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 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: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to Him, Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assured me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him
2.Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?
A. Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance.
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I went to the Ash Wednesday service which was very nice and very biblical. I did have a little panic moment when I drove up and realized I wasn't wearing a dress. We always wore dresses to church when I was little and the thought passed thru my mind. I looked around and everyone was wearing jeans so I was relieved and able to attend the service. There I learned my first Lent joke. Really. The priest told it at the service.
"So, a man goes into a pub in a small Irish town and orders three beers. He sits by himself and drinks his beers. He does this day after day and the town's people begin to talk and wonder. Finally, the pub owner asks him why he always orders and drinks three beers at a time. The man explains that he has two brothers, one in America and one in Australia. They promised each other that whenever they had a beer, they would always order three in honor of their brotherhood. The story of this man and his brothers and his beers spread all thru the town until he became almost a celebrity. One day, however, when he went into the pub, he only ordered two beers. He sat, as usual, by himself and drank this two beers. The news of the two beers spread thru town and everyone was sorrowful for the man. When the man came in again and ordered two beers, the pub owner approached him and said how sorry he was for the passing of one of his brothers and how the whole town was sorry too. The man looked at the pub owner and told him not to worry. Neither of his brothers had died,' I've just given up beer for Lent'."
I'm left the ashes on to go grocery shopping and no one said anything. I'm leaving them on the rest of the day but washing them off for Bible Study. I just can't imagine sitting across from me and not being distracted.
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"The doctrine of indwelling sin stands out as one of the fundamental truths of our Christian faith...Without it we fail to understand the mediative work of Christ, its effects, and all the benefits we enjoy from it."
From John Owen, Sin and Temptation
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