The Belgic Confession (1561)

 Article 1 – There is Only One God

We all believe with the heart and confess with the mouth¹ that there is only one God,² who is a simple and spiritual Being;³ He is eternal,⁴ incomprehensible,⁵ invisible,⁶ immutable,⁷ infinite,⁸ almighty,⁹ perfectly wise,¹⁰ just,¹¹ good,¹² and the overflowing fountain of all good.¹³

¹ Rom 10:10 ² Dt 6:4; 1 Cor 8:4, 6; 1 Tim 2:5 ³ Jn 4:24 ⁴ Ps 90:2 ⁵ Rom 11:33 ⁶ Col 1:15; 1 Tim 6:16 ⁷ Jas 1:17 ⁸ 1 Kgs 8:27; Jer 23:24 ⁹ Gen 17:1; Mt 19:26; Rev 1:8 ¹⁰ Rom 16:27 ¹¹ Rom 3:25-26; Rom 9:14; Rev 16:5, 7 ¹² Mt 19:17 ¹³ Jas 1:17

 

Article 2 - How God Makes Himself Known to Us

We know Him by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe; which is before our eyes as a most beautiful book,¹ wherein all creatures, great and small, are as so many letters leading us to perceive clearly the invisible things of God, namely, His eternal power and deity, as the apostle Paul says (Rom 1:20).  All these things are sufficient to convict men and leave them without excuse.  Second, He makes Himself more clearly and fully known to us by His holy and divine Word² as far as is necessary for us in this life, to His glory and our salvation.

¹ Ps 19:1-4 ² Ps 19:7-8; 1 Cor 1:18-21

 

Article 3 - The Word of God

We confess that this Word of God did not come by the impulse of man, but that men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God, as the apostle Peter says (2 Pet 1:21).  Thereafter, in His special care for us and our salvation, God commanded His servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit His revealed Word to writing¹ and He Himself wrote with His own finger the two tables of the law.²  Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures.³

¹ Ex 34:27; Ps 102:18; Rev 1:11, 19 ² Ex 31:18 ³ 2 Tim 3:16

 

Article 4 - The Canonical Books

We believe that the Holy Scriptures consist of two parts, namely, the Old and the New Testament, which are canonical, against which nothing can be alleged.  These books are listed in the church of God as follows.

The books of the Old Testament: the five books of Moses, namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther; Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

The books of the New Testament: the four gospels, namely, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the Apostles; the thirteen letters of the apostle Paul, namely, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon; the letter to the Hebrews; the seven other letters, namely, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2 and 3 John, Jude; and the Revelation to the apostle John.

 

Article 5 - The Authority of Holy Scripture

We receive¹ all these books, and these only, as holy and canonical, for the regulation, foundation, and confirmation of our faith.²  We believe without any doubt all things contained in them, not so much because the church receives and approves them as such, but especially because the Holy Spirit witnesses in our hearts that they are from God,³ and also because they contain the evidence thereof in themselves; for, even the blind are able to perceive that the things foretold in them are being fulfilled.⁴

¹ 1 Thes 2:13 ² 2 Tim 3:16-17 ³ 1 Cor 12:3; 1 Jn 4:6, 5:7 ⁴ Dt 18:21-22; 1 Kgs 22:28; Jer 28:9; Ezek 33:33

 

Article 6 - The Difference Between the Canonical and Apocryphal Books

We distinguish these holy books from the apocryphal, namely, 3 and 4 Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, additions to Esther, the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men in the Furnace, Susannah, Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Manasseh, and 1 and 2 Maccabees.  The church may read and take instruction from these so far as they agree with the canonical books.  They are, however, far from having such power and authority that we may confirm from their testimony any point of faith or of the Christian religion; much less may they be used to detract from the authority of the holy books.

 

Article 7 - The Sufficiency of Holy Scripture

We believe that this Holy Scripture fully contains the will of God and that all that man must believe in order to be saved is sufficiently taught therein.¹  The whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in it at length. It is therefore unlawful for any one, even for an apostle, to teach otherwise than we are now taught in Holy Scripture:² yes, even if it be an angel from heaven, as the apostle Paul says (Gal 1:8).  Since it is forbidden to add to or take away anything from the Word of God (Dt 12:32),³ it is evident that the doctrine thereof is most perfect and complete in all respects.⁴

We may not consider any writings of men, however holy these men may have been, of equal value with the divine Scriptures; nor ought we to consider custom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or succession of times and persons, or councils, decrees or statutes, as of equal value with the truth of God, since the truth is above all;⁵ for all men are of themselves liars, and lighter than a breath (Ps 62:9).  We therefore reject with all our heart whatever does not agree with this infallible rule,⁶ as the apostles have taught us: Test the spirits to see whether they are of God (1 Jn 4:1). Likewise: If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting (2 Jn 1:10).

