Westminster Catechism For Kids

Westminster Shorter Catechism Lesson #1
Question #1: What is the chief end of man?
Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.
Practice:
What does 'chief end' mean? 'Chief end' means main purpose. The main
purpose of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
Why does the catechism say 'man'? What about women? The word 'man'
in the catechism is talking about all humans—men, women, and children. The
main purpose of all people is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
Fill in the blanks:
What is your main purpose? My main purpose is to ____________________
___________ and to ___________________ Him forever.
How long will you enjoy God? _____________________________

Practice:
The Catechism summarizes the Bible in a way that is easy to understand and
remember.
Let's find out where the Bible says that our main purpose is to glorify God.
I Corinthians 10:31: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for
the glory of God.
This verse tells us that whatever we do, we should always do it for the glory of
God.
Let's find out where the Bible says that our other main purpose is to enjoy God
forever.
Psalm 73:25-26: Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I
desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of
my heart and my portion forever.
The songwriter says in this psalm that even if he is weak or afraid, he knows that
God is with him always. We can see how much he loves and enjoys God
because he says that the whole earth has nothing that he wants as much as he
wants God.
Can you think of any other Bible verse that talks about glorifying or enjoying
God?
Practice:
Answer: Man's chief end is to ______________________ ____________,
and to ________________________ ___________ ____________________.
Think about how you glorify or enjoy God.
Draw a picture:
Practice:
Answer: Man's chief end is to ______________________ ____________,
and to ________________________ ___________ ____________________.
Some people think that the main purpose of life is to get a lot of money or other
fun things. Why are they wrong?
Let's look at a story that Jesus told about this (Luke 12: 16-21):
The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself,
'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' Then he said, 'This is what
I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all
my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things
laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." But God said to
him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will
get what you have prepared for yourself?' This is how it will be with anyone who
stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.
Was it wrong for the rich man to build a bigger barn? __________
Who made the rich man? ________________
Who gave him the good crops? ____________________
Who decided when the rich man would die? __________________
Did the rich man glorify God? ______________
Why did God call the rich man a fool? ________________________________

Practice:
Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.
Question #2: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and
enjoy Him?
Answer: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.
Practice:
enjoy Him?
What is the Word of God/the Scriptures? The Bible.
Who wrote the Bible? Holy men who were taught by the Holy Spirit.
Why does the catechism say 'hath'? 'Hath' is an old-fashioned way of saying
'has'. The question could be said like this, “What rule has God given to direct
and teach us in how to glorify and enjoy Him?”
Fill in the blanks:
Can we do whatever we want and call it glorifying God? ___________
What did God give us to teach us how to glorify and enjoy Him? ____________
We call the Bible the Word of God. What else do we call it? _______________
Practice:
enjoy Him?
Let's find out where the Bible says that Scripture is our guide to glorifying and
enjoying God.
Ephesians 2:20: built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with
Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
The apostles and the prophets are the holy men who were taught by the Holy
Spirit. They wrote the Bible for us as God commanded them. We read it to
learn how to glorify and enjoy God. This verse compares it to a house, where
the foundation is words of the apostles and prophets, and we are added on later
built on the foundation that is firm and headed up by God Himself—Christ Jesus,
the cornerstone.
2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,

rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
This verse tells us that all Scripture (both the Old Testament and New
Testament) is from God, so much so that it is like He breathed it out on us. And
it is useful for teaching people, training them to do right, and correcting them
when they go the wrong way or don't obey God like they should.
I John 1:3: We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also
may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his
Son, Jesus Christ.
John was one of the apostles, the holy men who wrote the Scriptures by the
teaching of the Holy Spirit. Here he tells us that the things that he wrote were
things that he saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears. He had
known Jesus when Jesus walked the earth, and he saw the miracles that Jesus
did and heard His teaching.
Practice:
enjoy Him?
Answer: The __________ ___ _______, which is contained in the Scriptures of
the ________ and ________ Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we
may _____________ and ___________ Him.
Do you know your books of the Bible?
Let's study them! We are going to memorize this poem. It is long, but don't
worry. We don't have to memorize it all at once. We will work on it a little at a
time. The books of the Bible are underlined, and the poem helps you
understand what each book is about.
Old Testament
In Genesis, the world was made

In Exodus, the march is told
Leviticus contains the law;
In Numbers are the tribes enrolled.
In Deuteronomy again,
We’re urged to keep God’s law alone;
And these five Books of Moses make
The oldest holy writing known.
******
Brave Joshua to Canaan leads;
In Judges, oft the Jews rebel;
We read of David’s name in Ruth
And First and Second Samuel.
In First and Second Kings we read

How bad the Hebrew state became;
In First and Second Chronicles
Another history of the same.
In Ezra, captive Jews return,

And Nehemiah builds the wall;
Queen Esther saves her race from death.
These books “Historical” we call.
*****
In Job we read of patient faith;

In Psalms are David’s songs of praise;
The Proverbs are to make us wise;
Ecclesiastes next portrays,
How fleeting earthly pleasures are;

The Song of Solomon is all
About true love, like Christ’s; and these
Five books “Devotional” we call.
******
Isaiah tells of Christ to come,

While Jeremiah tells of woe,
And in his Lamentations mourns
The Holy City’s overthrow.
Ezekiel speaks of mysteries;

And Daniel foretells kings of old;
Hosea over Israel grieves;
In Joel blessings are foretold.
In Amos, too, are Israel’s woes;
And Obadiah’s sent to warn;
While Jonah shows that Christ should die
And Micah where he should be born.
In Nahum Nineveh is seen;

Habakkuk tells of Chaldea’s guilt;
In Zephaniah are Judah’s sins;
In Haggai the Temple’s built.
Then Zechariah speaks of Christ,

