Sermons Vander Kam on HC Lord's Day 4
Q&A 10 & 11 Sermons Vander Kam on HC Lord's Day 4
Q&A 10 & 1110 Q. Will God suffer such disobedience and apostasy to go unpunished?
A. By no means; but He is terribly displeased with our original as well as actual sins; and will punish them by a just judgment temporally and eternally, as He has declared, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.
11 Q. Is, then, God not also merciful?
A. God is indeed merciful, but He is also just; therefore His justice requires that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God, be also punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul.
Beloved in the Lord, as we have come to the last part, the last questions and answers concerning this whole matter of sin and misery, and it has certainly become abundantly clear what sin is, and that that sin is also of such a nature that it is to be punished. And yet that is one of the things that is found only in the church of Christ, and then only in the true church of Christ, in other words, you don't find it. Because there you find in the first place in the world about us that there is no conception of who God is, and they deny the very being of God. They also deny the very being of sin, and why is it then the punishment for sin, when there is no such thing, and who would ever punish it. Now these are the kind of things of course, that we have gotten away from, and that we also get away from and get away from as far as we can. That we realize that that sin is real, and that God is indeed true, and that the God who is alive that is, the God who is not going to allow that sin to continue. So that the catechism has gone into it deeply, has gone into it in order that the whole Scriptures might therein be unfolded to us. What they have to say to us concerning this whole matter of our sin and misery, in order that we also flee for salvation to Jesus Christ. That we may flee to Him for sustenance, for redemption, for salvation, because of the fact that our state of affairs is indeed desperate. That desperate condition beloved, is here clearly portrayed; portrayed in such a way so that a child is able to understand, but at the same time it is portrayed in such a way so that it will also lead everyone. That it will be as a schoolmaster, says Paul, to lead them to Christ. That they will be led to Him because of the fact that that is the only hope, that is the only way that they are able to go, there is no other, there is no hope in themselves. All avenues of escape have been closed; there is only the one left and that is the one that He has shown us. And that He shows us in the following Lord's Days, also in the Heidelberg Catechism.
We speak to you this morning on "God's Punishment of Sin." And we notice in the first place, the reason for it. Secondly, its completeness. And finally, its balance.
Now when the question is asked, will God allow this to go unpunished? It is almost a foolish question. When sin has been described in the way in which it has, then we would also come to the conclusion immediately that sin is not going to go on. That He would have to deny Himself if it were not to punish the sin that has been committed. Because He has made it very clear that it is the disobedience against Him. He has made it very clear that it is going directly against all that He wanted, has gone directly against His law. He has shown also that He has not made man in that way at all, but that man was made in such a way so he would have been able to keep it; keep that law. And as a result of that then to ask the question "will God allow that sin to go unpunished?" What do you think? Is that the kind of a God that we have that will allow that to go on, that will allow that sin to go on in this world as though nothing had happened; who winks, Paul uses that term in Acts, who winks at the sins that have been committed in the past. He did that, He says, concerning the heathen, and yet nevertheless, that He is going to punish that sin, because of the fact that that is the way in which He has revealed Himself, that He is going to maintain law and order. Now that law and order beloved, is something that has long escaped us, that has escaped us so long already that we no longer even realize what is meant by it. And now everyone that runs on a plank for example, of law and order in political life here in America, is already branded. That is something that you cannot do, because that law and order has a bad connotation. Now God is the One who also shows us that He is going to maintain law and order, and He is going to maintain it according to His own nature. And that is the reason why He is going to punish sin, and He is going to punish it, and that punishment is going to be seen. That punishment is going to be felt, and that punishment is going to be severe. But those are the things that have to be unfolded to us in the Word of God, because otherwise we would never come to that conclusion.
We hear and we read of this, do we not, that He is the God of love. A God of love who will also gladly overlook all the mistakes that you and I have made, because after all, nobody is perfect. Who will gladly overlook all the shortcomings that we have because after all, we try our best. And that He will overlook them, and that you are also to have that kind of a spirit so that there is that possibility thinking that we will lift up ourselves, that we will not put ourselves down but that we will lift up ourselves. So that there may be that proper self-esteem.