¹ 2 Tim 3:16-17; 1 Pt 1:10-12 ² 1 Cor 15:2; 1 Tim 1:3 ³ Dt 4:2; Prov 30:6; Acts 26:22; 1 Cor 4:6; Rev 22:18-19 ⁴ Ps 19:7; Jn 15:15; Acts 18:28, 20:27; Rom 15:4 ⁵ Mk 7:7-9; Acts 4:19; Col 2:8; 1 Jn 2:19 ⁶ Dt 4:5-6; Is 8:20; 1 Cor 3:11; Eph 4:4-6; 2 Thes 2:2; 2 Tim 3:14-15

 

Article 8 – God is One in Essence, yet Distinguished in Three Persons

According to this truth and this Word of God, we believe in one only God,¹ who is one single essence, in which are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct according to their incommunicable properties; namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.²  The Father is the cause, origin, and beginning of all things visible and invisible.³ The Son is the Word, the wisdom, and the image of the Father.⁴  The Holy Spirit is the eternal power and might who proceeds from the Father and the Son.⁵  Nevertheless, God is not by this distinction divided into three, since the Holy Scriptures teach us that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit each has His personal existence, distinguished by Their properties; but in such a way that these three persons are but one only God.

It is therefore evident that the Father is not the Son, nor the Son the Father, and likewise the Holy Spirit is neither the Father nor the Son.  Nevertheless, these persons thus distinguished are not divided, nor intermixed; for the Father has not assumed our flesh and blood, neither has the Holy Spirit, but the Son only.  The Father has never been without His Son,⁶ or without His Holy Spirit. For these three, in one and the same essence, are equal in eternity.  There is neither first nor last; for They are all three one, in truth, in power, in goodness, and in mercy.

¹ 1 Cor 8:4-6 ² Mt 3:16-17; Mt 28:19 ³ Eph 3:14-15 ⁴ Prov 8:22-31; Jn 1:14, 5:17-26; 1 Cor 1:24; Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:3; Rev 19:13 ⁵ Jn 15:26 ⁶ Mic 5:2; Jn 1:1-2

Article 9 – Scripture Proof of This Doctrine

All this we know both from the testimonies of Holy Scripture¹ and from the respective works of the three Persons, and especially those we perceive in ourselves.  The testimonies of Scripture which lead us to believe this Holy Trinity are written in many places of the Old Testament.  It is not necessary to mention them all; it is sufficient to select some with discretion.

In the book of Genesis God says, “Let Us make man in our image after our likeness…So God created man in His own image…; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:26-27).  Also: “Behold, the man has become like one of Us”  (Gen 3:22). From God’s saying, “Let Us make man in Our image,” it appears that there are more divine persons than one; and when He says, “God created,” He indicates that there is one God.  It is true, He does not say how many persons there are, but what seems to be somewhat obscure in the Old Testament is very plain in the New Testament. For when our Lord was baptized in the river Jordan, the voice of the Father was heard, who said, “This is My beloved Son” (Mt 3:17); the Son was seen in the water, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form as a dove.²  For the baptism of all believers Christ prescribed this formula: “Baptize all nations into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28:19).  In the gospel according to Luke the angel Gabriel thus addressed Mary, the mother of our Lord: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God” (Lk 1:35).  Likewise: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor 13:14).  In all these places we are fully taught that there are three persons in one only divine essence.

Although this doctrine far surpasses all human understanding, nevertheless in this life we believe it on the ground of the Word of God, and we expect to enjoy its perfect knowledge and fruit hereafter in heaven.

