The Heidelberg Catechism begins by asking this question: “What is your only comfort in life and death?” The answer it gives is this, “That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.”
The Catechism is broken down into three parts: misery, deliverance, and gratitude; but why does comfort precede them all?
The simplest answer is probably for organizational purposes. However, I think that a foundational understanding that Christ is our only comfort, and particularly that we are not our own, has significant spiritual implications for the rest of the catechism.
The idea that we are not our own is a startling thought for most people—including myself. Actually, I find it pretty terrifying. If I am not my own, then my desires, my dreams and my interests are no longer the governing forces of my life. If I am not my own, then it’s not about me anymore.
So whose am I?
Discovering Who We Belong To
The Catechism says that I belong “body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.” The book goes on to say this about Him:
“He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and he 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.”
Thus, we belong to a Savior who is entirely caught up in the work of our salvation. He has freed us, He has established the saving work that we could not, and He continues to watch over us.
What does it mean to belong to this kind of a Savior?
The Heidelberg Catechism says, “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.”
The book begins by proclaiming the truth that our only comfort in life is Christ, because abiding in Christ’s comfort is the foundation for every fruit of the Christian life. We belong to Christ, because He has saved us and purchased eternal life for us. Understanding the comfort in this is what makes us “wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.”
Just as it is not right to attempt to strive for morality and righteousness on our own, neither is it right to take hold of Christ’s gift of salvation and sit still with it. A proper understanding of Christ allows for simultaneous resting and acting. While we rest in knowing that we belong completely to Christ, we act in a way that displays our belief.
Like the opening sentence of the Heidelberg Catechism, our understanding of Christ is just that—an opening sentence. After taking hold of this truth, the Catechism proceeds to address the scope of Christianity in a way that mirrors what we ought to do in our own lives: know that you belong to Christ, and live accordingly.
Even when I feel like I’ll never get this whole “Christian” thing quite right, I continue holding on to the truth that I belong entirely to Christ.
Know who you belong to and allow that truth to guide you deeper in your faith as you live the life God has called you to.
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