Now when it comes to self-esteem the Bible doesn't leave much room for it, does it. That we are born in sin, that we are conceived and born in sin and that all manner of iniquity clings to us, that we are not only sinners, but that we have become sin. That is the way in which the bible describes it. Now is God going to punish then? Is He also going to be of this nature as you and I are, that we will overlook. I have overlooked it in the past many times in regards to members of my family, and you have too, no doubt. And at the same time you realized that it wasn't right, but you overlook it for peace, so that there may be peace and that that may not be disturbed any more than what it is already. So you let it go. That is of course, going directly contrary to the very nature of a father or mother. They can't really do that, but at the same time in that love to our children then we sometimes do those things. Well, even though my honor has been trampled upon, that's not so bad. But for peace and quiet let's overlook it, and let's go on. And that we have done; God doesn't do that. That every sin that is committed against His honor is going to be punished, because He is going to maintain His own honor. And He is going to maintain that honor no matter what happens. That whether Adam had sinned once or whether he had sinned a million times doesn't make any difference; He is going to maintain His honor. And He is going to maintain that in Israel and He is going to maintain that in the world about, so that it doesn't make any difference really, not from that point of view, but that He is going to maintain His honor because He is God, and He is not going to give that honor to another. And therefore He is going to punish sin.
That's the reason. That is the reason because He is the one who is going to maintain law and order, and He is going to maintain His own honor. And therefore He will not allow anything to happen in this world that goes directly against the honor, the glory, and the purpose of Himself. That cannot stand. To put it succinctly it would be this, that the God of justice, that the God who has made heaven and earth is not able to live in the same world in which there is sin; or in the same universe in which there is sin. "Thou art the purer eyes than to behold iniquity," says Habakkuk. He even charges His angels with folly, says Job. And then He looks upon the children of men and see what they have done, and those are made in His own image. Those are His children, and they disobey and they go contrary to everything that He has said, and then is He going to overlook. No, but He is very displeased, extremely displeased. Both with the original and the actual sins. Notice it again, because those are the things that have already been taken up by the Catechism before this.
There is that original sin of Adam that we have inherited, so that we now come from a stock that is already depraved, and that we cannot bring forth a clean out of the unclean. All we can bring forth are sinners. The more children that are born into this world the more sinners you have, because they come from a polluted and from a depraved stock. There is no other way out, and he is not going to be able to exist with that, so pure, so holy, so complete is the God of the Bible. Now that is the God who has revealed Himself and that God concept beloved, may never be slighted. We are at all times to realize who He is, and that He is not one of our own making, of our own fancies, but that He is the God who has spoken to us in the Scriptures. And that is so contrary to ever so much that we really believe, that we really hold fast to; but at the same time that is the God who speaks. And that is the one who is not going to exist in a universe where there is sin, because they are poles apart, they are the opposite. And is God going to leave that sin unpunished? By no means, by no means, of course not. It is, as I said a moment ago, almost a foolish question. How could God ever leave it unpunished. If He is going to uphold Himself as the God of justice, as the God who upholds justice, as the God of whom nobody is able to say, "What doest Thou?" As the God who has made all things according to the pattern that He has set, and then see His creatures stray like this, and then not punish. This is having fantasies that you might get away with it. Would God let such sin go unpunished; no He won't, by no means. But He will punish it, and when God punishes, then they are punished. Then they are punished properly, and that is the message of the Scriptures in order that we may take refuge in Jesus Christ, because there is no other way out. All other ways have been closed, they are all dead ends. We run completely stuck, and consequently we have to come to the Son of God, He is the one who is our righteousness, our redemption. The truth of God, His own Son, He has provided the way out too, but would God leave such disobedience and sin to go unpunished? No; let no one think it, let no child of God think it, but let no one in this world think it either. That is the message that has to be brought to this world and there is a desperate, desperate need for it. That they are not misled by this that the Law of God will overlook it. He's not going to punish it, He loves, and that love knows no end, and consequently you don't have to be afraid. Will God leave it go unpunished? No!
