Sermons Vander Kam on HC Lord's Day 1
Q&A 1 Sermons Vander Kam on HC Lord's Day 1
Q&A 1A. That I, with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserve me that without the will of my Heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, wherefore by His Holy Spirit He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready, henceforth to live unto Him.
Beloved in the Lord, as we approach the Heidelberg Catechism again that we are also again amazed at what is contained there. Because here you find that the very riches of that which is given to us in the Word of God is here reflected. Here we are given those things that are necessary for our souls, here are the things that are necessary for eternal life. Here are the things that have come out of the wealth of the Reformation, and these are the things that have been given to us in order that thereby we may be led and instructed. And, you know well enough concerning the history of that Catechism that it has come to us from these two rather young theologians, Olivianus and Ursinus. And that they wrote this Catechism in such a way that it might be for instruction for the youth, for the instruction of children, and therefore don't let anyone ever say to you of course, that the Catechism is too deep. Because of the fact that it was given for the instruction of the children, and consequently if it is too deep for us then we have missed something along the way.
It must also be realized that in one of the very first editions, already in the first year after it had been printed, it was divided into Lord's Days in order that it might be preached on. And this was done because of the fact that there were so many it seemed that they had all come out of Catholicism where the knowledge of the Bible was not very great. And that they now were being instructed, that is, the youth were being instructed to by the ministers of the Gospel. And that the people also stayed, that is, the adults also stayed for that instruction because they didn't know these things either. And that, as a result of that already in that very first year, amid all the various editions that came out of the Heidelberg Catechism, it was already divided into Lord's Days in order that it might be preached on.
This was the book that was for the instruction of the whole church. This was the book by which they were going to be able to live. This was the book that was going to be the book of comfort, and that is also the note that is struck from the very beginning, in order that God's people might be built up in the faith, and not be misled in various ways, but that they might know that whole body of truth and that they might also realize therein is given to us the riches of the Word of God.
I speak to you this morning on the fundamental question; that we notice in the first place that it is a humbling confession; and secondly, the broad extent of it; thirdly, the manner of it; and finally, its joyful experience. Those are the four things which we wish to cover.
I realize, of course, that at the very beginning that you are not able to cover all the things that are contained in this question and answer in one morning. No, there will also be the possibility for example, I had one professor who had preached twenty-seven sermons on this first question and answer. And that is indeed a possibility, perhaps not to be imitated, but nevertheless that is a real possibility because of the riches, because of the depth of that which we find here in this Catechism, in this first question and answer.
And here we are to realize that we are not here being educated as it were by a teacher. It is not this that we are now going to be educated or that we are in a classroom and that it is a professor lecturing to his students. Or that it is a teacher that is now instructing our children in the way in which they are to go; that is not first of all the situation. But it is, first of all this, that it is an elder that comes in family visiting, and that he asks concerning your salvation, and that he asks concerning your comfort, and that he asks concerning this, whether you are making progress in the faith. That is the genius of the Heidelberg Catechism.
That it goes in that way in order to show to us that we are here dealing with the very deepest spiritual truths, and how those spiritual truths are applied to our hearts. Now then it begins in this way: 'What is your only comfort?' There would be ever so many different kind of approaches, I suppose. When we are standing before the whole bulk of the truth of God as it is revealed to us in the Scriptures, how are we going to approach it properly? For many, it would be this, 'Who is God?' But the Bible doesn't begin with that either. The Bible nowhere even gives us a description of, or an identification of that God who is speaking to us. But it takes it for granted, and says already in the very first sentence, "In the beginning God" is already there. He has not proved, His existence is not proved, He is not described, but that is to be taken for granted. "He that comes to God," says the writer of Hebrews so many centuries later, "He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is the rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." But he must believe that He is, and otherwise you cannot come to Him. Now it is a very humbling confession that is here made because the writers of the Catechism began with this, "What is your only comfort?" Noticing that it is the only one there is, it's very exclusive; it doesn't say, "This is a religion among many, that there are also many others that you may also derive great benefit from." No, it is, "What is your only comfort?" And that is the thing that is here going to be gone into, not only in this question and answer, but throughout the Catechism. And it is going to ask these very personal questions again and again.
