Genesis 1:31

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. . . .

Q: What else did God Create?
A: God created all things by his powerful Word, and all his creation was very good; everything flourished under his loving rule.

In the beginning, God created the world in six days. After each of his acts of creation, God declares his work to be “good” (with the notable exceptions of when there was a heaven without an earth in Gen. 1:8, and when there was a man without a woman in Gen. 2:18). At the completed act of creation, God surveys all that he had made, and declares it to be “very good.” All the individual pieces of creation are good because God created them to be so, and because God declares them as such; creation inherits its goodness from God. Taken as a whole, as a completed act, God’s creation was very good.

The goodness of God’s character extends to his creation. And all of creation is very good in so far as it reflects God’s character. When God declares his creation to be very good, he is affirming creation’s original design and intent: to reflect and display God’s power, goodness, beauty, majesty, and love. To show his character. John Calvin writes that:

Correctly then is this world called the mirror of divinity; not that there is sufficient clearness for man to gain a full knowledge of God, by looking at the world, but that he has thus so far revealed himself, that the ignorance of the ungodly is without excuse. Now the faithful, to whom he has given eyes, see sparks of his glory, as it were, glittering in every created thing. The world was no doubt made, that it might be the theatre of the divine glory.

God’s creation points to him in such a way as to make it impossible NOT to see his handiwork. It demonstrates that God has created and that he is sustaining.

Further, God created by his powerful word: he spoke creation into existence. However, in the New Testament, we get a fuller picture of what is mean by God’s Word. In the first chapter of John, we read “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God, and without him was not anything made that was made.” So God’s powerful word, by which creation was made, is Jesus Christ himself.

So, Christ created all things very good: in the beginning everything was as God intended it to be. Creation was in perfect harmony with its creator: everything flourished under his loving rule. This is epitomized by the Old Testament concept of Shalom, often translated as “peace” in our English bible. In his book, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, Cornelius Plantinga offers this definition of shalom:

The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight…Shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness and delight – a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.… The full flourishing of human life in all aspects, as God intended it to be.

Shalom, therefore, is a much richer and deeper concept than the simple absence of conflict. It is the complete, perfect, and fruitful harmony between God, man, and the rest of creation. And when creation is in harmony with the creator, everything flourishes.

Obviously, this is not the case today. Sin has broken shalom and has brought death and decay into the world. Christ the creator is denied and openly rebelled against by we his creatures. Our harmonious relationship with God, with man, and with the rest of the created order is broken.

But it’s not going to stay that way. There is a redeemer, and his name is the Prince of Peace. He will restore all things, and it will be very good.

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

Q: How and why did God create us?
A: God created us male and female in his own image to know him, love him, live with him, and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory[1].

In the beginning, God created; he is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. But in the midst of all the rest of his creation, God also created something very particular, very unlike everything else: he created us, mankind. It is God who has made us, and he has made us in a very particular way for a very particular purpose. God has fashioned every one of us in his own image. This doctrine has many amazing implications—here are but a few of them. Briefly, I will discuss what it means to be God's image, how we are to act in light of God's image, and finally, why God created us in his image in the first place.

What does it mean to be in the image of God? First, in means that the common humanity we bear as mankind is born by nature of our common image. The image of God is not so much something that man has as something that man is. God's image is essential to our nature, and is not something that can ever be taken away from us. Our common humanity by nature of being in the image of God is the most fundamental aspect of our being and is therefore the one thing that is certain to give common ground. We are able to relate to other human beings as human beings by virtue of our common image.

Being in the image of God is also what bestows the freedoms and moral obligations all of us share. The image of God is foundational to the belief that all men are created equal, and it is our unique position as beings created in God’s image that obligates us to behave morally towards one another. A wrong action taken against the image of God is ultimately a wrong action taken against God Himself (Genesis 9:5-6). The image of God is also what bestows what is commonly understood as "human dignity," that is, the recognition that human beings possess a special value intrinsic to their humanity and as such are worthy of respect simply because they are human beings. Crimes that violate the personhood of an individual, such as slavery, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, etc. are felt to be particularly heinous for this reason: they violate the intrinsic worth each of us share as image bearers.