And Malachi, his sign;
The prophets number seventeen,

And all the books are thirty-nine.
New Testament
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Tell what Christ did in every place;
The Acts tell what the Apostles did,
And Romans how we’re saved by grace.
Corinthians instruct the Church;

Galatians show us faith alone;
Ephesians, true love, and in
Philippians God’s grace is shown.
Colossians tells us more of Christ,

And Thessalonians of the end;
In Timothy and Titus both
Are rules for pastors to attend.
Philemon, Christian friendship shows.
Then Hebrews clearly tell how all
The Jewish law prefigured Christ;
And these Epistles are by Paul.
James shows that faith by works must live,

And Peter urges steadfastness;
While John exhorts to Christian love,
For those who have it God will bless.
Jude shows the end of evil men,

And Revelation tells of Heaven.
This ends the whole New Testament
And all the books are twenty-seven
Does that seem overwhelming? Work on it a little at a time. When you

memorize it, you will get a prize!
Practice:
enjoy Him?
Answer: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.
Question #3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning

God, and what duty God requires of man.
Practice:
Answer:
What does 'principally' mean? Principally means 'mostly'. The Bible teaches
a lot of things, but mostly it focuses on what people should believe about God
and how we should obey God.
What is 'duty'? A 'duty' is something that we must do in order to do the right

thing. For example, it is the duty of a father to take care of his children. And it is
the duty of all people to obey God according to what the Bible teaches us.
Fill in the blanks:
The Scriptures mostly teach what we should ______________ about God and
and what __________________ God requires of us.
The Scriptures include the __________ Testament and the ______________

Testament.
Practice:
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to ____________
concerning ____________, and what ____________ ________ ____________
of man.
Think back to some of the Bible stories. Do you remember the Ten
Commandments? What is an example of a duty that God requires in the Ten
Commandments?
Draw a picture:
Practice:
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning

God, and what duty God requires of man.
And keep practicing your Bible poem!

Question #4: What is God?
Answer: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being,

wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Practice:
This is a VERY important Catechism question because it tells us the attributes

of God. In other words, it tells us what God is like. Is He weak? Is He evil?
No, the Bible tells us clearly that God is strong and good and wise. He always
does the right thing, and He always speaks the truth.
But this Catechism question can be a little difficult to understand. So let's take it
one piece at a time.
What does 'infinite' mean? 'Infinite' means that something is so big that there
is no end to it.
What does 'eternal' mean? 'Eternal' means that something always existed and
always will exist.
What does 'unchangeable' mean? 'Unchangeable' means that something

cannot be changed.
The Catechism applies each of these characteristics to the attributes of God.

So each of the things about God's nature (being, wisdom, power, holiness,
justice, goodness, and truth) are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable.
The graph below will help you understand this:
infinite eternal unchangeable

being Infinite being: God is so Eternal being: God has Unchangeable being: God
big that nothing can always existed and will does not change he will never
contain Him. There is no always exist. get smaller or become
place without God. something else.
wisdom Infinite wisdom: God Eternal wisdom: God Unchangeable wisdom:

knows everything. He has always known God's wisdom does not
always makes good everything and will always change. He does not forget
decisions. know everything. things.
power Infinite power: God is so Eternal power: God has Unchangeable power:
strong that He can do always been strong and God's power does not
anything. He will always be strong. change. He is not strong
sometimes and weak
sometimes.
holiness Infinite holiness: God Eternal holiness: God Unchangeable holiness:
never sins. He always has never sinned and He God's holiness does not
does the right thing. will never sin. change. He will never
become sinful.
justice Infinite justice: God is Eternal justice: God has Unchangeable justice: God
always fair in His always been fair and He will never change to become
decisions. will always be fair. In the unfair.
end, He will make
everything right.
goodness Infinite goodness: God's Eternal goodness: God Unchangeable goodness:
goodness is endless. He has always been good, God will never change in His
is always good in and He will always be goodness. He will never
everything He does. good. become evil. He will always
be good.
truth Infinite truth: God never Eternal truth: God has Unchangeable truth: God
lies. He always speaks always been truthful, and will never change, and His
the truth. We can always He will always be truthful. Word never changes. We
believe what He says. can always trust God.
If you are afraid, what can you remember about God?
__________________________________________________
In the Garden of Eden, the serpant told Eve that she should not believe what
God said about the fruit of the tree. What should Eve have remembered about
God?
Sometimes people do bad things and they think God will not do anything about
it. What should they remember about God?
Practice:
Answer: God is a Spirit, infinite, __________, and unchangeable,
in His being, ___________, power, _______________, justice,
goodness, and ________________.
Let's look at some of the Bible verses that talk about the attributes of God. After
each verse, fill in the attribute to which it is referring.
John 4:24: God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
God is a ______________, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being,

Job 11:7: Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the
Almighty?
God is a Spirit, ___________, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being, wisdom,

power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Psalm 90:2: Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and
the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
God is a Spirit, infinite, _____________, and unchangeable, in His being,

James 1:17: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the
Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and ________________, in His being, wisdom,

power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Exodus 3:14: God said to Moses, "I am who I am. This is what you are to say to
the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His ________________,
Psalm 147:5: Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no
limit.
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being,
_____________, _____________, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.
Exodus 34: 5-7: Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with
him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. And he passed in front of Moses,
proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow
to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and
forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty
unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers
to the third and fourth generation."
God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being,
wisdom, power, holiness, ____________, _____________, and ____________.

Practice:
Answer: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being,

Question #5: Are there more Gods than one?
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God.
Practice:
This is an easy Catechism question with no big words! It is simple. There is

only one God, the living and true one. Any other gods that people worship do
not really exist.
Thought question: Sometimes Christians are afraid to see a picture of an idol

because they think it might hurt them.
Will it hurt them? _____________________
Why should they not be afraid? _____________________________
But should they worship the idol? ________________________
Why or why not?

