What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Great question. I would like to focus on this thought by letting a book that is 450 years old guide us through God’s word. It’s called the Heidelberg Catechism.  It was written in 1563, after much study and prayer by a preacher and theologian named Zacharias Urinus and several of his friends in the southern German city of Heidelberg.   A catechism is simply a teaching tool that uses a question and answer format to share knowledge and truth. A catechism is not the Holy Bible nor is it a replacement for scripture and should only be used to help us dive deeper into the Word of God never to draw us further away from it.  That is why what I want to do tonight is to look at the first question asked by this Catechism and use various scripture to verify it.  The question is this: 

Question: What is your only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.¹ 

Before we dig into this let me say that the question that they are asking is not what makes you comfortable like a big lay-z-boy chair or something like that.  A better translation of this (remember it was originally in German….from the word “trost”) is where is your only ‘trust’.  It is no accident that Mr. Urinus and his friends thought this should be the first of a 129-question catechism.  In his own commentary on the catechism, Urinus says, “The question of comfort (or trust) is placed, and treated first, because it embodies the design and substance of the catechism.”  He goes on to say later that the design is to lead believers to sure and solid comfort (trust) in any circumstance we find ourselves in.  The substance of this trust is this, “that we are ingrafted into Christ by faith, that through him we are reconciled to, and beloved of God, that thus he may care for and save us eternally.”  I love this because it focuses not on what we must do but on what has already been done in Christ for his glory and our good.  Grace.  The amazing grace fact is that, if we believe in Jesus, we belong to Christ and in his pierced hands we are sufficiently, eternally, and fully cared for.  We are safe.  Safer than any other place we could be.  We are saved and he will see us through until the end. 

One of the great things about catechisms is the fact they list the scripture from which they draw their answers.  So, let’s dissect this and examine the scripture that led them to this conclusion. 

The first part of the answer says, “That I am not my own”

This comes from 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 which states:

¹⁹ What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

²⁰ For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

 “but belong body and soul, in life and in death” comes from Romans 14:7-9

⁷ For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

⁸ For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

⁹ For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

“to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.” This is from 1 Corinthians 3:23

²³ And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.

and Titus 2:14

¹⁴ Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

The gospel is the answer to this first question.  I am a firm believer that the gospel is not just Christianity 101 but is to be cherished and wrote on the tablet of every believer in Jesus Christ heart. We should remind ourselves of it daily.  Remind others who we fellowship with and tell it to those who may have never heard it.  Kevin Deyoung is an author I like and in his book, The Good News we Almost Forgot, he had this to say of question 1 from the Heidelberg, “We live in a world where we expect to find comfort in possessions, pride, power and position.  But the Catechism teaches us that our only true comfort comes from the fact that we don’t even belong to ourselves.”  The catechism does not only teach this…the Bible does.  The gospel is so counter cultural…so opposed to pride. Some may say, “But I enjoy my stuff.”  That’s fine…enjoy it.  But don’t put your trust in it.  Some may say, “But I’ve done much for the church, I read my Bible, I help people out.”  To which I must reply, “Amen!  That’s wonderful!” BUT if you are looking for that to save you….THEN it’s just filthy rags.  Dung.  Dross and loss.  

Do you know what we bring to the table when it comes to our salvation?  

The need for it.  

The sin.  

That’s it.  

We will not stand at the throne of God and be able to say anything in our defense except, “I belong to Christ.  My savior paid my debt in full.”  But, this is JOY.  How astounding is that?  Deserving wrath, I get grace.  My responsibility is to repent (turn from my sin and turn to Christ in my trust) and believe (that Jesus Christ is exactly who claims to be).  Derrick Thomas another author who wrote one of my favorite books (Romans 8: How The Gospel Takes Us All the Way Home) said this,

“If we were depending on our feeble effort and resolve to keep our salvation than it’s over, the devil wins.  But it is NOT because our salvation, from beginning to end, is God’s work as ‘he who began a good work in us will bring it to completion.”  