So then, being created in the image of God defines our very nature, and informs how we are to relate to one another as fellow image bearers.

The image of God also informs how we are to relate to the rest of God's creation. In Genesis 1:28, God commands us to "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth." God, as the creator of all things, rightly exercises his rule and authority over all things. Now, God has given mankind this same authority: to rule over creation. Not with the same power and perfection as God himself, as we are limited by our nature as creatures, but it is authority none-the-less. We rule creation as images of God. As we image God by taking dominion over creation, we are to do so in a way the images God's character: in wisdom, love, care, and creativity. When we have NOT imaged God's character in exercising rule, the results have been been famine, pestilence, genocide, land fires, droughts, pollution, the extinction of species, slavery, and much more.

Being the image of God, therefore, informs how we are to relate to, and rule over, the rest of creation. But why did God create us this way in the first place? John Piper writes that “he [God] makes humans in his image to image something, namely, himself. So our existence is about showing God’s existence or, specifically, it’s about showing God’s glory. . . . We want to think and live and act and speak in such a way that we draw attention to the manifold perfections of God.” We were made in the image of God so that we might draw attention to God. This is what it means to give God glory. When we acknowledge God’s good providence in our lives, we give him glory. When we sing hymns of praise to God, we give him glory. When we reflect on God’s awesome power in creation, we give him glory. When we live our lives in humble reliance on God, we give him glory. When we live in such a way as to display God’s character attributes, his goodness, kindness, mercy, justice, creativity, we give him glory.

And it is good and right that we should do so. J. C. Ryle writes:

Anything whereby we may glorify God is a talent, our gifts, our influence, our money, our knowledge, our health, our strength, our time, our senses, our reason, our intellect, our memory, our affections, our privileges as members of Christ’s Church, our advantages as possessors of the Bible—all, all are talents. Whence came these things? What hand bestowed them? Why are we what we are? Why are we not the worms that crawl on the earth? There is only one answer to these questions. All that we have is a loan from God. We are God’s stewards. We are God’s debtors. Let this thought sink deeply into our hearts.

We owe God everything; God needs us for nothing. In him we live and move and have our being. We need him for all, for without his sustaining hand, all things would cease to exist. God did not have to reveal himself to us, but in his wisdom he has, and has given us the ability to know him, to God be the glory. It is because God first loved us that we love him and are enabled to love others, to God be the glory. God has no need for our fellowship, but in his infinite goodness he has chosen to share himself with us so that we might live with him, to God be the Glory.

This, then, is a small picture of what it means to be made in the image of God. It means to live our entire lives pointing to God. The image of God is what defines our very nature. It is what defines our relationships with each other and the rest of creation. And, ultimately, it defines our purpose. God is our ultimate end. And because God created us for this purpose, we find the most fulfilment accomplishing this purpose. To enjoy God is to find fulfilment in doing that which God created us for: knowing, loving, living with, and glorifying Him.

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen!” – 1 Timothy 1:17

2 Corinthians 13:14

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Q: How many persons are there in God?
A: There are three persons in the one true and living God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are the same in substance, equal in power and glory[1].

The Trinity can be a difficult doctrine to explain, especially by way of analogy. That is because the Triune God is not “like” anything else in existence. God is thoroughly unique. There is only one true and living God, and he is three in persons. These persons are the same in substance (they share all the same essential properties) and are equal in their power and glory (they share no properties in lesser or greater degrees). Let us be careful not to treat the Trinity like a math problem, and instead focus on the truths this doctrine teaches us about God, our relationship to him, and our relationship to others.

The Trinitarian truth that I would like to focus on is that God is a relational God. In Jesus’ intercessory prayer for the church recorded in John 17, Jesus prays “Father . . . you loved me before the foundation of the world.” Before the foundation of the world, for all eternity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have communed together in perfect love and fellowship. This, indeed, is an essential part of God’s nature: 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love.” This does not simply imply that God has love or is loving of others. For God to be love himself means that love must have its origin and essence in God. This cannot be the case unless God is Trinity, for, in order to be love, God must have someone to love. Love must have an object – real, biblical love always implies a relationship.

