One of his requests was that I not make this all about him, that I preach the gospel to you. And I would like to honor that request by asking you to use this memorial service as an opportunity for you to think about your own life and for you to think about your own dying. In particular, I would like to ask, all in honoring Steve's request, to ask if you would use this memorial service as an opportunity to take a moment to honestly think about what kind of comfort that you have when you think about your own life and the kind of comfort that you have when you think about your own dying. Is your mind at ease when you think of those things? Do you have a tranquility of soul, mind when you think about your life? Do you have a peace of mind? Is there a tranquility of soul? Is there some sense of confidence that you have when you think about your own life and when you think about your own dying? I know that I don't have to ask if you have some kind of comfort because everybody wants to be in some sense of confidence when they think about their lives and when they think about dying. Everybody wants comfort. Everybody wants to have a sense of safety. Everybody wants to have some sense of well-being. Everybody wants to have some sense in life or when they think about their own dying that they have found some strong place of refuge. So what is your comfort in life? And what is your comfort when you consider the inevitable moment of your own dying? Everybody wants this. Everybody wants some sense of safety. Everybody wants some sense of comfort. Everybody wants some sense of confidence. And everybody ends up holding on to what they think will give them this comfort. But it is very possible that a person can be deceived and believe that they have found true reason to be comfortable when they really haven't found a real reason. The world we live in offers us all kinds of hopes. There's all kinds of reasons that can be offered to you in the world that we live in. There are a lot of comforts offered, but do you have a choice among many different comforts? Do you have a choice among many different kinds of hopes? Lots of hopes are offered to you in this world. They promise to ease your mind. They promise to give you a sense of confidence. They promise to bring rest to your tired and weary soul. There are many different hopes promoted. And they promise to deliver you in life, and some of them even perhaps promise to deliver you in death. You'll notice in your bulletin there is question number one from the Heidelberg Catechism. And I put question number one there because that is the kind of question that Steve would want me to ask you this morning. And I want you to notice that it does not ask what is your comfort as if you can just pick whatever you think will work. The question is, what is your only comfort in life and death? Because there's only one right answer. We have to ask the question that way because there's only one right answer. There's only one true and there's only one lasting comfort in this life and in death. Now, when you think about yourself, would you say that you are still searching for this comfort? Or would you say that you feel fairly confident that you've already found the only right answer? I'd like to encourage you to think about true comfort today under three main points. And here's the first point. The only true comfort in life and death is in the only true Savior. The only true comfort in life and death is in the only true Savior. When Adam took the forbidden fruit, it was with a hope. And it was with the false hope that it would bring him even greater knowledge and even greater joy than he already had. In that moment, Adam decided for himself what would be right and what would be wrong. But when Adam sinned, he lost all of that original comfort with which he had been made and which he had enjoyed. And upon the realization of guilt, Adam and Eve immediately attempted to try to cover their shame. And they tried to soothe their guilty consciences with coverings made by their own efforts. They immediately went on a search for comfort. And then God came walking in the garden, and upon hearing the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden, Adam and Eve immediately began to search, or to continue their search for comfort, thinking they would find some comfort in invisibility, some comfort in concealment from the presence of a holy God. And God began to ask very patiently, He began to ask them questions. And Adam and Eve tried to regain a sense of confidence in life. They tried to regain a sense of confidence in the face of death by fleeing to the supposed shelters of excuse-making and blame-shifting. So make no mistake, Adam and Eve were trying everything they could to soothe their guilty consciences. They were doing everything they could to try to find some path to safety. And comfort in life and death through his own work. No, God did not give him that promise. Did God give Adam the promise that comfort in life and comfort in death would be by any of Adam's own works as he was sweating to try to pull enough bread from the ground? No, God did not give him that promise. Comfort in life was not and it could not be promised through any of Adam's works. The comfort of salvation wasn't going to be found in any of the circumstances of a hard life in a now corrupted creation. Their only comfort in life and death was promised in the promise of a coming redeemer when God promised that he would send a son into the world. Comfort in life and death is provided by the covering of guilt, And God promised that that covering would be provided by the sacrifice of an innocent. Paul told the Corinthian