Lord's Day 5

12  Q.  According to God's righteous judgment
        we deserve punishment
        both in this world and forever after:
        how then can we escape this punishment
        and return to God's favor?

    A.  God requires that his justice be satisfied.^1
        Therefore the claims of his justice
        must be paid in full,
        either by ourselves or another.^2

    ^1  Ex. 23:7; Rom. 2:1-11
    ^2  Isa. 53:11; Rom. 8:3-4


13  Q.  Can we pay this debt ourselves?

    A.  Certainly not.
        Actually, we increase our guilt every day.^1

    ^1  Matt. 6:12; Rom. 2:4-5


14  Q.  Can another creature--any at all--
        pay this debt for us?

    A.  No.
        To begin with,
          God will not punish another creature
          for what a human is guilty of.^1
        Besides,
          no mere creature can bear the weight
          of God's eternal anger against sin
          and release others from it.^2

    ^1  Ezek. 18:4, 20; Heb. 2:14-18
    ^2  Ps. 49:7-9; 130:3


15  Q.  What kind of mediator and deliverer
        should we look for then?

    A.  One who is truly human^1 and truly righteous,^2
          yet more powerful than all creatures,
          that is, one who is also true God.^3

    ^1  Rom. 1:3; 1 Cor. 15:21; Heb. 2:17
    ^2  Isa. 53:9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26
    ^3  Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Jer. 23:6; John 1:1