3. In the first part of our Small Catechism we also studied a word of God, and we have called it the holy will of God, or the Law. So you see that there are two chief doctrines in our Bible; one we call the Law; the other, the Gospel. Both are revealed to us by our heavenly Father, both are the Word of God. But they differ greatly from each other. The Law tells us how, according to the will of God, we ought to be and what we must do and not do to please our God. From it we learn that we all are sinners, having not kept His commandments, and that God threatens to punish all who hate Him and break His commandments; that, therefore, as transgressors of His Law, we deserve His punishment, death and damnation. The Law does not bring us glad tidings.—The Gospel has quite another message for us. It brings a message of joy to sinners, to those who have broken the commandments. It tells us that God loves even us sinners. "God so loved the world," that is, all sinful men, "that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3,16. It teaches us what and how much God, moved by His love and grace toward us sinners, has done and will do to save us from the deserved punishment of the Law, from sin, death, and hell. These are indeed good tidings, tidings of great joy for all men, to know that we have a Savior who can and will save us and give us eternal happiness in heaven. This Gospel of great joy we hear and learn in the Three Articles of our Christian faith.
4. We call the Three Articles the Creed, or the Apostles' Creed. This Creed contains what the apostles of the Lord believed and what they taught in all the world, as the Lord Himself had commanded them: "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." Mark 16,15. Let us give thanks to our dear Lord for having graciously sent His Gospel also to us that we may be saved thereby.
5. We have three articles of faith, because God has done three great saving works for us. We call these Creation, Redemption, and Sanctification. In our next lesson we shall begin our study of the first of the Three Articles, which treats of Creation.
REMEMBER:—
1. In the Three Articles is contained all that we believe and confess regarding God and His saving works for us. We call them also the Apostles' Creed. Our Creed is taken from Scripture.
2. There are two chief doctrines in the Bible, the Law and the Gospel. Both are God's Word. The Law tells us how, according to the will of God, we ought to be and what we must do and not do. It also tells us that God will punish us because we have not fulfilled, His commandments.
3. The Gospel brings to us the glad tidings of the grace and love of God. It tells us what God in His grace has done and will do to save us from the punishment of the Law, from sin and hell.
MEMORIZE:—
The Gospel is the glad tidings of the grace of God toward all men, proclaiming to them salvation from sin and death in Christ Jesus.
God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3,16.