At the outset, the Heidelberg Catechism suggests that we need to first grovel in our sin in order to find “our only comfort.” Lord’s Day 2 asks: “How do you come to know your misery?” What a question! The answer is that the “law” or Bible tells me. We often have an uneasy relationship with the Bible: some parts we love, because they bring comfort and inspiration. But other parts mirror our sinfulness, we dislike what we see. But without the Bible (as a mirror), we are unable to see how we appear before God and make a change. So the law, the Bible, is both negative and positive in relation to our sin. 
Scripture:  2 Chronicles 34:14-33