So that it is always this, what is the profit in these things for you? How do you profit by the ascension of Jesus Christ? What does it profit you that you know all these things, etc, etc. It is always directed to the individual's heart. It is always made so very personal, never something in general, but it is always made very personal. What did you get out of this? What do you benefit by this, how do you benefit by it? These are the things people, that are here held before us in order that we may realize the depths of that which is given to us in the Word of God. That which is given to us in the Word of God beloved, is something that we are never going to be able to plumb to the depths. We are never going to be able to come to the conclusion that we have now obtained all that which it contains; never.
You are able to spend a whole lifetime searching it and studying it and we still have made only a small beginning. But here is a beginning of it. When the Heidelberg Catechism discloses to us all the various things that are contained in it, and then that it is to be for your comfort. Now when it speaks here of that comfort many other words could also have been used, could also have been chosen, but this is a very fortunate choice. Now when they choose the word comfort; they could also have asked, for example, 'What is your only confidence?' 'What is your only stability?' 'What is your only enjoyment?' 'What is your only goal?' 'What is your only reason for existence?' All these things together they bind it into this term; "What is your only comfort?"
That's what you need, because the sin of man is as it is described in Genesis 3 has left us comfortless. It has left us comfortless to the extent that we no longer know which way to turn. That now we no longer know any reason for existence, that now when we have fallen into sin there is no way that we are able to go so that we are going to be reconciled, we can't figure it out. And it is not until He reveals it to us, nobody would ever have come to the conclusion, there is a way of salvation, or thus and thus must be in order that salvation may be obtained. Can't be done! It goes far beyond human thoughts so that man is left comfortless from the very beginning that he falls into sin. And now he comes with this then that it is the whole Bible say these authors, comes with this, "What is your only comfort?"
Now it is going to be this kind of an explanation that is going to be given of this whole Catechism to give an answer to that question, "What is that comfort, what is it?" Is it that we will now know the lights? Certainly is. Is it that we now know Jesus Christ? The Lord has put it so simply before us time and again in the Scriptures, This is eternal life, that we may know Him and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. To know God and that is above and that is eternal life, and that is the way in which the Scriptures go. To show to us that we are not to lose ourselves in the trivia. That we are not to lose ourselves in the small things, but that we are to recognize all the time that the whole impact of it is the matter of the comfort for God's people. And that is very humbling that we need that. Because of the fact that we don't have it; man has no comfort apart from this. Man has no comfort apart from the Word of God, and consequently he is, as it were, drifting about, he doesn't know where to turn. And amid all the things that we have in our age, in the scientific age in which we are living, in the humanistic age in which we are living, where they seem to have an answer to all the various questions, but they don't quite have all the answers to the basic question of life. Not to the fundamental question, and that is, 'What is your comfort'.
No, the man of this world must say, 'I have none', I don't know what you're talking about, because that is not to be obtained, we can't get it, it's nowhere to be found. And then comes the Reformed believer and says, "Here it is; 'What is your only comfort in life and death, body and soul, for time and eternity.' And that is 'that I am not my own but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ."
So that, there is comfort, but it is not to be found where the world is seeking it, if they seek it. They don't seek it because they think they have it. The unbeliever is perfectly content; read Psalm 73. But there is no comfort, so that the man of this world goes through this life as best he can, and seeks to do what is proper; and when he has done these proper things then he also believes that he has attained his purpose. But the question remains, 'what is your only comfort in life and death,' and then he stands amazed and wonders what it is all about. See, here we are dealing with the very heart of the matter; here we are dealing with the very heart of Christianity, with the very heart of that which you and I have to believe.