Well then, secondly, what is the completeness of that punishment. Because, as I mentioned a moment ago, when He punishes, they are punished. The punishment that others mete out beloved, is many a time unjust. We have punished so many a time because of the fact that a very small trinket had been broken and we punish, and we punish harshly. When at the same time, one of the laws of God, one of the commandments of God were broken, we did not punish so harshly. We do not have that kind of a balance of judgment, not that kind of a balance of justice; He does. But He is going to punish, and He is going to punish justly, and He is going to punish in such a way as it is here also outlined for us, that it is going to be a punishment that is for time and for eternity. That is going to go on, and on, and on; we see the beginnings of it here already and that is going to go on unendingly. We see it here and at the same time you be careful, that you don't say of those who are suffering, "that is the punishment of God." Don't you dare, don't you dare. That has been done all too often. God is punishing you for this. No, He has punished it once and there is no double indemnity with Him. He does not punish twice; punished it first in His Son, and then again in me; no, no. He has laid that burden upon Him and all our sins are thereby blotted out. That's for one thing, and that we must keep clearly in mind and that has been the kind of a thing that has led ever so many of God's people into such despair that they didn't know the way out. No, there is not that kind of a punishment, He indeed tests, He indeed proves us. He does that time and again, but as the book of Hebrews also says, "Let not anybody say that is when he is tested by God, that he is then being tempted by Him to go into sin." Or that he is being punished. But nevertheless He punishes already in this life and those are the things that we see around us beloved, you would be stark blind if you would not see it. That the punishment of God is upon all things and the world shall bring forth thorns and thistles, He says already in Genesis 1. That is going to be the result if man falls into sin. You see it everywhere, you see suffering and dying, you see this, that man does not have complete control, he does not control over his life, and certainly does not have control over the length of that life. And they are taken out of this life, whether they are 80 or 90 years, or whether at 20. And really, what's the difference, those few years, even in the history of the world, what's the difference? But it is for time and for eternity, it begins now but it never ends. See with one who is suffering greatly and you have seen it no doubt time and again, those of you who have lived a little bit longer; seen it that people suffer so tremendously and then we say when death comes, "what a release, what a relief, their suffering is gone."
These are the things that are not going to end, according to Him. Because that eternal punishment is something that is staggering. That we are not able to make any kind of a view for our own selves, that we are able to understand. It is suffering that goes on eternally where it is never going to be said, "What a release, what a relief." No, it keeps on, and on, and on, for all the millions of years that we have been foolish enough to speak of that, but millions of years of eternity. And He punishes. Will God allow this sin to go unpunished; by no means, but He punishes it eternally, in time and eternity, in body and soul. You see it here in the body, you see it especially in the soul. Where there are so many who don't know where to go, you see them even among those who are members of the church of Christ. But you see it especially in the world about you, where they have no answers, no answers to the problems of life. And there is that suffering in body and that suffering in soul and spirit. It is awful; and then the Scriptures come and say, "And here is the way out." This is the thing beloved, that makes that second part of the Catechism and that makes the Gospel of Jesus Christ so beautiful.
That for God's people there is a way out and there is glory, and there is the beauty of that salvation that He has made known to us, which triumphs over all sin, which triumphs over all difficulties. But no, He is going to punish it and He is going to punish it because He is not going to allow it to stand. See; and those are the things that are also going to be taken up and I am not going to undercut what is taken up in Lord's Day 5. There it is also going to be taken up to a certain extent, but here especially that we will realize that that sin is going to be done away. He is going to punish it so that it is burned out, or He is going to pardon it; one or the other, but it is not going to stand. He pardons those who are covered by the blood of Christ, and with the others, the punishment goes on everlastingly, in body and soul. And for the unjust, for the unbelievers, it is this, that they must understand that they shall be resurrected for that purpose. So that they may be able to continue to suffer in body too. Read what Paul has to say about it in 1st Corinthians 15, in that magnificent chapter on the resurrection. That they are resurrected for that purpose, that His glory may be established in them. That He will punish everlastingly, so that when that body and soul are reunited also for the unbeliever, it is not this that he may now rejoice in the presence of God, but that also in his body he may still receive the blows from the hand of the Almighty against the sin committed against His majesty. That is his suffering, so complete.
Once more, how complete is it? Well it says and thereby quotes Galatians, that it is the curse of God that rests upon him. "Cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them. Cursed are those. These are the words that run over us so glibly, so that many a time we don't even realize, really recognize the meaning. It means this, that He turns His back, He turns His back upon people, turns His back to those who might call on Him. Hmmm! That is the question. But He turns His back, and that is the curse. Christ calls out of the agony of the curse and says, "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" And these are going to cry out out of that curse, and they don't know who to cry out to. They don't dare really realize where it is coming from because they have denied Him. They don't realize its purpose because they do not acknowledge their sin. But cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them. To keep His commandments, to be obedient and that curse of Scripture is terrible.
Our God is a God of love, God, He is love and our God is a consuming fire, consuming fire. "It is a fearful thing," says the writer to Hebrews, "to fall into the hands of the living God." Aw, those are things that we can skip, and then we quickly turn to John's Gospel, and his first epistle, and hear, "God is love." But He is both, so that it is high time that we again realize beloved, that we are to recognize what was done for the puritans for example. When they preached, and they preached sin. The reality of sin and the need for conversion, the need for regeneration, and then you have read no doubt, that Jonathan Edwards, that when he preached his sermon on "Falling into the hands of an angry God, a sinner into the hands of an angry God," the people shook in their pews, they shook. We may well shake, it is fierce. To fall into the hands of the living God, what a foolish question. Will God allow such disobedience and sin to go unpunished? What do you think... No, He won't. Will He punish? He sure will. And how does He punish? In a way like you have never, never dreamt. That's how great it is, God's punishment of sin.
