Question 60: What is required in the third commandment?
Answer: The third commandment requires the holy and reverent use of God's name, titles, attributes, ordinances, words, and works.
Scripture: Psalm 29:2; 111:9; 138:2; Deuteronomy 32:1-4; 28:58-59; Matthew 6:9; Ecclesiastes 5:1; Job 36:24; Revelation 4:8; 15:3, 4.
Question 61: What is forbidden in the third commandment?
Answer: The third commandment forbids all profaning and abusing of anything whereby God makes himself known.
Scripture: Exodus 20:7; Malachi 1:6, 7; Leviticus 20:3; 19:12; Matthew 5:34-37; Isaiah 52:5.
Question 62: What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
Answer: The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.
Scripture: Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 28:58, 59; Malachi 2:2.
Question 63: Which is the fourth commandment?
Answer: The fourth commandment is, "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
Scripture: Exodus 20:8-11.
Question 64: What is required in the fourth commandment?
Answer: The fourth commandment requires the keeping holy to God such set times as he has appointed in his word, expressly one whole day in seven to be a holy Sabbath to himself.
Scripture: Leviticus 19:30; Deuteronomy 5:12.
Question 65: Which day of the seven has God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?
Answer: From the creation of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.
Scripture: Genesis 2:3; John 20:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1, 2; Revelation 1:10.
Question 66: How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?
Answer: One day in seven should be especially devoted to corporate worship and other spiritual exercises that restore the soul's rest in God and zeal for His name. It should provide physical refreshment and fit one for a week of devoted service to Christ.
Scripture: Leviticus 23:3; Isaiah 58:13, 14; Matthew 12:1-14; Mark 2:27; Romans 14:5-6.
Question 67: What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
Answer: The fourth commandment forbids dishonoring the Lord's Day by actions or thoughts that divert the soul from spiritual refreshment, or deprive the body of renewed energy or distract the mind from its special Sabbath focus on the Lord.
Scripture: Ezekiel 22:26; 23:38; Jeremiah 17:21; Nehemiah 13:15, 17; Acts 20:7; Mark 2:23-28; Romans 14:5-6.
Question 68: What are the reasons attached to the fourth commandment?
Answer: The reasons attached to the fourth commandment are, God's creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh and his blessing the Sabbath day.
Scripture: Exodus 20:9-11; 31:16, 17; Genesis 2:2, 3.
Question 69: Which is the 5th commandment?
Answer: The fifth commandment is, "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God gives thee."
Scripture: Exodus 20:12.
Question 70: What is required in the fifth commandment?
Answer: The fifth commandment requires that we preserve the honor and perform the duties which belong to every one in their various roles as authorities, subordinates or equals.
Scripture: Leviticus 19:32; 1 Peter 2:17; Romans 12:10; 13:1; Ephesians 5:21-22; 6:1, 5, 9; Colossians 3:19-22; 1 Thessalonians 5:12; Hebrews 13:7, 17.
Question 71: What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
Answer: The fifth commandment forbids neglecting or offending the honor and duty which belongs to every one in their various places and relations.
Scripture: Proverbs 30:17; Romans 13:7, 8.
Question 72: What is the reason added to the fifth commandment?
Answer: The reason added to the fifth commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve God's glory and their own good), to all who keep this commandment.
Scripture: Exodus 20:20; Ephesians 6:2, 3.
Question 73: What is the sixth commandment?
Answer: The sixth commandment is, "Thou shalt not kill."
Scripture: Exodus 20:13.
Question 74: What is required in the sixth commandment?
Answer: The sixth commandment requires all lawful efforts to preserve our own life and the life of others.
Scripture: Ephesians 5:29, 30; Psalm 82:3, 4; Proverbs 24:11, 12; Acts 16:28.
Question 75: What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
Answer: The sixth commandment forbids the taking of our own life, or the life of our neighbor unjustly, including whatever acts tend to this loss.
Scripture: Genesis 4:10, 11; 9:6; Matthew 5:21-26.
Question 76: Which is the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment is, "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
Scripture: Exodus 20:14.
Question 77: What is required in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment requires that we preserve our own and our neighbor's chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2; 2 Timothy 2:22; Matthew 5:28; 1 Peter 3:2.
Question 78: What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment forbids all unchaste thoughts, words and actions.
Scripture: Matthew 5:28-32; Job 31:1; Ephesians 5:3, 4; Romans 13:13; Colossians 4:6.
Question 79: Which is the eighth commandment?
Answer: The eighth commandment is, "Thou shalt not steal."
Scripture: Exodus 20:15.
Question 80: Which is required in the eighth commandment?
Answer: The eighth commandment requires that we pursue lawful and useful work to provide for our needs and for those unable to provide for themselves.
Scripture: Ephesians 4:28; Proverbs 27:23; Leviticus 25:35; Deuteronomy 15:10; 22:1-4.
