Grosey's Messages

Heidelberg Catechism

OUR DELIVERANCE     LORD'S DAY 5

12. Q. Since, according to God's righteous judgment we deserve temporal and eternal punishment,

how can we escape this punishment and be again received into favour?

A. God demands that his justice be satisfied.1

Therefore we must make full payment,

either by ourselves or through another.2

1 Ex 20:5; 23:7; Rom 2:1-11.

2 Is 53:11; Rom 8:3, 4.

13. Q. Can we by ourselves make this payment?

A. Certainly not.

On the contrary, we daily increase our debt.1

1 Ps 130:3; Mt 6:12; Rom 2:4, 5.

14. Q. Can any mere creature pay for us?

A. No.

In the first place,

God will not punish another creature

for the sin which man has committed.1

Furthermore,

no mere creature can sustain

the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin

and deliver others from it.2

1 Ezek 18:4, 20; Heb 2:14-18.

2 Ps 130:3; Nahum 1:6.

15. Q. What kind of mediator and deliverer

must we seek?

A. One who is a true1 and righteous2 man,

and yet more powerful than all creatures;

that is, one who is at the same time true God.3

1 1 Cor 15:21; Heb 2:17.

2 Is 53:9; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 7:26.

3 Is 7:14; 9:6; Jer 23:6; Jn 1:1; Rom 8:3, 4.

LORD'S DAY 6

16. Q. Why must he be a true and righteous man?

A. He must be a true man

because the justice of God requires

that the same human nature which has sinned

should pay for sin.1

He must be a righteous man

because one who himself is a sinner

cannot pay for others.2

1 Rom 5:12, 15; 1 Cor 15:21; Heb 2:14-16.

2 Heb 7:26, 27; 1 Pet 3:18.

17. Q. Why must he at the same time be true God?

A. He must be true God

so that by the power of his divine nature1

he might bear in his human nature

the burden of God's wrath,2

and might obtain for us

and restore to us

righteousness and life.3

1 Is 9:6.

2 Deut 4:24; Nahum 1:6; Ps 130:3.

3 Is 53:5, 11; Jn 3:16; 2 Cor 5:21.

18. Q. But who is that Mediator

who at the same time is true God

and a true and righteous man?

A. Our Lord Jesus Christ,1

who has become for us wisdom from God – that is,

our righteousness, holiness

and redemption (1 Cor 1:30).

1 Mt 1:21-23; Lk 2:11; 1 Tim 2:5; 3:16.

19. Q. From where do you know this?

A. From the holy gospel,

which God himself first revealed in Paradise.1

Later, he had it proclaimed

by the patriarchs2 and prophets,3

and foreshadowed

by the sacrifices and other ceremonies

of the law.4

Finally, he had it fulfilled

through his only Son.5

1 Gen 3:15.

2 Gen 12:3; 22:18; 49:10.

3 Is 53; Jer 23:5, 6; Mic 7:18-20; Acts 10:43; Heb 1:1.

4 Lev 1-7; Jn 5:46; Heb 10:1-10.

5 Rom 10:4; Gal 4:4, 5; Col 2:17.

1.Job 9 and 1 Timothy 2:1-5   How To Face Your Failures

A friend took Federal government to court for damages that the NSW Government inflicted due to lockdown restrictions! On the basis of the US constitution.  Now that has got to work!

You Need A Mediator

Big Question Why do the righteous suffer?

2.Court Language

contend (Job 9:3; 10:2) = enter into litigation 

answer (9:3, 16) = testify in court

judge (v. 15) = an opponent at law, accuser               

set a time (v. 19) = summon to court

daysman (v. 33) = an umpire, an arbitrator              

reason (13:3) = argue a case

order my cause (v. 18) = prepare my case              

plead (v. 19; 23:6) = dispute in court

hear me (31:35) = give me a legal hearing     

adversary (v. 35) = accuser in court

3.2 Questions "How can I be righteous before God?" (9:1–13)

"How can I meet God in court?" (vv. 14–35)

4.I Need A Mediator
For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both.