believers that they did not belong to themselves. And he told that to them. He reminded that to them for their comfort. He told them that they did not belong to themselves, but that they had been purchased with a price. And in Romans chapter 14, the scriptures say, none of us lives to himself. Us meaning those of us who belong to Christ. We don't belong to ourselves anymore. None of us lives to himself and no one dies to himself. For if we, that is, if we who belong to Christ, for if we live, we lived to the Lord. And if we die, we died to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end, Christ died and rose and lived again that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. The only true comfort in life and death is in the true savior. It is in belonging to him. It is in union with him, whether we live or whether we die, it's belonging to him. The one that God sent into the world. True comfort will never be found in trying to be your own master. True comfort will never be found in trying to be your own savior. It's only by belonging to the one who has power over death. If you are your own master, if you're going to be your own savior, then you have put your trust in someone who is limited. If you're going to trust yourself and you've put your trust in someone who is weak and you've put your trust in someone who is sinful and you've put your trust in someone who is dying and you've put your trust in someone who has no power to deliver you from the consequences of sinning against a holy God. We can have comfort in life and in death. but it's only in the grace of the Lord Jesus. True and lasting comfort can only be for those who belong to Christ. The only true and lasting comfort for body and soul, both in life and death is to belong to him and it is to be safely held by the faithful savior, Jesus Christ. He's the one who made the offering. He's the one who made the sacrifice with his own precious blood for the payment of sins for any unworthy sinner who but comes to him and asks for his mercy. Our comfort in life and death is that our Savior, the Lord Jesus, the promised Messiah, has fully satisfied for all of our sins. For believers, our comfort in life and death is drawn from the truth that the handwriting of requirements was nailed to the cross. That is to say this law of God, which brings this crushing condemnation upon center centers. This was nailed to the cross when Christ was nailed to the cross. This broken law, this law that we've broken, it speaks to us and it says that we are condemned. But condemnation was nailed to the cross. Wrath was taken in the place of all who believe. Our Redeemer has taken that eternal death penalty out of the way, having taken the penalty upon himself. Because the Savior was nailed to the cross, the wrath of God for our sins was nailed to the cross, Colossians 2.14. And so then this body still dies, but the sting of death dies in the death of Christ and true life lives in the resurrection of Christ and the giving of his own life. He has satisfied the justice of a Holy God. So by Adam, sin came into the world and death came into the world because of sin. But by Christ, righteousness is fulfilled, and by Christ, death is defeated. Colossians 2.15. We have the one and only comfort by the grace of our Savior. Because our Savior is our true priest who carries our names. And he carries our names before the throne. And there the Savior says, here am I and the children you've given to me. Comfort in life and death, that's what we're thinking about. And it's by the Savior. We were born with Adam's image, but in Christ it is being worked in us to bear his image. It's being worked in us to bear an image. It's being worked in us to bear a likeness, a creaturely copy that will be perfected when we are undressed from the burdens of this corrupted flesh. And when we are clothed from above, how's that for comfort? How's that for a real basis for tranquility of soul in life and even when you think about dying? How's that for a foundation to walk upon? And how's that for a foundation when you close your eyes in the final moment? How's that for comfort? to know that though you walk now in a very hard life and you face the decay and you face the eventual destination of this body, for believers it means not to be harmed, for believers it means not to be further burdened, for believers it means to be released from these burdens. How's that for comfort in Christ? But we can think about comfort under a second point. The only true comfort in life and death is in the grace of the Heavenly Father. In the grace of our Savior, we are so preserved that without the will of our Heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from our heads. And we are so preserved and we are so loved that the Heavenly Father makes all things and He works all things to serve for the salvation of everyone in Christ. Behold, what manner of love is this, that we should be called children of God, children. Behold, what manner of love is this that we can be given the privilege of calling him our father? What manner of love has been bestowed upon us who belong to Christ, this love of the heavenly father? Let's consider Justification, this grace of the heavenly father that we call justification. Justification is an act of God's free grace where he pardons all of our sins, whereby he accepts us as righteous in his sight, but not because of any righteousness that we have done, but only by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ himself and to our account before him. and received by us by faith alone. Behold, what manner of love is this? What grace is this from the heavenly father? How's that for