Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 25, question 65. Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith only. Whence comes this faith? The Holy Ghost works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the Holy Gospel and confirms it by the use of the holy sacraments. And then question 66. What are the sacraments? The sacraments are visible, holy signs and seals appointed of God for this end, that by the use thereof he may the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel. Namely, that of free grace he grants us the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life for the sake of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross. And then question 67. Are both the word and the sacraments designed to direct our faith that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the only ground of our salvation? Yes, truly, for the Holy Ghost teaches in the gospel and assures us by the holy sacraments that our whole salvation stands in the one sacrifice of Christ made for us on the cross. And then finally, question 68. How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the New Testament? Two, holy baptism and the holy supper. As we continue to consider the particular role that the questions in the questions and answers of the catechism play, I think in this Lord's Day, it's probably pretty clear just skimming through the questions that there are two that do more heavy lifting than the others. Question 66, what are the sacraments? And 68, how many sacraments has Christ instituted in the New Testament? Those are very clear, straightforward, simple questions, and the real meat comes in the answers. But in question 65 and 67, there's a fair amount of teaching embedded in the way the question is expressed. So question 65, since then we are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith only, you notice the importance of that. They are summarizing the previous discussion. Faith, what does it do? It makes us partakers of Christ. It makes us partakers of all of His benefits. Without faith, there is none of that. There is no partaking of Christ. There is no experiencing His benefits. And so it becomes a very significant question indeed. Where does this faith come from? And the answer has the holy, holy, holy of the Heidelberg Catechism. The Holy Ghost works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the Holy Gospel and confirms it by the use of the Holy Sacraments. God uses his word to create faith as well as to nurture faith, and then he further strengthens it with the application of those sacred signs and seals. Then in question 67, you notice that the question does quite a lot. It basically tells you the answer before you get to it, when it says, are both the Word and the sacraments designed to direct our faith to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation? They're affirming there, they're taking for granted that the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is the only ground of our salvation. We shouldn't skip that. We shouldn't ignore that. That's tremendously important. Because that's true, then the totality of Scripture and the signs that God has appointed for perpetual use in his church direct our faith in that one direction. if you have a subjective experience of belief. You have a lot of confidence in your knowledge about God or about the afterlife or whatever other subject, but it's not actually pointing you to Christ. You're not actually resting in Christ and His work as the basis for your acceptance with God. then what you have is not a faith that is created by the Holy Spirit through the use of Scripture and confirmed by the sacraments. That's the kind of faith that they're talking about. It's a faith that's measured not so much by its strength, by its certainty. It's a faith that derives its whole character from its object. In whom do you trust? That is a lot more important question than, how strongly do you trust? No, I'm not saying you should trust in Christ weakly, obviously. That would be a ridiculous thing for me to say. But the real test isn't how big or small is faith. The real test is, in whom does that faith come to rest? That's the more important point, if I can put it that way.