Jun 21
20
Baptist Catechism 89
Q. 89. What doth every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come. (Eph.5:6; Gal. 3:10; Prov. 3:33; Ps. 11:6; Rev. 21:8)
Scripture Reading: Revelation 21:1–8
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” (Revelation 21:1–8, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
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Let us briefly review what we have learned about the topic of sin.
It was way back in Baptist Catechism questions 16 through 22 that we first learned about sin. There in that section, we learned about the first sin of Adam and Eve and the consequences of that sin for all of humanity. That is a very important section of our catechism, for there the topic of “sin” is addressed historically. There we learn about how sin came into the world through our first parents, and how sin and its consequences spread to all mankind. But it was in question 17 that we found a most helpful definition of sin. Question 17 asks, “What is sin?” Answer: “Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.” “Want” means lack or failure. So we sin whenever we fail to do what God has commanded, and we sin when we do what God has forbidden. Theologians have called these two ways of sinning sins of omission and commission. So, we sin when we omit — that is, fail to do — what God requires of us, and we sin when we commit — that is, do — what God has forbidden in his law.
Perhaps you have heard sin described as missing the mark. Can you picture an archer with a bow and arrow in his hand? He draws the bow, aims at the target, and lets the arrow fly. If he hits the bullseye, then all is well. But if he missed, then we might say that he has “sinned”. He has missed the mark.
And what is the mark which God has set for the human race? Conformity to the moral law. We must do what the law requires, and avoid what the law forbids. And where is this moral law summarized for us? In the Ten Commandments.
And so we studied the Ten Commandments for a long time. We learned what they say, and we learned what they require of us and what they forbid. And so I ask you, after studying the Ten Commandments in this way did your confidence grow or diminish in regard to your ability to hit the bullseye of God’s revealed will? I hope you will confess that your confidence diminished. God’s standard for us is moral perfection, and we have all come short of it.
You will notice that the catechism has returned now to the topic of sin. This time the perspective is not historical, but theological. Question 87 asked, “Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?” The correct answer is, “No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily break them in thought, word, or deed.” In other words, we all sin. Yes even Christians, who have been renewed by the Spirit, who love God and his law, still sin.
In question 88 we found a helpful clarification. The question was, “Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?” There we learned that “Some sins in themselves and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.”
Now in question 89, we find a difficult but very important truth. The question is “What [does] every sin deserve?” Answer: “Every sin [deserves] God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come.”
This is a hard truth to swallow, isn’t it? But it is so very important that this truth be proclaimed.
In fact, the Christian religion crumbles without this doctrine.
Some men love to talk about the love of God, his mercy and grace, and the forgiveness that is in Christ Jesus, but they refuse to speak of his wrath and curse. They will speak of Jesus the loving Savior and of his virtuous life, but they refuse to speak of Jesus as judge.
Please hear me. There is no sense in speaking of God’s love, mercy, and grace, nor of Christ the Savior, unless we are also willing to speak of sin and of its just penalty, for that is the very thing that Jesus came to save us from. He came to fix this problem that we are now considering. To use Paul’s language from Romans, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus…” (Romans 3:23–24, ESV). And a little bit later he says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23, ESV). Can you see that the grace of God shown to us in Christ Jesus is the solution to the problem of our sin and the judgment of God under which all stand?
So this truth that all have sinned, and that “every sin [deserves] God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come”, is essential. The Good News of Jesus Christ can only be understood against this backdrop of bad news. And yet men and women — yes even Christians and Ministers of the Gospel — will make every effort to suppress and dismiss this unpleasant truth.
I’ll be honest with you though, and it’s because I love you. You’re a sinner. And even if it is true that you have not committed so-called “heinous” sins, “every sin [deserves] God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and in that which is to come”. If you are not in Christ, you stand guilty before God now. And if you die apart from Christ you will stand guilty before God on the day of judgment, and then it will be too late. You will be judged by Christ and punished by him for all eternity. But God is loving, gracious, and kind. He has provided a Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord. You must run to him for refuge. You must believe in him for the forgiveness of sins.
That Revelation 21 passage that I read at the beginning of the sermon is very beautiful. In it John’s vision of the new heavens and earth is described to us. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ And he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.” How wonderful! We long for this. But consider the concussion: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.’” (Revelation 21:1–8, ESV)
Both the bad news of our sin and misery, and the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ must be proclaimed. The one does not make sense without the other, friends.
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Baptist Catechism 89
As we move now towards a conclusion I would like to walk you through Baptist Catechism 89.
Q. 89. What [does] every sin deserve?
Answer: “Every sin…” notice the word “every”. Not only heinous sins but “every sin [deserves]…” In fact, the justice of God demands that all sins be punished. If God were simply to pardon sins he would not be just. So “God’s wrath and curse” must be poured out against all sin. And please hear me, brothers and sisters. Here is the beauty of the gospel. God is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ, for God has punished our sin in him. Christ is the substitute for those who believe in him. And then our catechism concludes with these words, “both in this life, and in that which is to come.” So, apart from Christ men and women live in this life under God’s wrath and curse, and will continue in that state for all eternity unless they repent and believe upon the Savior.
Friends, will you be found in Jesus and thus enter into life everlasting?
And will you be faithful to urge others to be found in him until Christ comes or God calls you home?
There is so much on the line, brothers and sisters. Let us be found faithful.
