Heidelberg 9-11

⁶Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on those who are disobedient. (Ephesians 5:6)

⁶The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, ⁷keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Ex. 34:6-7)

Thoughts: We may think it is archaic, passee, and even unjust for us to think of God as judge who cares to punish us when we sin.  One of the great incentives to sin is to think there are no consequences to sin.  Many in our day have chosen to not believe in a God who cares about our behavior because they simply do not want to believe that God can get angry or punish sin.  Yet, we want to believe that evil will be held accountable and will not win in the end.  But we want God to punish others' sins but not our own.  These verses and this catechism section reminds us that we reap what we sow. There is mercy to avoid wrath, but God does not approve of evil nor is He indifferent to it. 

Prayer: Lord, help me to seek your mercy and grace.   

Q & A 9

Q. But doesn’t God do us an injustice by requiring in his law what we are unable to do?

A. No, God created human beings with the ability to keep the law.1
They, however, provoked by the devil,2 in willful disobedience,3robbed themselves and all their descendants of these gifts.4

1 Gen. 1:31; Eph. 4:24
2 Gen. 3:13; John 8:44
3 Gen. 3:6
4 Rom. 5:12, 18, 19

Q & A 10

Q. Does God permit such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?

A. Certainly not.  God is terribly angry with the sin we are born with as well as the sins we personally commit.  As a just judge, God will punish them both now and in eternity,1

having declared: “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey

all the things written in the book of the law.”2

1 Ex. 34:7; Ps. 5:4-6; Nah. 1:2; Rom. 1:18; Eph. 5:6; Heb. 9:27
2 Gal. 3:10; Deut. 27:26

Q & A 11

Q. But isn’t God also merciful?

A. God is certainly merciful,1 but also just. God’s justice demands

that sin, committed against his supreme majesty, be punished with the supreme penalty—
eternal punishment of body and soul.3

1 Ex. 34:6-7; Ps. 103:8-9
2 Ex. 34:7; Deut. 7:9-11; Ps. 5:4-6; Heb. 10:30-31
3 Matt. 25:35-46