New Baptist Catechism

Foundations Catechism

Key

  • Shorter answers are in bold and designed to be memorized
  • NCC – New City Catechism – Parents may find the New City Catechism app helpful for memorization of certain questions and answers

 

  1. What is the chief purpose of humanity?

To glorify God and enjoy him forever (1 Cor 10:31; Ps 73:25–26).

  1. What is our only hope in life and death? NCC 1

That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ (Rom 14:7-9; 1 Cor 6:19-20; 1 Thess 5:9-10).

  1. Can we belong to God apart from Christ?

No one comes to the Father, except through Christ alone (John 14:6).

  1. What is the Word of God?

The Bible is the Word of God and our sufficient guide to teach, correct, and train for all of life (2 Pet 1:3; 2 Tim 3:16-17).

  1. What does the Bible teach?

The Bible reveals the one true God, explains what is wrong with the world, and tells how we can be right with and belong to God forever. The whole Bible is centered on the gospel message, making us wise for salvation (2 Tim 3:14-15; Eccl 12:13).

  1. What is God? NCC 2

God is the creator, sustainer, and ruler of everyone and everything. He is eternal Spirit, infinite and unchangeable in his power and perfections, and goodness and glory (Ps 24:1, Ps 90:2; John 4:24; 1 Tim 1:17; Jas 1:17).

  1. Who is the one true God?

The one true God eternally exists in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, the same in essence, and equal in power and glory (1 John 5:7; Matt 28:19).

  1. What does it mean that God is holy?

God is perfectly pure, sinless in every way, transcendent and set apart, highly exalted above all creation (Isa 6:3; Hab 1:13; Lev 16:2).

  1. What makes humanity special?

God created us in his own image with the capacity to know, glorify and enjoy him forever. We alone are like God and we alone can represent God (Gen 1:26-27; Isa 43:7).

  1. If we are made in God’s image, why is there sin and death?

Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden by eating the forbidden fruit, succumbing to Satan’s temptation. Instead of holy and happy, they became sinful and miserable, were cast out of the garden, and eventually died (Gen 3:14-24; Jas 1:14-15).

  1. What are the effects of this first sin on us?

We are all born in sin and guilt, spiritually dead, inheritors of a sinful nature and therefore unable to glorify and enjoy God (Rom 3:23; 5:12-19; Eph 2:1-3; Ps 51:5).

  1. How can we escape punishment and belong to God? NCC 19

God himself, as a loving Father, graciously reconciles us to himself, and delivers us from the power and penalty of sin by a Redeemer (Isa 53:10-11; Rom 5:21).

  1. Who is the Redeemer? NCC 20

The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God. He alone purchased us with his blood and brought us back to God (1 Tim 2:5-6; 1 Cor 6:19-20).

  1. What is the final hope of our salvation?

To partake in the blessed resurrection, when we will be given a glorified body and dwell in the presence of God forever, free from sin in the new heavens and the new earth (John 3:16; Rom 5:2; 8:30; Rev 20:6).

  1. What is prayer?

Prayer is pouring out the desires of our hearts to God. We pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit, for things agreeable to God’s will, trusting him to guide and answer (Ps 62:8; John 16:23; 1 John 5:14).

  1. How should we feel about those who have not trusted in Jesus?

Our hearts should mourn and grow with compassion towards all unbelievers, and thus be motivated to share the gospel (Rom 9:1-3; Jonah 4:1-4, 10-11).

  1. What is the goal of evangelism?

To explain the gospel clearly and trust the Holy Spirit to regenerate hearts in order to make lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. Then we aim to gather those disciples into self-sustaining churches (Acts 4:12, 29; Col 1:28-29).

  1. How can we worship God?

By glorifying and enjoying him in everything we do, offering our lives as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God (Rom 12:1-2; 1 Cor 10:31).

  1. Where is Christ now?

After Christ’s work of redemption was finished, he rose physically from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Col 3:1; Heb 10:12).

  1. What is Christ doing in heaven?

He upholds the universe, prepares a place for us, and intercedes for us, granting us access to the Father (Heb 1:3; John 14:3; Rom 8:34).