Today’s devotion comes from 2 Timothy 2:8-13.
“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.
For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are
chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus
and with
it eternal glory. It is a trustworthy statement:
“For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we deny Him, He also will deny us;
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:8-13.
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Jesus does not save some people because of the qualities that they possess, but Jesus saves them because of Who He is: a Merciful God and a Faithful Savior. There were no good nor attractive qualities that distinguished the people that Jesus saves that motivated Jesus to save them. They were faithless like the rest. They were dead in sin and hostile to God like the rest. But, God is a Merciful God and a Faithful Savior.
The faithlessness of all people is seen through out Scripture.
Isaiah 53:6
“All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; …”
“10 as it is written,
“There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18.
“And … you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,” Colossians 1:21.
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. ” Ephesians 2:1-2.
God chooses those whom He will save based on His purpose, not based on the works of man nor even the will of man (faith). It is “Unconditional Election”, the “U” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.
God’s purpose according to His choice stands, not because of works but because of Him who calls. Romans 9:11. “For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.” Romans 9:11-15.
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” John 15:16.
And, it makes logical sense. If man is faithless, dead in sin, and hostile to God (as summarized by “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”), then man cannot provide any quality nor condition which will motivate God to elect him.
But, God is a Merciful God and a Faithful Savior.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 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 2:4-9.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Christ).” Ephesians 1:3-6.
Our Merciful and Faithful God supplies all that the elect need for salvation including faith. Here is what the Canons of Dordt (under Second Head of Doctrine) state in part about this “most gracious will and purpose of God the Father”, “all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation”, “the gift of justifying faith”, and “faithfully preserving them even to the end”.
Article 8. For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation: that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.
Article 9. This purpose proceeding from everlasting love towards the elect, has from the beginning of the world to this day been powerfully accomplished, and will henceforward still continue to be accomplished, notwithstanding all the ineffectual opposition of the gates of hell, so that the elect in due time may be gathered together into one, and that there never may be wanting a church composed of believers, the foundation of which is laid in the blood of Christ, which may steadfastly love, and faithfully serve him as their Savior, who as a bridegroom for his bride, laid down his life for them upon the cross, and which may celebrate his praises here and through all eternity.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 