Question 3. Whence knows thou thy misery?
Answer: Out of the law of God. (Romans 3:20)
Question 4. What does the law of God require of us?
Answer: Christ teaches us that briefly, Matt. 22:37-40, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and the great commandment; and the second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27)
Question 5. Can thou keep all these things perfectly?
Answer: In no wise; (Romans 3:10, 20, 23; 1 John 1:8,10) for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor.(Romans 8:7, Ephesians 2:3, Titus 3:3, Genesis 6:5, 8:21, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 7:23)
If anyone every wants to tell you how wonderful they are, deep down in their heart, just run that last group of verses at them. Start with the Jeremiah quote and go from there. It isn't just Paul who says that the Law is impossible to keep.
Question 6. Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?
Answer: By no means; but God created man good, (Genesis 1:31) and after his own image, (Genesis 1:26-27) in true righteousness and holiness, that he might rightly know God his Creator, heartily love him and live with him in eternal happiness to glorify and praise him. (Colossians 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:23-24, 2 Corinthians 3:18)
Question 7. Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?
Answer: From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; (Genesis 3, Romans 5:12, 18-19) hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin. (Psalms 51:5, Genesis 5:3)
Question 8. Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?
Answer: Indeed we are; (Genesis 8:21, John 3:6, Genesis 6:5, Job 14:4, 15:14, 16, 35, Isaiah 53:6) except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God. (John 3:3, 5; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 2 Corinthians 3:5)
Did we create the situation that we are in? No, Adam as our federal representative did it for us in the Fall. Are we so completely lost that we are incapable of good? Unfortunately, yes, but fortunately, we may be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Amazing stuff.
Question 9. Does not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in his law, that which he cannot perform?
Answer: Not at all; (Ephesians 4:24, Ecclesiastes 7:29) for God made man capable of performing it; but man, by the instigation of the devil, (John 8:44, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Genesis 3:4) and his own willful disobedience, (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12, Genesis 3:13, 1 Timothy 2:13-14) deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts.
Question 10. Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
Answer: By no means; but is terribly displeased (Genesis 2:17, Romans 5:12) with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them in his just judgment temporally and eternally, (Psalms 5:5, 50:21, Nehemiah 1:2, Exodus 20:5, 34:7, Romans 1:18, Ephesians 5:6, Hebrews 9:27) as he has declared, "Cursed is everyone that continues not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them." (Deuteronomy 27:26, Galatians 3:10)
Question 11. Is not God then also merciful?
Answer: God is indeed merciful, (Exodus 34:6-7, 20:6) but also just; (Psalms 7:9, Exodus 20:5, 23:7, 34:7, Psalms 5:5-6, Nehemiah 1:2-3) therefore his justice requires, that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God, be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul.
OK, God made us capable of fulfilling the Law, but we blew it. Because He is just, these sins must be punished, and the punishment is steep. Yes, God is merciful, but that doesn't mean that justice can be overlooked.
Therefore, we have the problem laid out for us quite plainly: man, since the fall, is incapable of fulfilling the Law, and is therefore doomed under the Law. God's justice must be satisfied, and the punishment is extreme. These Heidelberg guys are sounding a bit depressing thus far. Remember that you can track down the full document from this link called CRTA. I highly recommend reading the passages. It is important to see that this catechism and others are taken directly from the text. The doctrine flows from the text rather than imposing some random doctrine on the text.
This is the end of part one. In the next post, we will start on part two, Of Man's Deliverance.
This is the end of part one. In the next post, we will start on part two, Of Man's Deliverance.
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