What a joyous triumphant verse this is!  Philippians 1:6, “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”  How glorious! The Greek word for ‘confident’ in this verse is the strongest use of the verb…in other words it’s like Paul is saying he’s absolutely, 150%, without a doubt, positive, that Christ WILL complete the work that he began!  How can he be sure? Because HE IS NOT HIS OWN!  Believers belong to Christ! 

You see that’s the key.  We are sure not because of doctrine or our action or our effort.  We don’t have a relationship with those things.  Our relationship is with Christ.  Doctrine is to get to know HIM more deeply, our actions are to get know HIM and HIS ways more clearly, our effort is to get to know HIM more intimately.  Notice that the recurring theme is to KNOW HIM MORE.  Let this be our goal, our breath, our prayer, and our cry. On my epitaph I pray that it will be written, “He sought to know Christ deeper.” And then in my spirit in heaven let it be so.  

Christ is the point, brothers and sisters.  

He is the author of our faith. He is the finisher of our faith

Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

He is the sustainer of our faith (Philippians 1:6 “he will complete the work he began) because he is the OBJECT of our faith! 

We belong to him.  This is our comfort.  This is our trust and so mighty is our master that His will, will be done!

JI Packer said it this way:

“God’s love is a function of omnipotence and has at its heart an almighty purpose to bless that which cannot be thwarted.”  

His will, his Word, his hand…cannot be thwarted.  If Christ is for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)  This is why we can count it all loss because of the surpassing worth of Jesus Christ our Lord…because Christ owning us is infinitely better than owning ourselves.  This is JOY!  Christ!  This is why Paul could be beaten and stoned to the point where a whole town thinks he is dead and then goes back inside after he awakens to finish his sermon! This why martyrs sang as they were being burned! This is why no matter the struggle we cling to Christ because it didn’t begin with us it began with HIM.  We cling to the rock of ages because he is securely, yet tenderly caressing us. Every private struggle, prayer, pain, suffering, He is there perfecting you until the day when he says, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”  Welcome home.    Keep that in mind and heart…those of you who reminisce on the past often.  Remember that your true ‘glory days’ are yet to come.

This brings us to the final part of the question, “What is your only comfort in life and DEATH?”  Death.  The great equalizer.  It comes to kings and paupers, strong and weak, mice and men, sick and healthy, young and old.  Most people live in fear of it, seeking cure after cure, spending all their money on a mad dash for re-generated youth.  But beloved, if you belong to Christ death is not something we fear.  Because our wonderful savior has overcame this dark shroud as well, by dying on the cross and then raising from the dead on the third day.  It has been well said, “What death did to Jesus is nothing compared to what Jesus did to death.”  Jesus Christ conquered death and we are more than conquerors through him that loves us (Romans 8:31). The Apostle Paul’s struggle was whether or not to go home and be with the Lord or stay to preach and help the Philippians and other brother and sisters.  In Philippians 1:21-25 he said,

²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. ²³ For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. ²⁴ Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” 

Why?  Why is to live Christ and die gain?  Because, we belong to him and in all we do…in life or death, he is our comfort…our trust.  And praise God for it.  Listen closely, He is not only there at the first cry of life and at our last death rattled gasp but he is there beyond.  And when that time comes (and his timing is perfect, like Him) he has a place prepared for you in heaven for eternity, forever and ever, in his actual tangible presence in glory (John 14:2-3).  Let me read to you from the last chapter of the Holy Bible.  Revelation 22: 1-4

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

If you belong to Christ, He gave his life for you, his church, therefore; know that he will come back for you.  Death to us who are saved is bitter/sweet.  Sad for those we leave behind but beautiful for us.  Because we….are…going…home.

