Today’s devotion comes from 2 Timothy 4:16-22.
“16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. 17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, but Trophimus I left sick at Miletus. 21 Make every effort to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, also Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brethren.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” 2 Timothy 4:16-22.
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“the Lord stood with me and strengthened me”. “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom”. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.” The focus of today’s Scripture is on the Lord and what He has done and will do.
Reformed Doctrine also focuses on the Lord and what He has done and will do. The Reformed Doctrine of Salvation is “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, which focuses on what God has done and will do: “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace”, and “Preservation of the Saints” (the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”). Oh, and man contributed “Total Depravity”. Because of man’s “Total Depravity” (that is, man is dead in sin, hostile to God, and ensnared to the devil), man is totally dependent on God to do everything.
“16 And He (the Lord) saw that there was no man,
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
18 According to their deeds, so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will make recompense.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord.”
And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;
Then His own arm brought salvation to Him,
And His righteousness upheld Him.
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
And a helmet of salvation on His head;
And He put on garments of vengeance for clothing
And wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle.
18 According to their deeds, so He will repay,
Wrath to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies;
To the coastlands He will make recompense.
19 So they will fear the name of the Lord from the west
And His glory from the rising of the sun,
For He will come like a rushing stream
Which the wind of the Lord drives.
20 “A Redeemer will come to Zion,
And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the Lord.”
Isaiah 59:16-20.
1 Corinthians 15:50-53 pits it a different way. “Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.” Man cannot put on the imperishable by himself. Man is totally dependent on God to put the imperishable on man.
And, who can find their own way to heaven? Can man somehow pick himself up by his bootstraps and lift himself to heaven? No! But, even hypothetically if man could do so. where is heaven among the clouds? Man is totally dependent on God to bring man to God’s heavenly kingdom.
In summary, we are dead in sin. We are perishable. We have no clue where heaven is. We are totally dependent on God to bring us safely to His heavenly kingdom. It is what Scripture states. It is what Reformed teaches. Through God’s grace, it makes sense to us, we believe it, and we rejoice. “For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:4
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 