Question 26: What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?”
Answer: That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them;1 who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence)2 is for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body;3 and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage;4 for He is able to do it, being Almighty God,5 and willing, being a faithful Father.6
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We recall as we come to question 26 that we are in section II of the Heidelberg Catechism which is titled “Our Deliverance.” This section is committed to explaining how great a salvation we have in Jesus Christ in delivering the Christian from their sin and misery (Section I). The methodology used to do so for the next 33 questions and answers is to break down the Apostles Creed as to what it precisely mean when one confesses the Apostles Creed.
We must say at the outset that this methodology foists precision on the mind. We learn, via this method, not only the greatness our our deliverance from our sin and misery but also what exactly the Apostle’s Creed means. This explanation of the Apostle’s Creed that is given in the HC separates Biblical Christians from those who are repeating the Creed with a foreign accent. Because of the precision of the explanation we will get in this section we no longer can accept a vanilla Christianity that has a “Kumbaya” feel. By the time the Catechizers are finished with this section certain expressions of Christianity are ruled as contrary to the intent of the Apostle’s Creed and the Scriptures. This is not accidental.
When the Creed was written it was written for a specific part of Europe that found people of different expressions of Christianity living cheek by jowl next to each other. One purpose of the Catechism was to educate those who would use the HC how it was that they were different from Roman Catholics, Anabaptists, and Lutherans. There are questions and answers in the HC while not explicitly mentioning the differences between Calvinism and these other sub-expressions of Christianity are clearly attacking these other sub-expressions of Christianity as being inadequate.
The HC is interested in teaching its students to be Calvinists. It does not apologize for doing so. In the process once the HC is understood the confessor will inevitably want to see other sub-expressions of Christianity re-think their errant view.
One more thing here. Because of the precision of the HC we are no longer allowed to think that just because ten people affirm the Apostle’s Creed that therefore all ten affirm the Apostle’s Creed in its proper meaning. The catechizers are teaching here that reciting the words of the Creed is only significant inasmuch as those confessing the Creed are filling those words with the same meaning.
With that introduction we turn to the question;
Question 26: What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?”
The Apostle’s Creed has three strophes that can be broken down according to each member of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This reminds us that to affirm the Christian faith is to affirm a set of doctrines as gathered from Scripture. Christianity is the life of the mind before it is the life of experience, feeling, or emotion. The HC teaches us that in order to claim Christianity we have to know our doctrine — know what we believe and why we believe it and what we don’t believe and why we don’t believe it.
The central basic truth about the Father that all Christians to be Christian must confess is that the Father is “almighty” (Sovereign, Omnipotent) and that this Almighty God is the creator of the cosmos. This one simple truth is denied by everyone in the Christian community except for the Reformed. The idea that God the Father is almighty, is the heart that beats in Calvinism. The Calvinist, following Scripture, believes that God,
Isaiah 46:10 Declares the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: 11 Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
For the Calvinist God is never envisioned as waiting upon man to react. God is always the actor and man is always the re-actor. The Calvinists believes that all depends upon the Sovereign God. The Calvinist believes that in God we live, and move, have our being.
The HC puts it this way in the answer;
Answer: That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them;1 who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence)2 is for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father; on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body;3 and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage;4 for He is able to do it, being Almighty God,5 and willing, being a faithful Father.6
1.) Note that by referring to the Father as “the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” chases off any notion of trinitarian subordinationism in the Godhead. From eternity past the Father has been the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. There never was a time when the Lord Jesus Christ was not eternally begotten of the Father. Right out of the gate Arian doctrine (Jehovah Witnesses) is ruled out of bounds.
2.) Note next that this Almighty Father is only known to us in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Father can be known only through the Son and the Father and Son can only be known as taught in the pages of the Bible. If anyone wants to know the Father they must know the Son.
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. (Mt. 12:27)
3.) Thirdly, note that the Almighty God is the Creator God. The HC will go on to teach that the Son is known for His work of Redemption and the Spirit is known for His work of Sanctification. The Father is known for the work of Creation. However, these realities should not be too woodenly construed since any work of any member of the Trinity finds all the members of the Trinity participating. (This is known as the Doctrine of perichoresis.)
4.) When the HC teaches of God that;
“He of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them; who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence”
They appeal to passages like, Gen. 1 and 2 as well as;
Ps. 33:6, By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
Here we find eliminated the possibility of what has come to be called “theistic evolution.” The HC does not allow anyone who confesses it to believe in this 19th century doctrine that teaches that God co-operated with or orchestrated the Big Bang so as to create, by means of evolution with its mechanism of natural selection considered in its macro sense, the cosmos. This would eliminate men like Tim Keller from being accepted as a member in a church that embraced the HC.