Practice:
I Kings 18 tells a wonderful story about the people of Israel. They were not
convinced whether God was the one true God or whether Baal was God. They
kept worshipping Baal, because the people who lived around them worshipped
Baal. So Elijah, the prophet of God, called the people to meet with him.
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two
opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.
Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's prophets left, but
Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. Get two bulls for us. Let them choose
one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not
set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to
it. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the
LORD. The god who answers by fire—he is God."
Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first,
since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light
the fire." So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. "O Baal, answer
us!" they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they
danced around the altar they had made.
At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god!
Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and
must be awakened." So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with
swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. Midday
passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the
evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid
attention.
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come here to me." They came to him, and he
repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. Elijah took twelve stones,
one for each of the tribes descended from Jacob, to whom the word of the
LORD had come, saying, "Your name shall be Israel." With the stones he built
an altar in the name of the LORD, and he dug a trench around it large enough to
hold two seahs of seed. He arranged the wood, cut the bull into pieces and laid
it on the wood. Then he said to them, "Fill four large jars with water and pour it
on the offering and on the wood."
"Do it again," he said, and they did it again.

"Do it a third time," he ordered, and they did it the third time. The water ran down
around the altar and even filled the trench.
At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "O
LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are
God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your
command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that
you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones
and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is
God! The LORD -he is God!"
Do you think the prophets of Baal really thought Baal was a god? Why or why
not?
Why did Elijah pour water on the altar?
How easy was it for God to send fire from heaven? Did Elijah have to do
anything crazy?
Sometimes people think that if they jump around and shout enough, that will
make God do something. Are they right? Did Elijah do that?
Who won? Why?

Practice:
Let's look at some of the Bible verses that tell us that there is only one God.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength.
In Hebrew (the original language of the Old Testament Scriptures), this is called
the Sh'ma, and it is very famous. It looks like this (remember that Hebrew reads
from right to left):
‫לֹהינוּ יְיָ ֶא ָחד‬

ֵ ‫ָאל יְיָ ֱא‬
ֵ ‫ִשׂר‬
ְ ‫שׁ ַמע י‬
ְ
It is pronounced like this (and Mom can help you with this):
Sh'ma Yishrael: Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad
We will practice saying this until you remember it easily. But don't worry if you
don't get it right away. Hebrew is hard!
Here is another Bible verse about God being the one living and true God:
Jeremiah 10:10: But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal
King. When He is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure His
wrath.
What is 'wrath'? 'Wrath' is an old word that means 'anger'. This verse is saying
that God is so powerful that whole nations of people cannot stand up to Him.
He is sovereign; He rules over everyone and everything.
Practice:
Answer: There is but one only, the living and true God.
Question #6: How many persons are there in the Godhead?
Answer: There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power
and glory.
Practice:
Is the Father God? _________________
Is the Son God? __________________
Is the Holy Spirit God? __________________
How many Gods are there? _________________
How many person in the Godhead? _________________
Who is the Son? __________________________

Practice:
Answer: There are ___________ persons in the Godhead: the
_____________, the ____________, and the _____________________; and
these ____________ are ______________ God, the same in substance,
equal in _____________ and ____________________.
This three-in-one concept is called the Trinity. It is not easy to understand. In

fact, it is what we call a mystery. This means that we realize that we do not
understand everything about God, but we believe what He tells us about
Himself. If we cannot quite understand how God can be one God and three
persons, then it is because our minds are small compared to God. He knows
everything, and He understands everything, but we do not. But we trust God
that what He says is true.
In the early days of the church, many people were confused about theTrinity.
Some people thought that Jesus was not God or that He had not always existed.
Finally, the church held a council at Nicaea in 325 AD to try to understand this
better. The main views were held by Arius and Athanaseus. Arius argued that
Jesus had not always existed but that God had created Him out of nothing and
that He was of a different substance than God. Athanaseus was the hero of
orthodoxy. He explained that Jesus is the same substance as God the Father
and the Holy Spirit and that He is eternal and equal in power and glory with the
Father and Holy Spirit. And why did Athanaseus believe this? Because Jesus
said so (John 8:58), and if Jesus was not what He said He was, then He could
not have saved us all from our sins. Athanaseus believed God's Word, and he
knew that even if he didn't quite understand everything about the Trinity, he still
could always trust God.
The Nicene Council discussed each of the views and finally concluded that
Athanaseus was correct. They wrote a creed that explains the doctrine of the
Trinity and condemns Arius's views (you don't have to memorize this creed, but
it is good to read it so you know what it says):
Nicene Creed (325 AD)
We believe in one God the Father Almighty,

Maker of all things visible and invisible;
and in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only begotten of the Father,
that is, of the substance of the Father,
God of God,
light of light,
true God of true God,
begotten not made,
of the same substance with the Father,
through whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth;
who for us men and our salvation descended,
was incarnate, and was made man,
suffered and rose again the third day,
ascended into heaven,
and cometh to judge the living and the dead.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit.
Those who say:
There was a time when He was not,
and He was not before He was made;
and that He was made out of nothing;
or who maintain that He is of another substance
or essence than the Father,
or that the Son of God is created,
or changeable, or alterable--
these the church condemns.
There is another Nicene Creed written later, but this one was written and signed
specifically by and for the council held in 325 AD. Notice that it specifically
condemns Arius and those who held his view, and it states that Jesus is the
same substance as the Father and that He is God.
Questions:
The doctrine that teaches that God is one but three persons is called the
_______________________.
At the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, the proper view of the Trinity was
represented by __________________________.
Practice:
Answer: There are ____________ _______________ in the ______________:
the Father, the Son, and the ____________ ___________; and these three are
one God, the same in ______________, _______________ in power and glory.
Let's look at a Bible verses that speaks of the Trinity.
Matthew 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
In this verse, we are told how we are to be baptized. Do you remember your
baptism? What were the words that your pastor spoke when he sprinkled the
water on your head? (If you don't remember, check your baptism certificate).
What did this baptism mean?

