Watter soort Verlosser het jy nodig? – Die belydenisskrifte

1. Lees die aanhalings uit die Nederlandse Geloofsbelydenis 18-20, die Heidelbergse Kategismus 35-36 en die Westminster Geloofsbelydenis 8. Wat leer jy van die Verlosser wat jy nodig het? Wat beteken dit vir jou? Wat vra dit van jou?

Nederlandse Geloofsbelydenis 18-20

Artikel 18

DIE MENSWORDING VAN JESUS CHRISTUS

Ons bely dat God die belofte aan die vaders deur die mond van die heilige profete inderdaad vervul het deur sy eie eniggebore en ewige Seun in die wêreld te stuur op die tyd deur Hom bepaal. Hy het die gestalte van ‘n dienskneg aangeneem en aan die mens gelyk geword (Filp. 2:7) deur werklik ‘n egte menslike natuur, met al sy swakhede maar sonder sonde, aan te neem. Hy is in die liggaam van die geseënde maagd Maria deur die krag van die Heilige Gees en sonder die toedoen van ‘n man verwek. Hy het nie alleen wat die liggaam betref, die menslike natuur aangeneem nie maar ook ‘n egte menslike siel om so ‘n werklike mens te wees.

Want Hy moes sowel die siel as die liggaam aanneem om al twee te red, aangesien beide verlore was. Teenoor die kettery van die Wederdopers, wat ontken dat Christus die menslike vlees uit sy moeder aangeneem het, bely ons daarom dat Christus die vlees en bloed van die kinders deelagtig geword het (Heb. 2:14), dat Hy wat die vlees betref, ‘n nakomeling van Dawid is, as mens gebore is uit die geslag van Dawid (Hand. 2:30 en Rom. 1:3), ‘n vrug van die moederskoot van Maria (Luk. 1:42), gebore uit ‘n vrou (Gal. 4:4), ‘n spruit van Dawid (Jer. 33:15), ‘n loot uit die wortels van Isai (Jes. 11:1), van die geslag van Juda afstam (Heb. 7:14), uit die Jode as mens gebore (Rom. 9:5), uit die geslag van Abraham, aangesien Hy die geslag van Abraham aangeneem het en in alle opsigte – maar sonder sonde – aan sy broers gelyk geword het (Heb. 2:17 en Heb. 4:15). Ons bely inderdaad dat Hy waarlik ons Emmanuel is, dit wil sê: God met ons (Matt. 1:23).

Filp. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:16; Luk. 1:55; Gen. 26:4; 2 Sam. 7:12; Ps. 132:11; Hand. 13:23; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Kor. 12:3; Deut. 29:2; Ps. 119:34; Rom. 7:19; Jer. 33:15; Heb. 7:14; Rom. 9:5; Gal. 3:16; Heb. 2:16; Matt. 1:16.

Artikel 19

DIE TWEE NATURE VAN CHRISTUS

Ons glo dat deur hierdie ontvangenis die Persoon van die Seun onafskeidelik met die menslike natuur verenig en verbind is; dat daar dus nie twee Seuns van God of twee persone is nie maar twee nature in een Persoon verenig, terwyl elke natuur nogtans sy onderskeie eienskappe behou. Net soos die Goddelike natuur altyd ongeskape gebly het, sonder begin van dae of lewenseinde (Heb. 7:3) en hemel en aarde vervul, só het ook die menslike natuur sy eienskappe nie verloor nie; dit het skepsel gebly, wat wel ‘n begin van dae het, eindig van natuur is en alles behou wat by ‘n ware liggaam behoort.

Hoewel Hy daaraan deur sy opstanding onsterflikheid gegee het, het Hy die egtheid van sy menslike natuur nie verander nie, omdat ons saligheid en ons opstanding ook van die egtheid van sy liggaam afhanklik is. Hierdie twee nature is só saam in een Persoon verenig dat hulle selfs deur sy dood nie van mekaar geskei was nie.

Dit wat Hy by sy sterwe in die hande van sy Vader oorgegee het, was dus ‘n ware menslike gees wat uit sy liggaam uitgegaan het. Die Goddelike natuur het in die tussentyd steeds met die menslike natuur verenig gebly, ook toe Hy in die graf gelê het. Die Godheid het nie opgehou om in Hom te wees nie; dit was in Hom toe Hy ‘n klein kindjie was, al het die Godheid Hom toe ‘n kort tydjie nie geopenbaar nie. Ons bely daarom dat Hy ware God en ware mens is: ware God om deur sy krag die dood te oorwin, maar ook ware mens om deur die swakheid van sy vlees vir ons te kon sterwe.

