Precious and Priceless

Lord’s Day 1; Q & A 1 (excerpt with my emphasis added)

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 death, to my Savior, Jesus Christ. . . . Because I belong to Him (my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ), Christ, by His Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him. Heidelberg Catechism 

About 10 years ago, it struck me as ironic that in the reformed tradition we love Lord’s Day 1, Q&A 1 (at least the first part) & the deep assurance it gives us, yet, I often heard verses quoted that negate the last line of this answer. Here's a couple I've heard that make it hard to understand this answer:

Jeremiah 17:9: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

Isaiah 64:6: Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Psalm 51:5: Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me

1 Timothy 1:15: This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst

Romans 7: Law, Holiness, and Sin (particularly v. 15-23)

I kept hearing this focus on what we were apart from Christ, yet applying it to us as believers and followers of Christ. This sense that we are horrible sinners, stuck struggling with sin, instead of by the power of the Holy Spirit, being wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him. 

What a dichotomy! So which is it?

I’m not saying we don’t sin, but I’m saying we are no longer sinners in God’s eyes (no who are we to say differently, yet we have done so). In Christ, we no longer want to sin and hopefully as we mature in Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we truly are wholeheartedly willing and ready to live for Christ. Being “sinners” is no longer our identity, that is what we WERE! But now, we are new creations in Christ! 

The old is gone! We are right now walking in Romans 8 by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 7 and 8 are probably the most drastic difference of focus. The first person pronouns ("me," "myself" and "I") are mentioned about 40 times in the Romans 7:13-25, but in Romans 8, the Holy Spirit is referred to about 20 times. 

I compiled a partial list of who we are in Christ! This is who God says we are in His Word! It's not because of what we have done, but because of Who He is and what He has done! We are His children, Hisfamily, His ambassadors, His royal priesthood, His saints! Why would we not want to walk in our true identity for His glory and our good! The Holy Spirit empowers us to do so, to be the witnesses to others to see His manifold wisdom and work in & through us.

He calls us "His Saints" and "His Holy People" over 90 times in NT. Here are a few examples:

To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints (Rom 1:7)

because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God (Rom 8:27)

To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor 1:2)

To all the saints in Christ Jesus (Phil 1:1)

He calls us sons and daughters, His children, over and over:

“I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters," says the Lord Almighty (2 Cor 6:18)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  (1 John 3:1)

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith (Gal 3:26)

He calls us righteous:

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers (1 Peter 3:12)

He calls us dearly beloved Colossians 3:12

He calls us temples of the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 8:9, 2 Timothy 1:14

He calls us anointed

He calls us upright in heart

He calls us faithful and Godly

He calls us those who fear Him

He calls us friends (John 15:13-15), forgiven, redeemed, cherished, loved, upright, Beloved of God (Rom 1:7), Beloved Brethren (James 2:5), Children of God (John 1:12), Sons of the Living God (Rom 9:26), Sons of the Most High (Luke 6:35), Children of the Promise (Rom 9:8), Chosen (lots of verses), Co workers/fellow workers/co-laborers (1 Cor 3:9, etc) Dear Children (Eph 5:1), Elect of God (Col 3:12), The Faithful (Ps 12:1), The Godly (2 Pet 2:9), Heirs of God (Gal 4:7), Holy/Royal Priesthood (I Pet 2:5-9), The Just (Hab 2:4), Little Children (1 John 2:1), Living Stones (1 Pet 2:5), Special People (Titus 2:14), Slaves of Righteousness (Rom 6:18), Sheep of Christ (John 10:1-16), Servants of Christ (1 Cor 7:22), Salt of the Earth (Matt 5:13:16), His treasured people (Malachi 3:17) . . . and the list goes on and on.

But there's one last name I'd like to note: We are blessed!

God, through His Word, calls us blessed. Here is a partial list:

The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, the Lord lift His countenance toward you and give you His peace (the Aaronic blessing; Numbers 6:24-26)

God created man in His own image, male and female He created them. Then God blessed them  (Gen 1:27-28)

Blessed are those . . . who delight in the law of the Lord (Ps 1:1-2)

Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him (Ps 2:12)

Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people (Ps 3:8)

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him (Ps 5:12)

You (God) give blessings to the pure (Ps 18.26)

Save Your people and bless Your inheritance (Ps 28:9a)

The Lord will bless His people with peace (Ps 29.11)

Blessed are they whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin in covered.  Blessed are those to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit (Psalm 32:1-2)

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance (Psalm 33:12)

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!  (Psalm 34:8)

Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies (Psalm 40:4)

Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. Psalm 41:1

The land yields its harvest; God, our God, blesses us. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him (Psalm 67:6-7)

Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you (Psalm 84:4)

Do not fear, I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10)

Blessed are the poor, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the peacemakers, the pure in heart, the persecuted for My Name's sake (Matt 5:3-12)

and God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8)

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19)

Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb"  (Rev 19:9)

This is who God says you are!

The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing (Zeph 3:17)