HC 11

Q11. But is God not also merciful?

God is indeed merciful, but He is also just. His justice requires that sin committed against the most high majesty of God also be punished with the most severe, that is, with everlasting, punishment of body and soul.

Proof texts

• Ex. 20:6 — [6] but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
• Ex. 34:6-7 — [6] The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
• Ps. 103:8-9 — [8] The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. [9] He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever.
• Ex. 20:5 — [5] You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
• Ex. 34:7 — [7] keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
• Deut. 7:9-11 — [9] Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, [10] and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face. [11] You shall therefore be careful to do the commandment and the statutes and the rules that I command you today.
• Ps. 5:4-6 — [4] For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. [5] The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. [6] You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
• Heb. 10:30-31 — [30] For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” [31] It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
• Matt. 25:45-46 — [45] Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ [46] And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

For discussion

1. The Assembly cited Ex. 20:6 in support of this answer. Read it in context — how does it bear on what is claimed here?
2. 9 passages are cited here. Which does the most work, and is anything claimed that the proofs do not obviously carry?
3. BC 2.1 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?
4. BC 2.2 treats the same ground. What does it add, and why might it put things differently?

Read alongside

BC 2.1 · BC 2.2 · BC 2.3 · BC 2.4 · BC 4.1 · BC 4.2 · WCF 2.1 · WCF 2.2 · WCF 2.3 · WLC Q6 · WSC Q4 · WSC Q5 · WSC Q6 · WCF 6.1 · WLC Q21 · WSC Q13 · 1689 2.1 · 1689 2.2 · 1689 2.3 · 1689 6.1 · 1689 6.2 · 1689 6.3 · 1689 6.4 · 1689 6.5