Question 81: What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
Answer: The eighth commandment forbids whatever would unjustly withhold or diminish a person's possessions or attainments.
Scripture: Malachi 3:8; Ephesians 4:28; Romans 13:7.
Question 82: Which is the ninth commandment?
Answer: The ninth commandment is, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
Scripture: Exodus 20:16.
Question 83: What is required in the ninth commandment?
Answer: The ninth commandment requires that we maintain and promote truth between persons and that we preserve the good name of our neighbor and ourselves.
Scripture: Zechariah 8:16; Acts 25:10; Ecclesiastes 7:1; 3 John 12; Proverbs 14:5, 25.
Question 84: What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?
Answer: The ninth commandment forbids whatever dishonors truth, or injures our own, or our neighbor's good name.
Scripture: Ephesians 4:25; Psalm 15:3; 2 Corinthians 8:20, 21.
Question 85: What is the tenth commandment?
Answer: The tenth commandment is, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."
Scripture: Exodus 20:17.
Question 86: What is required in the tenth commandment?
Answer: The tenth commandment requires contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit towards our neighbor, and all that is his.
Scripture: Hebrews 13:5; 1 Timothy 6:6; Romans 12:15; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Leviticus 19:18.
Question 87: What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?
Answer: The tenth commandment forbids all murmuring over our own condition and all envying or grieving at the good of our neighbor, and all inordinate affections for anything that is his.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:10; James 5:9; Galatians 5:26; Colossians 3:5.
Question 88: Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
Answer: No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily falls short of inward and outward perfection.
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:20; Genesis 6:5; 8:21; 1 John 1:8; James 3:2, 8; Romans 3:23; 7:15; Philippians 3:12.
Question 89: What then is the purpose of the law since the fall?
Answer: The purpose of the law, since the fall, is to reveal the perfect righteousness of God, that his people may know the path of faith that leads to life, and that the ungodly may be convicted of their sin, restrained from evil, and brought to Christ for salvation.
Scripture: Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 3:20, 31; 7:7; 8:13; 9:32; 12:2; Titus 2:12-14; Galatians 3:22, 24; 1 Timothy 1:8; Luke 10:25-28.
Question 90: Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
Answer: Some sins in themselves and by reason of several aggravations are more heinous in the sight of God than others.
Scripture: Ezekiel 8:13; John 19:11; 1 John 5:16.
Question 91: What does every sin deserve?
Answer: Every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come.
Scripture: Ephesians 5:6; Galatians 3:10; Proverbs 3:33; Psalm 11:6; Revelation 21:8.
Question 92: What does God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
Answer: To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption.
Scripture: Acts 20:21; 16:30, 31; 17:30.
Question 93: What is faith in Jesus Christ?
Answer: Faith in Jesus Christ is saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, trusting him to forgive our sins, and guide us to eternal joy, on the basis of his divine power and atoning death.
Scripture: Hebrews 10:39; John 1:12; 6:35; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:15-16, 20; Matthew 14:31.
Question 94: What is repentance unto life?
Answer: Repentance unto life is a saving grace, by which a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it to God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.
Scripture: Acts 2:37; Joel 2:13; Jeremiah 31:18, 19; 2 Corinthians 7:10, 11; Romans 6:18.
Question 95: What are the outward and ordinary means by which Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption?
Answer: The outward and ordinary means by which Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the Word, Baptism, the Lord's Supper and Prayer; all of which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.
Scripture: Romans 10:17; James 1:18; 1 Corinthians 3:5; Acts 14:1; 2:41, 42.
Question 96: How is the Word made effective for salvation?
Answer: The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith unto salvation.
Scripture: Psalm 19:7; 119:11, 18; 1 Thessalonians 1:6; 1 Peter 2:1, 2; Romans 1:16.
Question 97: How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effective for salvation?
Answer: That the Word may become effective for salvation we must attend to it with diligence, preparation and prayer, receive it in faith and love, lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives.
Scripture: Proverbs 8:34; 1 Peter 2:1, 2; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 2:1, 3; 4:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; Psalm 119:11; James 1:21, 25.
Question 98: How do Baptism and the Lord's Supper become effective means of salvation?
Answer: Baptism and the Lord's Supper become effective means of salvation, not from any virtue in them or in him that administers them, but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in those who by faith receive them.
Scripture: 1 Peter 3:21; 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7; 12:13.
Question 99: How do Baptism and the Lord's Supper differ from the other ordinances of God?
Answer: Baptism and the Lord's Supper differ from the other ordinances of God in that they were specially instituted by Christ to represent and apply to believers the benefits of the new covenant by visible and outward signs.
Scripture: Acts 22:16; Matthew 26:26-28; 28:19; Romans 6:4.
Question 100: What is Baptism?
Answer: Baptism is a holy ordinance, in which immersion in the water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, signifies our being joined to Christ and our sharing the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord's.
Scripture: Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:27.