“And He gave to them the lands of the peoples,

The toil of the peoples they possess.

So that they might keep His statutes and watch over His Laws.

Hallelujah!

(Psalm 105:44-45)

The Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question as to what our purpose is as human beings. The answer succinctly sets before us two things: “to glorify God” and “to enjoy Him forever.” Yet, how are we to glorify God? Do we glorify God by doing our jobs and making lots of money? Do we glorify God by attending churches that best match our preferences or that suits our sensibilities? Do we glorify God by “living our best life now?” This is an important question to ask, for how can we enjoy Him forever if we do not glorify Him in the here and now?

The Catechism continues by pointing out that it is the Word of God that instructs us how to glorify and enjoy God and that the scriptures teach not only what we are to believe about God, but as to what God commands of us? But, does that mean that the Scriptures give us a kind of smattering of good ideas and good principles? No, the Scriptures are filled with God’s Law for mankind. And, as we close this psalm, we see David, our inspired psalmist, speaking these words…God gave the land to the people (as he had promised Abraham in Genesis 12&15) for a purpose. What is that purpose? To obey God’s Laws. 

Probably one of the hardest things for Christians in our age to understand is that God expects our obedience. We do not earn salvation by that obedience, but we do show our gratitude to God by our obedience. We are to live by God’s moral standards. We are to call things evil that God calls evil and we are to love those things that God loves and calls lovely. We are to worship in the manner that God teaches us to worship and we are to sing the songs, hymns, and psalms that He has given us in His Word. Shall we not learn the 150 psalms of the psalter before we learn any other? We shall seek out those sheep and prodigals who have gone astray, we are to tear down every “high place” that the world would set up for its own glory, and we are to take every thought captive to the Word of God…not to the word of men.

Folks, while the Westminster Shorter Catechism begins with the question of our purpose on earth, the older Heidelberg Catechism begins with a question about our only comfort. What is the heart of that comfort? It is that we are “not our own but belong body and soul to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.” If we are not our own, why do we think we have a choice when it comes to the manner of life we live, the way we worship, or the way we interact with the world around us? No, we are not our own, we have been bought with a price and Jesus has paid that price. When will the church wake up and start living like it? God has been faithful; shall we not also be faithful? Shall we not try?