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For [God] has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).
One of the chief elements of the Christian faith is comfort. This is not about being comfortably curled up on the couch with a good book or movie. It is about confidence and hope. This comfort is that we belong body and soul, in life and in death to our faithful Saviour Jesus Christ.
How can we be sure of this?
The temptation is that we look for security in ourselves, in the depth of our faith or the width of our holiness. The Heidelberg Catechism points us in a different direction. This comfort is in Christ Jesus, in what he has done and in his character. It summarizes Christ's work with, "He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil". Further, there is only one adjective, faithful, used to describe Jesus.
The writer of Hebrews says, "Since the children (that's us) have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death" (Hebrews 2:14-15).
There is profound comfort here. We face each spiritual battle and each temptation the devil sends our way with profound confidence. The outcome of our fight against evil is already guaranteed. We may lose skirmishes along the way, but the war is won. The battle between David and Goliath is inserted at the very beginning of David's biblical arc because of the confident humility he shows while facing off against the giant, "The battle is the Lord's," he says (1 Samuel 17:47). David doesn't need sword and armor, only the Lord.
The devil may still accuse us of being unworthy of God's affection. We may wonder at God's providence when we peruse the pain of life on earth. Doubts may creep into our hearts as we recognize the very slow progress we make in the Christian life. Against those things we see the cross of Jesus. He gave his life for us. Plain and simple. He was willing to pay the highest price. We belong.
Therefore, this confession gives us the courage to face our own humanity and sin. No matter what we have done or what people are now saying about us, the truth of this confession stands firm. We belong because God has rescued us. And the fact is, God is faithful. He will not let us go.
Paul writes, May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." And he finishes with, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
This does not make us passive. Like David, we engage in the fight. We strive for holiness and desire the fruit of the Spirit in us. Like David, we are not afraid. We delight in God's grace. He will bring us through. Praise the Lord!
As you journey on, receive Jesus' invitation:
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:28-29).
