Heidelberg Catechism, Week 5

This week's installment got posted late due to life getting in the way.  Hopefully, it's received in time for us all to meditate on our Lord's Day evening this week.  I also found another translation of the catechism here at the United Reformed Church in North America's website.  As always, here is the link to the previous version of the catechism that I've used in the past.  

 

 

 

12. Since, then, by the righteous judgment of God we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, how may we escape this punishment and be again received into favor?

God wills that His justice be satisfied;¹ therefore, we must make full satisfaction to that justice, either by ourselves or by another.²

¹ Ex 20:5, 23:7; Rom 2:1-11; ² Isa 53:11; Rom 8:3-4

13. Can we ourselves make this satisfaction?

Certainly not; on the contrary, we daily increase our guilt.¹

¹ Job 9:2-3, 15:15-16; Ps 130:3; Mt 6:12, 16:26; Rom 2:4-5

14. Can any mere creature make satisfaction for us?

None; for first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man committed;¹ and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God’s eternal wrath against sin and redeem others from it.²

¹ Ezek 18:4, 20; Heb 2:14-18; ² Ps 130:3; Nah 1:6

15. What kind of mediator and redeemer, then, must we seek?

One who is a true¹ and righteous man,² and yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is also true God.³

¹ 1 Cor 15:21-22, 25-26; Heb 2:17; ² Isa 53:11; Jer 13:16; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 7:26; ³ Isa 7:14, 9:6; Jer 23:6; Jn 1:1; Rom 8:3-4; Heb 7:15-16

College Football Week 8, and Other Sports Happenings

College Football:
Still in the Top 25!  Praying and hoping for a speedy recovery for Moe Brown, who suffered a concussion during the Carolina Alabama game this weekend. 

Also in our prayers this week are all the family and friends of UConn quarterback Jasper Howard, who was murdered this weekend.  The saddest part of the story is that he chose to go to UConn in order to get away from the violence and such in his hometown.  While there is plenty of news commentary about a young man who had potential to be a great the the NFL who was killed in his prime, I wonder how much commentary we'll have concerning a young man who was killed needlessly, period. 

Pro Wrestling:
Shane McMahon has tendered his resignation from the WWE, effective January 1, 2010.  Somehow, unlike the rest of the IWC, I'm not too shocked by this.  People leave major companies all the time.  I look forward to hearing about his next ventures, however. 

Also, AJ Styles retained the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in his match against Sting last night at Bound For Glory 2009. 



 

Heidelberg Catechism, Week 4

Q. 9.
Does not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in his law, that which he cannot perform?
A.
Not at all (a); for God made man capable of performing it; but man, by the instigation of the devil (b),
and his own wilful disobedience(c), deprived himself and all his posterity of those divine gifts.


(a) Eph.4:24; Eccl.7:29. (b) John 8:44; 2 Cor.11:3; Gen.3:4. (c) Gen.3:6; Rom.5:12; Gen.3:13; 1 Tim.2:13,14.


Q. 10.
Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
A.
By no means; but is terribly displeased (a) with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them in his just judgment temporally and eternally (b),  as he has declared, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them (c)."


(a) Gen.2:17; Rom.5:12. (b) Ps.5:5; Ps.50:21; Nah.1:2; Exod.20:5; Exod.34:7; Rom.1:18; Eph.5:6; Heb.9:27. (c) Deut.27:26; Gal.3:10.


Q. 11.
Is not God then also merciful?
A.
God is indeed merciful (a), but also just (b); 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.


(a) Exod.34:6,7; Exod.20:6. (b) Ps.7:9; Exod.20:5; Exod.23:7; Exod.34:7; Ps.5:5,6; Nah.1:2,3.

Question 11 is the one that gets me this week.   With God, mercy and justice is not either/or; it's both/and.  That's one of the things that I have a hard time remembering, especially in my line of work.  As we go into another Lord's Day, I pray that we will all remember this truth, me especially.     

As always, here is a link to the entire Catechism. 

Observations

My original blogging plan was just to chronicle random interesting events in the lives of my family and talk about some of the big issues of the day—theology, politics, college football, etc.—but I’ve found that I’ve mainly been consistent with blog posts dealing with my faith as a Christian. My original plan was to balance out posts about my faith with posts about other goings-on in the world. For what it’s worth, perhaps this is a sign that I need to make a point to be more deliberate about both sharing my faith and growing in my faith.


For the record (and if you haven’t figured it out already), I am a Christian in the Reformed camp. I have examined the claims of Christ and the Christian faith in contrast with other world views, and find Christianity to not only be true, but also consistent. My faith in Christ has had a positive impact on my life, and I would encourage any of my readers who are not Christians to examine what the Christian faith entails with an open mind and heart. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I will do my best to answer them.

College Football: Week 7

Once again, my Gamecocks are in the Top 25!


Now, please, I’m BEGGIN’ ya, don’t mess up over the next few weeks! Even though we only need 1 more win to become Bowl Elligible, we want to go to a GOOD bowl game. A National Championship would be nice, but that would be asking for too much in such a short time. Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps.

We have a big game this weekend against Alabama. While I’m hoping that somehow Coach Spurrier and Co. will pull off an amazing win, the logical side of me is not all that enthusiastic. Nevertheless, I will be cheering for my Gamecocks during the game as I frantically check the scores on my cell phone during the Baby Shower I’m attending this coming Saturday. 

Heidelberg Catechism, Week 3

Q. 6. Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?
A.
By no means; but God created man good (a), and after his own image (b), 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 (c). 

(a) Gen 1:31 (b) Gen 1:26,27 (c) Col.3:9,10; Eph.4:23,24; 2 Cor 3:18.

Q. 7. Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?
A.
From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise (a); hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin (b).

(a) Gen 3; Rom 5:12,18,19. (b) Ps.51:5; Gen 5:3.

Q. 8.
Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?
A.
Indeed we are (a); except we are regenerated by the Spirit of God (b).

(a) Gen.8:21; John 3:6; Gen.6:5; Job 14:4; Job 15:14,16,35; Isa.53:6.
(b) John 3:3,5; 1 Cor.12:3; 2 Cor 3.5 ________________________________________________________
In addition to this week's Catechism section, here is an article that discusses the importance of catechizing children (and even older believers, too!).  And as always, I use this link as my source for the Catechism questions.

Heidelberg Catechism, Week 2

2. Lord's Day

Q. 3. Whence knowest thou thy misery?
A.
Out of the law of God.(Rom.3:20.)

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Q. 4.
What does the law of God require of us?
A.
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 shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Deut.6:5; Lev.19:18; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).

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Q. 5.
Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?
A.
In no wise; for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbour.

(Rom.3:10,20,23; 1 John 1:8,10. Rom.8:7; Eph.2:3; Tit.3:3;
Gen.6:5; Gen.8:21; Jer.17:9; Rom.7:23)