5.) The troika of creation, sustaining (upholds) and governing is found in this answer. God is the creator, sustainer, and governor of His cosmos. This teaches us, contra to Deism, that upon creation God did not wander away leaving His creation to itself. No, The Father Almighty, not only created the Cosmo by His divine fiat Word also sustains (upholds) and governs His cosmos. This teaches that that the Father Almighty, “Maker of heaven and earth” is personal. He continues to be involved with His creation via the means of sustaining the cosmos as well as directly governing the affairs of men.
Ps. 115:3, But our God is in the heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.
Matt. 10:29, Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.
6.) This answer also teaches us the distinction between God and His creation contra all expressions of pantheism. God is the creator God, distinct from His creation.
7.) Note in this question that those who confess the HC understand that God is only the God of anyone by means of their coming under the safety of Christ His Son.
“is for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father;”
John 1:12, 16, But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.
Heb. 1:3, Who (Jesus Christ) being the brightness of His (God the Father Almighty) glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Only those in Christ can call Almighty God their “God and Father.” Those who are not in Christ only know the Almighty God as Judge and as a celestial terrorist as against them. For those outside of Christ the “Almightiness of the Father” is only unto them the reasons for night sweats and nightmares. There is only safety from the Almighty Father as in Jesus Christ who purged our sins.
8.) Note that once in Christ we boast of our dependent relationship;
on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body;3
Christians understand that the Almightiness of God the Father is a source of rest and a reason to put off panic. We understand the truth of the Apostle’s creed teaches us that God is the God who provides. Being confident of that how is it that those who affirm and embrace the Almightiness of God could ever fear of what man can do to us? Because of this truth, the Christians who can get this truth in their marrow will be characterized as fearless — never cowering before men or their threats.
The embrace of this Doctrine throughout history explains why Tyrants have hated having Calvinists living in their Kingdoms. Calvinists do not bend to the capricious will of Tyrants because they know that God will provide them with all things necessary for body and soul. Tyrants have no means to instill fear in the garden variety Calvinist.
Rom. 8:15–16, For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.
9.) Note that the Catechizers affirm that God provides for us body and soul. This affirmation rules out any kind of Christianity that is characterized as being concerned only about our souls as if God is unconcerned with our physical existence. The God who provides for our souls provides for our bodily existence. God likes matter. He made it and so provides for it.
Matt. 6:26, Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
10.) God the Father’s Almightiness extends so broadly that it is understood that God, while not being the author of evil, is the one who controls everything that comes into the life of His sons and daughters. The evils that God, the Father, sends upon us, in this valley of tears are evils that turn to our advantage and so from the perspective of eternity are a blessing to us.
Ps. 55:22, Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
This is strong medicine. The Calvinist believes so absolutely in the Almightiness of God the Father that he understands that nothing comes into His life except through the hands of a sovereign God who loves us for the sake of Christ. For the Calvinist this is not a time plus chance plus circumstance world.
“Though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet.”
For the Calvinist the Devil is God’s Devil on a long leash. For the Calvinist God’s Sovereignty is not some after-thought. Again, as mentioned earlier this turns the Calvinist into human steel. He knows the world is personal and that it is chock full of God’s intention. If this is true and if God is a Father to His people — the Church, then what fear does the Calvinist have of a world, a devil, a circumstance that each and all belong to God the Father Almighty?
11.) Note that the Catechizers refer to this life as “valley of tears.” The Calvinist, while optimistic because of God’s Almightiness, names the world for what it is. The world is often a “valley of tears.” This reminds us to be realistic about what this world is. However, even in the valley of tears, evil is turns out to our advantage. As such, among the tears, there is continuous reasons to rejoice.
12.) The Catechizers round out this question by reminding us of the character of the God we serve.
for He is able to do it (turn all things to our advantage), being Almighty God,5 and willing, being a faithful Father.6
Note again here that God’s Almightiness is only a treasure to us — His people — in light of His being a faithful Father and He is only a Faithful Father in light of the fact that we flee to Christ to discover that the Almighty God is our Defense and sure help in time of need only because we are the younger brethren to the magnificent and glorious Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom. 8:28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Rom. 4:21, And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform.
Matt. 6:26, Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
HC question 26 has the effect of delivering us from effeminate non-Reformed views of the doctrine of God. The contemporary Christian world is awash is weak doctrines of God that deny, implicitly or explicitly, the reality that God is always angular and never will be made smooth. The God of the Bible is a ferocious God who can never be tamed, and yet this wild God is our God for the sake of Jesus Christ. This irrepressible, unpredictable, Almighty God is a God to His people whose intent is always to the end of glorifying Himself by pursuing His people’s good.
Is your understanding of God the Father Almighty, this understanding? If it is not search the Scriptures to see that these things are so.
Personally, I wouldn’t bother with worshipping any other explanation of God.
