Der zweite Teil: Von des Menschen Erlösung — 5. Sonntag
The Necessity of Satisfaction
God's justice requires that sin be paid for either by the sinner or by a substitute.
If we have already earned punishment according to God's just judgment, both now and forever, how can we escape this punishment and regain God's grace? God demands His right, so we must either pay for our sins ourselves or through another perfectly.
The Inability of Humanity
Humanity cannot pay for its own sins because we only increase our guilt daily.
Can we pay for our own sins? No, instead we actually make our guilt even greater every day.
The Insufficiency of Creatures
No created being can bear God's wrath or serve as a substitute for human sin.
Can any creature pay for us? No, because first, God doesn't want to punish any other creature for what humanity has done. Second, no creature can bear the weight of God's eternal wrath against sin and redeem others from it.
The Need for a Divine Mediator
We require a mediator who is both truly human and truly God.
What kind of mediator and savior should we look for? We need one who is a true and righteous man, yet stronger than all creatures, and therefore also true God.
Read the original Latin
Wenn wir also nach dem gerechten Urteil Gottes schon jetzt und ewig Strafe verdient haben, wie können wir dieser Strafe entgehen und wieder Gottes Gnade erlangen? Gott will zu seinem Recht kommen, darum müssen wir für unsere Schuld entweder selbst oder durch einen anderen vollkommen bezahlen.
Können wir aber selbst für unsere Schuld bezahlen? Nein, sondern wir machen sogar die Schuld noch täglich größer.
Kann aber irgendein Geschöpf für uns bezahlen? Nein, denn erstens will Gott an keinem anderen Geschöpf strafen, was der Mensch verschuldet hat. Zweitens kann kein Geschöpf die Last des ewigen Zornes Gottes gegen die Sünde ertragen und andere davon erlösen.
Was für einen Mittler und Erlöser müssen wir denn suchen? Einen solchen, der ein wahrer und gerechter Mensch und doch stärker als alle Geschöpfe, also auch wahrer Gott ist.
Heidelberg Catechism (Heidelbergse Catechismus) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit