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Heidelberg Catechism, Question 89

Question 89

What is the mortification of the old man?

It is a sincere sorrow of heart, that we have provoked God by our sins (2 Cor. 7;10); and more and more to hate and flee from them (Rom. 12;9).

Scripture references for paragraph 1

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

2 Corinthians 7:10

10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Joel 2:12

12“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

Joel 2:13

13So rend your hearts and not your garments, and return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. And He relents from sending disaster.

Matthew 26:75

75Then Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Psalms 51:4

4Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.

Romans 6:2

2Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer?

Galatians 5:21

21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17

17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!

Romans 12:9

9Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

Amos 5:15

15Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

2 Timothy 2:19

19Nevertheless, God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from iniquity.”

Isaiah 55:7

7Let the wicked man forsake his own way and the unrighteous man his own thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon.

Jude 1:23

23save others by snatching them from the fire; and to still others show mercy tempered with fear, hating even the clothing stained by the flesh.

Source and edition

Heidelberg Catechism. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879

Public Domain (historic text); CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription). Source transcription.

Transcription licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.

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