In
the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord spoke of a wise man who built his house upon
a rock; the storms, winds, and floods came, and the house stood its ground.
That man was building his life on the teaching of the Lord Jesus, and he stood
firm in the face of many trials. It is evident that Christ was speaking both of
that moment in time and also of this present age in which we live. Christ knew
all the storms that would threaten his people—the gales of scientific
pretension, of philosophies such as humanism and materialism, and of all life’s
difficulties. Yet every Christian who stands on the teachings of the Lord will
overcome the storms of this life. The Savior has promised that His truth is a
firm rock; all who build on it will be saved.
The
Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Retain the standard of sound words which you
have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard, through
the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you”
(II Tim. 1:13-14). To that end, the Westminster Standards are commended to your
study. These Secondary Standards, developed by our fathers in the faith, teach
well the Scriptures that are alone “able to make wise unto salvation”
(II Tim. 3:15).
There
are many studies related to the Westminster Confessions available in book form
or on the web. This particular study was originally published for the local
congregation of Westminster Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Westminster,
California, as weekly devotionals and studies in the Shorter Catechism. The
intent of the study is to foster a greater understanding of and commitment to
the precious truths of Scripture and the Reformed Faith; to engender deeper
family devotions and catechism instruction; and to lend aid towards the
memorization and appreciation of Scripture and the Secondary Standards.
Each
study begins with an introduction, followed by the catechism question and
answer, along with Scripture references; then the question is paraphrased and
discussed. Each study concludes with questions based upon the book Training
Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade, published by P&R Publishing, PO
Box 817, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865-0817. This book is a 349-page “Family
Devotional based on the Shorter Catechism” that breaks down all 107 questions
into weekly studies, making use of six concise Monday to Saturday devotions.
Obtaining a copy of Training Hearts, Teaching Minds is highly
recommended. The book may be purchased from various sources, included P&R
Publishing at www.prpbooks.com.
For
further study, reference is also provided at the end of each study to the
applicable and/or parallel section(s) of the Westminster Confession of Faith
and Larger Catechism. In addition to this, another excellent source of
online study is available at the Westminster Shorter Catechism Project, placed
on the Internet by the Bible Presbyterian Church. Among other things, it
contains the works of such authors as Francis R. Beattie, John Flavel, Thomas
Watson, Thomas Boston, James Fisher, Matthew Henry, Thomas Vincent, John
Whitecross and Thomas Vincent. Applicable links have been made available under
the “Resources” header.
You
may use "Search This Blog" to find a specific topic or any
one catechism question for review and study. With that, may God bless
the efforts taken here to the end that His children may grow in grace and in
knowledge of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through the use of this
study. May His name be exalted in and through all to His eternal
praise and enjoyment to that chief end of man as taught in Westminster Shorter
Catechism Question #1, Soli Deo Gloria.
Yours in
Christ,
Joe
LoGiudice
Ruling
Elder, Westminster Orthodox Presbyterian Church