Kevin DeYoung writes that “when you have a triune God, you have the eternality of love. Love has existed from all time. If you have a god who is not three persons, he has to create a being to love, to be an expression of his love. But Father, Son, and Holy Spirit existing in eternity have always had this relationship of love. So love is not a created thing. God didn’t have to go outside of himself to love. Love is eternal. And when you have a triune God, you have fully this God who is love.”

What’s more, it is God’s desire that we share in this love. In his book Delighting in the Trinity, Michael Reeves explains how the creation of the world was motived by the essentially outgoing and loving nature of God the Father toward God the Son. He writes that “The God who loves to have an outgoing Image of himself in his Son loves to have many images of his love (who are themselves outgoing)”. Even more, it is God the Son’s desire that we, his people, share in this relationship (John 17).

Christ said that “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Christ said it, and he modeled it, and even more, modeled it not just to his friends, but to his enemies. Romans 5:7-8 says “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The Trinity, loving one another in perfect fellowship for eternity, sent one of their own to suffer and die for not only for friends, but for enemies. Why would God do this?

To make his enemies his friends, and to share his loving fellowship with us.

In closing, let us briefly explore the roll of the Holy Spirit in God’s trinitarian expression of love. Matthew 3:16­–17 records the baptism of Jesus:

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

The Father makes his love known by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God the Father blesses his Son with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and the Son sends the Holy Spirit to us. Romans 5:5 states that “God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” In John 16:7, Jesus tells his disciples that it is to their advantage that he leave them, otherwise he would not have sent the Helper. It is through this Helper that we both know the love of God, and are enable to follow God’s loving, other-directed example in our own lives. Michael Reeves writes that “The Spirit shares the triune life of God by bringing God’s children into the mutual delight of the Father and the Son—and there we become like our God: fruitful and life-giving.” In other words, God gives us spiritual life by giving us himself.

This we did not deserve. We experience the love of God purely through the grace of Christ, the free gift offered by the blood of the Son. Christ freely gave his life on our behalf so that we might share with him in the love of the Father; that we might be heirs with Christ as sons of God. The Holy Spirit testifies of this love within us, and enables us to experience right fellowship with God and with one another.

Finally, with this Trinitarian view of God and his expression of love in mind, I encourage you to read Romans 8, perhaps now with fresh eyes. Thank you, Lord, for bringing us in to so great a love!

Romans 8

English Standard Version (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 86:8–10, 15

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.
All the nations you have made shall come
and worship before you, O Lord,
and shall glorify your name.
For you are great and do wondrous things;
you alone are God.
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

Q: What is God?
A: God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable in his power and perfection, goodness and glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. Nothing happens except through him and by his will[1].

In the beginning, God Created the heavens and the earth. This is the very first truth that God reveals to us in his Scripture: that he is a Creator God. Further, God is not just a creator, he is the creator. John 1:3 states that “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” God created all things out of nothing – he has told us so in his word, and he has designed his creation in such a way as to demonstrate his hand. Psalm 19 states that -

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.

Indeed, even our own spirits attest to this truth. Psalm 139:14 states that “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” So then, God has revealed himself as the creator in his inspired word, in our hearts, and in his very creation. Further, not only is God the creator of all things, he is also the sustainer of all things. The God of the Bible is not the God of the deists, the so-called “great watchmaker” who wound up the universe like a clock and is now standing idly by watching. No, our God is both creator and sustainer. Speaking of Christ, Colossians 1:16-17 states that “All things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Further, Hebrews 1:3 states that “he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

This could perhaps be a terrifying thought, if this was all we knew of God. For, if God is powerful enough to create all things from nothing, he is certainly powerful enough destroy all things, ourselves included. Praise God that his self-revelation does not end here.

God has also told us that he is eternal: he is not bound by time (Psalm 90:2, Revelation 1:8). There has never been a time when God did not exist. There was never a time when he came into existence, nor will there ever be a time when he will cease to exist.

