"We belong to God." 

This Sunday we took this simple Scriptural truth and applied it to current challenges. 

We used the simple summary: 

Q: What is our only hope in life and death? 

A: That we are not our own but belong to God. 

That's a short, encouraging summary to memorize for the week. But you can also go deeper in its original source as well as a modern catechism and commentary as well as a new hymn. 

Heidelberg Catechism 

Question: What is my only comfort in life and death?

Answer: 

That I am not my own, 1

but belong with body and soul,

both in life and in death, 2

to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. 3

He has fully paid for all my sins

with his precious blood, 4

and has set me free

from all the power of the devil. 5

He also preserves me in such a way 6

that without the will of my heavenly Father

not a hair can fall from my head; 7

indeed, all things must work together

for my salvation. 8

Therefore, by his Holy Spirit

he also assures me

of eternal life 9

and makes me heartily willing and ready

from now on to live for him. 10

References

New City Catechism 

This modern catechism includes commentary we'll reference below as well as a kids version of the questions and answers. 

Question: What is our only hope in life and death? 

Answer: That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.

John Calvin

"We are God’s: let his wisdom and will therefore rule all our actions. We are God’s: let all the parts of our life accordingly strive toward him as our only lawful goal. O, how much has that man profited who, having been taught that he is not his own, has taken away dominion and rule from his own reason that he may yield it to God!"

Timothy Keller

"Because we’re saved by grace, we’re not our own. A woman once said to me, “If I knew I was saved because of what I did, if I contributed to my salvation, then God couldn’t ask anything of me because I’d made a contribution. But if I’m saved by grace, sheer grace, then there’s nothing he cannot ask of me.” And that’s right. You’re not your own. You were bought with a price.

"Some years ago I heard a Christian speaker say, “How can you come to grips with someone who has given himself utterly for you without you giving yourself utterly for him?”

"Jesus gave himself wholly for us. So now, we must give ourselves wholly to him."

Encouragement toward Prayer