Matt. 28:20; Joh. 10:13; Ef. 4:8, 12; Heb. 7:3; Matt. 26:11; Hand. 1:11; 3:21; Luk. 24:39; Joh. 20:25; Hand. 1:3; Matt. 27:50.

Artikel 20

GOD SE REGVERDIGHEID EN BARMHARTIGHEID IN CHRISTUS

Ons gee dat God, wat volkome barmhartig en regverdig is, sy Seun gestuur het om die natuur waarin die ongehoorsaamheid begaan is, aan te neem. Hy moes in die menslike natuur aan die geregtigheid voldoen en die straf vir die sondes deur sy allerbitterste lyding en sterwe dra. So het God sy regverdigheid teenoor sy Seun betoon toe Hy ons sondelas op Hom gelê het, en só sy goedheid en barmhartigheid uitgestort oor ons, wat skuldig was en die ewige vervloeking verdien het. Hy het immers sy Seun deur die mees volmaakte liefde vir ons in die dood gegee, en Hy het Hom tot ons regverdiging opgewek, sodat ons deur Hom die onsterflikheid en die ewige lewe kan hê.

Heb. 2:14; Rom. 8:3, 32; 4:25.

Heidelbergse Kategismus 35-36

35 Vraag: Wat beteken: wat ontvang is van die Heilige Gees, gebore is uit die maagd Maria?

Antwoord: Dat die ewige Seun van God, wat ware en ewige God is (a) en bly (b), die ware menslike natuur uit die vlees en bloed van die maagd Maria (c) deur die werking van die Heilige Gees aangeneem het (d). So is Hy tegelykertyd die ware nakomeling van Dawid (e), in alles aan sy broers gelyk (f), behalwe die sonde (g).

(a) 1 Joh 5:20; Joh l:l; 17:3; Rom 1:3, Kol 1:15. (b) Rom 9:5. (c) Gal 4:4; Luk 1:31, 42, 43. (d) Matt 1:20; Luk 1:35. (e) Rom 1:3; Ps 132:11; 2 Sam 7:12; Luk 1:32; Hand 2:30. (f) Fil 2:7; Heb 2:14, 17. (g) Heb 4:15.

36 Vraag: Watter nut verkry jy uit die heilige ontvangenis en geboorte van Christus?

Antwoord: Dat Hy ons Middelaar is (a), en met sy onskuld en volkome heiligheid my sonde waarin ek ontvang en gebore is, voor God bedek (b).

(a) Heb 7:26, 27. (b) 1 Pet 1:18, 19; 3:18; 1 Kor 1:30, 31; Rom 8:3, 4; Jes 53:11; Ps 32:1.

Westminster Geloofsbelydenis 8

Chapter 8

Christ the Mediator

1. In his eternal purpose it pleased God to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the mediator between God and man.¹ Jesus is the prophet,² priest,³ and king,⁴ the head and savior of his church,⁵ the heir of all things,⁶ and judge of the world.⁷ From all eternity God gave him a people to be his seed⁸ and to be in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified by him.⁹

1. Is 42.1, 1 Pt 1.19-20, Jn 3.16, 1 Tm 2.5.

2. Acts 3.20-22, Dt 18.15.

3. Heb 5.5-6.

4. Ps 2.6, Lk 1.33, Is 9.6-7.

5. Eph 5.23.

6. Heb 1.2.

7. Acts 17.31, 2 Cor 5.10.

8. Jn 17.6, Ps 22.30, Is 53.10, Eph 1.4, Jn 6.37,39.

9. 1 Tm 2.5-6, Is 55.4-5, 1 Cor 1.30, Mk 10.45, Rom 8.30.

2. The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, is truly the eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father. In the fullness of time he took on himself the nature of man,¹⁰ with all the essential qualities and ordinary frailties of man—except that he was sinless.¹¹ Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary out of her substance.¹² These two complete, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in the one person of Jesus without being altered, disunited or jumbled.¹³ The person Jesus is truly God and truly man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.¹⁴

10. Jn 1.1,14, 1 Jn 5.20, Phil 2.6, Gal 4.4, Heb 2.14.

11. Heb 2.14, 16-17, 4.15.

12. Lk 1.27,31,35, Gal 4.4, see under figure 10 above.

13. Lk 1.35, Col 2.9, Rom 9.5, 1 Pt 3.18, 1 Tm 3.16, Mt 16.16, see under figure 12 above.

14. Rom 1.3-4, 1 Tm 2.5.

3. His human nature being thus united to the divine, the Lord Jesus was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit beyond all measure.¹⁵ He had in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,¹⁶ and in him it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell.¹⁷ God’s purpose was that Jesus, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, should be completely equipped to execute the office of mediator and guarantor.¹⁸ Jesus did not take this office himself but was called to it by his Father,¹⁹ who gave and commanded him to use all power and judgment.²⁰