God has told us that he is infinite: he cannot be limited by space (1 Kings 8:27, Acts 7:48,49). Nothing limits God’s presence or his power.

God has told us that he is unchangeable: (Psalm 102:27, James 1:17, Hebrews 1:12). God is not capricious. God’s being, character, purposes, and fairness will forever remain the same. Because of this, we can trust in his promises. This should be a great comfort to us.

God’s power is limitless and unchangeable. Nothing is impossible with God, nor will anything ever be (Jeremiah 32:27, Matthew 19:26). God never tires, nor will his purposes ever be stopped (Isaiah 40:28, Job 42:2).

God’s perfection is limitless and unchangeable: there is nothing lacking in his being or his character (Psalm 18:30, Matthew 5:48).

God’s goodness is limitless and unchangeable (Psalm 33:5, Mark 10:18). He provides and cares for the entirety of his creation (Mathew 6:26), confers special blessings on those who belong to him (Deuteronomy 30:9), and is longsuffering and patient with the wicked (Numbers 14:18).

God’s glory is limitless and unchangeable (Exodus 24:15-17). God's glory is His splendor, majesty, and radiance.

God’s wisdom is limitless and unchangeable (Proverbs 3:19, Romans 11:33). God is all knowing, and applies his knowledge with perfect skill and goodness. God always does the wisest thing possible.

God’s justice is limitless and unchangeable (Deuteronomy 32:4, Revelation 16:7). Because God is perfectly holy, he cannot ignore sin and lawlessness: to do so would be apathy on his part. When God executes his justice, he makes things “as they should be.” God always executes justice in perfect fairness (Deuteronomy 10:17).

God’s truth is limitless and unchangeable (John 14:6, Heb. 6:13). God is not a moral relativist. He alone defines the objective standard of truth, and he always tells the truth (Titus 1:2).

This same limitless and unchangeable God, who created and sustains all things, is also actively governing all things. As Johnathan Edwards writes, “The Creator of the world is doubtless also the Governor of it.” God’s government is always perfectly wise and just.

How then are we to apply God’s self-revelation to our lives? I believe we can take a cue from the writer of Psalm 86. Understanding and knowing God is not some pointless academic exercise. God has revealed his nature to us for his glory and our benefit. I would encourage you to take a moment to read and reflect on Psalm 86, the scripture reference for today’s catechism. What can the Psalmist teach us?

First, note that Psalm 86 is a prayer for help in time of trouble: specifically, a band of ruthless men who are seeking the Psalmists life. And where does the Psalmist find his assurance in these troubled times? In the very character of God. It is the very nature of God that gives the writer hope and peace. For the writer, God’s character attributes are not just a collection transcendental truths. They have relevance. Reflecting on God’s nature forms the foundation of the Psalmists trust that God is both able and willing to save him. Every problem the writer has, he answers with the nature of God. Every request he makes of God, he backs up with one of God’s character attributes. And so it should be for us.

So then, God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything. He alone is eternal, infinite, and unchangeable. Because God is who he is, we can trust in him to order and govern his creation in perfect power, goodness, glory, wisdom, justice, and truth. He is always in perfect control of all things; nothing ever happens except by his decree.

And finally, let us not forget that our God is an immanent God; a God who is very near to us. God is a God who can be called upon, who listens, and who answers. We too may say with the Psalmist -

In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.
There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
nor are there any works like yours.

Romans 14:7–8

For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

Q: What is our only hope in life and death?
A: That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ[1].

