Overview

Having presented Christ and His work, the catechism asks how His redemption becomes ours. This section covers the benefits Christ procured (Q57–59), the necessity of being in Christ to be saved (Q60–61), the visible and invisible church (Q62–64), and the special benefits the members of the invisible church enjoy in union and communion with Christ (Q65). It opens the treatment of how redemption is applied.

The Questions & Answers

Q58. How do we come to be made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured? A. We are made partakers of the benefits which Christ hath procured, by the application of them unto us, which is the work especially of God the Holy Ghost.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Cor. 6:11, ESV)

Further proofs: John 1:11–12; Titus 3:5–6; Eph. 1:13–14.

Q60. Can they who have never heard the gospel, and so know not Jesus Christ, nor believe in him, be saved by their living according to the light of nature? A. They who, having never heard the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, or the laws of that religion which they profess; neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is the Saviour only of his body the church.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, ESV)

“…No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, ESV)

Further proofs: Eph. 2:12; John 8:24; 1 Cor. 16:22.

Q62. What is the visible church? A. The visible church is a society made up of all such as in all ages and places of the world do profess the true religion, and of their children.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off.” (Acts 2:39, ESV)

Further proofs: 1 Cor. 1:2; 12:13; Rom. 15:9–12; Gen. 17:7.

Q64. What is the invisible church? A. The invisible church is the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“…the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Eph. 1:22–23, ESV)

Further proofs: John 10:16; 11:52; Eph. 1:10.

Q65. What special benefits do the members of the invisible church enjoy by Christ? A. The members of the invisible church by Christ enjoy union and communion with him in grace and glory.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Cor. 1:9, ESV)

“…that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.” (John 17:21, 24, ESV)

Further proofs: John 15:5; Eph. 2:5–6; Rom. 8:17.

Exposition: Q58 makes the crucial point that redemption procured must be applied — the work “especially of God the Holy Ghost.” Q60 confesses the exclusivity of Christ with sobering clarity: there is no salvation through sincere living by “the light of nature” or any other religion — “neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone.” This fuels missions: people must hear of Christ to be saved (Rom. 10:14). Q62 and Q64 distinguish the visible church (all who profess the true religion, “and of their children” — the basis of covenant infant baptism) from the invisible church (the whole number of the elect under Christ the head). Q65 names the supreme benefit of the elect: “union and communion with him in grace and glory” — the fountain from which every saving benefit flows (the subject of Q66ff).

Connections

• WSC Q29–31 — how we partake of redemption; the Spirit’s application; effectual calling.
• WCF 25 (Of the Church) — the visible and invisible church; WCF 10.4 (the non-elect and those who never hear are not saved apart from Christ).
• Loci: Ecclesiology (visible/invisible church); the exclusivity of Christ; union with Christ.

Pastoral & Practical Significance

This section sets two truths side by side that shape the believer’s life and mission. First, the exclusivity of Christ (Q60): salvation is found “in Christ alone,” not through sincerity, morality, or any other religion. This is not arrogance but the testimony of Christ Himself (“no one comes to the Father except through me”), and it gives the church its missionary urgency — people must hear of Christ to believe, so we are sent to tell them. Second, the supremacy of union with Christ (Q65): the deepest benefit of salvation is not merely forgiveness or heaven but Christ Himself — “union and communion with him in grace and glory.” Every other blessing flows from being joined to Him. So the Christian life is not first about acquiring benefits but about belonging to a Person; and the church, visible and invisible, exists because Christ has gathered a people to Himself. If you are in Christ, you possess the greatest treasure the universe holds — Christ Himself — and you are part of a body He will never lose.

For Memory & Reflection

• Memorize Q64 and Q65; anchor verses: Acts 4:12 and 1 Corinthians 1:9.
• Q60 says salvation is in Christ alone, and people must hear of Him. How does that shape my concern and prayers for the unreached?
• The greatest benefit is “union and communion with him.” Do I treasure Christ Himself, or only His gifts?