The Christian’s Only Comfort by Theodorus VanderGroe

Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and in death?

Answer: That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for 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.[1]

 Nothing but God alone can provide the soul with true and essential satisfaction, comfort, and encouragement. There is but one comfort for a poor and believing sinner. Only one Object can yield true and essential comfort. All comfort that is sought for and found outside of this Object is extremely harmful and vain. With Asaph, the soul of a believing sinner must here say to her God, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee” (Ps. 73:25).

Concerning this only comfort, the instructor now begins more specifically to teach that man needs this comfort both in life and in death. This is certainly the case, for man is and always will remain in himself a completely poor, impotent, and wretched creature. Apart from God, there is nothing by which he can comfort and encourage himself. If he misses God and His precious grace, he will truly miss everything. He therefore has a continual need to seek and find comfort and refreshment for his manifold spiritual deficiencies and wretchedness outside of himself—and thus in God alone.

“The manner in which one is called to travel to heaven is a way that is filled with sharp thorns.”

To perfect the salvation of His children, it pleases the Lord to lead them in this life along a pathway of cross-bearing and afflictions—both physically and spiritually. Here below they are in the church militant, and they must daily learn to die to themselves in a way of struggle and cross-bearing. Many are the afflictions of the righteous (Ps. 34:19). The manner in which one is called to travel to heaven is a way that is filled with sharp thorns. No one should think otherwise, for Scripture states clearly that “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). It is a general precept, to which there are no exceptions, that he who will follow Jesus must also deny himself and take up his cross (Matt. 16:24). However, to be always of good courage, and to engage in battle with strength and a good hope, the struggling Christian must necessarily always have a steadfast comfort in this life.

There must be something that is continually administered to him from heaven. It must be something that enables him in all strife and in all the sorrows of this world (which are manifold and occur relentlessly) to lift up, encourage, refresh, and comfort his heart, saying, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?…hope in God” (Ps. 43:5). There must be something that, during his journey through this valley of Baca, will always be a well of refreshment upon which his weary soul can rely, such as a staff—something that renders him patient, gives him a good hope, and causes him to walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Ghost (Acts 9:31). The instructor is therefore correct when he speaks of a comfort in life.

Adapted from The Christian’s Only Comfort in Life and Death: An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism, 2 Vols.

[1] Heidelberg Catechism. Heidelberg Catechism. Revised Edition. Cleveland, OH: Central Publishing House, 1907. Print.