Fridays with the Heidelberg

So, this was a big week for the Heidelberg. I originally misspelled it in the title last week, so that was embarrassing for me, and then the HC had its 448th birthday on January 19th.

Before we read Lord's Day 3, let me provide a quote for you that will hopefully serve two purposes; First, that it might point to the benefit of thoughtfully engaging with this Catechism and secondly, that it might encourage you to attend the conference sessions on The Early Church at Grace this weekend. Here it is;
The chief theological task now facing the Western church is not to reinvent or to be relevant but to remember. - Kevin DeYoung, The Good News We Almost Forgot.

Lord's Day 3
6. Q: Did God create people so wicked and perverse?
A: No. God created them good and in His own image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that they might truly know God their creator, love Him with all their heart, and live with Him in eternal happiness for His praise and glory.

7. Q: Then Where does this corrupt human nature come from?
A: From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise. This fall has so poisoned our nature that we are born sinners-corrupt from conception on.

8. Q: But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil?
A: Yes, unless we are born again, by the Spirit of God.

There is a general consensus amongst our society that we need to promote a high self-esteem amongst our children. You cannot sit down to watch T.V. for very long without viewing a commercial that seeks to remind kids that "Anything is possible if you put your mind to it, or believe, or ...fill in the blank."
However, seeing through the lens of Scripture we are reminded that our sin has corrupted us to our core. Sin has affected every area or our lives. We are Totally Depraved! Not in the sense that we are as bad as we could be, but that every area of our lives has been corrupted by sin.

These Q&A's remind us of this truth. In addition, it was not always this way. We are created in the image of God, and question 6 reminds us what things were like for Adam and Eve before the fall.

Read these questions through and think about them. I hope you will discuss them with your children. Use the following link(click here) to access the entire HC and read through the vast amounts of Scripture references that are included with each Answer.