The Heidelberg Catechism and sin

This confession (along with the Westminster Documents) has a section on the ten commandments. We Reformed congregrations and denominations are quite clear on sin. After reading a couple of these confessions and catechisms taking on the sins implicit and explicit we probably will be saying that none of us have kept even one of the commandments.

IV. The Heidelberg Catechism

A. (Q. 4-5) Failure to obey the Law of God as summarized in Matthew 22:37-40 (which commands us to love God with our entire being and to love our neighbors as ourselves)

B. (Q. 94) Violations of the first commandment:
1. idolatry
2. sorcery
3. enchantments
4. invocation of saints or other creature

C. (Q. 97) Violations of the second commandment:
1. making any image or picture of God

D. (Q. 99) Violations of the third commandment:
1. profanation or abuse of God's name by cursing,
2. perjury or unnecessary oaths

E. (Q. 103) Violations of the fourth commandment:
1. failure to attend church
2. failure to participate in the sacraments
3. failure to call publicly upon the Lord
4. failure to give Christian service to those in need
5. failure to cease from evil works

F. (Q104) Violations of the fifth commandment
1. failure to honor father and mother
2. failure to honor all in authority over me
3. failure to submit with respectful obedience to the foregoing
4. failure to bear patiently the failures of the foregoing

G. (Q105) Violations of the sixth commandment:
1. abuse, hate, injure, or kill a neighbor by thought, word, or gesture
2. actually doing any of the foregoing in person or through another
3. desire for revenge
4. harming self
5. exposing self to danger
H. (Q108-109) Violations of the seventh commandment:
1. failure to live a chaste and disciplined life, whether married or single
2. unchaste actions, words, thoughts, or desires
3. whatever may excite another person to the foregoing

I. (Q110-111) Violations of the eighth commandment:
1. theft and robbery which violate civil law
2. wicked tricks and schemes to obtain a neighbor's goods by force
3. wicked tricks and schemes to obtain a neighbor's goods by deception (including false weights and measures, deceptive advertising or merchandising, counterfeit money, exorbitant interest)
4. greed
5. misuse and waste of God's gifts
6. failure to work for the good of neighbor
7. failure to deal with neighbor as self
8. failure to do our work well, so that we may earn enough to help our neighbors

J. (Q112) Violations of the ninth commandment:
1. bearing false witness against anyone
2. twisting anyone's words
3. being a gossip
4. being a slanderer
5. condemning anyone lightly without a hearing

K. (Q113) Violations of the tenth commandment:
1. allowing into our hearts even the least inclination or thought contrary to any commandment of God
2. failure to hate sin with our whole heart