Do You Feel The Weight? (The New City Catechism #13)

Imagine that you are in need of a kidney transplant and, to your surprise, your neighbor agrees to give you one of his. This is the same neighbor who brought you meals when you were sick, watched your children when you had plans, took care of your dog when you were on vacation, and all-in-all, has been a super person to have next door.

Imagine also that once the kidney transplant has successfully taken place and you have recuperated, your kidney provider surprises you with a gift membership to his cross fit gym he and his wife own. After all, he explained, “this will help you regain your health and strength.” Sometime later he and his wife invite you over for dinner and you are so busy that day you forget. You feel horrible since you had to turn them down to take care of their dog on three different weekends when they needed to be out of town. And to top it all off, two months after receiving the free membership you have yet to darken the door of the gym.

If this had been your experience, how would you react?  Would you feel the weight of not being able to please this neighbor who had done so much for you, who had given you an amazing gift that would lead to a better and healthier life? Most likely you would.

Now think about how you would feel in that situation and then multiply it exponentially and it provides a taste of the impact that should stand behind the truth in this week’s catechism question. Number thirteen in The New City Catechism is this: “Can anyone keep the law of God perfectly?  Answer: Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.”

We need to begin by seeing the answer given is true. We discover it is so in Romans 3:10–12: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Then later in that same biblical letter the reality is repeated: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7-8).

What is more, when we remember that God gives us the law for our good (Deut. 10:13), for his glory (Deut. 4:1-8; Mt. 5:16; 2 Cor. 5:6-15), and so that we can please him (1 Cor. 7:19; Eph. 5:10; 1 Thes. 4:1-6), we see that our above analogy fits. The one who has created and saved us deserves that we should glorify him by doing his will, that is, keeping his Law (1 Cor. 6:12-20). And yet, none of us on our own is able! Do you feel the weight of this?

Yet, there is one who always did the will of the Father, who died to pay the penalty for our sins, and so he has removed the weight of our sin and transgression of God’s Law (Col. 2:13-14). What is more, he enables us to follow God’s will (Rom. 8:1-4). Apart from this truth we never come to see our need for the gospel of Christ or to appreciate just how glorious is this good news.

So, don’t rush over this thirteenth question and answer. And never take its truth for granted!

Joyfully remembering our Law-keeping, debt-removing Savior with you,

Tom