And secondly, notice its broad extent. Because here beloved, we are not dealing with those things that are on the periphery. We are not dealing with those things that are on the very edges of life, but we are dealing with those things that are fundamental, that belong to the very heart of the matter. And those are the things that are also summed up in the very first question and answer, the kind of questions that you know that people have never asked. "What is your only comfort in life." Well, the man of this world doesn't really believe that he needs that. He didn't know that he was without it. He thought that he was getting along perfectly well. See, and one of the things that Christianity must do with that, the proclamation of the Word of God must do, and that is, that the unbeliever becomes very dissatisfied with himself. And that is the very first thing, as the next question and answer will show, that first of all I must know my sin and misery, and the church of Christ has also overlooked that to a great extent and says to everybody, God loves you, and has a great plan for your life.
Note that the Catechism goes in an entirely different direction. "What is your only comfort in life, in this life?"; in this physical life, in this life that is temporal. What is your only comfort? What is your purpose here? What is your goal? What is really making you go? These are the things, of course, that the unbeliever doesn't ask. Because of the fact that it is far too embarrassing, it is far too humbling, and therefore he also does not believe that these are really the things that are necessary. No, if he is able to satisfy all of his creaturely needs, if he is able to satisfy all the needs that he has in this life and has that kind of a comfort zone, that kind of a comfort so that he has sufficient for this life, and then when we look at these poor people in Africa, for example, in Somalia that are dying, that are starving — and then you say, "Oh, that my children are spared that, what a blessing." Is that your only comfort in life? Is that all that you have to give them is food? See, and that is the question that this questioner asks, he probes, he probes deeply, and becomes disturbing. That is the reason why, when it is done properly, children and young people sometimes, it's wrong, but sometimes are afraid of family visiting, when it is done properly. When they probe into what is going on in your soul, what is going on in your heart, then that is really the thing that somebody else must leave alone because I'm not even too well at home in my own heart, my own soul, let alone to have someone else probe into its depths.
What is your only comfort in life? This is the kind of a thing, you know, that is something that is humbling, and it is a very broad extent of this whole matter concerning that fundamental question, concerning that comfort that it goes even into this life. Because when it has concerned the other part, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" Yes, that part I can understand, and that part is also understood by many others. That in death we need something a little bit more. You don't quite know what, but nevertheless you need something more. There you need something because you are no longer in control. In this life that is under our own control, especially when we are still healthy, when all is well, that we are pretty well in control of these things, and therefore don't recognize either so much that that is necessary for us, that we are to seek a special comfort for this life. But, when it comes to death, yah, that is something different; then I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm out of control, I no longer have the control over my destiny, and consequently I suppose then you're able to speak of religion being important.
That is the way in which it is conceived of in most circles today. That it is important at the time of death. Who in the world would want to leave this life or be buried without a minister being present? Then there is something, you know, that draws us to it, and the Catechism that asks, "What is your only comfort in life and death?" It's the same, and it has to be the same for both because if you don't have that comfort in this life, you won't have it in death either. Paul speaks of that to the Philippians especially, "That for me to live is Christ, and then to die is gain." Yah, and that, this world cannot understand. And that there can ever be gain in death, No — that is all loss. It is the loss of this life of course, first of all, it is the loss of all the things that we have worked for, all the hopes and aspirations of man that are now gone. Life is come to an end and death has finally been victor. Now, "What is your only comfort?" he asks, "in life and in death." So that he now is treating both body and soul, and that it is treating of these because of the fact that those are the two parts of which we are made of. And that that whole person comes under the rule of Jesus Christ. That whole person, body and soul, comes under His jurisdiction. That it is not faith that I am going to believe in God, whatever that means, that I am now going to give myself as far as my soul is concerned into His service, but that I withhold from Him my bodily activities, my human activities, this life. "What is your only comfort in life and death?" And that is, "that I, with body and soul, am not my own." That you have finally cancelled it out and said, "I am no longer in control — I am no longer my own proprietor. I am no longer my own, so that I own it. So that there is now a complete divorce from that human pride. Because the Scriptures come to us and that is the heart of the Gospel too, that " he that comes after me," says Christ, "let him take up his cross and follow me." "Let him deny himself," that's the last one whom I want to deny, but that's what He asked me to do. To deny myself and follow Him, that's what the Catechism means by this, "What is your only comfort?" That I am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior. So that, there is now a change of ownership, complete change. Where I was my own and was proud of the fact — pride in myself in this, that I was in control, now all of a sudden I have to come to the conclusion that is not the case. I am not my own, but I belong to my faithful Savior.