Let me touch on another aspect, in understanding all of this.   If God did all of this for you…all of grace, than who are we not to forgive and patiently love others.  Because of what Christ did for us, we are finally free to love others without expecting anything from them.  With only their interest and God’s glory in mind not our own recompense or needful desires.  Because our needs and desires are found in Christ and he took the and drank the cup of wrath we made for ourselves and gave us a sufficient overflowing cup of mercy that will follow us all the days of our lives and beyond. (Psalm 23:5-6)  So, who are we not to love everyone? And if you want an example let me tell you something a man named Sinclair Ferguson said that hit me between the eyes, “Jesus washed Judas’ feet, too.”  Our sovereign rulings Lord, creator of all the heavens and the Earth stooped down, cleaned, dried, and cared for the same feet that ran to betray him.  Think on that. If this were a Psalm now would be a good place to say, “Selah.”  We are told to bless those who use us and pray for those who harm us (Luke 6:28).  Saying ‘Amen’ to these thing is easy, now.  It’s when we are persecuted, suffering from sickness, hurt by loved ones, and tempted by Satan that at the forefront of our mind, solidified in the concrete of scripture, encased in our new heart that we must burn before us the blazing truth that, “Our only comfort in life and death is that we belong to Christ our Lord and savior.”  And what a well-placed, sweet trust it is. Everything we do should be filtered though this truth.  So, strong and secure is the hold our savior has on us that NOTHING can pry us from his safe, soft, strong, and loving arms.

 Romans 8:38-39:

³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Amazing grace, indeed.  How sweet the sound.

I want to now say that if you don’t know Christ, you have no comfort.  Only sinking sand.  You have no reason to sing Joy to the World because you have no joy.  Only temporary moments of fleeting happiness.  If you do not repent and believe in Christ than all you have ahead of you is the oncoming storm that is judgment and the just, fully deserved, consequence thereof.  But God, in his mercy, sent his son to be the sacrifice for sin.  I compel you and pray for you to seek the Lord. It is only as we go humbly in repentance and faith before the suffering instrument of death that is the cross of Christ that we can go boldly before the glorious, sovereign throne of the almighty God of all creation.  

This is how much He loved us, he became a man, lived the perfect life for us, suffered the wrath that we deserved, died the death that awaited us, and then stripped out death’s dreaded sting in bodily resurrection.  And not only is he here with us now in all we endure, but one day…he is coming back to bring us home forever.  WE THAT BELIEVE ARE HIS.  “Greater love hath no man, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13).  That is worth celebration.  So, this year, every time you say, “Merry Christmas.” Let your smile be ear to ear in anticipation for that day…the day we go home to our loving God and acknowledgment of what he did to get us there.

Gospel Rhyme in Five Minutes

G.O.S.P.E.L. from Humble Beast Records on Vimeo.

Saved

What can I say? The cross has been on mind as of late. I have been dwelling on Christ’s sacrifice and our unworthiness of it. He died for us when we were yet sinners. When we were yet SINNERS! We were damaged goods, totally depraved, since the fall of Adam. We cannot keep the commandments. We all fall short (Romans 3:23). Imagine sacrificing yourself for refuse, garbage, toilet paper. God would have been just to let us give Him glory in our eternal torment and damnation. A just God cannot and must not let unrighteousness go unpunished. So, judgment He decreed….on Himself in our stead! He looked on His and said, “Here let me take your filth and you can have my righteousness.” So, on the cross he WILLINGLY went. He gave His life, no one stole it. As I read Matthew 27, the account of the crucifixion, I am forced to realize, with eyes spiritually pried open, that I, in my sin, would not have been among those who weeped for Christ, but I would be among the scoffers, mockers, and abusers. Every time I fall short, every time the pride of life, lust of the eyes, and lust of the flesh fill me and I succumb to their impulses, I spit at His sacrifice. It is me who Christ was speaking about when he said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” And here is the kicker of it all, He knew how I would hurt Him from the foundations of the Earth and the beginnings of time itself and He still went willing to the cross to save me. All of His children’s sins were paid in full when he said, “It is finished” and gave up the ghost. I bring nothing to the table when it comes to my salvation expect my wretchedness. With this mindset, I can no longer say that “I gave my life to Christ.” as though it was mine to give, for this pride now stings me. I can only say, “Jesus SAVED me.” I am only just now understanding what it means to be, “saved.” Only now do I begin to grasp the concept of, “Jesus loves me.” I do not think the full extent of His love will be revealed to me on this side of eternity. It is just too deep for me to get, still having the flesh a part of me. All I can say is, “Thank you, Lord”

