When humanity violated God’s perfect law, they failed to pay God what they owed (they had broken the Covenant of Works), what He deserved as their Creator. By their fall into sin and misery, human beings were no longer able to pay in full. In fact, they were unable to pay at all. 

Years ago, when I was the Director of Student Ministry at a church in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, I invited a family to go out to Rita’s Italian Ice with my wife and me. The invitation was accompanied by my kind offer to pay. When we got to Rita’s, I realized I was missing something important – my wallet. I couldn’t pay. I guess I could’ve scrounged up a few coins from the car, but it wouldn’t have covered the bill. Rather than dejectedly heading back to the car and just leaving, I somewhat sheepishly asked my friend to pay, not only for himself and his family, but for me and my wife. He happily paid, because he’s a great guy. 

Do you have a mortgage? If you do, remember the bank expects you to pay them back. And not just for the original amount. They are expecting you to express your gratitude by paying them interest. A lot of it. After several years of paying, you could suggest to your bank, “Hey, how about I pay you 50% and you excuse the rest.” They won’t accept, but you could try. They are entirely right to expect full payment. You had an agreement with them, and paying anything less than the full amount, including interest, is unacceptable. Criminal even.

Heidelberg Catechism six says that “God created man good and in His image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that he might rightly know God His Creator, heartily love Him, and live with Him in eternal blessedness to praise and glorify Him.” As the famed Westminster Shorter Catechism one explains, God created humanity to glorify and enjoy Him. We exist to give worship and affection. God requires them; He requires perfect and perpetual obedience, which makes sense.

God created humanity in true righteousness and holiness with the capacity to obey Him. He gave Adam and Eve guidelines which promoted and protected their relationship with Him, a relationship which was their highest good.

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