Sondag 4
Vraag 9: Doen God dan die mens nie onreg aan deur in sy wet van hom te eis wat hy nie kan doen nie? Antwoord: Nee¹, want God het die mens so geskape dat hy dit kon doen², maar die mens het homself en al sy nageslag deur die aanhitsing van die duiwel³ en deur opsetlike ongehoorsaamheid van hierdie gawes beroof⁴.
Skrifverwysings: 1: Efesiërs 4:24 2: Prediker 7:29 3: Genesis 3:4-5 4: Romeine 5:12
Vraag 10: Wil God hierdie ongehoorsaamheid en afval ongestraf laat bly? Antwoord: Beslis nie¹. Inteendeel, Hy is baie toornig oor sowel die aangebore as die werklike sondes en wil dit deur ‘n regverdige oordeel tydelik en ewig straf², soos Hy gesê het: “Vervloek is elkeen wat nie bly in alles wat geskryf is in die boek van die wet, om dit te doen nie.”³
Skrifverwysings: 1: Hebreërs 9:27 2: Romeine 1:18; Deuteronomium 27:26 3: Galasiërs 3:10
Vraag 11: Is God dan nie ook barmhartig nie? Antwoord: God is wel barmhartig¹, maar Hy is ook regverdig². Daarom vereis sy geregtigheid dat die sonde wat teen die allerhoogste majesteit van God gedoen is, ook met die allerhoogste, dit is die ewige straf aan liggaam en siel gestraf word³.
Skrifverwysings: 1: Eksodus 34:6-7 2: Psalm 7:12 3: Matteus 25:46
Lord’s Day 4
Question 9: But does God not do man an injustice by requiring in his law what man cannot do? Answer: No¹, for God so created man that he could do it², but man, at the instigation of the devil³, by wilful disobedience robbed himself and all his descendants of these gifts⁴.
Scripture references: 1: Ephesians 4:24 2: Ecclesiastes 7:29 3: Genesis 3:4-5 4: Romans 5:12
Question 10: Will God allow such disobedience and apostasy to go unpunished? Answer: Certainly not¹. He is terribly displeased with both our original and actual sins and will punish them by a just judgment both temporally and eternally², as he has declared: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the book of the law.”³
Scripture references: 1: Hebrews 9:27 2: Romans 1:18; Deuteronomy 27:26 3: Galatians 3:10
Question 11: But is God not also merciful? Answer: God is indeed merciful¹, but he is also just². His justice requires that sin committed against the most high majesty of God be also punished with the most severe, that is, with eternal punishment of body and soul³.
Scripture references: 1: Exodus 34:6-7 2: Psalm 7:11 3: Matthew 25:46