8- 2/29- WSC 19 (WLC 27)
What is the misery of our fallen condition?
A. By our fall, all human beings lost fellowship with God and are under His wrath and curse. We are subjected to the miseries of this life, to death, and to the pains of hell forever.
A. By our fall, all human beings lost fellowship with God and are under His wrath and curse. We are subjected to the miseries of this life, to death, and to the pains of hell forever.
34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! (John 8)
Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. (Eph. 2:12).
Thoughts: When things are going well in life, it is hard to understand our misery. It is a gift of God that we do not always vividly remember our misery (perhaps that is why some have more than one child after the first labor). Yet there is a restless itch in our heart for ultimate meaning and hope. The book of Ecclesiastes is largely a tale of a wise man seeking meaning in life apart from God. He tries work, study, buying things, living for pleasure but in the end it is all vanity (except that he says we should fear God and keep His commandments). Death limits our best talents (like Whitney Houston's) and our best achievements fade with time. But we also should realize that without God’s hope we are hopeless. We do not like to focus on hell, yet within us lurks the idea that we are held accountable for what we do. Sometimes this is perceived as guilt, but the shameless in evil times, feel little guilt. Yet we all know this life can be better, and should be better. We know that the poor should be cared for and no one around us should die hungry. We know we should not be mean or neglectful toward our neighbors, but it is hard- in our busy world- to take time to care. Our misery can be a catalyst to see that life can be better. The good news is that God came in Christ to share our misery and also provide a way out of it. God knows how it feels when people treat us unjustly, and slander us. The sufferings of God in Christ are an avenue out of the continual pains of life, death, and hell.
Prayer: This Lent, Lord, help me to remember your sufferings and so have hope that my suffering may have meaning and an end.
(Job- Gustave Dore d. 1883)
1986 Q. 19. What is the misery of man’s fallen condition?
A. By their fall all mankind lost fellowship with God and brought His anger and curse on themselves. They are therefore subject to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell
forever.
1647 Q. 19. What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God,are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.
A. All mankind by their fall lost communion with God,are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever.
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