Practice:
Answer: There are three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power
and glory.
Westminster Catechism Lesson #7
Question #7: What are the decrees of God?
Answer: The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel
of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes
to pass.
Practice:
This is another very important Catechism question with a lot of big words!
Do you remember what 'eternal' means? If not, look back at Lesson #4:
Eternal means __________________________________________________
So let's consider the first piece of the catechism answer:
The decrees of God are His eternal purpose.
This means that the decrees of God are purposes that last forever and ever.
He always determines what will happen.
Now we will consider the next portion.
What does 'counsel' mean? The word 'counsel' means 'opinion' or 'advice' or
'plan'.
What does 'will' mean? Will means 'desire' or 'choice'.
So let's put this together:
The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His
will.
This means that the decrees of God are purposes that last forever and ever,
and He decides these things according to what He wants. God does not go
around asking people what they think about His decisions or whether something
is a good idea. He makes all of the decisions Himself. Remember that God is
infinitely wise, so all of His decisions are good decisions.
What does 'whereby' mean? 'Whereby' is an old word that means that this is
how something happens.
What does 'fore-ordained' mean? 'Fore' is short for 'before', and 'ordained'
means something is decided by God. So 'fore-ordained' means that God
decides things before they happen.
What does 'whatsoever' mean? 'Whatsoever' means 'everything'.
What do we mean when we say that something 'comes to pass'? If we say

that something comes to pass, we mean that it happens.
Okay, now we know what all the words mean, so let's put the whole sentence
together.
The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel of His
will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes to
pass.
This means that the decrees of God are purposes that last forever and ever,
and He decides these things according to what He wants, and this is how (for
His glory) He has decided everything before it happens.
We often refer to this as the sovereignty of God. God is king over all the
universe and beyond. He rules over everything, and He decides everything
before it happens. Everything happens because God already decreed that it
will happen.
Questions:
How long do God's purposes last? ____________________
Why does God make the decisions that He makes? ______________________
Who does God ask for advice about His decisions? ______________________
How many things does God decide before they happen? __________________
What do we mean when we talk about the 'sovereignty of God'?

Answer: The _______________ _____ ___________ are His ______________
purpose, according to the ____________ of His will, whereby, for His own
_________________, He hath __________________________whatsoever
comes to pass.
Let's look at a Bible verse that talk about the decrees of God.
Ephesians 1:11-12: In Him we were also chosen, having been predestined

according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the
purpose of His will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might
be for the praise of His glory.
This verse tells us that we were chosen by God and given salvation in Christ,
because God decided it, according to His own plan and purpose, so that we
would glorify God.
Remember from Lesson #1: What is your main purpose?
According to Ephesians 1:11-12, what has God done so that we might be for the
praise of His glory?
Those that God chose for salvation in Christ are called His elect.
Let's read the next verse in Ephesians 1:
Ephesians 1:13: And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him
with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.
Are you elect? ____________
How do you know that you are elect? ________________________________
The apostle Peter wrote a letter to the elect as he was taught by the Holy Spirit.
He sent his letter specifically to believers in certain places called Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. Here is how he began the letter:
I Peter 1:1-2: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the
foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for
obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
'Foreknowledge' means that something is known before it happens. 'Sprinkling

of His blood' refers to sins being forgiven through the blood of Christ. Peter is
telling all of those elect that they were chosen by God through the work of the
Holy Spirit that changes their hearts, and that God knew this and decided it
before it happened.
According to this Bible verse, what should the elect do because they are chosen
by God? ______________________________________________________
Are you elect because you obey God? ___________________
Why are you elect? _________________________________________

Who changes your heart so that you are sorry for your sins?________________
Why do you want to obey God? ________________________
God chose you and forgave your sins through the blood of Christ, so what
should you do?
Answer: The decrees of ___________ are His eternal __________________,
according to the _________________ _____ ________ _____________,
whereby, for His own _____________________, He hath fore-ordained
_____________________ ______________ ______ ________________.
Do you remember the story of Joseph?
The book of Genesis tells a story of a young man named Joseph. The story
begins when Joseph was seventeen years old and lived with his eleven brothers
and his father Jacob (also called Israel) in the land of Canaan.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to
him in his old age; and he made a richly ornamented robe for him. When his brothers
saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not
speak a kind word to him.
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He
said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the
field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered
around mine and bowed down to it."
His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?"
And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had
another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to
me."
When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is
this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow
down to the ground before you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept
the matter in mind.
Now his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to
Joseph, "As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am
going to send you to them."
"Very well," he replied.
So he said to him, "Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and
bring word back to me." Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron.
When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and
asked him, "What are you looking for?"
He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their
flocks?"
"They have moved on from here," the man answered. "I heard them say, 'Let's go to
Dothan.' "
So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan. But they saw him in the
distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and
throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then
we'll see what comes of his dreams."
When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. "Let's not take his
life," he said. "Don't shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the desert, but
don't lay a hand on him." Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to
his father.
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly
ornamented robe he was wearing- and they took him and threw him into the cistern.
Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites
coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they
were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his
blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he
is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the
cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to
Egypt.
When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his
clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, "The boy isn't there! Where can I turn
now?"
Then they got Joseph's robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They
took the ornamented robe back to their father and said, "We found this. Examine it to see
whether it is your son's robe."
He recognized it and said, "It is my son's robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured
him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces."
Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his
sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. "No," he said,
"in mourning will I go down to the grave to my son." So his father wept for him.
Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh's officials,
the captain of the guard.
The book of Genesis tells us many things that happened to Joseph after he was
taken to Egypt. He was a slave for a while, and then he was falsely accused of
a crime, and he went to prison for a long time. But God was with Joseph
through everything, and eventually, the Pharoah released Joseph from prison
and made him a great man in Egypt, second only to the Pharoah himself.
Later Joseph's brothers traveled to Egypt because there was no food in Canaan.
When they realized that Joseph was a powerful man in Egypt, they were afraid
that he was going to take revenge on them for selling him as a slave. Joseph
said that he forgave them, and he took care of them and their families and gave
them food, but his brothers were still worried that maybe he was only waiting
until their father died before he showed how angry he was.
So when Jacob died, here is what happened:
When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds
a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?" So they sent
word to Joseph, saying, "Your father left these instructions before he died: 'This is what
you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they
committed in treating you so badly.' Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the
God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept. His brothers then
came and threw themselves down before him. "We are your slaves," they said.
But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to
harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving
of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And
he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Was it a sin for Joseph's brothers to sell him as a slave? _____________
Did God plan for them to sell Joseph as a slave? ____________
How do you know that God planned it? ________________________________

