Plantinga Chapter 4

The Heidelberg Catechism Question an Answer 1 gives good insight into what I believe as a Christian and what Christ has done for all of us. "Q1: What is your only comfort in life and in death? A1: 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 set me free 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: if fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him." I have gone to the same Christian Reformed Church my whole life. In my high school catechism class, we recited Question and Answer 1 every week at the beginning of class. Also, in my Christian high school's Reformed Doctrine Class senior year, I was tested on memorizing the same part of the catechism. Because of its monotony, Q&A1 has become second nature for me and has made me somehow overlook the significance of this statement of faith in my life.

The fact that I fully belong to Christ, and not myself, puts emphasis on the idea of vocational calling that Lewis addressed in his sermon "Learning in War-Time". It is essential for me to live my life as an offering to God even in the mundane, everyday activities. I, and all of us, belong to Christ because "He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil". Because Christ chose to redeem us, we can all bask in the freedom that He has given us through Himself.

It is essential for humans, because Christ made the ultimate sacrifice of dying for us, to live a life of faithfully following what would bring honor and glory to God's name. Plantinga states, "The faithful person practices self-giving love and trusts that he won't be a fool to do it. He practices humility and trusts that humility is actually a sign of strength." Plantinga also talked about the Ten Commandments and how instead of restrictions, we should see them as a sense of freedom in a life of commitment to Christ. He stated is perfectly when he said, "Sin traps people and makes them wilt; godly obedience liberates people and helps them flourish." I had never really thought about the Ten Commandments in that point of view before so I really enjoyed Plantinga's interpretation.