Question 1
Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has delivered me from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, also assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
Scripture proofs
1 Cor. 6:19–20.
1 Cor. 6:19–20 19 Or do you⁺ not know that your⁺ body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you⁺, whom you⁺ have from God? And you⁺ are not your own, 20 for you⁺ were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your⁺ body.
Rom. 14:7–9.
Rom. 14:7–9 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself. 8 For both if we should live, we live to the Lord, and if we should die, we die to the Lord. Therefore both if we should live and if we should die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For unto this Christ died and lived again, so that He might be Lord over both the dead and the living.
1 Cor. 3:23; Titus 2:14.
1 Cor. 3:23 and you⁺ [are] of Christ, and Christ [is] of God.
Titus 2:14 who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and might purify to Himself a people specially His, zealous for good works.
1 Peter 1:18–19; 1 John 1:7–9; 2:2.
1 Peter 1:18–19 18 knowing that were you⁺ redeemed from your⁺ futile conduct handed down from [your] fathers, not with perishable things—with silver or with gold— 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless,
1 John 1:7–9 7 But if we should walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we should say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we should confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, that He may forgive us [our] sins and may cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2:2 And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for [those] of the whole world.
John 8:34–36; Heb. 2:14–15; 1 John 3:1–11.
John 8:34–36 34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you⁺ that everyone who [is] doing sin is a slave of sin. 35 Now the slave does not remain in the house to the age; the son remains to the age. 36 Therefore if the Son shall set you⁺ free, you⁺ will be really free.
Heb. 2:14–15 14 Therefore, since the children have shared in blood and flesh, He also likewise partook of the same things, so that through death He might render powerless the one having the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might set free those who all [their time] to live were subject to slavery through the fear of death.
1 John 3:1–11 1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God—and we are! Because of this, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be was not yet made manifest. We know that if He should be made manifest, we will be like Him, for we will see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone having this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 4 Everyone who [is] doing sin also does lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you⁺ know that He appeared so that He should take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 Everyone who [is] remaining in Him does not sin; everyone who [is] sinning has not seen Him, nor has he known Him. 7 Little children, let no one lead you⁺ astray; the one doing righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 The one doing sin is of the devil, because the devil is sinning from the beginning. For this the Son of God was made manifest, so that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Everyone having been born of God does not do sin, because His seed remains in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: everyone not doing righteousness is not of God, and the one not loving his brother. 11 For this is the message that you⁺ heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
John 6:39–40; 10:27–30; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Peter 1:5.
John 6:39–40 39 Now this is the will of the One having sent Me, that all that He has given Me, I should lose none of it, but I will raise it up in the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone beholding the Son and believing in Him may have eternal life, and I will raise him up in the last day.”
10:27–30 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and never shall they perish to the age, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the hand of the Father. 30 I and the Father are one.”
2 Thess. 3:3 But faithful is the Lord, who will strengthen you⁺ and guard [you] from the evil one.
1 Peter 1:5 who [are] being guarded in the power of God through faith for the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Matt. 10:29–31; Luke 21:16–18.
Matt. 10:29–31 29 Are not two sparrows sold for an assarion? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your⁺ Father. 30 And even the hairs of your⁺ head are all numbered. 31 Therefore do not be afraid; you⁺ are more valuable than many sparrows.
Luke 21:16–18 16 And you⁺ will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you⁺. 17 And you⁺ will be hated by all because of My name. 18 And no, not a hair of your⁺ head shall perish.
Rom. 8:28.
Rom. 8:28 And we know that God works together all things for good to those loving God, to those being called according to purpose,
Rom. 8:15–16; 2 Cor. 1:21–22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13–14.
Rom. 8:15–16 15 For you⁺ did not receive a spirit of slavery again unto fear, but you⁺ received the Spirit of adoption as sons, in whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
2 Cor. 1:21–22 21 Now the One establishing us with you⁺ into Christ, and having anointed us, [is] God, 22 the One also having sealed us and having given the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts.
5:5 Now the One having prepared us for this very [thing] [is] God, the One having given to us the pledge of the Spirit,
Eph. 1:13–14 13 in whom you⁺ also, having heard the word of truth, the gospel of your⁺ salvation, in whom also having believed, you⁺ were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the pledge of our inheritance to the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory.
Rom. 8:1–17.
Rom. 8:1–17 1 Therefore [there is] now no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law [was] incapable of in that it was weak through the flesh, God, having sent His Son in the likeness of flesh of sin and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, those not walking according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those being according to the flesh mind the [things] of the flesh, but those according to the Spirit the [things] of the Spirit. 6 For the mind of the flesh [is] death, but the mind of the Spirit [is] life and peace, 7 because the mind of the flesh [is] hostility toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for [it is] not even able. 8 And those being in the flesh are not able to please God. 9 But you⁺ are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you⁺; and if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this one is not of Him. 10 But if Christ [is] in you⁺, the body [is] indeed dead because of sin, but the spirit [is] life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of the One having raised Jesus out from the dead dwells in you⁺, the One having raised Christ Jesus out from the dead will also make alive your⁺ mortal bodies through His Spirit, the One dwelling in you⁺. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you⁺ live according to the flesh, you⁺ are about to die; but if by the Spirit you⁺ put to death the deeds of the body, you⁺ will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you⁺ did not receive a spirit of slavery again unto fear, but you⁺ received the Spirit of adoption as sons, in whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, also heirs: heirs indeed of God, and co-heirs of Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him], so that we may also be glorified with [Him].