An Exposition of Article Twenty of the Belgic Confession: "The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ"

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” There is probably not a Christian alive who does not know this verse from memory. Yet, is there anyone reading this who can recite Romans 3:25 from memory? “Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.” Both of these verses tell us something very important about the death of Jesus Christ. But why do we tend to memorize verses which speak of the love of God while often overlooking those verses which speak of the justice of God? This question brings us to the topic of Article Twenty of the Belgic Confession which deals with the justice and mercy of God in Christ. It also brings us to one of the greatest problems in the Christian church today, a sentimental understanding of the cross.

We move from those articles dealing with our Lord’s incarnation (Eighteen and Nineteen) to those dealing with the work of Christ (Twenty and Twenty-One). In fact, we cannot speak of our Lord’s person–the Word who became flesh, who possesses two distinct natures (one divine, one human) joined together in one person (Jesus of Nazareth)–without also speaking of our Lord’s saving work on our behalf. The person and work of Jesus Christ are inseparably linked. Jesus Christ is that redeemer promised throughout the Old Testament, even from the moment of the fall of our race into sin. Jesus is also the mediator of the covenant of grace, making him the only mediator between sinful men and women and the Holy God.

To read the rest: Article Twenty of the Belgic Confession: A Most Perfect Love