Moreover, we must observe the distinct offices and works of these three Persons towards us.  The Father is called our Creator by His power; the Son is our Saviour and Redeemer by His blood; the Holy Spirit is our Sanctifier by His dwelling in our hearts.  The doctrine of the Holy Trinity has always been maintained and preserved in the true church since the time of the apostles to this very day, over against Jews, Muslims, and against false Christians and heretics such as Marcion, Mani, Praxeas, Sabellius, Paul of Samosata, Arius, and such like, who have been justly condemned by the orthodox fathers.  In this doctrine, therefore, we willingly receive the three creeds, of the Apostles, of Nicea, and of Athanasius; likewise that which in accordance with them is agreed upon by the early fathers.

¹ Jn 14:16, 15:26; Acts 2:32-33; Rom 8:9; Gal 4:6; Tit 3:4-6; 1 Pt 1:2; 1 Jn 4:13-14; 1 Jn 5:1-12; Jude 20-21; Rev 1:4-5 ² Mt 3:16

 

Article 10 - Jesus Christ is True and Eternal God

We believe that Jesus Christ according to His divine nature is the only-begotten Son of God,¹ begotten from eternity, not made, nor created - for then He would be a creature - but of the same essence with the Father, equally-eternal, who reflects the glory of God and bears the very stamp of His nature (Heb 1:3), and is equal to Him in all things.²  He is the Son of God, not only from the time that He assumed our nature but from all eternity,³ as these testimonies, when compared with each other, teach us: Moses says that God created the world;⁴ the apostle John says that all things were made by the Word which he calls God.⁵  The letter to the Hebrews says that God made the world through His Son;⁶ likewise the apostle Paul says that God created all things through Jesus Christ.⁷  Therefore it must necessarily follow that He who is called God, the Word, the Son, and Jesus Christ, did exist at that time when all things were created by Him.  Therefore He could say, “Truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8:58), and He prayed, “Glorify Thou Me in Thy own presence with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was made” (Jn 17:5).  And so He is true, eternal God, the Almighty, whom we invoke, worship, and serve.

¹ Mt 17:5; Jn 1:14, 18, 3:16, 14:1-14, 20:17, 31; Rom 1:4; Gal 4:4; Heb 1:2 ² Jn 5:18, 23, 10:30, 14:9, 20:28; Rom 9:5; Php 2:6; Col 1:15; Tit 2:13 ³ Jn 8:58, 17:5; Heb 13:8 ⁴ Gen 1:1 ⁵ Jn 1:1-3 ⁶ Heb 1:2 ⁷ 1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:16

 

Article 11 - The Holy Spirit is True and Eternal God

We believe and confess also that the Holy Spirit from eternity proceeds from the Father and the Son.  He is neither made, created, nor begotten, but He can only be said to proceed from both.¹  In order He is the third Person of the Holy Trinity, of one and the same essence, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, true and eternal God, as the Holy Scriptures teach us.²

¹ Jn 14:15-26, 15:26; Rom 8:9 ² Gen 1:2; Mt 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:10, 3:16, 6:11; 1 Jn 5:7

 

Article 12 - The Creation of all Things, Especially the Angels

We believe that the Father through the Word, that is, through His Son, has created out of nothing heaven and earth and all creatures, when it seemed good to Him,¹ and that He has given to every creature its being, shape, and form, and to each its specific task and function to serve its Creator.  We believe that He also continues to sustain and govern them according to His eternal providence and by His infinite power in order to serve man, to the end that man may serve his God.

He also created the angels good, to be His messengers and to serve His elect.²  Some of these have fallen from the exalted position in which God created them into everlasting perdition,³ but the others have by the grace of God remained steadfast and continued in their first state.  The devils and evil spirits are so depraved that they are enemies of God and of all that is good.⁴  With all their might, they lie in wait like murderers to ruin the church and all its members and to destroy everything by their wicked devices.⁵  They are therefore by their own wickedness sentenced to eternal damnation and daily expect their horrible torments.⁶

Therefore we detest and reject the error of the Sadducees, who deny that there are any spirits and angels;⁷ and also the error of the Manichees, who say that the devils were not created, but have their origin of themselves, and that without having become corrupted, they are wicked by their own nature.