Spurgeon on the Gospel

I came across this on Steve Camps blog and wanted to share:


Spurgeon Quotes on The Gospel


"If the professed convert distinctly and deliberately declares that he knows the Lord's will but does not mean to attend to it, you are not to pamper his presumption, but it is your duty to assure him that he is not saved. Do not suppose that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to the worldlings and telling them that they may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their Savior, while they are wedded to their idols, and their hearts are still in love with sin. If I do so I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel , insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness." -Charles Haddon Spurgeon

"The hearing of the gospel involves the hearer in responsibility. It is a great privilege to hear the gospel. You may smile and think there is nothing very great in it. The damned in hell know. Oh, what would they give if they could hear the gospel now? If they could come back and entertain but the shadow of a hope that they might escape from the wrath to come? The saved in heaven estimate this privilege at a high rate, for, having obtained salvation through the preaching of this gospel, they can never cease to bless their God for calling them by his word of truth. O that you knew it! On your dying beds the listening to a gospel sermon will seem another thing than it seems now." -C.H. Spurgeon

"Do you know, my dear unsaved hearer, what God’s estimate of the gospel is? Do you not know that it has been the chief subject of his thoughts and acts from all eternity? He looks on it as the grandest of all his works. You cannot imagine that he has sent his gospel into the world to be a football for you to play with–that you may give it a kick, as Felix did when he said to Paul, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee" (Acts 24:25). You surely cannot believe that God sent his gospel into the world for you to make a toy of it, and to say, as Agrippa said to Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (Acts 26:28), and then put away all thought of it out of your souls. You cannot even speak of it irreverently without committing a great sin." -C.H. Spurgeon

"Avoid a sugared gospel as you would shun sugar of lead. Seek the gospel which rips up and tears and cuts and wounds and hacks and even kills, for that is the gospel that makes alive again. And when you have found it, give good heed to it. Let it enter into your inmost being. As the rain soaks into the ground, so pray the Lord to let his gospel soak into your soul." -C.H. Spurgeon

"Jesus is the Truth. We believe in Him, —not merely in His words. He Himself is Doctor and Doctrine, Revealer and Revelation, the Illuminator and the Light of Men. He is exalted in every word of truth, because He is its sum and substance. He sits above the gospel, like a prince on His own throne. Doctrine is most precious when we see it distilling from His lips and embodied in His person. Sermons [and songs] are valuable in proportion as they speak of Him and point to Him. A Christ-less gospel is no gospel and a Christ-less discourse is the cause of merriment to devils." -C.H. Spurgeon

"Never lose heart in the power of the gospel. Do not believe that there exists any man, much less any race of men, for whom the gospel is not fitted." -C.H. Spurgeon

"I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, 'You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.' My hope arises from the freeness of [sovereign] grace, and not from the freedom of the will." -C.H. Spurgeon

"Let this be to you the mark of true gospel preaching - where Christ is everything, and the creature is nothing; where it is salvation all of grace, through the work of the Holy Spirit applying to the soul the precious blood of Jesus." -C.H. Spurgeon

"On Christ, and what he has done, my soul hangs for time and eternity. And if your soul also hangs there, it will be saved as surely as mine shall be. And if you are lost trusting in Christ, I will be lost with you and will go to hell with you. I must do so, for I have nothing else to rely upon but the fact that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived, died, was buried, rose again, went to heaven, and still lives and pleads for sinners at the right hand of God." -C.H. Spurgeon

"We have an unchanging gospel, which is not today green grass and tomorrow dry hay; but always the abiding truth of the immutable Jehovah." -C.H. Spurgeon

"The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ." -C.H. Spurgeon

"When we preach Christ crucified, we have no reason to stammer, or stutter, or hesitate, or apologize; there is nothing in the gospel of which we have any cause to be ashamed." -C.H. Spurgeon