SECTION THREE: 
THE PURPOSES OF GOD

In this third section of the Catechism, we will examine Articles 7-12 and 26 of our Statement of Faith in the Discipline. These 6 Articles address the Purposes of God and how His design manifests in us as His Image Bearers for Creation. From the outset, one of the primary things to keep in mind is that our doctrines of the Purposes of God begin with Creation and Humanity in their present state. Looking both forward and backward simultaneously, they seek to show how our Heavenly Father is on a mission to restore His original design, which was lost with Adam’s transgression in the Garden of Eden, through the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

Furthermore, in this section, you will notice that the attempts to differentiate Anglicanism, and for John Wesley, Methodism, from the doctrines of Roman Catholicism begin to take greater precedence than previously. You will find, as you go through this section, that there are some doctrines that, on their face, are so far removed from contemporary practice as to almost seem irrelevant. This is not entirely true, but to help you understand why they do, in fact, remain relevant, we have attempted to demonstrate how these Articles fit into their historical context while also being interconnected with the other Articles.