Does this mean that God sinned? _____________
Why or why not? _________________________________________________
Did Joseph always have a good life in Egypt? _________________
Do you think it hurt Joseph to be put in prison for a long time for something that
wasn't his fault? _________________
Does this mean that God had forgotten Joseph? ________________
How did Joseph explain to his brothers about God's decrees?

Let's read another Bible verse about this:
Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those
who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.
This verse tells us that no matter what happens, God is working things out for
the good of His elect … and that includes you!
We are going to practice this verse until you can easily remember it. It is very
important to always remember that God works everything for good. Even if we
do not understand His plan, we can always trust that He will do what is right.
Answer: The _______________ of God are His ________________
____________________, according to the counsel of His ________________,
_________________, for ___________ own glory, He hath fore-ordained
whatsoever comes to ___________.
When we talk about the will of God, we are talking about what God wants to
happen. Do thing always happen the way God wants them to happen?
Well, yes and no. It depends on what we mean by that.
There are two way that we talk about the will of God.
God's Revealed Will
Let consider an example. Have you ever sinned? Of course you have. Did you
ever tell a lie or yell at your sister or disobey your mom or dad? Everybody has
done these things sometimes.
Did God want you to do those bad things? ______________
How do you know God doesn't want you to sin?
God tells us what He wants us to do in the Bible, and so this is called God's
revealed will, because God has revealed to us (this means that He showed us)
how He wants us to live.
But do we always do what God tells us to do?
____________
So is God's revealed will always done? ____________
God's Decretal Will
But now let's think of what our Catechism says about God's decrees.
Who decides what happens? ______________
Does God decide when good things happen? ______________
Does God decide when bad things happen? ______________
Did God plan everything that you do? ____________
Does this mean that God plans even when people do bad things? __________
(If you aren't sure, think about Joseph's brothers selling him as a slave. Did
Joseph believe that God planned for his brothers to do that?)
According to our Catechism, God fore-ordains everything according to the

counsel of His will.
This concept of the will of God is called God's decretal will, because it is
referring to God's decrees.
The decretal will of God is always done. When people do not obey the
revealed will of God, this is STILL part of the decretal will of God. This
means that everything that happens is part of God's overall plan, including good
things and bad things and things that aren't necessarily either good or bad.
The graph below will help you understand.
Are there things that are NOT in the revealed will of God?_________________
Which things are NOT in the revealed will of God? _______________________

Is there anything that is NOT in the decretal will of God? _________________
Why is there nothing outside of the decretal will of God?
Next to each of the sentences below, write whether it is referring to the decretal
will of God or the revealed will of God.
______________ 1. God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit from a tree in
the Garden of Eden.
______________ 2. God gave Abraham and Sarah a son.
______________ 3. The Sixth Commandment says, “You shall not kill.”
______________ 4. Jesus was killed on the cross as part of God's plan of

salvation.
______________ 5. You are a Christian because God chose you as one of

His elect.
______________ 6. The Bible tells you to love God with all your heart, soul,
mind, and strength.
Write an example of something that the Bible tells you that you should do.
This is (circle one) the revealed will of God the decretal will of God
If you obey this commandment, are you in the decretal will of God? ________
If you DON'T obey this commandment, are you in the decretal will of God?
___________
How do you know whether something is in the revealed will of God?
How do you know whether something is in the decretal will of God?
What is outside of the decretal will of God? ____________________

Thought Question:
Sometimes people think that if they sin, they have messed up God's plan for
their life. Is this true? Why or why not?
Remember:
The commandments that God gives us in the Bible are the _______________
will of God,
BUT
EVERYTHING is part of God's plan and happens according to His eternal
decrees (the ___________________ will of God).

Practice:
Answer: The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, according to the counsel
of His will, whereby, for His own glory, He hath fore-ordained whatsoever comes
to pass.
Question #8: How doth God execute His decrees?
Answer: God executeth His decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Practice:
Why does the catechism say 'doth'? 'Doth' is an old word that means 'does'.
It could read 'How does God execute His decrees?'
Why does the catechism say 'execute'? In old language, 'execute' means
'work'. Today, the word 'execute' means 'kill', so don't get that confused! This
question could read, 'How does God work his decrees?' In other words, how
does He put His plans into action?
The answer tells us that God puts His plans into action through the works of
____________________ and _____________________.
What is creation? Creation is making things. God works out His plan by
making things.
What is providence? Providence is providing for things, giving them what they
need to live and do well.
God not only makes us, but He gives us everything that we need.
Answer: God executeth His decrees in the works of __________________ and
___________________ .
Let's look at some Bible verses about God's works of creation and providence.
Revelation 4:11: You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor
and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they were created and
have their being.
What has God created? _______________________________________
Here is what Jesus tells us about providence:

Matthew 6: 25-34: Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you
will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell
you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow
is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So
do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What
shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly
Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own.
What are pagans? ___________________________________________

What do the pagans worry about that we should not worry about?
Why do we not need to worry?
Jesus gives two examples of ways that God provides for His creatures. What
are these examples?
Practice:
Answer: God executeth His decrees in the works of creation and providence.
Question #9: What is the work of creation?
Answer: The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word
of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.
Practice:
What did God use to make everything? _______________________
How did He create all things? _____________________________________
God is good, and all things that He made are ______________.

