Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Revelation 13:1-10.

 

“¹ And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.

 

Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.  ² And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion.  And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.  ³ I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed.  And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;  ⁴ they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast;  and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?”  ⁵ There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.  ⁶ And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

 

⁷ It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.  ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.  ⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear.  ¹⁰ If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes;  if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed.  Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”  Revelation 13:1-10.

 

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At the conclusion of today’s Scripture, after we “watched” a horrific vision, we come to the comfort of “Perseverance of the Saints” also known as “Preservation of the Saints”, the “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  

 

“⁸ You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
⁹ For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
¹⁰ No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.”  Psalm 91:8-10.

 

 

We get a clue from Exodus 14:30-31:  “Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.”  

                                         

Like Israel needed to see the Egyptians dead on the seashore, we need to “see” the “recompense of the wicked” in order to more fully fear the LORD and believe in the LORD.

 

Now, we consider the “Perseverance of the Saints” also known as “Preservation of the Saints”.

                                       

In today’s Scripture, we read clues about the basis of the “Perseverance of the Saints” also known as “Preservation of the Saints”.  We read about the “book of life” and examples of “destiny” in verses 8 and 9.  We conclude that the basis of “Perseverance of the Saints” is that the Saints were unconditionally elected to “the book of life” “from the foundation of the world”.  The Saints were “destined” for salvation.

“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. ”  Ephesians 1:3-6.

In the section titled “FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Perseverance of the Saints”, the Canons of Dordt explains “Perseverance of the Saints” starting with its following Article 1.

Article 1.  Whom God calls, according to his purpose, to the communion of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and regenerates by the Holy Spirit, he delivers also from the dominion and slavery of sin in this life;  though not altogether from the body of sin, and from the infirmities of the flesh, so long as they continue in this world.

The rest of the section can be read from this following link – Click here: The Canons of Dordt, Fifth Head of Doctrine

In conclusion, this is not only “Perseverance of the Saints”, this is also “the faith of the saints” Revelation 13:10.  And this is why, we strive so hard to teach this Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.