The Heidelberg Catechism Part I: Misery Lord’s Day 3
Question 6. Did God create people so wicked and perverse?
Answer 6. No. God created them good [1] and in His own image, [2] that is, in true righteousness and holiness, [3] so that they might truly know God their Creator, [4] love Him with all their heart, and live with God in eternal happiness, to praise and glorify Him. [5]
Supporting Scripture:
[1] Genesis 1:31 NKJV Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
[2] Genesis 1:26-27 NKJV Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." (27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
[3] Ephesians 4:24 NKJV and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
[4] Colossians 3:10 NKJV and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
[5] Psalms 8:1-9 NKJV To the Chief Musician. On the Instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens! (2) Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. (3) When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, (4) What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? (5) For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. (6) You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, (7) All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field, (8) The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. (9) O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!
Q7: Then where does this corrupt human nature come from?
A7: The fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise. [1] This fall has so poisoned our nature [2] that we are all conceived and born in a sinful condition. [3]
Supporting Scripture:
[1] Genesis 3:1-24 NKJV Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (2) And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; (3) but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' " (4) Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. (5) For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (6) So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. (7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. (8) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (9) Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" (10) So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself." (11) And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?" (12) Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." (13) And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (14) So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. (15) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel." (16) To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you." (17) Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life. (18) Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field. (19) In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (20) And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. (21) Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them. (22) Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"— (23) therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. (24) So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
[2] Romans 5:12, 18-19 NKJV Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned… (18) Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. (19) For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
[3] Psalms 51:5 NKJV Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Q8: But are we so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good and inclined toward all evil?
A8: Yes, [1] unless we are born again by the Spirit of God. [2]
Supporting Scripture:
[1] Genesis 6:5 NKJV Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Genesis 8:21 NKJV And the LORD smelled a soothing aroma. Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
Job 14:4 NKJV Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one!
Isaiah 53:6 NKJV All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
[2] John 3:3-5 NKJV Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (4) Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" (5) Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
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