Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from John 6:37-40.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.  For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:37-40.

——————-

Other doctrine believes in man’s alleged free-will.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in God’s will.

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”  Verse 38.

Other doctrine believes in “Resistible Grace”, that is, man can resist God’s grace.  

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in God’s “Irresistible Grace”.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”  Verse 37.

Other doctrine believes in “Fall from Grace”, that is, man can fall away from God’s grace.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes in God’s “Preservation of the Saints”.

“This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”  Verse 39.

In summary, other doctrine believes that salvation is dependent on man’s works or at least man’s will.

But, Reformed Doctrine believes that salvation is dependent on God’s will and God’s work from beginning to end:  from the beginning of God’s “Unconditional Election” through God’s “Limited Atonement” through God’s “Irresistible Grace” to the end of God’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation as more fully taught in the Canons of Dordt. 

“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 9:15-16.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”  Romans 8:29-30.

“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.