May Questions

QUESTION 18: Will God allow our disobedience and idolatry to go unpunished?_a

Answer: No, every sin is against the sovereignty, holiness, and goodness of God, and against his righteous law, and God is righteously angry with our sins and will punish them in his just judgment both in this life, and in the life to come._b

Scripture: For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:5-6)

• a.) See also The Baptist Catechism QUESTION 91.
• b.) Exodus 34:7. Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation. Psalm 11:5-6. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. Proverbs 3:33. The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Nahum 1:2. The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is avenging and wrathful; the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies. Romans 1:18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. Galatians 3:10. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Revelation 21:8. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. See also Genesis 2:17, Deuteronomy 27:26, Psalm 5:4-6, Psalm 7:11, Romans 5:12, and Hebrews 9:27.

QUESTION 19: Is there any way to escape punishment and be brought back into God’s favor?_a

Answer: Yes, to satisfy his justice, God himself, out of mere mercy, reconciles us to himself and delivers us from sin and from the punishment for sin, by a Redeemer._b

Scripture: Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10- 11)

• a.) See also The Baptist Catechism QUESTION 92.
• b.) John 3:17. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Romans 8:3-4. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

QUESTION 20: Who is the Redeemer?_a

Answer: The only Redeemer is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in whom God became man and bore the penalty for sin himself._b

Scripture: For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5)

• a.) See also The Baptist Catechism QUESTION 25.
• b.) John 1:14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 14:6. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Acts 4:12. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Galatians 3:13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree.” See also Matthew 1:21-23, Luke 2:11, 1 Timothy 3:16, and Hebrews 7:24-25.

QUESTION 21: What sort of Redeemer is needed to bring us back to God ?

Answer: One who is truly human and also truly God._a

Scripture: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

• a.) Matthew 1:21, 23. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins…Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). See also Matthew 3:17, Hebrews 9:14, and 1 Peter 2:6.

QUESTION 22: Why must the Redeemer be truly human?_a

Answer: That in human nature he might on our behalf perfectly obey the whole law and suffer the punishment for human sin; and also that he might sympathize with our weaknesses._b

Scripture: Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

• a.) See also The Baptist Catechism QUESTION 26.
• b.) Romans 5:19. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 1 Corinthians 15:21. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. Hebrews 2:14-16. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.Hebrews 4:15. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. See also Galatians 4:4-5, Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 7:24-26, and 1 Peter 3:18.