Practice:
Answer: The work of ______________ is, God's ________________ all things
of ________________, by the word of His ________________, in the space of
_____________ days, and all very _________________.
Let's read about God's work of creation.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was
formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of
God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there
was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the
darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And
there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water
from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the
expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky."
And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry
ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the
gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees
on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it
was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their
kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God
saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third
day.
And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day
from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and
years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the
earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the
day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set
them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and
the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above
the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of
the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according
to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it
was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and
fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was
evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds:
livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each
according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to
their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move
along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them
rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all
the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the
earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and
over every living creature that moves on the ground."
Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole
earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures
that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give
every green plant for food." And it was so.
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening,
and there was morning—the sixth day.
This is a beautiful, beautiful story, so lovely and simple that there is very little
that your Mom can think to say about it. The language in Hebrew is almost like
a lovely poem that paints a picture. If you close your eyes while you listen to the
words, you can almost see it.
In the beginning, the eternal God was already there. And there was nothing but
darkness and deep water, and the Spirit of God hovered over the surface of the
water. And then (hold your breath and think of it), God said:
‫ְהי אוֹר‬
ִ‫י‬
(Pronounced 'ye-hi or': Let there be light).
And suddenly there was light!
What was the order of God's creation?
Day 1: __________________________________________
Day 2: __________________________________________
Day 3: __________________________________________
Day 4: __________________________________________
Day 5: __________________________________________
Day 6: __________________________________________
And what did God do on the seventh day?
Who was made in the image of God?

Answer: The _______________ of _______________ is, God's making
____________ things of nothing, by the _______________ of _________
____________, in the space of ______________ ____________, and all
______________ ______________.
What is a heresy?
A heresy is a wrong teaching about God. Heresies can be dangerous because

they can lead people into wrong understandings of God and of the world.
A heretic is a person who teaches heresy (wrong ideas about God). We have
talked about one heretic already. Do you remember Arius from Lesson #5?
What was Arius's heresy?
Let's look at another heresy.
Gnostic heresy
Another wrong idea that some people taught about God was called gnosticism.
These people believed that matter (stuff that you can see and touch) was all bad
and evil, and that only invisible things (spirits) are good. They believed that we
become saved by learning higher knowledge about the universe, so that we can
sort of 'rise above' our bodies and the other material things of the world to find
new spiritual levels.
How do we know that this is a wrong idea? Let's look at Genesis 1.
When God made the world, what did He say about it?
Did God create bad things at all?
Did God say that spirits and invisible things were better?
Everything that God created was _________________.

Practice:
Answer: The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word
of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good.
Question #10: How did God create man?
Answer: God created man male and female, after His own image, in
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
Practice:
In this catechism question, you can see clearly that the word 'men' in older
English refers to both men and women. It says that God created 'man' both
male and female, both men and women.
Why the catechism say that God created man 'after His own image'? This
means that God created men and women in some ways like Himself. We are
not God, but we are made to be like Him in some ways. Notice that we are the
only things God made like Himself. The plants are not like Him and the animals
are not like Him and the stars are not like Him. But we are created to be like
Him.
How did God make man like Himself? God created men and women to be
like Him in knowledge (what they know), righteousness (doing the right things),
holiness (not sinning), and with dominion over the creatures (ruling over the
other things that God had made).
We will talk about these things more in the next part of this lesson.
Practice:
Answer:
God created man ______________ and _____________ , after His own
________________ , in knowledge, _________________ , and holiness, with
dominion over the ________________.
Let's find out what the Bible says about God making us in His image.
Genesis 1:27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he
created him; male and female he created them.
(Psssst … Kaylee, the first chapter of Genesis is one of your mom's favorite
Scriptures ever. It is breathtakingly beautiful!)
In Hebrew, the verse looks like this:
‫דָם ְבּ ַצלְמוֹ‬e‫ ָה‬-‫לֹהים ֶאת‬

ִ ‫ִברָא ֱא‬
ְ ‫וַיּ‬
‫אֹתם‬
ָ ‫ ָבּרָא‬,‫ְקבָה‬ֵ ‫ ָזכָר וּנ‬:‫לֹהים ָבּרָא אֹתוֹ‬
ִ ‫ְבּ ֶצלֶם ֱא‬
And it is pronounced like this (your mom can read this to you).
Vayivra Elohim et-ha'adam betsalmo,

betselem Elohim bara oto, zachar unekevah bara otam.
Notice something about this text. Vayivra Elohim (And created God) et-ha
(roughly translated 'the') what? Adam (man). Where have you heard that word
before? That's right! The first man was named 'man'. Bible names often have
important meanings in Hebrew.
Thought Question: Some people think that God only created men in His image,
but not women. They say that this shows that men are more important than
women.
Are they wrong? Why or why not?
Another beautiful chapter in the Bible about God's creation of man is Psalm 8.
The psalms were songs that people sang in worship, much like the hymns that
we sing in church today. In fact, many of our hymns are based on psalms. This
particular one was written by King David (yes, that's right, King David—the one
who started as a shepherd boy, fought the giant Goliath, and in the end, became
king of Israel). Here is David's song about creation:
O LORD, our Lord,