comfort? Justification, in other words, is when the holy judge looks down upon a guilty sinner who is humbled before him and asking for his mercy. And it's when the judge declares that sinner righteous, by the gift of another's righteousness. Justification is not a slow process whereby we earn forgiveness. It's not a slow process whereby we construct our own covering for our shame. It is God's free gift. It's received by faith alone. And then God does something more. He adopts us. How's that for comfort? He adopts us. He adopts those who are covered with the gift of the Savior's righteousness. like unto justification and that it's not a process whereby we are earning anything by our own works. Adoption like justification is an act of God's free grace whereby we are received into the number and into the membership of God's household where we're given all of the liberties and the privileges thereof belonging to the household of God. In other words, adoption is when the holy judge comes down from the bench and he takes us by the hand and he brings us into his house. With all of the privileges and all of the liberties and all of the promises thereof. Behold, what manner of love is this and behold what comfort flows from this truth that God the Father commands all in Christ to address him. As. Our father. Behold, what manner of love is this? Behold, what depth of comfort. And that we are preserved and that we are protected. As children in his house. It is the will of our father who sent Christ that all he has given to Christ. That of all of those, Christ should lose none, but should raise all of the adopted children up at the last day. Steve has died, but he has not been misplaced. He has not been lost. We have comfort in life because there's nothing in this life that can remove us from this house. There's nothing in this life that can remove us from the promises of God. What person is there? What, what circumstance is there is going to break into God's household and take his children. You love, do you not, do you not love and guard your own children with a love that's fierce and vigilant and you are a center. So what could we say then of the vigilance and the love that the heavenly father has for his adopted children. We have comfort in life knowing that all things are being worked by our heavenly father for our ultimate good. Even the circumstances and even the timing and even that actual moment of Steve's death was not arranged by our sovereign and saving God for Steve's harm, but it was all arranged for his ultimate good. We have comfort in death because death dies in the death of Christ. We have comfort in death because the sting of death is gone. And we have comfort in death because all of the adopted children are delivered very moment of their death immediately into a state of holiness. And we have comfort in death because we know that our heavenly father has planned that we will have in that last day, glorious bodies raised up. Adam has only given us temporary life, but Christ has promised us that he has given us eternal life and that we will never perish, not in this life and not even in death. There's comfort in life and death in the grace of the Heavenly Father. I saw Steve very gently and very peacefully take his last breath. I watched him die, but I was not watching him perish. There's no one and there's no thing that can steal us out of the hand of the savior. The heavenly father has gifted us to Christ and the heavenly father is greater than all. And there's no one and there's no situation that is able to take us out of the father's hand. John chapter 10, his hand is closed around us in Christ and no one and no thing And no situation has the power to make him release his grip on us. In the grace of our heavenly father, we are protected from perishing. And in the grace of our heavenly father, all things are made to serve for our salvation. In other words, one of the privileges of being an adopted child of God is that everything in your life is sovereignly managed for your good. In those moments when you find yourself disturbed, in those moments when you find yourself struggling to find peace of mind and tranquility of soul and comfort in the Lord, might it be because you are not remembering the promise that God the father is in Christ, your father, and that the father is working all things for your good and not for your harm. You will search in vain and you will always search in vain for soothing for an aching and perplexed soul by searching for resolution and relief and the things and circumstances of this life in this broken world. This world is not heaven. How would you honestly describe your current state of soul? There's comfort to be found in the gospel. There's comfort to be found in the gospel. In the world, you will have tribulation, and in this world, you will have a lot of pain. In this world, you will have tears, but be of good cheer. Christ has overcome the world. Dear Saints, take comfort in this very difficult day. Dear Saints, take comfort in life where things will never be ideal. And take comfort even when facing the fact that you will die someday. Take comfort in this, that you are preserved in your Heavenly Father's grace and that there is not the smallest thing in your life that he does not know and that he is not sovereignly managing. We have comfort in life, in the grace of our savior and in the grace of our heavenly father. And that comfort is something that we can take with us even in death. But we can think about true comfort in life and death under a third and final heading. The only true comfort in life and death is in the grace of the Holy spirit. At Genesis 3.15, God said that a son would come into the world. It was the gospel promise. And in due time, that serpent slayer did come into the world. Paul describes this in Galatians chapter four, when he says that when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the crushing condemnation of the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. That's what's been preached to you today. But then the apostle Paul goes on, and this is what he says. