The Catechism summarizes for us the high expectations of the holy God and lays those expectations on all. There are none who do not sin. Though some sins are more heinous than others, no sin, no matter how seemingly inconsequential to us, escapes the judgment of God. This brew has a bitter, terrible taste. And yet, when we drink these truths deeply, we find mercy. For only when we are persuaded of our lostness will we seek a way out and accept a rescue before night falls.
Q. 85. What does God require of us that we may escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption.
Our son, Colin, Barb, and I were hiking a trail on the southernmost tip of the island of Hawaii. Though spread out far enough that we could not see each other, we were confident that each knew the way so none of us worried. We walked silently, engrossed in the remote beauty of the place. Colin was so engrossed that he missed the turn that led to our car. The maze of paths led him deep into the wilderness scrub before he became aware that he was lost. Night was falling, and when he realized that he was lost (though he may not have been aware of his genuine danger), he was overwhelmed, disoriented, and desperate.
The Catechism exposes the engrossing beauty of the person of God and the wonder of His ways. But it also alerts us to our lostness in the face of a rapidly approaching night. It summarizes for us the high expectations of the holy God and lays those expectations on all. There are none who do not sin. Though some sins are more heinous than others, no sin, no matter how seemingly inconsequential to us, escapes the judgment of God.
This brew has a bitter, terrible taste. And yet, when we drink these truths deeply, we find mercy. For only when we are persuaded of our lostness will we seek a way out and accept a rescue before night falls.
That there is a way out the Catechism has established in its discussion of Christ as our redeemer. God has provided for our otherwise impossible rescue through His Son. The way out of our lostness for those whom God has effectually called is to ‘embrace Jesus Christ.’
