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.