## Lord’s Day 4

### 9. Q. But doesn’t God do man an injustice by requiring in his law what man is unable to do?

**A**. No, God created man with the ability to keep the law.<sup>1</sup> Man, however, at the instigation of the devil,<sup>2</sup> in willful disobedience,<sup>3</sup> robbed himself and all his descendants of these gifts.<sup>4</sup>

<sup>1</sup> [Gen. 1:31](/References/Bible/01%20-%20Genesis/Genesis1.md#1); [Eph. 4:24](/References/Bible/49%20-%20Ephesians/Ephesians4.md#24)
<sup>2</sup> [Gen. 3:13](/References/Bible/01%20-%20Genesis/Genesis3.md#13); [John 8:44](/References/Bible/43%20-%20John/John8.md#44)
<sup>3</sup> [Gen. 3:6](/References/Bible/01%20-%20Genesis/Genesis3.md#6)
<sup>4</sup> [Rom. 5:12, 18, 19](/References/Bible/45%20-%20Romans/Romans5.md#12)

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### 10. Q. Will God permit such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?

**A**. Certainly not. He is terribly angry with the sin we are born with as well as our actual sins. God will punish them by a just judgment both now and in eternity,<sup>1</sup> having declared: “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.”<sup>2</sup>

<sup>1</sup> [Ex. 34:7](/References/Bible/02%20-%20Exodus/Exodus34.md#7); [Ps. 5:4–6](/References/Bible/19%20-%20Psalms/Psalms5.md#4); [Nah. 1:2](/References/Bible/34%20-%20Nahum/Nahum1.md#2); [Rom. 1:18](/References/Bible/45%20-%20Romans/Romans1.md#18); [Eph. 5:6](/References/Bible/49%20-%20Ephesians/Ephesians5.md#6); [Heb. 9:27](/References/Bible/58%20-%20Hebrews/Hebrews9.md#27)
<sup>2</sup> [Gal. 3:10](/References/Bible/48%20-%20Galatians/Galatians3.md#10); [Deut. 27:26](/References/Bible/05%20-%20Deuteronomy/Deuteronomy27.md#26)

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### 11. Q. But isn’t God also merciful?

**A**. God is certainly merciful,<sup>1</sup> but he is also just.<sup>2</sup> His justice demands that sin, committed against his supreme majesty, be punished with the supreme penalty—eternal punishment of body and soul.<sup>3</sup>

<sup>1</sup> [Ex. 34:6–7](/References/Bible/02%20-%20Exodus/Exodus34.md#6); [Ps. 103:8–9](/References/Bible/19%20-%20Psalms/Psalms103.md#8)
<sup>2</sup> [Ex. 34:7](/References/Bible/02%20-%20Exodus/Exodus34.md#7); [Deut. 7:9–11](/References/Bible/05%20-%20Deuteronomy/Deuteronomy7.md#9); [Ps. 5:4–6](/References/Bible/19%20-%20Psalms/Psalms5.md#4); [Heb. 10:30–31](/References/Bible/58%20-%20Hebrews/Hebrews10.md#30)
<sup>3</sup> [Matt. 25:35–46](/References/Bible/40%20-%20Matthews/Matthews25.md#35)