What's With Life and Death?

Introduction

The Heidelberg Catechism opens with a profound question that cuts to the heart of human existence: What is your only comfort in life and death? This isn't merely an academic exercise or theological formality. It's a question that addresses the deepest hunger of the human heart. We live in a world desperately searching for belonging, trying to discover which tribe is ours, seeking to know not just who we are, but whose we are. The catechism's answer provides something revolutionary: you are not your own, but belong both body and soul, in life and in death, to your faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. This is not your best comfort; it is your only comfort. The catechism refuses to let us scatter our hopes across multiple backup plans. Instead, it anchors us to one unchangeable reality that stands firm when everything else is stripped away.

We Belong to Christ, Not to Ourselves:

The catechism rejects the Enlightenment idea that humanity is the center of all things. Before we act, succeed, or fail, God has already claimed us as His own. We need to think of this like an arranged marriage or covenant where we are "spoken for." This belonging isn't earned through human striving but is a divine claim that precedes our choices, freeing us from the anxiety of constantly proving our worth or doubting God's love.

Assurance Precedes Obedience:

The Holy Spirit assures us of eternal life and transforms our desires. It is by the Spirit’s work that we are willing to live for Christ. We don't live for Christ to earn our hope; we live for Him because hope has already been secured. This assurance comes through the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, sealing us for redemption, and it frees us to live boldly rather than cautiously, knowing our identity is secure in God's covenant love.

Conclusion

Unlike other comforts the world offers, this hope is eternal and salvific. Our hope is rooted in what God has done. Our hope is not rooted in us. We are not spiritual orphans making it up as we go. We need to see ourselves as beloved children who belong to the faithful Father in heaven. Body and soul, in life and death, we are not our own but belong to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who has purchased, redeemed, and covenanted with us, freeing us to live the rest of our lives for Him. Let that hope orient us through this age.