A Life Of Gratitude
Q. What do you need to know in order to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
A. First, how great my sins and misery are; second, how I am delivered from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to be thankful to God for such deliverance (Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 2).
How does one enjoy the comfort of belonging to Jesus? The Heidelberg Catechism says there are three things you need to know. 1) That you are a sinner who is unable to save himself, 2) how you are saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and 3) gratitude to God for such deliverance.
It seems like Christians can twist the above into something like this: 1) My sin isn’t that bad, 2) I guess Jesus helps me in my life, and then back to 1) but my sin isn’t that bad. This isn’t the Gospel, this is a self-help book.
Or they can twist it into something like this: 1) I’m a sinner who is overwhelmed by his sin, 2) I need Jesus to save me, and then back to 1) but I’m a sinner who is overwhelmed by his sin. This isn’t the Gospel, this is purgatory on earth.
The missing piece is gratitude. If you do not and will not feel gratitude to God for such deliverance, then you need to confess that to God and ask Him to make you grateful.
The first example above doesn’t feel gratitude, because he doesn’t realize how great his sin and misery is. The second example above won’t feel gratitude, because he doesn’t realize how great Christ’s salvation is.
If you know your sin and misery and if you know Christ, you can’t hold the gratitude in.
What do you think?
Joseph