And finally, notice also its balance.
We have in question 11, is then God not also merciful? God is indeed merciful, but He is also just. Therefore His justice requires that sin which is committed against the most high majesty of God be also punished with extremes, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul. A very disappointing answer in many respects. Now because it is not really a nice answer to the question. The question is, "Is God not also merciful?" Then it ought to have gone into that matter what that mercy was, don't you think? Should it show us the breadth, the depth, the height of that mercy of God, and that it is so great that it is able to encompass all things. But it says, yes, God is indeed merciful; but He is also just, but that is the balance. And that is the balance of which I speak. That in His punishment of sin He keeps a perfect balance, and we don't, we don't. There is no balance in this world when it comes to punishment, when it comes to law and order. Then we either go to the one extreme or to the other. We are either overly merciful and thereby have cancelled sin, and disobedience. Or we are going to punish and then we have lost all sight of mercy. And that is the beauty beloved, and that is the glorious thing of the Gospel that comes to us, the Word of God, that keeps that in perfect balance, that mercy of God and that justice of God. That He is just, there is no doubt about it, that's why He is going to punish sin. And that's why He is going to punish it so drastically. He is going to punish it in body and soul for time and eternity. He is going to bring the curse, and then it is a fearful thing, I tell you, to fall into the hands of the living God. Tremendously fearful.
But is not God also merciful? His mercy is just as great. See, He is infinite in mercy, as He is infinite in justice. All of the attributes of God are infinite. And that's the way He balances the one over against the other. That's why I read to you Psalm 85 last Sunday morning. These two have kissed each other. That which we can't get together, and He brings them together, that is His very nature, to bring them together. So that nobody has to doubt the fact that He is also the God of mercy, and that He is the God of mercy is shown by this, especially that He has shown us the way out. That that begins immediately; He is still talking. Have you ever noticed when He was talking to Adam and Eve and says to them, "Have you eaten of that tree?" And they confess it. Now already He comes with this, but there is going to come One who is going to crush the head of the serpent. That is mercy, and mercy and justice have met there. And mercy and justice have met ever since, and they meet in the person of Jesus Christ, and they meet nowhere else.
This world has no idea what that might be like. In this world we do not have it, and consequently we find that there is no law or order left. So that even in this great country in which we live, it is now becoming so horrible that the laws of God are trodden under foot, that murder of unborn children is now looked upon with more favor than ever before. And that ever so many other things are now perfectly alright. And that the things that God has declared in His Word to be sin, are now looked upon as being only different life styles. Then we are dealing with dangerous things. That mercy of God, you can't say enough about it. That mercy has not spared even His only begotten Son, but has delivered Him up for us all. "That while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." While we were yet enemies, Christ died for us. Don't talk about this; that one who wants to know the way of salvation, wants to be saved, and then you tell him how he can do that; don't you believe it. There is nobody that asks, nobody has ever asked you, or has asked me "how can I be saved?" It is only when the Spirit of God works within upon the proclamation of the truth of God, that's when we get it.
But now these are the two that are in perfect harmony; His justice is not overthrown by His love or mercy, but His mercy is also by no means cancelled by His justice. There is no one that will say to Him in that last day that he has not been dealt well with. That God has been unjust, that He has not been merciful enough, because His mercy is unending; but so is His justice. And these two, which we also never would have gotten together, He brings together in His own purpose, and then reveals them to us on the pages of holy writ. And these belong together and when they belong together, then there is hope. Yah, hope that has an assurance, hope that is firm and steadfast. And that is the way in which we ought to be able to live. Wouldn't that be great to live in a society where there was a meeting together of justice and mercy? Wouldn't it be great that in a family there was the meeting together of justice and mercy? That so it would be in the church of God? That so it would be in all places in society? I have to go to that Word and then alone with my God, and there I find it. He has wed the two in Himself. And He has not given up any part; His justice stands, and His mercy endures. How great Thou art. Such a God is to be praised, such a God is to be worshipped, forever. Amen....
To Thee Lord, we come with thanksgiving and praise for the blessings Thou hast given. For the blessing of Thy Word. Apply Thou it, Lord, unto our hearts by the operation of Thy Spirit. Grant us Thy blessing further on this day, that we may keep this entire day holy unto Thee. Bring us together again into Thy house in this evening that we may again look upon the sufferings of our Savior on our behalf. Forgive our sins and hear us in Jesus name. Amen....
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