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out, Abba, Father. Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. So then it is also by the gift of the Holy Spirit that we are assured of eternal life. Here in our congregation, we confess this together, that the doctrine of the Trinity is the foundation of all of our communion with God, and it's the foundation of all of our comfortable dependence on him. Our only comfort in life and death, the glorious nature and the glorious working of our triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Adam was made to be a creaturely reflection of the glory of God, and Adam threw that away. Adam was given a promise that if he passed the test, he would receive the gift of eternal life and could then pass on to his children an inheritance of eternal life. But Adam disobeyed, and Cain and Abel displayed the corruption and the misery and the darkness and the fallen image which they inherited. Adam was unfaithful when he stood before that tree, but God is faithful and God kept the promise that he gave. And he sent his son to redeem a people who were dead in their sins and condemned by his law. And by that work of redemption, our sins are forgiven and we are accepted as righteous in his sight, but only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. And we've received that act of God's free grace, not by passing any test of our own obedience, but we've received this by faith alone in his promise. And upon that act of free grace, God adopts us and receives us under the protection of his fatherly love so that we now in this life have the comfort of God's love. And we have the comfort of peace of conscience and we have the comfort of joy in the Holy Spirit. And then at the right time for all of his people, God sent forth his spirit to bless the preaching of his word, to bless the preaching of the promise and to effectually call his people. God sent forth his spirit to convince us of our sins and our misery. God sent forth his Holy Spirit to enlighten our darkened minds and the knowledge of Christ. God sent forth his Holy Spirit to renew our wills and He sent forth his spirit to persuade us and to enable us to embrace Jesus Christ by faith. He who is the promised serpent slayer. He who is freely offered to us in the gospel. How's that for comfort in life and in death? It's true comfort in this life. If you know that you've been washed and renewed by the washing and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Yes, it's true. None of us can deny this. We still bear in our bodies and we still bear in our souls, the scarring of Adam's failure, but in Christ and in the love of the father and through the Holy spirit, we have comfort in this life. Having been assured that we will grow in grace, having been assured of the increase of grace in this life. We have comfort in and by the spirit of God, knowing that we will persevere to the end by his preservation of us all the way to the very end of this life. It is true comfort in death. Having been assured by God who never breaks his promises that at the moment of our death, we will be undressed from all of that scarring and we will be made perfect in holiness. We have comfort in life and death. Having been assured by God who never breaks his promises, that our Savior will appear for a second time. And in that moment, we will be raised up in glory. And there we will be universally and publicly acquitted in the day of judgment. We belong to Christ, body and soul. And in that day, our glorified bodies and souls will be an untainted display of grace. So no, Steve hasn't been lost, and Steve hasn't been disowned. The triune God has given grace upon grace. The triune God has given gift upon gift. Therefore, comfort is abundantly available today. This life is difficult, and today is difficult. Heartaches and disappointments abound. Are we sometimes like how the Apostle Paul described himself, pressed and afflicted and perplexed? Yes. Very often in this life. Do we have lives that resemble giant jigsaw puzzles that always have some piece missing? Yes. Does the decay of the body and its dusty frillness become more and more obvious the older you get? Yes. Therefore, in light of how this life in this world is, we need to be very diligent to walk by faith and not by sight. So don't let your sight fool you when you look at the casket of a believer. We must walk by faith and not by sight. We who have put our faith in Christ need to be diligent to put our meditations today, to put our deliberations today upon the truth. And the Lord will bless that work. The Lord will bless that meditation. The Lord will bless for you, for all of you, you dear little lambs who belong to the shepherd. The Lord will bless this work. If you'll put your meditations upon this truth, he'll bless it for the nourishment and the strengthening of your soul. Make your Thanksgiving known. Make your requests known to God with Thanksgiving. Hold on to the truth of God's grace. Hold on to the truth of his comfort. For he promises to bless you with a peace and a tranquility of soul that only God can provide. Today is a difficult day, but it is a good day. If you'll ask yourself, What is your only comfort in life and in death?