Question 1: What is our only hope in life and death?

Answer: That we are not our own but belong, body and soul, both in life and death, to God and to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Kids Answer: That we are not our own but belong to God.

Key Scripture: Romans 14:7–8

Additional Scripture: Isaiah 43:1–2; Colossians 3:21–23

The basic principle then is this: that we are not to live to please ourselves. We’re not to live as if we belong to ourselves. And that means several things. It means, first of all, we are not to determine for ourselves what is right or wrong. We give up the right to determine that, and we rely wholly on God’s Word. We also give up the operating principle that we usually use in day-to-day life; we stop putting ourselves first, and we always put first what pleases God and what loves our neighbor. It also means that we are to have no part of our lives that is immune from self-giving. We’re supposed to give ourselves wholly to Him—body and soul. And it means we trust God through thick and thin, through the good and the bad times, in life and in death.

—Tim Keller, retired pastor

Questions to ask: (These will help process the truth we learned. Ask yourself, a friend, your group, or your family questions to talk through it together.)

What appeals to you about viewing yourself as “belonging, body and soul, both in this life and in death, to God and to Jesus our Savior?”
What about viewing yourself as belonging, both in life and death, to God does not fully fit how you view yourself and what you desire?
What does this question tell us about our position in relation to God? How does this differ from our relationship with God?
What would this new identity, hope and desire do to improve the lives and witness of church members in our economic and social system?

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