Chapel #5 Heidelberg Catechism 6-8

 Heidelberg Catechism #4:

Questions 6,7,8

Vik. Happy Manurung

Wednesday, 20th of August

Romans 5:12

Question #6 of the Heidelberg Catechism

Did God create humans as sinful?

No, humans were created well and in the image of God: so they could understand, love, glorify and enjoy God (W.S.C 1 - "Glorify God and enjoy him forever") and with moral freedom, that we could choose if we wanted to obey God or rebel against him. Of course, we took the second path. However, when we fell into sin, we lost that moral freedom, and we, no matter how much good we do, fall short of God. However, when Christ came, we can finally be regenerated only through the Holy Spirit.

Question #7 of the Heidelberg Catechism

Where did our depraved nature come from?

Total Depravity (the T of TULIP, an abbreviation of five Calvinist theological principals) is the total, all encompassing human nature of sin derived from the fall, which affects us in all respects. Where did our depravity come from? The Heidelberg Catechism (and, of course, the Bible) answers that we had sinful nature from the beginning (of our lives) because Adam and Eve first fell into sin, so we are "conceived and born in sin". Refer to Romans 5:12, where it explains that through one man everyone is sinful and  death has spread to all people. 

Question #8 of the Heidelberg Catechism

Are we totally unable to do any good and inclined to all evil?

The Heidelberg Catechism confidently answers yes (we can do humanly good, for example helping each other, but it still falls short of God (Bavinck))Imagine a glass filled with pure water, this was our original nature in the creation (C). In the Fall (F), "poison", maybe just a single drop, has contaminated the pure water. Soon, "hell" is when the water has fully become poisonous. However, there can be regeneration - but only through the Holy Spirit, if we are born again.

Reflection: This part of the Heidelberg Catechism is very interesting and while I already knew the main points, I received some further explanation, elaboration and lessons from this chapel service today.  I also learned about some of the related verses to this topic. I think at times the speaker was critical and I liked that. 

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