Lord's Day 8 — Monday
Lord's Day 8: The Holy Trinity
Monday Focus: Creation, Deliverance, Sanctification
The Catechism
Q24. How are these articles [of the Creed] divided?
Into three parts: God the Father and our creation; God the Son and our deliverance; and God the Holy Spirit and our sanctification.
Q25. Since there is only one divine being, why do you speak of three: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
Because that is how God has revealed himself in his Word: these three distinct persons are the one, true, eternal God.
Today's Emphasis: Three Parts
The Apostles' Creed is not a random collection of beliefs—it is carefully structured around the work of the Triune God in our salvation:
- God the Father — our creation, providence, and sovereign care
- God the Son — our deliverance from sin through Christ's incarnation, death, and resurrection
- God the Holy Spirit — our sanctification, the Church, forgiveness, and eternal life
Scripture Readings
Matthew 28:19
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
2 Corinthians 13:14
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
From the Reformers
John Calvin on Matthew 28:19:
"But at the commencement of the gospel God was far more clearly revealed in Three Persons; for then the Father manifested himself in the Son, his lively and distinct image, while Christ, irradiating the world by the full splendor of his Spirit, openly exhibited the energies which he exerts."
The Athanasian Creed:
"We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Essence."
Reflection Question
How does knowing that all three persons of the Trinity work together in your salvation—Father creating and electing, Son redeeming, Spirit sanctifying—deepen your assurance and worship?
Consider: Your salvation is not the work of one isolated divine person, but the unified, eternal plan of the Triune God. You are held in the Father's sovereign hand, purchased by the Son's precious blood, and sealed by the Spirit's indwelling presence. What comfort!
Growing in grace through the Catechism — The Hearthside Team