15. Ps 45.7, Jn 3.34, Lk 4.18-19, 21, Acts 10.38, Heb 1.8-9.

16. Col 2.3.

17. Col 1.19.

18. Heb 7.26, Jn 1.14, Acts 10.38, Heb 12.24, 7.22, Lk 4.18-21.

19. Heb 5.4-5.

20. Jn 5.22,27, Mt 28.18, Acts 2.36.

4. The Lord Jesus undertook this office completely voluntarily.²¹ In order to discharge it, he was made under²² and perfectly fulfilled the law.²³ He endured extremely severe torment in his soul²⁴ and extremely painful suffering in his body.²⁵ He was crucified and died.²⁶ He was buried and remained under the power of death, but his body did not decay.²⁷ On the third day he arose from the dead²⁸ with the same body in which he suffered²⁹ and with which he also ascended into heaven. There he sits at the right hand of his Father,³⁰ interceding for believers.³¹ He will return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.³²

21. Ps 40.7-8, Heb 10.5-10, Jn 10.18, Phil 2.5-8, Jn 4.34.

22. Gal 4.4.

23. Mt 3.15, 5.17, Jn 17.4.

24. Mt 26.37-38, Lk 22.44, Mt 27.46.

25. Mt 26 and 27.

26. Phil 2.8.

27. Acts 2.23-24, 27, Acts 13.37, Rom 6.9, Mt 27.60.

28. 1 Cor 15.3-4.

29. Jn 20.25,27.

30. Mk 16.19, Lk 24.50-51, Acts 1.9, 2.33-36, 1 Pt 3.22, Rom 8.34.

31. Rom 8.34, Heb 9.24, 7.25.

32. Rom 14.9-10, Acts 1.11, 10.42, Mt 13.40-42, Jude 6, 2 Pt 2.4, Mt 16.27, 25.31-33, 2 Tm 4.1, Jn 5.28-29.

5. By his perfect obedience and sacrifice, offered up to God once and for all through the eternal Spirit, the Lord Jesus has completely satisfied the justice of his Father³³ and purchased not only reconciliation but also an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for everyone whom the Father has given to him.³⁴

33. Rom 5.19, Heb 9.14,16, 10.14, Eph 5.2, Rom 3.25-26.

34. Dn 9.24,26, Col 1.19-20, Eph 1.11,14, Jn 17.2, Heb 9.12,15, Rom 5.10-11, 2 Cor 5.18,20.

6. Although the work of redemption was not actually done by Christ until after his incarnation, yet the power, effectiveness, and benefits of it were given to the elect in all ages from the beginning of the world by means of those promises, types, and sacrifices which revealed him and indicated that he would be the seed of the woman, would bruise the serpent’s head, and was the lamb slain from the beginning of the world. Jesus Christ is yesterday and today and forever the same.³⁵

35. Gal 4.4-5, Gn 3.15, Rv 13.8, Heb 13.8; see citations under Chapter 7, Section 5, figures 9 and 10.

7. In the work of mediation Christ acts according to both his natures, each nature doing what is proper to each.³⁶ However, because of the unity of his person Scripture sometimes attributes what is proper to one nature to the person indicated by the other nature.³⁷

36. Heb 9.14, 1 Pt 3.18, Jn 10.17-18.

37. Acts 20.28, Jn 3.13, 1 Jn 3.16.

8. Christ insures with absolute certainty that everyone for whom he purchased redemption actually accepts and receives it.³⁸ He makes intercession for them,³⁹ reveals the mysteries of salvation to them in and by the word,⁴⁰ and effectively persuades them to believe and obey by his Spirit. He governs their hearts by his word and Spirit⁴¹ and overcomes all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom in such ways as are most in agreement with his wonderful and unknowable administration of things.⁴²

38. Jn 6.37,39, 10.15-16,27-28.

39. 1 Jn 2.1-2, Rom 8.34.

40. Jn 15.13,15, Eph 1.7-9, Jn 17.6, Gal 1.11-12.

41. Jn 14.16, Heb 12.2, 2 Cor 4.13, Rom 8.9,14, 15.18-19, Jn 17.17, Ti 3.4-5.

42. Ps 110.1, 1 Cor 15.25-26, Mal 4.2-3, Col 2.15, Lk 10.19.

2. Loof die Here in gebed vir die spesifieke wysheid en insig wat die geloofsbelydenisse jou gee van watter Verlosser jy nodig het.