Dear Neighbor,
In my letter to you yesterday morning, I wrote that I agreed with the Westminster Puritans on their answer to question 83, that God sees some sins more heinous than others. I agreed based on Scripture alone, but I warned to not think that God sees as we see.
Question 84: What doth every sin deserve?Answer: Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.
This morning I read:
Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.”
There in lies a huge problem for all of us. Question 82 asked, “Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?” We agreed with the Westminster Puritans, that know one is able, but all breaks them daily in thought, word and deed.
A question that is often spoken during times of distress: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
Romans 3:10-12as it is written,“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
We are not good people. We all deserve God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come. Therefore, any good thing that we have in this life is because the Lord God is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.” (Ex. 34:6) We have a tendency to measure ourselves by ourselves and measure others by our own standard. But God measures all of mankind by his perfect Law (Jam. 1:25) and all fail the test. (Rom. 3:23)
On Monday morning we will explore how we may escape the wrath and curse that is to come!
Michael Peek
Your Servant for Jesus’ Sake
