Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 23

All that Christ has done—His incarnation, suffering, resurrection, ascension, and return—is not just true. It is true for me. And through faith, His righteousness becomes mine.

This is the heart of the gospel. Not moral reform. Not religious performance. But full and free justification, because of Christ alone.

Question 59

What good does it do you, however, to believe all this?
In Christ I am right with God
and heir to life everlasting.¹

¹ Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; 5:1–2

Question 60

How are you right with God?
Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.

Even though my conscience accuses me
of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments,
of never having kept any of them,
and of still being inclined toward all evil,

nevertheless,
without any merit of my own,
out of sheer grace,
God grants and credits to me
the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ,

as if I had never sinned
nor been a sinner,
and as if I had been as perfectly obedient
as Christ was obedient for me.

All I need to do
is accept this gift of God with a believing heart.²

² Romans 3:21–28; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8–10; Philippians 3:8–11

Question 61

Why do you say that by faith alone you are right with God?
It is not because of any value my faith has
that God is pleased with me.
Only Christ’s satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness
make me right with God.

And I can receive this righteousness and make it mine
in no other way than by faith alone.³

³ Romans 4:5; 10:10; Galatians 3:10–14

The Most Personal Question

After all the doctrine and detail of the Apostles’ Creed, the Catechism draws the lens in close: What good is all this to you?

And here comes the answer we all long to hear: In Christ, I am right with God.

Those words are simple, but they are life-altering. They are the difference between fear and freedom, striving and resting, condemnation and communion. To be right with God—not based on your past, your progress, or your potential, but based on Jesus—is the very heart of salvation.

This isn’t a vague assurance. It’s a concrete status. In Christ, you are no longer guilty. You are no longer outside. You are His.

Honest About Sin, Confident in Grace

Question 60 doesn’t shy away from our reality. It names the truth most of us feel deep down: my conscience accuses me.It knows what I’ve done. It knows what I still struggle with.

And yet, even then, nevertheless, I am right with God.

How? Not because I clean myself up. Not because I prove I’ve changed. But because, by faith, God credits Christ’s perfect record to me. As if I had never sinned. As if I had obeyed perfectly.

This is justification: not partial forgiveness or a second chance, but full acceptance based on the finished work of Jesus.

It’s not earned. It’s received. By grace. Through faith.

Why Faith Alone?

Faith is not the reason God loves you. It’s the way you receive His love.

Question 61 says it plainly: it’s not the strength of your faith that saves—it’s the object of your faith. You’re not saved because your faith is impressive. You’re saved because your Savior is.

Faith alone justifies, not because faith is powerful, but because Christ is. It is the open hand, the empty vessel, the desperate cry that receives what only He can give.

And once you receive it, you are right with God. Forever.

A Closing Prayer

Gracious God, I confess that my conscience often accuses me. I know my sin. I know my weakness. But I also know this: because of Christ, I am right with You. Not because of anything I’ve done, but because of everything He has done for me. Thank You for justifying me—fully, freely, and forever. Help me to rest in that truth when guilt rises and fear returns. Teach me to live, not to earn Your love, but because I already have it. Let my life be shaped by gratitude, not anxiety. You have made me Yours, and nothing can change that. Amen.

Daily Bible Readings

New Testament in a Year
June 8 – John 13:1–20
June 9 – John 13:21–38
June 10 – John 14:1–14
June 11 – John 14:15–31
June 12 – John 15:1–17
June 13 – John 15:18–27
June 14 – John 16:1–15

The Bible in a Year
June 8 – 2 Chronicles 29–30; John 13:1–20
June 9 – 2 Chronicles 31–32; John 13:21–38
June 10 – 2 Chronicles 33–34; John 14:1–14
June 11 – 2 Chronicles 35–36; John 14:15–31
June 12 – Ezra 1–2; John 15:1–17
June 13 – Ezra 3–5; John 15:18–27
June 14 – Ezra 6–8; John 16:1–15