Sinclair Ferguson

As one of the older translations puts it, all I care for is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, to share the fellowship of his sufferings and be made like him, that one day I may attain to the resurrection.

What a great new year resolution.

This one thing I do, I want to know Christ.

I remember somebody telling me, if you want to define justification, it's just as if I'd never sinned, justified, right?

And I remember thinking, that's quite clever.

And then thinking, but it's not clever enough.

But many Christians think that's what justification is, means your sins are forgiven.

And it does mean that.

But if that were all justification meant, then in a way you're back with Adam in the Garden of Eden.

It's as though God is giving you a second chance to keep what the Westminster Assembly calls the covenant of works.

You're on your own now.

And so I think it's so helpful that the Westminster Confession and the catechisms emphasize that, yes, on the one hand, it's the pardon of your sins, but it's also you are now accounted righteous in Christ for Christ's sake.

Yes, well, thank you for having me, Nathan.

And it is really, I mean, it's wonderful to be here in Malaysia and to meet brothers and sisters from what we call the Far East, but for them it's the center of the world.

A catechism is a way of instructing people

by using questions and answers.

And I think if you think about it, actually, we do that a lot in any case.

So when we are bringing up our children, we teach them by asking them questions and teaching them answers.

And in many cases, actually, it's really amazing how many mums and dads will teach their children by rote.

That is, they will