The Importance of Catechisms:

I have recently been reading several books which highlight the importance of the Gospel, the need to preach the Gospel to ourselves daily and the importance of catechizing (asking questions and providing the answer) ourselves to remind us of the Gospel. This morning in my quiet time I was reading Romans 8:31-39 and everything clicked. Allow me to walk you through my process this morning. As you read Romans 8:3-39, look for the question marks.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “for your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What you’ve just read may be one of the first Christian catechisms. Paul sets up seven questions (in ten verses) and gives the answers. What is he doing? He is catechizing us. His seven questions can be distilled into four main questions:

Question 1: Why should I not doubt God’s love and care for me? (v. 31-32)
Answer: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Question 2: How come charges will not stand against me? (v.33)
Answer: It is God who justifies.

Question 3: Can I ever be condemned? (v. 34)
Answer: Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

Question 4: Can anything separate me from the love of Christ? Will I ever be unloved by God? (v.37-39)
Answer: No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul is giving us a gospel-centered catechism. The questions are helpful, but the answers are the weapon we need. What weapon does Paul give when we fear condemnation? Read our Bible more? Pray harder? None of these. Stand-alone spiritual disciplines are just vehicles that help us draw near to God. They aren’t the answer to a struggling heart; rather, they take us to the answer. Each question is answered with a gospel treasure. And it always comes back to God’s love.

The Romans 8 passage lauds God’s love four times in three verses. God wants you to know and feel his love. Why else frame every answer with it? You can never feel too loved by God. Are you sure of his love? That’s the point of the catechism: to be sure. Preach to yourself the immeasurable, matchless bounty of God’s love for you. Here’s a responsive reading, based on Romans 8:31-39, that can assist you in catechizing yourself with the Gospel.

I struggle to believe God’s love and care for me. Is there hope?

God is for me. No one can stand against God’s plan for me. He didn’t spare his Son but gave him up for us all, and that includes me. So how will he not also with him graciously give me all things?
Is it true that God won’t case me aside? I’ve done some bad things; I’ll never be good enough.
No one can condemn me, for Jesus died in my place. More than that, he is alive-and he reigns over my life and is interceding for me.

My life is heavy; things aren’t going as I planned. I thought God loved me.

Nothing can separate me from God’s love. Trouble, distress, persecution, poverty, danger, and death cannot remove me from God’s grace. In all these things, I am more than a conqueror through him who loved me.

Satan prowls around me. I’ve sinned too much. I’ve sinned too big. I’m nervous about my future.

I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.

Christian, may you preach these precious truths to yourself every day.