Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

As some of you may know, I am daily reading through Scripture in its order.  Today’s devotion included Hebrews 9:14.  ^“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”  Hebrews 9:14.  (Emphasis added). 

 

 

“To serve the living God. This, we must observe, is the end of our purgation; for we are not washed by Christ, that we may plunge ourselves again into new filth, but that our purity may serve to glorify God. Besides, he teaches us, that nothing can proceed from us that can be pleasing to God until we are purified by the blood of Christ; for as we are all enemies to God before our reconciliation, so he regards as abominable all our works; hence the beginning of acceptable service is reconciliation. And then, as no work is so pure and so free from stains, that it can of itself please God, it is necessary that the purgation through the blood of Christ should intervene, which alone can efface all stains. And there is a striking contrast between the living God and dead works.”  (Emphasis added). 

 

 

Not only is there a “striking contrast between the living God and dead works”, there is a striking contrast between one who serves the living God through a life that has been reconciled and in union with God, compared to one who does dead works through a “life” that has been alienated from God, which “life” may be justly deemed to be dead. 

 

This is the attitude and actions of one who serves the living God through a life that has been reconciled and in union with God:

^“I delight to do Your will, O my God;
         Your Law is within my heart.” 
I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
         Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
         O LORD, You know. 
I have not hidden Your righteousness within my heart;
         I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation;
         I have not concealed Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.” 

Psalm 40:8-10. 

 

This is the attitude and actions of one doing dead works through a life that has been alienated from God, that may be justly deemed to be dead. 

” ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ ”  Luke 18:11-12. 

 

Romans 8:11-15 puts it all together.  It compares the one who “lives according to the flesh”, such as one who tries to perfect himself through his own actions of doing works in slavery to the Law, compared to the one who is “led by the Spirit of God”, such as the one who depends on the Holy Spirit within him to enable him to serve the living God.    

 

^“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.  So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh–for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”  Romans 8-11-15.    

 

The one who serves the living God has vibrant, productive life in his mortal body.  He has love, joy, and peace, and the rest of the fruit of the Spirit.  God is at work in him, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2: 13.  He serves the living God, not out of fear or a spirit of slavery, but out of the power of God within him, out of boldness, and out of a spirit of tender love to his Father, the living God.