¹ Gen 1:1, 2:3; Is 40:26; Jer 32:17; Col 1:15-16; 1 Tim 4:3; Heb 11:3; Rev 4:11 ² Ps 103:20-21; Mt 4:11; Heb 1:14 ³ Jn 8:44; 2 Pt 2:4; Jude 6 ⁴ Gen 3:1-5; 1 Pt 5:8 ⁵ Eph 6:12; Rev 12:4, 13-17, 20:7-9 ⁶ Mt 8:29, 25:41; Rev 20:10 ⁷ Acts 23:8

 

Article 13 - The Providence of God

We believe that this good God, after He had created all things, did not abandon them or give them up to fortune or chance,¹ but that according to His holy will He so rules and governs them that in this world nothing happens without His direction.²  Yet God is not the Author of the sins which are committed nor can He be charged with them.³ For His power and goodness are so great and beyond understanding that He ordains and executes His work in the most excellent and just manner, even when devils and wicked men act unjustly.⁴  And as to His actions surpassing human understanding, we will not curiously inquire farther than our capacity allows us.  But with the greatest humility and reverence we adore the just judgments of God, which are hidden from us,⁵ and we content ourselves that we are pupils of Christ, who have only to learn those things which He teaches us in His Word, without transgressing these limits.⁶

This doctrine gives us unspeakable consolation, for we learn thereby that nothing can happen to us by chance, but only by the direction of our gracious heavenly Father.  He watches over us with fatherly care, keeping all creatures so under His power that not one hair of our head - for they are all numbered - nor one sparrow can fall to the ground without the will of our Father (Mt 10:29-30).  In this we trust, because we know that He holds in check the devil and all our enemies so that they cannot hurt us without His permission and will.⁷

We therefore reject the damnable error of the Epicureans, who say that God does not concern Himself with anything but leaves all things to chance.

¹ Jn 5:17; Heb 1:3 ² Ps 115:3; Prov 16:1, 9, 33, 21:1; Eph 1:11-12; Jas 4:13-15 ³ Jas 1:13; 1 Jn 2:16 ⁴ Job 1:21; Is 10:5, 45:7; Amos 3:6; Acts 2:23, 4:27-28 ⁵ 1 Kgs 22:19-23; Rom 1:28; 2 Thes 2:11 ⁶ Dt 29:29; 1 Cor 4:6 ⁷ Gen 45:8, 50:20; 2 Sam 16:10; Rom 8:28, 38-39

 

Article 14 - The Creation and Fall of Man and his Incapability of Doing What is Truly Good

We believe that God created man of dust from the ground¹ and He made and formed him after His own image and likeness, good, righteous, and holy.²  His will could conform to the will of God in every respect.  But, when man was in this high position, he did not appreciate it nor did he value his excellency.  He gave ear to the words of the devil and willfully subjected himself to sin and consequently to death and the curse.³  For he transgressed the commandment of life which he had received; by his sin he broke away from God, who was his true life; he corrupted his whole nature.  By all this he made himself liable to physical and spiritual death.⁴

Since man became wicked and perverse, corrupt in all his ways, he has lost all his excellent gifts which he had once received from God.⁵  He has nothing left but some small traces, which are sufficient to make man inexcusable.⁶ For whatever light is in us has changed into darkness,⁷ as Scripture teaches us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5); where the apostle John calls mankind darkness.

Therefore we reject all teaching contrary to this concerning the free will of man, since man is but a slave to sin (Jn 8:34) and no one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven (Jn 3:27).  For who dares to boast that he of himself can do any good, when Christ says: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (Jn 6:44)?  Who will glory in his own will, when he understands that the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God (Rom 8:7)?  Who can speak of his knowledge, since the unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14)?  In short, who dares to claim anything, when he realizes that we are not competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but that our competence is from God (2 Cor 3:5)?  Therefore what the apostle says must justly remain sure and firm: God is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Php 2:13).  For there is no understanding nor will conformable to the understanding and will of God unless Christ has brought it about; as He teaches us: “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5).

¹Gen 2:7, 3:19; Ecc 12:7 ² Gen 1:26-27; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10 ³ Gen 3:16-19; Rom 5:12 ⁴ Gen 2:17; Eph 2:1, 4:18 ⁵ Ps 94:11; Rom 3:10, 8:6 ⁶ Rom 1:20-21 ⁷ Eph 5:8

 

Article 15 – Original Sin

We believe that by the disobedience of Adam original sin has spread throughout the whole human race.¹  It is a corruption of the entire nature of man² and a hereditary evil which infects even infants in their mother’s womb.³  As a root it produces in man all sorts of sin.  It is, therefore, so vile and abominable in the sight of God that it is sufficient to condemn the human race.⁴  It is not abolished nor eradicated even by baptism, for sin continually streams forth like water welling up from this woeful source.⁵  Yet, in spite of all this, original sin is not imputed to the children of God to their condemnation but by His grace and mercy is forgiven them.⁶  This does not mean that the believers may sleep peacefully in their sin, but that the awareness of this corruption may make them often groan as they eagerly wait to be delivered from this body of death.