Now that, beloved, is the very heart of Christianity. That is the very heart of the Reformed faith. That is the very heart of the Scriptures, and therefore it comes with such a probing, such a fundamental question, right at the outset, and that is, "What is your only comfort in life and death?", and this is my comfort, that I am not my own. Now then, something has to take place already, of course, to bring you to that kind of a view of things, to change your thinking so radically, so fundamentally, whereas it was always this way; this is my only comfort, that I am in control. And now I have to come to the conclusion this is my only comfort that I am not in control. Because I can't control it. And if man would only recognize that certainly he is not able to do anything. As Jesus has said in the Sermon on the Mount that he is not able to turn one hair black or white. That he is not able to add one cubit to his stature, or that he is not able to add one minute to his life. He is totally dependent and then man stands before his God in pride and says, 'I am in control.'
Now says the Catechism, this is now your only comfort that that has been broken. That pride is gone; "all boasting is excluded," says the apostle when he is writing to the Romans, "all boasting is excluded." We have the laws, we are His, He is owner, and the owner also comes with His demands; and comes also with His promises.
Third — note also the manner in which it is done. And the manner is this, that it is also stated here in this question and answer beloved, that we have been purchased with His blood. So that, it is a blood-bought people, that it is not something that we could ever have thought out by ourselves at all. It was totally beyond us. How in the world this salvation could ever be brought. It is something that goes to such depths that we are scarcely able to follow it, with the very best minds here on earth. That it takes the revelation of a Triune God for me to be saved. And that it takes that revelation of One who has sent His Son and goes to the cross — Oh, it becomes so common now, you know, every child knows this. But nevertheless, here we are dealing, people, with a depth of the mind of God, and we have been purchased with His blood; that's what it took. With all the wealth of this world, "Mine is the silver and the gold and the cattle upon a thousand hills," and all of that together didn't make one bit of difference, you couldn't be bought. You had to be bought with blood, and that, not just blood, not just the blood of that was spilled so easily in the Old Testament, for example, with all the sacrifices. That blood of bulls and goats is finally not going to achieve it. But it is also not the blood of man, but it is the blood of the sinless One, the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. And we have been bought with that blood.