how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants

you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,

the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Now that we are finished with the books of the Bible poem (and good work on
that!), we are going to practice this psalm until you remember it. Don't worry
about learning it all at once. We will practice it every day until you can say it
easily.
Practice:
Answer: ______________ created _____________ male and female, after His
own image, in _________________ , ______________, and ______________,
with ______________ over the creatures.
What does it mean to say that man (meaning all humans--men and women
and children) is made in the image of God in knowledge, righteousness,
and holiness, with dominion over the creatures?
Let's consider something that one of our best theologians named John Calvin
says about this:
But our definition of the image seems not to be complete until it appears more
clearly what the faculties are in which man excels, and in which he is to be
regarded as a mirror of the divine glory... It cannot be doubted that when Adam
lost his first estate he became alienated from God. Wherefore, although we
grant that the image of God was not utterly effaced and destroyed in him, it was,
however, so corrupted, that any thing which remains is fearful deformity; and,
therefore, our deliverance begins with that renovation which we obtain from
Christ, who is, therefore, called the second Adam, because he restores us to
true and substantial integrity.
This is a little difficult to understand, so we will look at the meaning very

carefully. We will study it a little bit today and also in the next part of this lesson.
Calvin is saying that man was created with special abilities. Our catechism tells
us what some of these are:
(1) Knowledge. God gave man very complex minds that can do
extraordinary things. Compare what you can do to the animals. Do you
ever think our cat Sarah is going to sit at the computer and type up a
catechism lesson for you? No way! Some people will say that their dog is
very smart because it can roll over or bark when they tell it to. But no
one's dog can learn the catechism. You are WAY smarter than any
animal, even though you are only ten years old. Even your baby sister is
smarter than any animal, and she is only three years old!
(2) Righteousness. God gave man the ability to do right things and obey
Him. Animals and plants do not have the Word of God. They do things
because they are hungry or playful or angry … but never because they are
obeying God. This is special.
(3) Holiness. God gave man the ability to keep from sin and to worship God.
This is special also.
(4) Dominion over the creatures. God made man to be ruler over the other
creatures. We can farm, grow crops, raise animals, and so on. I think it is
interesting how children are born with a natural tendency to want to care
for living things. Even tiny children want to water flowers and feed the
kitty. We keep pet fish and cats in our house and we mow our lawn and
plant flowers because God gave us dominion over the creatures.
These are the ways in which God made humans in His image.
So our Calvin quote says: But our definition of the image seems not to be
complete until it appears more clearly what the faculties are in which man
excels, and in which he is to be regarded as a mirror of the divine glory.
Calvin is saying that God made man with these special abilities, and in these
things, man is seen as a mirror of God's glory.
Do remember our first Catechism lesson? What is your main purpose?

Why is this your main purpose?
I was created as a mirror of ______________'s ________________.
How did God create humans to reflect his glory?
In __________________, ____________________, and _________________,
with _______________________ over the creatures.
God created the first man and woman in perfect righteousness and holiness,
with godly knowledge, and with dominion over the creatures.
But sadly, the first man and woman did not last in this state of perfection. We
will talk about this in the next section.
Practice:
Answer: God _______________________ _____________ male and female,
after __________ ___________ _____________, in knowledge,
_____________________ , and holiness, with dominion over the ___________.
In yesterday's part of this lesson, we talked about how God created man as
mirrors of His glory.
But do we reflect God's glory the way that we should? Do we do foolish things?
Do we sin? Do we always rule over animals and plants the way that we want
to?
We will be talking more about this in Lesson #13, but you already know that
Adam and Eve did not obey God, even though God gave them that ability in
righteousness and holiness. Now, we are fallen. This means that we have lost
our perfect image of God.
This is the rest of Calvin's quote:
It cannot be doubted that when Adam lost his first estate he became alienated
from God. Wherefore, although we grant that the image of God was not utterly
effaced and destroyed in him, it was, however, so corrupted, that any thing
which remains is fearful deformity; and, therefore, our deliverance begins with
that renovation which we obtain from Christ, who is, therefore, called the second
Adam, because he restores us to true and substantial integrity.
Calvin is saying that Adam became alienated from God (this means that he
became like a stranger far away from God). And when that happened, the
image of God was not entirely lost, but it was twisted and broken.
Have you ever looked into a broken mirror? You can still sort of see your
reflection in the pieces, but it is smashed and broken. That is how man is now.
Humans still have a lot of knowledge and some understanding of right and
wrong and some dominion over creatures. But there is a lot of damage. Now
animals bite us sometimes and some plants are poisonous. Now we sin even
when we know that we should not. And some people have become so foolish
that they don't even understand that God exists!
But Calvin goes on to say that we obtain a 'renovation' from Christ. This means
that Christ remakes us into His image, so that we are made new.
If you are remade in the image of Jesus Christ, are you in the image of God?
Why?
What special title for Jesus does Calvin talk about?
_____________________________ _______________________
Why do we refer to Jesus as the second Adam?
We will be talking more about these ideas in future catechism lessons!

Practice:
Answer: God created man male and female, after His own image, in
knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
Question #11: What are God's works of providence?
Answer: God's works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful
preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions.
Practice:
This catechism lesson tells us that God not only creates things, but also
preserves and governs them. This mean that He provides for them and rules
over them. In fact, the word 'providence' indicates that God provides. For
example, when God made Adam and Eve, he did not put them in an empty
desert. He put them in the beautiful Garden of Eden that had everything they
needed to be comfortable and happy.
Fill in the blanks:
God's providence is described as __________________ , ________________,
and ________________________.
God creates, but then he also _____________________ and
__________________________ His creatures and their actions.

