Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from John 15:26-27.

 

“When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”  John 15:26-27. 

 

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When I read this quote, “and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”, I thought of many of you.  You have been with Christ from the beginning.  Through God’s grace, you were born and raised in homes in which your parents believed God’s promises extended to elect children of believers, and that in any event they had covenant responsibilities to all of their children.  They faithfully taught you about Christ and brought you to church, Sunday School, and catechism.  Many of you even attended Christian schools.  

 

And, you not only had parents who loved you so much and were so faithful to you.  You had Christian brothers and sisters, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.  You also had Christian preachers, teachers, and friends.  Some of these “dear family and friends” helped you more than others, and sadly some may have hurt you, but in summary, you have been with Christ from the beginning. 

 

And yet, despite all of these family and friends, if not for the grace of God, we would still be dead in sin, hostile to God, and enslaved to sin and Satan. 

 

But, there is hope!  We do have God’s grace!  “and you will testify also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

 

In a sense, due to God’s grace in making you alive and raising you in these “covenant homes”, you were “planted in the house of the LORD”.  And, from the beginning even to the end of old age, you will testify about Christ, “that the LORD is upright” and that He is your rock, “and there is no unrighteousness in Him”. 

 

“¹²  The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree,
         He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
    ¹³  Planted in the house of the LORD,
         They will flourish in the courts of our God.
    ¹⁴  They will still yield fruit in old age;
         They shall be full of sap and very green,
    ¹⁵  To declare that the LORD is upright;
         He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”  Psalm 92:12-15.