Romans 14:7-8 exemplifies this truth. As Paul explains in the preceding verse (14:6), we are to observe, eat, and indeed do all things as unto the Lord (1 Cor. 10:31). For none of us lives to himself: we are God's. No Christians are exempt from the requirements of belonging to God, and no Christians are excluded from the benefits of belonging to God. John Calvin emphasizes this point when he writes that "We are not our own: in so far as we can, let us forget ourselves and all that is ours. Conversely, we are God’s: let us therefore live for him and die for him.[2]"

We do not live to ourselves, nor do we live of ourselves. For without God's creating and sustaining work, none of us would even exist. Truly, in Him we live and breath and have our being (Acts 17:24-32). This fact alone is worthy of the eternal praise, gratitude, and devotion of the entire human race. Paul, however, is speaking specifically to us, the redeemed. For, while unbelievers do still live under the just requirements of God (and are judged by them), and while unbelievers do still receive His common grace (Matt. 5:45), they do not live under the redemptive grace of Christ’s sacrifice. Praise God that he saw fit to save us from our sins, by grace alone and not of our own doing, lest any should boast (Eph. 2:9).

We are not our own, but were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). Therefore, our own motives, desires, passions, ends, wants, needs, breath, heartbeat, thoughts, everything, must be directed to God as our end and as our aim. Matthew Henry states that "Christ is the gain we aim at, living and dying. We live to glorify him in all the actions and affairs of life; we die, whether a natural or a violent death, to glorify him, and to go to be glorified with him. Christ is the centre, in which all the lines of life and death do meet.[3]" Belonging to God gives us an ultimate purpose for our life and death: to glorify and enjoy Him. Belonging to God also gives us an ultimate hope in our life and death: the assurance that God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28), and the promise that we will be with God in eternity.

If, then, we live (we do), and if, then, we will die (we will), we are the Lord's. Hear this truth: no matter the circumstances in our lives, and no matter the details of our death, we are the Lord's. This truth carries with it a responsibility, and an assurance. We have the responsibility of dying to ourselves and living to the Lord. We have the assurance that, in both life and death, we are under the grace and care of God.

It is for this reason that Christ died for us. Paul continues in Romans 14:9: "For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living." This is the redemptive act of God which grounds the preceding truths - that Jesus Christ, the only son of God, suffered once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. Lost in our sin, it would be just for God to destroy us and to cast us out into utter darkness. However, Christ satisfied the justice of God on the cross, that we might be brought into a right relationship with Him.

God is pure. God’s care for us is pure, his love for us is pure, and his requirements on us are pure. We cannot stand before a pure and just God as sinful human beings. Praise God that he did not see fit to leave us in this pitiable estate, but has called to Himself a people washed with the blood of Christ. Because we are God’s and because of Christ’s work, we are washed from our sins and rest secure in God’s love. This is good news indeed.

In closing, I would like to offer one final word of encouragement. As we are servants of God, it is our duty and our privilege to serve God, to imitate God, and to have an intimate relationship with God. What a great gift it is, to know personally the creator and sustainer of the universe! Further, God not only enables us to find joy in serving Him, but also, through His grace, enables us to serve him in the first place. Romans 14:4 asks "who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." So yes, because of our sin, we will fall in our service to God. But rest assured that you serve a God who is able to make you stand.

So, then, this is our hope: that we are not our own. We are God's. God is able to make us stand, both in this life, and in His presence in the life after death. For this reason Christ died for us.

Based off of Psalm 130, Colossians 3, 1 John 3, and the Catechism.

O LORD God,

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? For we have sinned against you times without number.

We have rejected and ignored you in the world that you have created. We have rebelled against you by living without regard for you, by failing to give you your due honor, and by not doing what you require of us in your holy law. Have mercy on us, Lord.

We who have practiced sin have practiced lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness.

We have trusted in created things rather than you O Lord, the Creator, for our hope, happiness, and security, thus committing idolatry. Have mercy on us, Lord.

O God, all these things are a direct affront to your sovereignty, holiness, and goodness, and against your righteous law, and your are righteously angry with our sins and would be completely just in destroying us in your wrath, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Lord, we are disobedient sons. Have mercy on us O LORD.

We have nothing in ourselves that could save us from this state. Thank you for providing us a Redeemer, your own Son, the Christ, who came, who lived a sinless life, who died for our sins, and who was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. It is only by His blood that we can stand in your presence. We repent of our sins, we trust in your Son, and we claim the blood of Christ. It is in His name we pray,

Amen.