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In this episode of The Reformed Standard, we explore the second question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?” Building on the foundation established in the previous episode about our chief end, this discussion examines the critical concept of an authoritative standard that guides our beliefs and actions. The episode unpacks the meaning of “rule” as a measuring rod or canon—an objective standard that exists outside ourselves. It evaluates various alternatives that people often rely on (reason, tradition, feelings) and explains why each falls short as an ultimate authority. The episode concludes by emphasizing our need for a divine rule that comes from God himself, setting the stage for the answer to be revealed in the next installment.
Key Takeaways
- The concept of a “rule” (kanon in Greek) refers to an objective standard or measuring rod that exists outside ourselves and doesn’t change based on our feelings or circumstances.
- After establishing our chief end (to glorify and enjoy God), we need a reliable guide to show us how to fulfill this purpose.
- Human alternatives to a divine rule—including reason, tradition, and feelings—are all inadequate as ultimate authorities because they are finite, fallible, and affected by sin.
- Scripture warns against trusting our hearts as guides: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).
- Our need for an external, divine rule reflects the reality that we cannot determine truth or right conduct on our own.
- The question of our ultimate rule is fundamentally about authority—what serves as the final court of appeal in our theology and ethics.
- God, as a speaking and revealing God, has not left us without guidance but has provided a standard to direct us toward our purpose.
Key Concepts
The Nature and Necessity of an Objective Rule
The concept of a “rule” is central to understanding how we can fulfill our purpose of glorifying and enjoying God. This rule functions as a measuring rod—a fixed, objective standard against which all beliefs and actions can be evaluated. This understanding directly challenges modern notions of subjective truth where individuals are encouraged to “follow their hearts” or “live their truth.” The catechism’s approach asserts that truth exists outside ourselves and doesn’t change based on our feelings or circumstances. This external standard is necessary precisely because we are finite creatures with fallen minds. Without an objective rule given by God himself, we would inevitably create a god in our image and duties that align with our preferences, thus failing to truly glorify God or find lasting enjoyment in him.
The Inadequacy of Human Alternatives
When evaluating potential rules for faith and life, humans typically turn to three alternatives: reason, tradition, and experience/feelings. While each has value in its proper place, none can serve as the ultimate authority. Human reason, though a gift from God, is both finite and fallen—affected by sin’s corruption and limited in its scope. Tradition provides valuable historical wisdom but consists of fallible human interpretations that have often strayed from truth, as the Protestant Reformation demonstrates. Most dangerously, our feelings and experiences—often summarized as “follow your heart”—are explicitly warned against in Scripture, which describes the heart as “deceitful above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). Proverbs 14:12 delivers a sobering reality: paths that seem right to us can lead to destruction. These alternatives might provide partial guidance, but they must all be subordinated to a higher, divine rule.
Memorable Quotes
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9, quoted in the episode)
“This isn’t talking about a way that seems obviously evil. It’s talking about a path that appears good, wise, and sensible from a human perspective. It feels right. It makes sense to us. It aligns with our intuition. But without an external, divine rule to check it against, that path, which seems so full of life, is a dead end.”
“The God who created us for a purpose did not then leave us in the dark, guessing how to fulfill it. That would be cruel. Our God is a speaking God. A revealing God. From the moment He walked with Adam in the garden, He has communicated His will to His people. He has not left us as orphans. He has given us a rule.”
Full Transcript
Last week, we established the very foundation of our existence. We learned that our chief end—our ultimate purpose—is to glorify God, which is the sum of all right belief, and to enjoy Him forever, which is the sum of all right duty. This gives us our destination. We know what the goal of our life is.
[00:00:25] The Need for a Guiding Rule
But that immediately raises the next question: How do we get there?
If we are to believe in God rightly, and to perform our duty joyfully, we need a map. We need a guide. We need an authoritative, reliable, and true standard to direct us. And that brings us to the second question of the catechism: Question 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
[00:00:51] Understanding the Concept of ‘Rule’
Now, before we even get to the answer, I want us to feel the weight of this question. The most important word here is rule. The Greek equivalent is the word kanon, from which we get our English word “canon.” Originally, a kanon was a measuring rod—a straight piece of reed used by builders to ensure things were level and true. From there, it came to mean any standard or benchmark. When we speak of the “canon of Scripture,” we are speaking of the collection of books that serves as our measuring rod—the rule by which we measure all other claims to truth.