Answer: God's ________________ of _____________________ are His most
holy, ______________, and powerful _________________ and governing all
His creatures, and __________ their ____________________.
Let's look at Bible verses that talk about God's providence.
Hebrews 1:3: The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact
representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He
had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in
heaven.
The word 'sustaining' means that 'perserving'. God provides for all things
according to His plan and gives them all they need. 'Purification' means
'washing' or 'making clean (pure)'.
We usually think about God providing us with food and clothes and homes and
friends, but there is one thing that He provides that is more important than all of
that. What does this verse say that the Son of God (Jesus Christ) provides for
us?
Psalm 23 is the most famous psalms in the Bible. It talks about how God
provides for and rules over His creatures. It is full of symbolism and metaphor.
This means that it is not supposed to be taken literally, but it paints a picture that
shows us some of the attributes of God in a story. We will be talking about
these concepts more when we read Pilgrim's Progress in the spring. But for
now, let's look at the symbolism and metaphor in Psalm 23.
Let's read it:
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for You are with me;
Your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
This psalm pictures God as a _________________________ and us as
___________________________.
What does it mean when it talks about the Lord making us to lie down in
green pastures and leading us beside quiet waters?
The psalm says that God leads his 'sheep' in certain paths. Which paths?
Sometimes these paths that God guides us along go through scary places (the
'valley of the shadow of death', the psalm says). But why should we not be
afraid?
What do shepherds carry in their hands to guide the sheep? Which part of
the psalm mentions this?
The psalm goes on to say that the Lord prepares a table for us even when our
enemies are all around.
So does God promise that we won't have enemies? ________________
But what will He do even when enemies are all around?
The Lord is said to anoint our heads with oil. In those days, oil was used as
medicine to heal wounds. It also symbolized the Holy Spirit. This is saying that
God provides for us, heals us, and gives His Holy Spirit to us.
What is the last promise of the psalm?

I will __________________________________________________________.
This is God's ultimate provision. He loves us so much that He brings us to live

in His household, as sons and daughters. He provides for us like a Father. This
is why we can pray 'Our Father' and ask Him for things that we need. God's
love is amazing!
We will be learning a song for Psalm 23! We will sing it during our evening Bible
reading time. It is a lovely song.
Practice:
Answer: God's _________________ of _____________________ are His most
_____________, wise, and _____________________ preserving and
__________________ all His ___________________, and all their actions.
The Heidelberg Catechism (another important Catechism) begins with a

discussion of God's providence. Let's read the first Question and Answer.
Question 1. What is your only comfort in life and death?

Answer. That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my
own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who with his
precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from
all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of
my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all
things must be subservient to my salvation, wherefore by his Holy Spirit
he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and
ready, henceforth, to live unto him
To whom do you belong? ______________________________
How has Christ provided for you? ___________________________________

Think of some examples of God's providence in your life.
Draw a picture:
Practice:
Answer: God's works of providence are His most holy, wise, and powerful
preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions.

Westminster Catechism For Kids

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Westminster Shorter Catechism Lesson #1

Question #1: What is the chief end of man?

Question #1: What is the chief end of man?

Fill in the blanks:

What is your main purpose? My main purpose is to ____________________

___________ and to ___________________ Him forever.

How long will you enjoy God? _____________________________

Question #1: What is the chief end of man?

Question #1: What is the chief end of man?

Answer: Man's chief end is to ______________________ ____________,

and to ________________________ ___________ ____________________.

Think about how you glorify or enjoy God.

Question #1: What is the chief end of man?

Answer: Man's chief end is to ______________________ ____________,

and to ________________________ ___________ ____________________.

Who made the rich man? ________________

Who gave him the good crops? ____________________

Who decided when the rich man would die? __________________

Did the rich man glorify God? ______________

Why did God call the rich man a fool? ________________________________

Question #1: What is the chief end of man?

What is the Word of God/the Scriptures? The Bible.

Fill in the blanks:

Can we do whatever we want and call it glorifying God? ___________

2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,

Answer: The __________ ___ _______, which is contained in the Scriptures of

may _____________ and ___________ Him.

Do you know your books of the Bible?

In Genesis, the world was made

In First and Second Kings we read

In Ezra, captive Jews return,

In Job we read of patient faith;

How fleeting earthly pleasures are;

Isaiah tells of Christ to come,

Ezekiel speaks of mysteries;

In Nahum Nineveh is seen;

Then Zechariah speaks of Christ,

The prophets number seventeen,

Corinthians instruct the Church;

Colossians tells us more of Christ,

James shows that faith by works must live,

Jude shows the end of evil men,

Does that seem overwhelming? Work on it a little at a time. When you

Question #3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning

Question #3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

What is 'duty'? A 'duty' is something that we must do in order to do the right

Fill in the blanks:

and what __________________ God requires of us.

The Scriptures include the __________ Testament and the ______________

Question #3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to ____________

concerning ____________, and what ____________ ________ ____________

Question #3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning

And keep practicing your Bible poem!

Question #4: What is God?

Answer: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in His being,

Question #4: What is God?

This is a VERY important Catechism question because it tells us the attributes

What does 'unchangeable' mean? 'Unchangeable' means that something

The Catechism applies each of these characteristics to the attributes of God.

infinite eternal unchangeable

_ and to _________ Him forever.

Answer: Man's chief end is to __________ ,

and to __________________ _ ________________.

Answer: Man's chief end is to __________ ,

and to __________________ _ ________________.

Answer: The ________ _ _______, which is contained in the Scriptures of

may ___ and _ Him.

The Scriptures include the Testament and the ____

concerning , and what

in His being, _, power, _____, justice,

_, _, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

wisdom, power, holiness, ______, _, and ______.

_, the , and the _________; and

these are __ God, the same in substance,

equal in _ and ________.

Answer: There are ____ _ in the ________:

one God, the same in , _ in power and glory.

Answer: The _____________ _ _ are His ______

_, He hath __________whatsoever