Today our focus will be on Questions 16-19 of the Heidelberg. Up to this point, the HC has communicated a very high view of God as well as an accurate view of man. These two essential distinctives unfortunately are lacking in so many of the "gospel" messages of our day.
It is accurate to say that in order to fully grasp the good news, we must first understand the bad news. The previous five readings provide such an approach(click here to review).
The first 15 questions have been directing us down a gospel-centered path that leads straight to the person and work of Christ. Our only hope in life and death is the Lord Jesus Christ. The good news is about Christ, the God-man, our mediator, who took on flesh to set us free from our sin. To God be the glory!
Lord's Day #6
16. Q. WHY MUST HE BE TRULY HUMAN AND TRULY RIGHTEOUS?
A. God's justice demands that human nature, which has sinned, must pay for its sin; but a sinner could never pay for others.
17. Q. WHY MUST HE ALSO BE TRUE GOD?
A. So that, by the power of His divinity, He might bear the weight of God's anger in His humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life.
18. Q. AND WHO IS THIS MEDIATOR-TRUE GOD AND AT THE SAME TIME TRULY HUMAN AND TRULY RIGHTEOUS?
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who was given us to set us completely free and to make us right with God.
19. Q. HOW DO YOU COME TO KNOW THIS?
A. The holy gospel tells me. God Himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise; later, He proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs and prophets, and portrayed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; finally, He fulfilled it through His own dear Son.
No comments:
Post a Comment