I Need a Mediator Because I have to stand before God

I Need a Mediator Because I have to stand before God and I am not innocent

I Need a Mediator Because I have to stand before God and I am not innocent and Denial won't help

Don't take God to court:

1. God is Incomprehensible  Job 9:3-4

2. God is Invincible Job 9:4

3. God is Invulnerable Job 9:4

4. God is Incredible Job 9:10, 5-10

5. God is Invisible Job 9:11

6. God is Irresistible Job 9:12

Job's Learnt

1. He Could Not Dispute With God  Job 9:14-15

2. He Could Not Make Deals With God Job 9:16

3. He Could Not Direct God  Job 9:18-19 

4. He Could Not Delay God Job 9:25-26

5. He Could Not Live In Denial of God  Job 9:27-28

I NEED A MEDIATOR

32 "For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. 33 "There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both. 34 "Let Him remove His rod from me,

And let not dread of Him terrify me. 35 "Then I would speak and not fear Him; But I am not like that in myself.

Umpire, Arbitrator (NIV), Daysman, Mediator.

Mediator God/Man! Laying hands on both. Representing both. But you better have a case or you are still up the creek without a paddle!

(Like recent Union organizer trying to find a reason for recent rail bus strikes..umm something about Kia and Hyundai cars?)

If you don't have a case, don't go to court! Or you will be found guilty! We don't have a case! But we do have a Saviour!

5.1 Timothy 2:5-6. "For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all....

6.A Ransom "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

A Ransom for slaves and hostages. The price paid for release!

7.Anselm of Canterbury: salvation "could not have been done unless man paid what was owing to God for sin. But the debt was so great that, while man alone owed it, only God could pay it, so that the same person must be both man and God. Thus it was necessary for God to take manhood into the unity of his person, so that he who in his own nature ought to pay and could not should be in a person who could."

8.He paid the debt he did not own, I own the debt I could not pay
I needed someone to wash my sins away And now I sing a brand new song, "Amazing grace"
Christ Jesus paid the debt I could never pay

In his autobiographical book "Miracle on the River Kwai" Ernie Gordon recounts how the barbarous treatment by their Japanese captors had caused the behaviour of the prisoners to degenerate. These British prisoners-of-war were starting to be cruel and malicious to each other, but then one afternoon something terrible happened. One of the shovels was discovered to be missing on the work site, and the Japanese officer in charge of the unit was furious. He ordered that the person who stole the shovel to come forward otherwise he would execute every last one of them there and then. It was obvious the Japanese commanding officer meant what he said as he pulled out his pistol.

Unexpectedly, one of the Scottish soldiers stepped forward. The Japanese officer put his gun away, picked up one of the remaining shovels, and beat the man to death with it.

When the violent execution was over, the other prisoners-of-war picked up their friend's body and carried it to their next tool check. They planned to bury their friend's body at the end of the day when they were given permission. As they again counted the tools they discovered that all the shovels were there. A mistake had been made in the previous tool count and actually no shovel had been stolen.

News of the soldier's death travelled rapidly through the whole camp. An innocent man had willingly volunteered to die in order to save others.

The Mediator Must Be Effective!  This Mediator is effective for Paul. So He is effective for you and me!

9.1 Timothy 1:12-16 "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life."

10 1 Tim 2:1-6 ..prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority,.. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.

11 Calvin, "the apostle's meaning here is simply that no nation of the earth and no rank of society is excluded from salvation, since God wills to offer the gospel to all without exception."

Feelings come and feelings go, And feelings are deceiving;
My warrant is the Word of God-- Naught else is worth believing.
Though all my heart should feel condemned For want of some sweet token, There is One greater than my heart Whose Word cannot be broken. I'll trust in God's unchanging Word Till soul and body sever,
For, though all things shall pass away, HIS WORD SHALL STAND FOREVER!" ― Martin Luther