The Second Helvetic Confession: 5.1–3: Week 6

Chapter V—Of The Adoration, Worship and Invocation of God Through The Only Mediator Jesus Christ

God Alone Is To Be Adored And Worshipped. 

1. We teach that the true God alone is to be adored and worshipped. This honor we impart to none other, according to the commandment of the Lord, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Math. 4:10). Indeed, all the prophets severely inveighed against the people of Israel whenever they adored and worshipped strange gods, and not the only true God. [2.] But we teach that God is to be adored and worshipped as he himself has taught us to worship, namely, “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23 f.), not with any superstition, but with sincerity, according to his Word; lest at anytime he should say to us: “Who has required these things from your hands?” (Isa. 1:12; Jer. 6:20). For Paul also says: “God is not served by human hands, as though he needed anything,” etc. (Acts 17:25).

God Alone Is To Be Invoked Through The Mediation Of Christ Alone. 

3. In all crises and trials of our life we call upon him alone, and that by the mediation of our only mediator and intercessor, Jesus Christ. For we have been explicitly commanded: “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” (Ps. 1:15). Moreover, we have a most generous promise from the Lord Who said: “If you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you” (John 16:23), and: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest: (Matt 11:28). And since it is written: “How are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed?” (Rom. 10:14), and since we do believe in God alone, we assuredly call upon him alone, and we do so through Christ. For as the apostle says, “There is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus? (I Tim. 2:5), and, “If any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” etc. (I John 2:1).