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The Westminster Confession of Faith and Larger Catechism
1. In his eternal purpose it pleased God to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, to be the mediator between God and man.[1] Jesus is the prophet,[2] priest,[3] and king,[4] the head and savior of his church,[5] the heir of all things,[6] and judge of the world.[7] From all eternity God gave him a people to be his seed[8] and to be in time redeemed, called, justified, sanctified, and glorified by him.[9]
[1] Is 42:1, 1 Pt 1:19-20, Jn 3:16, 1 Tm 2:5.
[4] Ps 2:6, Lk 1:33, Is 9:6-7.
[8] Jn 17:6, Ps 22:30, Is 53:10, Eph 1:4, Jn 6:37,39.
[9] 1 Tm 2:5-6, Is 55:4-5, 1 Cor 1:30, Mk 10:45, Rom 8:30.
2. The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, is truly the eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father. In the fullness of time he took on himself the nature of man,[10] with all the essential qualities and ordinary frailties of man–except that he was sinless.[11] Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary out of her substance.[12] These two complete, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in the one person of Jesus without being altered, disunited or jumbled.[13] The person Jesus is truly God and truly man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.[14]
[10] Jn 1:1,14, 1 Jn 5:20, Phil 2:6, Gal 4:4, Heb 2:14.
[12] Lk 1:27,31,35, Gal 4:4, see under figure 10 above.
[13] Lk 1:35, Col 2:9, Rom 9:5, 1 Pt 3:18, 1 Tm 3:16, Mt 16:16, see under figure 12 above.
3. His human nature being thus united to the divine, the Lord Jesus was sanctified and anointed with the Holy Spirit beyond all measure.[15] He had in him all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,[16] and in him it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell.[17] God's purpose was that Jesus, being holy, harmless, undefiled, and full of grace and truth, should be completely equipped to execute the office of mediator and guarantor.[18] Jesus did not take this office himself but was called to it by his Father,[19] who gave and commanded him to use all power and judgment.[20]
[15] Ps 45:7, Jn 3:34, Lk 4:18-19, 21, Acts 10:38, Heb 1:8-9.
[18] Heb 7:26, Jn 1:14, Acts 10:38, Heb 12:24, 7:22, Lk 4:18-21.
[20] Jn 5:22,27, Mt 28:18, Acts 2:36.
4. The Lord Jesus undertook this office completely voluntarily.[21] In order to discharge it, he was made under[22] and perfectly fulfilled the law.[23] He endured extremely severe torment in his soul[24] and extremely painful suffering in his body.[25] He was crucified and died.[26] He was buried and remained under the power of death, but his body did not decay.[27] On the third day he arose from the dead[28] with the same body in which he suffered[29] and with which he also ascended into heaven. There he sits at the right hand of his Father,[30] interceding for believers.[31] He will return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.[32]
[21] Ps 40:7-8, Heb 10:5-10, Jn 10:18, Phil 2:5-8, Jn 4:34.
[24] Mt 26:37-38, Lk 22:44, Mt 27:46.
[27] Acts 2:23-24, 27, Acts 13:37, Rom 6:9, Mt 27:60.
[30] Mk 16:19, Lk 24:50-51, Acts 1:9, 2:33-36, 1 Pt 3:22, Rom 8:34.
[31] Rom 8:34, Heb 9:24, 7:25.
[32] Rom 14:9-10, Acts 1:11, 10:42, Mt 13:40-42, Jude 6, 2 Pt 2:4, Mt 16:27, 25:31-33, 2 Tm 4:1, Jn 5:28-29.
5. By his perfect obedience and sacrifice, offered up to God once and for all through the eternal Spirit, the Lord Jesus has completely satisfied the justice of his Father[33] and purchased not only reconciliation but also an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for everyone whom the Father has given to him.[34]
[33] Rom 5:19, Heb 9:14,16, 10:14, Eph 5:2, Rom 3:25-26.
[34] Dn 9:24,26, Col 1:19-20, Eph 1:11,14, Jn 17:2, Heb 9:12,15, Rom 5:10-11, 2 Cor 5:18,20.
6. Although the work of redemption was not actually done by Christ until after his incarnation, yet the power, effectiveness, and benefits of it were given to the elect in all ages from the beginning of the world by means of those promises, types, and sacrifices which revealed him and indicated that he would be the seed of the woman, would bruise the serpent's head, and was the lamb slain from the beginning of the world. Jesus Christ is yesterday and today and forever the same.[35]
[35] Gal 4:4-5, Gn 3:15, Rv 13:8, Heb 13:8; see citations under Chapter 7, Section 5, figures 9 and 10.
7. In the work of mediation Christ acts according to both his natures, each nature doing what is proper to each.[36] However, because of the unity of his person Scripture sometimes attributes what is proper to one nature to the person indicated by the other nature.[37]
[36] Heb 9:14, 1 Pt 3:18, Jn 10:17-18.
[37] Acts 20:28, Jn 3:13, 1 Jn 3:16.
8. Christ insures with absolute certainty that everyone for whom he purchased redemption actually accepts and receives it.[38] He makes intercession for them,[39] reveals the mysteries of salvation to them in and by the word,[40] and effectively persuades them to believe and obey by his Spirit. He governs their hearts by his word and Spirit[41] and overcomes all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom in such ways as are most in agreement with his wonderful and unknowable administration of things.[42]
[38] Jn 6:37,39, 10:15-16,27-28.
[40] Jn 15:13,15, Eph 1:7-9, Jn 17:6, Gal 1:11-12.
[41] Jn 14:16, Heb 12:2, 2 Cor 4:13, Rom 8:9,14, 15:18-19, Jn 17:17, Ti 3:4-5.
[42] Ps 110:1, 1 Cor 15:25-26, Mal 4:2-3, Col 2:15, Lk 10:19.
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