Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Galatians 2:18-21.

 

“¹⁸ For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.  ¹⁹ For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.  ²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ;  and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;  and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  ²¹ I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”  Galatians 2:18-21.

 

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Admit it.  It is hard to believe:  “For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.”  Verse 19.

 

But, we read a confirming parallel Scripture in Romans 7:4-6.  “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.  For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.  But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”  Romans 7:4-6.  

 

And, we are not talking about just the law of circumcision or obscure Jewish rituals.    Romans Chapter 7 confirms that “The Law” primarily refers to the Ten Commandments.  “What shall we say then?  Is the Law sin?  May it never be!  On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law;  for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.”  But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind;  for apart from the Law sin is dead.  I was once alive apart from the Law;  but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;  and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;  for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”  Romans 7:7-10.

 

But, Reformed Doctrine a/k/a Calvinism makes it easier to believe that we are not justified by the works of the Law, but rather that we “were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you (we) might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”  Romans 7:4.    

 

Reformed Doctrine destroys any hope in man achieving any righteousness through the Law.  Reformed Doctrine teaches that all that man achieves through the Law is only spiritual death, “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. 

 

Reformed Doctrine builds up hope and trust in God.  Reformed Doctrine proclaims the works of God including but not limited to:  “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace”, and “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”.

 

On the other hand, Arminianism builds up hope in man achieving righteousness through the Law. It maintains that man is not dead in sin, only injured and affected by sin.  It maintains that man has “free-will”.  Arminianism focuses on man and places its hope on him. 

 

 

Reformed Doctrine focuses on God and believes that God can and does give righteousness.   “Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.  Reformed Doctrine believes that God can and does give righteousness as a gift through faith in Jesus Christ.  Romans 5:17. 

 

Reformed Doctrine emphasizes the grace of God.  It will not nullify the grace of God in the language of Galatians 2:21.  But rather, Reformed Doctrine solely trusts the grace of God.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.  Reformed Doctrine shouts out Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)!  Sola Gratia (Grace Alone) is one of “The Five Solas” of the Reformation.  (For further explanation of “The Five Solas“, see the tag on top of my web site.)