(Second Part: Of Man’s Redemption—Questions 12-85)
12. Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, what is required that we may escape this punishment and be again received into favor?
- God wills that His justice be satisfied, therefore we must make full satisfaction to the same, either by ourselves or by another.
13. Can we ourselves make this satisfaction?
- By no means: on the contrary, we daily increase our guilt.
14. Can any mere creature make satisfaction for us?
- None: for first, God will not punish, in any other creature, that of which man has made himself guilty; and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God’s eternal wrath against sin, and redeem others therefrom.
15. What manner of mediator and redeemer then must we seek?
- One who is a true and sinless man, and yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is at the same time true God.