In this regard we reject the error of the Pelagians, who say that this sin is only a matter of imitation.

¹ Rom 5:12-14, 19 ² Rom 3:10 ³ Job 14:4; Ps 51:5; Jn 3:6 ⁴ Eph 2:3 ⁵ Rom 7:18-19 ⁶ Eph 2:4-5

 

Article 16 - Divine Election

We believe that, when the entire offspring of Adam plunged into perdition and ruin by the transgression of the first man,¹ God manifested Himself to be as He is: merciful and just.  Merciful, in rescuing and saving from this perdition those whom in His eternal and unchangeable counsel² He has elected³ in Jesus Christ our Lord⁴ by His pure goodness, without any consideration of their works.⁵  Just, in leaving the others in the fall and perdition into which they have plunged themselves.⁶

¹ Rom 3:12 ² Jn 6:37, 44, 10:29, 17:2, 9, 12, 18:9 ³ 1 Sam 12:22; Ps 65:4; Acts 13:48; Rom 9:16, 11:5; Tit 1:1 ⁴ Jn 15:16, 19; Rom 8:29; Eph 1:4-5 ⁵ Mal 1:2-3; Rom 9:11-13; 2 Tim 1:9; Tit 3:4-5 ⁶ Rom 9:19-22; 1 Pt 2:8

 

Article 17 - The Rescue of Fallen Man

We believe that, when He saw that man had thus plunged himself into physical and spiritual death and made himself completely miserable, our gracious God in His marvelous wisdom and goodness set out to seek man when he trembling fled from Him.¹  He comforted him with the promise that He would give him His Son, born of woman (Gal 4:4), to bruise the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15) and to make man blessed.²

¹ Gen 3:9 ² Gen 22:18; Is 7:14; Jn 1:14, 5:46, 7:42; Acts 13:32-33; Rom 1:2-3; Gal 3:16

 

Article 18 - The Incarnation of the Son of God

We confess, therefore, that God has fulfilled the promise He made to the fathers by the mouth of His holy prophets¹ when, at the time appointed by Him,² He sent into the world His own only-begotten and eternal Son, who took the form of a servant and was born in the likeness of men (Php 2:7).  He truly assumed a real human nature with all its infirmities,³ without sin,⁴ for He was conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit and not by the act of a man.⁵  He not only assumed human nature as to the body, but also a true human soul, in order that He might be a real man.  For since the soul was lost as well as the body, it was necessary that He should assume both to save both.

Contrary to the heresy of the Anabaptists, who deny that Christ assumed human flesh of His mother, we therefore confess that Christ partook of the flesh and blood of the children (Heb 2:14).  He is a fruit of the loins of David (Acts 2:30); born of the seed of David according to the flesh (Rom 1:3); a fruit of the womb of the virgin Mary (Lk 1:42); born of woman (Gal 4:4); a branch of David (Jer 33:15); a shoot from the stump of Jesse (Is 11:1); sprung from the tribe of Judah (Heb 7:14); descended from the Jews according to the flesh (Rom 9:5); of the seed of Abraham,⁶ since the Son was concerned with the descendants of Abraham.  Therefore He had to be made like His brethren in every respect, yet without sin (Heb 2:16-17, 4:15).

In this way He is in truth our Immanuel, that is, “God with us” (Mt 1:23).