Now, when there is such a purchase price that has been given, then you will also be able to understand in part at least, that this is the price that is beyond all other prices that have ever been paid. And that when you have been bought with that blood, then it is also sure that the One who has bought you now has that property, so that you are His. "That I am not my own, but I belong to Him, because I was bought with blood," that's the situation. So that, here again, you are going into the very depths of it, and yet it is made so clear, so utterly clear, that a child is able to understand, this is the only way of redemption, this is the only way of salvation. And so our Lord speaks to us, and this the writers of the Catechism have also been able to capture, by putting it in this way, "What is now your only comfort, that I belong to Jesus Christ. That I belong to Him, body and soul. He's in complete control over everything. He purchased my body too, not only my soul. He is not only there, as you will pardon the expression, as an old age pension so that when I get that far, to the end of life, then there is something left yet. NO, He has purchased us in life and death, body and soul, so that also my body belongs to Him, my whole person — which means this, that every Monday morning I am in His service again, just as well as I am on Sunday. That I am there in the service of my King when I am doing carpenter work or whether I am proclaiming the Gospel. That, body and soul I belong to Him and therefore for life and for death because He purchased me with His blood. And He purchased us in order that He might also have the dominion completely. So that, it is always the rejoicing of the apostle that He is the deunimis (Dynamite). The slave of Jesus Christ. He has captured the genius of this first question and answer. He has captured it because that is all of His teaching. I am a slave of Jesus Christ, He purchased me. I am not my own. That human dignity of which people speak so easily today. The dignity of man, yeh, the Psalmist does that too — in Psalm 8. He speaks of the dignity of man there too, but in an entirely different way than what the secular world does. There the Psalmist speaks of it in this way, that the child of God, the image of God has the dignity. But that's all. "Thou has made him a little lower than the angels." That is dignified. And now he still had no comfort in that. You could be made a little lower than the angels even if you were made a little higher than the angels, that wouldn't be sufficient. Because it is always this, "What is your only comfort, and that is, that I belong to Jesus Christ, body and soul, in life and in death." And that means this, that He then preserves me. Yah, preserves me to such an extent that you can scarcely believe, you know, don't let these words so lead you so that you finally don't recognize the depth of them anymore. When He says that "not a hair shall fall from your head," now that is going to the extremes, beloved, to the extremes. Things about which you and I don't even care; He preserves. What do you care whether you lose a hair from your head? But even those things. He preserves me, because it is the broadest, this is the manner in which He does it. By means of the blood of Jesus Christ, and then we have comfort, because then it is standing on a solid basis, on a solid foundation. That's why this question and this answer are so fundamental. That is the only foundation upon which we are able to live, upon which we are able to build. Anyone that takes that from us has taken from us our greatest treasure, then we have nothing left.
And finally, notice also it's joyful expression. Notice, in the very end of it, and it makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him. He has purchased us and that for a purpose. He has purchased us and thereby the results will be that you and I have eternal life, not only that it is everlasting, not only that it will be without end, but also this, that the everlasting life that the Catechism also speaks of later, already begins now. That we already have the beginnings of that, and that that life that you and I already live in Him, that is already that eternal life, that is already the beginning of it. These are the principles of it. And those are the things that are always going to come to greater revelation yet later on. Here He shows to us, beloved, that He has purchased us for that purpose that we will share in that eternal life, that we will have the assurance of that salvation. That is not something which is hanging out there, that it is made possible, so that salvation has been made possible through the blood of Christ. No, He gives it to us. He brings it to us. I am assured of this, I am a child of God — that is my only comfort. Because He assures me of this. And assures me of it in so many ways. And that is the way in which He speaks to us that He makes me then heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him. How could you do otherwise? How could you live for anything else? Because He is our goal. He is our God. He is the one who has redeemed us. He is the one who upholds us. He is the one who gives us direction. He is the one who sustains us day by day. And then when we are able to rest in that, then we have that perfect assurance. That assurance of faith, so that we are now made heartily willing and ready to live to Him. That's our goal. Not to do great exploits, but to live to Him. To live our lives in His service. To live our lives with but one focus, and that is Jesus Christ and Him crucified, says the apostle. That is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has called us to this kind of a life. That is the comfort of His people. That Catechism is rich, so rich that we can scarcely contain it. "What is your only comfort in life and death?" Fundamentally it's this — that I'm not my own anymore, it used to be — I'm not my own anymore, but I belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ and I stand amazed again every day that He will have me, that He bought me, but He did — the Bible says so — God said it. Amen.
We thank Thee Heavenly Father for the truth of God which Thou hast made known to us; for Thy Word and all of its fulness. We thank Thee Heavenly Father that therein Thou hast given us all the things that we need, that Thy blesssing is upon Thy people. Apply, Thou O Spirit of God this Word unto our every heart, in order that we may grow in Thy grace, and in Thy knowledge. Bless us the remainder of this day and bring us into Thy courts again in this evening. Forgive our sins, and hear us in Jesus name. Amen.
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