Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 4:6-10.

 

“⁶ In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.  ⁷ But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women.  On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;  ⁸ for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.  ⁹  It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance.  ¹⁰ For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.”  1 Timothy 4:6-10.

 

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We feed on the “words of faith”, and live by faith, by recognizing the inability of the Law to make us righteous.  We ponder why we are no longer under the Law, even made dead to the Law.  “Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident;  for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.”  Galatians 3:11.  “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.”  Romans 7:4. 

 

We feed on “sound doctrine” by recognizing the importance of doctrine generally and then Reformed Doctrine specifically.  We read not only Scripture, but we read the creeds such as:

We cross reference not only other Scriptures but also other creeds to better understand Scripture.

 

We “discipline” ourselves “for the purpose of godliness” by having daily devotions and by otherwise seeking to do all that we do for the glory of God.  We imitate our Faithful Father;  “… The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.”  Psalm 52:1

 

“We have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior”, by focusing on God and what He has done and by trusting God to provide everything that we need for salvation from “Unconditional Election” to “Limited Atonement” to “Irresistible Grace” to “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. 

 

In summary, this fixed hope on God is also “words of faith”, also “sound doctrine”, and also a “discipline for the purpose of godliness”.