¹ Gen 26:4; 2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 132:11; Lk 1:55; Acts 13:23 ² Gal 4:4 ³ 1 Tim 2:5, 3:16; Heb 2:14 ⁴ 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 7:26; 1 Pt 2:22 ⁵ Mt 1:18; Lk 1:35 ⁶ Gal 3:16

 

Article 19 – The Two Natures in the One Person of Christ

We believe that by this conception the person of the Son of God is inseparably united and joined with the human nature,¹ so that there are not two sons of God, nor two persons, but two natures united in one single person. Each nature retains its own distinct properties: His divine nature has always remained uncreated, without beginning of days or end of life (Heb 7:3), filling heaven and earth.²  His human nature has not lost its properties; it has beginning of days and remains created.  It is finite and retains all the properties of a true body.³  Even though, by His resurrection, He has given immortality to His human nature, He has not changed its reality,⁴ since our salvation and resurrection also depend on the reality of His body.⁵

However, these two natures are so closely united in one person that they were not even separated by His death. Therefore, what He, when dying, committed into the hands of His Father was a real human spirit that departed from His body.⁶  Meanwhile His divinity always remained united with His human nature, even when He was lying in the grave.⁷ And the divine nature always remained in Him just as it was in Him when He was a little child, even though it did not manifest itself as such for a little while.

For this reason we profess Him to be true God and true man: true God in order to conquer death by His power; and true man that He might die for us according to the infirmity of His flesh.

¹ Jn 1:14, 10:30; Rom 9:5; Php 2:6-7 ² Mt 28:20 ³ 1 Tim 2:5 ⁴ Mt 26:11; Lk 24:39; Jn 20:25; Acts 1:3, 11, 3:21; Heb 2:9 ⁵ 1 Cor 15:21; Php 3:21 ⁶ Mt 27:50 ⁷ Rom 1:4

 

Article 20 - The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ

We believe that God, who is perfectly merciful and just, sent His Son to assume that nature in which disobedience had been committed,¹ to make satisfaction in that same nature; and to bear the punishment of sin by His most bitter passion and death.²  God therefore manifested His justice against His Son when He laid our iniquity on Him,³ and poured out His goodness and mercy on us, who were guilty and worthy of damnation.  Out of a most perfect love He gave His Son to die for us and He raised Him for our justification⁴ that through Him we might obtain immortality and life eternal.

¹ Rom 8:3 ² Heb 2:14 ³ Rom 3:25-26; Rom 8:32 ⁴ Rom 4:25

 

Article 21 - The Satisfaction of Christ our High Priest

We believe that Jesus Christ was confirmed by an oath to be a High Priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.¹  He presented Himself in our place before His Father, appeasing God’s wrath by His full satisfaction,² offering Himself on the tree of the cross, where He poured out His precious blood to purge away our sins,³ as the prophets had foretold.⁴  For it is written, “Upon Him was the chastisement that made us whole and with His stripes we are healed.⁵  Like a lamb He was led to the slaughter. He was numbered with the transgressors” (Is 53:5,7,12),⁶ and condemned as a criminal by Pontius Pilate, though he had first declared Him innocent.⁷  He restored what He had not stolen (Ps 69:4).  He died as the righteous for the unrighteous (1 Pt 3:18).⁸  He suffered in body and soul,⁹ feeling the horrible punishment caused by our sins, and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down upon the ground (Lk 22:44).  Finally, He exclaimed, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me” (Mt 27:46)?  All this He endured for the forgiveness of our sins.

Therefore we justly say, with Paul, that we know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor 2:2).  We count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus our Lord (Php 3:8).  We find comfort in His wounds and have no need to seek or invent any other means of reconciliation with God than this only sacrifice, once offered, by which the believers are perfected for all times (Heb 10:14).¹⁰  This is also the reason why the angel of God called Him “Jesus,” that is, “Saviour, because He would save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21).¹¹

¹ Ps 110:4; Heb 7:15-17 ² Rom 4:25, 5:8-9, 8:32; Gal 3:13; Col 2:14; Heb 2:9, 17, 9:11-15 ³ Acts 2:23; Php 2:8; 1 Tim 1:15; Heb 9:22; 1 Pt 1:18-19; 1 Jn 1:7; Rev 7:14 ⁴ Lk 24:25-27; Rom 3:21; 1 Cor 15:3 ⁵ 1 Pt 2:24 ⁶ Mk 15:28 ⁷ Jn 18:38 ⁸ Rom 5:6 ⁹ Ps 22:15 ¹⁰ Heb 7:26-28, 9:24-28 ¹¹ Lk 1:31; Acts 4:12

 

Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ

We believe that, in order that we may obtain the true knowledge of this great mystery, the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith.¹  This faith embraces Jesus Christ with all His merits, makes Him our own, and does not seek anything besides Him.²  For it must necessarily follow, either that all we need for our salvation is not in Jesus Christ or, if it is all in Him, that one who has Jesus Christ through faith, has complete salvation.³  It is, therefore, a terrible blasphemy to assert that Christ is not sufficient, but that something else is needed besides Him; for the conclusion would then be that Christ is only half a Savior.