So the catechism is asking: What is our kanon? What is our measuring rod for faith and life?
[00:01:33] Modern Views vs. Catechism’s Assertion
In our modern world, this very idea can be offensive. We are taught that truth is personal, subjective. You’re told to “follow your heart,” or “live your truth.” The ultimate authority, in the modern view, is the self.
The catechism, by asking this question, rejects that idea entirely. It asserts something radical: that the standard for what we are to believe and how we are to live exists outside of ourselves. A rule, by its very nature, is an objective standard. It doesn’t change based on how you feel about it. An inch is an inch whether you’re happy or sad, rich or poor. It is an external, fixed standard by which other things are judged.
This is what the catechism is asking for. It’s asking for a spiritual and ethical ruler. A standard that can tell us what is true and what is false. What is right and what is wrong. And this implies something crucial about our condition. It implies that we need such a rule. We are not capable of figuring this out on our own.
[00:02:33] Evaluating Alternative Rules
Let’s consider the alternatives that men propose. Some would say our reason is the rule. And reason is a tremendous gift from God. We are called to be rational creatures. But the Bible is clear that our reason has been grievously affected by the Fall. It is finite, and it is fallen. It can lead us into error just as easily as it can lead us to truth if it is not submitted to a higher authority.
Others point to tradition. And tradition is important. We stand on the shoulders of giants and benefit from the wisdom of the church throughout history. But tradition is the testimony of fallible men. Traditions can and have erred. The Protestant Reformation itself was a movement to correct traditions that had departed from the true rule.
And of course, the most popular rule today is experience or our feelings. “Follow your heart.” But the prophet Jeremiah tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” The book of Proverbs gives us a chilling warning about this very thing. Chapter 14, verse 12 says: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”
Let that sink in. This isn’t talking about a way that seems obviously evil. It’s talking about a path that appears good, wise, and sensible from a human perspective. It feels right. It makes sense to us.
It aligns with our intuition.But without an external, divine rule to check it against, that path, which seems so full of life, is a dead end.This verse is a devastating critique of making the self the ultimate authority.Our hearts are unreliable guides. Our reason is clouded by sin. Our traditions are fallible.
If we are left to our own devices, we will inevitably get it wrong.We will create a god in our own image,and we will invent duties that suit our own preferences.We will fail to glorify the true God,and we will never find our true enjoyment.
[00:04:34] The Divine Standard
So, the rule we need cannot come from within us.It must be given to us by God.He is the one we are meant to glorify and enjoy,so He is the only one who can tell us how to do it.The standard must come from the one who is the standard.
Think about what this means.The God who created us for a purpose did not then leave us in the dark, guessing how to fulfill it.That would be cruel.Our God is a speaking God. A revealing God.From the moment He walked with Adam in the garden, He has communicated His will to His people.He has not left us as orphans. He has given us a rule.
This question, then, is about authority.What is the final court of appeal in your life?When you face a difficult ethical decision, where do you turn?When you have a deep theological question, what is your ultimate source of truth?All of those other things—reason, tradition, experience—have their proper, subordinate place.But the catechism is asking for the rule.The one, final, infallible authority that governs all others.
This question builds the indispensable bridgefrom our purpose to our foundation.We’ve established why we exist.Now, we must establish how we know what to believe and do.Without a rule, our theology is just speculation,and our ethics are just preference.We are a ship without a rudder, tossed about by every wave of doctrine and cultural pressure.
[00:06:00] Conclusion and Reflection
So as we close today, consider this:What do you, in practice, treat as your rule?What is the ultimate standard you use to measure your beliefs and your actions?Is it firm? Is it fixed? Is it from God?We must have an answer to this, loved ones.Because a faith without an authoritative ruleis no faith at all.Consider that, and I’ll see you on Thursday when we explore the one and only answer.