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Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 28

Question 28

What are the punishments of sin in this world?

The punishments of sin in this world are either inward, as blindness of mind, a reprobate sense, strong delusions, hardness of heart, horror of conscience, and vile affections; or outward, as the curse of God upon the creatures for our sakes, and all other evils that befall us in our bodies, names, estates, relations, and employments; together with death itself.

Scripture references for paragraph 1

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

Ephesians 4:18

18They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.

Romans 1:28

28Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

2 Thessalonians 2:11

11For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie,

Romans 2:5

5But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Isaiah 33:14

14The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling grips the ungodly: “Who of us can dwell with a consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting flames?”

Genesis 4:13

13But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Matthew 27:4

4“I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” he said. “What is that to us?” they replied. “You bear the responsibility.”

Romans 1:26

26For this reason God gave them over to dishonorable passions. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.

Genesis 3:17

17And to Adam He said: “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, cursed is the ground because of you; through toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.

Deuteronomy 28:15-18

15If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

16You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.

17Your basket and kneading bowl will be cursed.

18The fruit of your womb will be cursed, as well as the produce of your land, the calves of your herds, and the lambs of your flocks.

Romans 6:21

21What fruit did you reap at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The outcome of those things is death.

Romans 6:23

23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Source and edition

Westminster Larger Catechism. NonlinearFruit/Creeds.json, Unlicense. Creeds.json, English transcription

Unlicense. Source transcription.

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