Love Thy Neighbor for God's Sake

This ninth volume of The Triple Knowledge, Herman Hoeksma's exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism, continues the third main division of this creed, which deals with the believer's gratitude for his redemption through Christ. The author explains the second table of the decalogue in Lord's Days 39-44 of the Catechism with specific application to the conduct of human life and societal relationships.

Having established in volume 8 that the Christian's first and primary obligation is to love his God with his heart, soul, mind, and strength, Hoeksema expounds what it means to love the neighbor for God's sake.

In clarifying the meaning of the sixth commandment, the author teaches the concept of authority and how it applies to the Christian in his everyday life.

He proceeds to delineate the love of the neighbor's person, specifically as it comes to manifestation in the sword power as wielded by the magistrate.

In his treatment of the forbidding of adultery by the seventh commandment, he defines marriage as a covenant, and-contrary to the view of many today-teaches that divorced persons may not remarry.

He gives a thorough description of what the eighth commandment forbids regarding stealing and gives many instances of what this includes.

In his treatment of the ninth commandment he is again practical, describing precisely what this word of God forbids negatively and positively delineating what it means always to speak the truth.

He concludes with a discussion of the law as it must be preached in the church. Although the Christian cannot keep the law of God perfectly, but has only a small beginning of the new obedience, he nevertheless with sincere resolution begins to live according to all of God's commandments as the rule of faith and life.