. 15:32-29).

What do you confess about the providence of God?

I confess that God preserves and governs me and all creatures. We call this work of God, providence.

Acts 17:28: For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.

What do you confess about yourself in the First Article?

I confess that God has created me and has given me a body and soul and all the gifts connected to them.

Ps. 139:14: I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.

How will God´s image return to us?

God’s image will return to us, when through the power of the Holy Spirit by means of Baptism and the Gospel, we believe in Jesus. Through this faith we again know God in the right way and have a sincere desire to lead a righteous and holy life. But only in heaven, when faith changes to seeing and we no longer have sin, will God’s image be fully restored in us.

Col. 3:10: Ye have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.

Eph. 4:24: Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

1 Joh. 3:2: Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but ye know that when He shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Ps. 17:15: As for me, I will be hold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.

Whose image is in man after the fall into sin?

After the fall into sin, fallen Adam’s image is in man.

Gen. 5:3: Adam... begat a son in his own likeness, after his image.

What was God´s image in man?

God’s image in man consisted in this: Man knew God as his loving Father and lived happily and without sin in communion with Him. Man was therefore perfectly holy and righteous or sinless. Thus his faith, doctrine and life were God pleasing. Man, however, lost the image of God when he fell into sin.

Col. 3:10: Ye have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.

Eph. 4:24: Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Who is the foremost of God´s visible creatures?

Man is the foremost of God’s visible creatures, because God created his body in a special way, gave him a rational soul, and made him ruler over all the earth. He is foremost above all because God created him in His own image.

Gen. 2:7: The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Gen. 1:26-27: God said: Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him, male and female created He them.

What kind of angels are the evil angels?

The evil angels are spirits. God created them holy, but they fell into sin and God rejected them forever. They are cunning, powerful and adept at doing evil. There is also a great number of them. They are the sworn enemies of God, of people and everything that is good and right, and they wish to corrupt and destroy God’s works. In particular they want to prevent people from being saved and to lead them, along with themselves, into the torments of hell. Their leader is the devil, whom the Bible also calls Satan or accuser, tempter, adversary or evil one. The Bible also calls the evil angels unclean and evil spirits and demons.

2 Pet. 2:4: God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.

Eph. 6:11-12: Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against... spiritual wickedness in high places.

Mark 5:9: The unclean spirit said to Jesus: “My name is Legion, for we are many.”

Joh. 8:44: The devil was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.

1 Pet. 5:8-9: Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist steadfast in the faith.

Assignment: Read Gen. 3:1-5: the devil’s deceitful temptation in Paradise, and Matt. 4:1-11: the tempation of Jesus. – To what animal does God compare the tempter?

What kind of angels are the good angels?

The good angels are holy spirits, that God has confirmed in their holiness, so that they are eternally blessed. There is a great number of them and they are very powerful. They praise God and carry out His commands. They were present during the various phases of Christ’s work of redemption and they will accompany Him when He comes for the final Judgment. They also especially serve believers on their journey to heaven.

Matt. 18:10: Their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.

Dan. 7:10: Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.

Ps. 103:20: Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word.

Matt. 25:31: When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall He sit upon the throne of his glory.

Heb. 1:14: Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Heb 12:22:Ye (believers) are come unto... an innumerable company of angels.

Assignments: Read Gen. 3:24: the Cherubim guard Paradise, 2 Kings 6:12-17: the angels protect Elisha, Is. 6:1-7: the Seraphim proclaim God’s holiness, Dan. 6:22: angels protect Daniel, Luke 2:13-14: a great multitude of angels praise God when Christ is born, Luke 16:22: angels bear the soul of Lazarus to heaven, and Luke 24:4-5: angels announce Christ’s resurrection. – Recall what the Bible says about the
manner in which angels have appeared to people.

What are angels?

Angels are invisible spiritual beings created by God. There are two types of angels: the good and the fallen or evil ones.

What do we mean by the words “Heaven and Earth”?

By the words “heaven and earth” we mean everything that God has created, both the visible and the invisible.

Col. 1:16: By him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible.