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Heidelberg Catechism
Part 2: Deliverance
Mercy and Just
When people think of God today, they tend to emphasise his mercy
and goodness, rather than focusing on his justice or wrath.
But they go together – God is merciful, but yet will also punish sin. God
will not allow sin to go unpunished.
All sin deserves eternal death as punishment – because all sin is
committed against an infinite and eternal God (without measure or
limit)
If God did not punish all sin, he would be unjust.
Imagine a judge…
Two options
If all sin must and will be punished by God:
a) Either I have to be punished by God for the sin I have
committed/done
b) Or someone else can be punished in my stead
$1000 Fine
Imagine you had a speeding ticket, where the fine is $1000.
a) You have to pay $1000 yourself.
b) Someone else pays $1000 on your behalf.
$∞ (infinite)
Imagine a speeding ticket, where the fine is $∞
Same two options, but now there is a big problem.
a) You can repay the fine yourself – but how? If you repay $1000 a day
for 1000 years you are still at the beginning! An infinite amount
cannot be repaid by any number of finite payments…
Eternal Death
The punishment which sin deserves is eternal death (∞). Because we
have sinned against an infinite and eternal God (without measure or
limit), the punishment must fit the crime.
We are finite creatures – there is no way in which we ourselves can
fully pay the price for our sin. The ‘price’ is eternal death.
Only one option left
The second option is the only one left to us – someone else has to be
punished in my stead. Someone else needs to pay the ‘fine’ for me.
It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sin
(Hebrews 10:4)
An animal will not do. They were not made in God’s image – do not have a
moral nature and are not equal to man.
An angel perhaps? But no – angels were not made in God’s image – are not
truly man’s equal.
Fully human
Need someone who has to be fully and completely human – fully and
completely share in our human nature (moral beings made in the
image of God).
But, must also be someone who has no sin himself. Someone who is
$1000 in debt, cannot pay for someone else who is $1000 in debt.
But, problem: Humans are finite. It might be possible for someone to
pay the $1000 fine for one other person, but no human can pay an $∞.
Fully God
Need someone who is also fully God – infinite, eternal, without
measure or limit.
No one is infinite, eternal except God.
Thus need someone who somehow fulfills both these requirements:
a) Must be fully human
b) Must be fully God
c) Must be one person
The Crusher
And I will put enmity between you (the Serpent/Devil) and the woman,
and between your seed and her seed; He (singular) will crush your
head, and you will strike his heel.
Genesis 3:15
Promise: Someone (a male person) will crush the Serpent/Devil.
The Crusher: Will be a human (offspring of the woman), but also
greater than a human (able to crush the Devil)
Search for the Crusher
Old Testament builds/develops on the profile/search for the Crusher:
He will be a descendant of Abraham (Genesis 12)
He will need to rescue God’s people by dying as a substitute (Exodus 12)
He will need to teach people who to obey God’s rules after they have been
rescued (Exodus 20)
He will need to be a king who does not sin and who can reign forever (2
Samuel 7)
He will need to be a descendant of David (2 Samuel 7)
He will need to be a servant who is crushed for the sins of God’s people and
who has no sin himself (Isaiah 53)
OT Animal Sacrifices
Animal sacrifices in the OT showed:
The cost of paying for sin is high (requires death)
Shedding of blood is required for forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22)
But not sufficient. Despite instructions for the temple/sacrificial system
in existence (Exodus 24-33) not enough to appease Israel’s sin and have
God live amongst them (Exodus 33:5).
Need for a greater sacrifice.
The God-Man
Jesus Christ alone was able to fully atone/pay for the sins of all people.
Because he is of infinite value, he is able to pay the infinite price which
sins deserve.
We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus
Christ once for all.
Hebrews 10:10
Once for all – not effective for all
Jesus’ death is of sufficient value/worth (infinite) to pay the price for
the sin of ALL people.
But, not all people are saved by his death.
Only those who by true faith are ‘joined’ to Christ and thereby share in
all the benefits that his death and resurrection have for us.
True faith is the link between what Jesus did in history (death on the
cross) and my life today.
True faith
NOT a ‘hope’ (I believe it will rain tomorrow)
NOT a ‘want’ (I believe I will get that job)
Requires:
a) True knowledge of God, Creation, Mankind, reality (objective)
b) Confidence worked in me by God the Holy Spirit (subjective)
True knowledge
True faith is dependent on true knowledge of reality
By faith we understand that the universe was created at God’s
command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:3
Knowledge of reality is taught/shown to us in God’s word, the Bible
Sure Confidence
Need for God the Holy Spirit to work in my heart through the gospel
Unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:3
Rebirth is not something we can do to ourselves
Dead bones cannot live again – need for a supernatural work of God
What is the content of ‘true knowledge’?
Everything which the Bible teaches us is truth which we need to hear,
understand, accept and believe.
The Apostles Creed – is a summary of the core truths which the Bible
teaches us that all Christians must accept and believe.
It is divided into three parts:
1. God the Father and our Creation
2. God the Son and our Redemption
3. God the Holy Spirit and our Sanctification (to be made clean/holy)
Mystery: There is one God in three persons
In the Bible, we are taught that:
God the Father is God
God the Son is God
God the Holy Spirit is God
These three distinct persons are the one, true and eternal God.
Questions
Why could an angel not come to die for our sins (Jehovah’s Witnesses
claim that Jesus was an angel)?
Is it fair that both ‘gossip’ and ‘murder’ are punished the same (eternal
death)?
What purpose did the OT animal sacrifices serve?
Why do some people believe when they hear the message of the Bible,
whilst others do not?
Suppose someone believes everything the Bible teaches, but just
cannot except the idea of the resurrection from the dead? Does this
mean he does not have true faith?
Doxology
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Know that the Lord our God is good;
his mercy is forever sure;
his truth at all times firmly stood,
and shall from age to age endure.