Therefore we rightly say with Paul that we are justified by faith alone, or by faith apart from works of law (Rom 3:28).⁴  Meanwhile, strictly speaking, we do not mean that faith as such justifies us,⁵ for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ our righteousness; He imputes to us all His merits and as many holy works as He has done for us and in our place.⁶  Therefore Jesus Christ is our righteousness, and faith is the instrument that keeps us with Him in the communion of all His benefits.  When those benefits have become ours, they are more than sufficient to acquit us of our sins.

¹ Jn 16:14; 1 Cor 2:12; Eph 1:17-18 ² Jn 14:6; Acts 4:12; Gal 2:21 ³ Ps 32:1; Mt 1:21; Lk 1:77; Acts 13:38-39; Rom 8:1 ⁴ Rom 3:19-4:8, 10:4-11; Gal 2:16; Php 3:9; Tit 3:5 ⁵ 1 Cor 4:7 ⁶ Jer 23:6; Mt 20:28; Rom 8:33; 1 Cor 1:30-31; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Jn 4:10

 

Article 23 - Our Righteousness Before God

We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins for Jesus Christ’s sake and that therein our righteousness before God¹ consists, as David and Paul teach us.  They pronounce a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works (Rom 4:6; Ps 32:1).  The apostle also says that we are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24).²

Therefore we always hold to this firm foundation.  We give all the glory to God,³ humble ourselves before Him, and acknowledge ourselves to be what we are.  We do not claim anything for ourselves or our merits,⁴ but rely and rest on the only obedience of Jesus Christ crucified;⁵ His obedience is ours when we believe in Him.⁶

This is sufficient to cover all our iniquities and to give us confidence in drawing near to God, freeing our conscience of fear, terror, and dread, so that we do not follow the example of our first father, Adam, who trembling tried to hide and covered himself with fig leaves.⁷  For indeed, if we had to appear before God, relying - be it ever so little - on ourselves or some other creature, (woe be to us!) we would be consumed.⁸  Therefore everyone must say with David, “O LORD, enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for no man living is righteous before Thee” (Ps 143:2).

¹ 1 Jn 2:1 ² 2 Cor 5:18-19; Eph 2:8; 1 Tim 2:6 ³ Ps 115:1; Rev 7:10-12 ⁴ 1 Cor 4:4; Jas 2:10 ⁵ Acts 4:12; Heb 10:20 ⁶ Rom 4:23-25 ⁷ Gen 3:7; Zeph 3:11; Heb 4:16; 1 Jn 4:17-19 ⁸ Lk 16:15; Php 3:4-9

 

Article 24 - Our Sanctification and Good Works

We believe that this true faith, worked in man by the hearing of God’s Word and by the operation of the Holy Spirit,¹ regenerates him and makes him a new man.²  It makes him live a new life and frees him from the slavery of sin.³ Therefore it is not true that this justifying faith makes man indifferent to living a good and holy life.⁴  On the contrary, without it no one would ever do anything out of love for God,⁵ but only out of self-love or fear of being condemned.  It is therefore impossible for this holy faith to be inactive in man, for we do not speak of an empty faith but of what Scripture calls faith working through love (Gal 5:6).  This faith induces man to apply himself to those works which God has commanded in His Word.  These works, proceeding from the good root of faith, are good and acceptable in the sight of God, since they are all sanctified by His grace.  Nevertheless, they do not count toward our justification.  For through faith in Christ we are justified, even before we do any good works.⁶  Otherwise they could not be good any more than the fruit of a tree can be good unless the tree itself is good.⁷

Therefore we do good works, but not for merit.  For what could we merit?  We are indebted to God, rather than He to us, for the good works we do,⁸ since it is He who is at work in us, both to will and to work for His good pleasure (Php 2:13).  Let us keep in mind what is written: “So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Lk 17:10).  Meanwhile we do not deny that God rewards good works,⁹ but it is by His grace that He crowns His gifts.

Furthermore, although we do good works, we do not base our salvation on