Fridays with the Heidelberg

Lord’s Day 43

112. Q. WHAT IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU IN THE NINTH COMMANDMENT?

     A. God’s will is that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense anger. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name.

The timing on today’s Q and A was helpful for me.  Just this week, I received a jury summons.  As I read through the letter, I quickly began to formulate a conviction in my mind about the suspect that I have yet to meet.  The Heidelberg takes issue with that based on the 9^th commandment.  We are not to “join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause.”  If that doesn’t make me feel convicted enough, the Catechism exhorts me to avoid twisting other’s words, gossip, and slander.  These are “devices the devil uses,” and regrettably are sins for which I am guilty of committing.

Even still, the HC does not just leave us with a list of don’ts.  Yes it tells us to put-off these sins of deceit that bring about God’s anger, but we are to put on “love for the truth.”  I have pointed to this “put-off/put-on principle” in previous posts.  It is all over the place in Scripture.  We are not left unclothed.  We are to put-off the old flesh, and put-on the new.

Make sure to point this out to your children when instructing them to avoid certain sin tendencies.  Train them and discipline to put-off the things of this world, but remind them that they are to put on Christ.  For apart from Him, we can do nothing.  If you are not in Christ, there is no new wardrobe to put on.  Praise God that he did not leave us unclothed, but rather provided us with a new wardrobe, the righteousness of Christ.