The Calvary Grace Catechism
This catechism is a simplification of the New City Catechism for children aged 3-6.
Question 1
Q. What is our only hope?
A. That we belong to God.
Question 2
Q. What is God?
A. The creator of everything.
Question 3
Q. How many persons are in God?
A. Three: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Question 4
Q. How and why did God create us?
A. Male and female in God’s image to glorify him.
Question 5
Q. What else did God create?
A. All things.
Question 6
Q. How can we glorify God?
A. By loving and obeying him.
Question 7
Q. What does God’s law require?
A. That we love God with all our heart and our neighbour as ourselves.
Question 8
Q. How many commandments did God give on Mount Sinai?
A. Ten commandments.
Question 9
Q. What does God require in the first, second, and third commandments?
A. Worship only God, no idols, and honour God’s name.
Question 10
Q. What does God require in the fourth and fifth commandments?
A. Honour God’s day and our parents.
Question 11
Q. What does God require in the sixth, seventh, and eighth commandments?
A. Don’t kill, live purely, and don’t steal.
Question 12
Q. What does God require in the ninth and tenth commandments?
A. Don’t lie, and be content.
Question 13
Q. Can anyone keep God’s law?
A. No mere human can keep the law perfectly.
Question 14
Q. Did God create us unable to keep his law?
A. No, but because of Adam and Eve we are born in sin.
Question 15
Q. What is the law’s purpose?
A. That we may know our need of a Saviour.
Question 16
Q. What is sin?
A. Not doing what God requires in his law.
Question 17
Q. What is idolatry?
A. Trusting in created things.
Question 18
Q. Will our disobedience and idolatry go unpunished?
A. No, God will punish them.
Question 19
Q. Is there any way to escape punishment?
A. Yes, by a Redeemer.
Question 20
Q. Who is the Redeemer?
A. The Lord Jesus Christ.
Question 21
Q. What sort of Redeemer is needed?
A. One who is human and also God.
Question 22
Q. Why must the Redeemer be human?
A. To obey the law and suffer punishment for sin.
Question 23
Q. Why must the Redeemer be God?
A. That his obedience and suffering would be perfect.
Question 24
Q. Why did Christ the Redeemer die?
A. Christ died in our place to deliver us from sin.
Question 25
Q. Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven?
A. Yes, the cross fully paid for sin.
Question 26
Q. What else does Christ’s death redeem?
A. Fallen creation.
Question 27
Q. Are all people saved through Christ?
A. No, only those united to Christ by faith.
Question 28
Q. What happens to those not united to Christ by faith?
A. They will be cast into hell forever.
Question 29
Q. How can we be saved?
A. Only by faith in Jesus Christ.
Question 30
Q. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Resting on him alone for salvation.
Question 31
Q. What do we believe by true faith?
A. Everything taught in the Gospel.
Question 32
Q. What do justification and sanctification mean?
A. God declares us good before him, and God makes us grow in goodness.
Question 33
Q. Should we seek salvation through works or anywhere else?
A. No, everything to salvation is in Christ.
Question 34
Q. Since we are redeemed through faith alone must we still obey?
A. Yes, to show love to God and win others to Christ.
Question 35
Q. Where does faith come from?
A. The Holy Spirit.
Question 36
Q. What do we believe about the Holy Spirit?
A. He is God with the Father and Son.
Question 37
Q. How does the Holy Spirit help us?
A. He helps us see our sin, pray, and understand God’s Word.
Question 38
Q. What is prayer?
A. Pouring out our hearts to God.
Question 39
Q. How should we pray?
A. With love and gratefulness.
Question 40
Q. What should we pray?
A. The Word of God tells us what we should pray.
Question 41
Q. What is the Lord’s Prayer?
A. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Question 42
Q. How is God’s Word to be read and heard?
A. With diligence, preparation, and prayer.
Question 43
Q. What are the ordinances?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Question 44
Q. What is baptism?
A. Washing with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Question 45
Q. Is baptism washing away sin itself?
A. No, only Christ can cleanse us from sin.
Question 46
Q. What is the Lord’s Supper?
A. To eat bread and drink from the cup in remembrance of Christ.
Question 47
Q. Does the Lord’s Supper add anything to Christ’s work?
A. No, Christ died once for all.
Question 48
Q. What is the church?
A. People united by faith who worship God together.
Question 49
Q. Where is Christ now?
A. At the right hand of the Father.
Question 50
Q. What does Christ’s resurrection mean?
A. All who trust in him are raised to new life.
Question 51
Q. What does Christ’s ascension mean?
A. Christ is advocating for us with the Father and sends his Spirit.
Question 52
Q. What is the hope of everlasting life?
A. We will live with and enjoy God forever.
