Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Corinthians 11:17-22.

“But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.  For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you;  and in part I believe it.  For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.  Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, for in your eating each one takes his own supper first;  and one is hungry and another is drunk.  What!  Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink?  Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?  What shall I say to you?  Shall I praise you?  In this I will not praise you.”  1 Corinthians 11:17-22.

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In our churches when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we do not have the specific problem:  “for in your eating each one takes his own supper first;  and one is hungry and another is drunk.”  Verse 21.

But, in our churches, we do have the general problem of divisions and factions.

Most importantly, as Reformed Doctrine teaches, God is in control, and His sovereignty rules over all.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.”  Psalm 103:19.

God will save all of His elect, including preserving them through the existence of divisions and factions that are in the churches.  They are the “approved” in the the following Scripture.

“For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you.”  Verse 19.

“But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD.  For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.”  2 Corinthians 10:17-18.

“But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  1 Corinthians 1:30-31.

These elect (“approved” who are “evident among you”) are also called “lights in the world” who appear in the midst of a “crooked and perverse generation” in the following Scripture.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing;  so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”  Philippians 2:14-15.

In summary, we see throughout Scripture God sharply contrasting those whom He approved a/k/a His elect a/k/a His lights in the world from those who create and love factions a/k/a vessels of wrath a/k/a crooked and perverse generation so that He would highlight the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy.

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are:  immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”  Galatians 5:19-21.

“What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?  And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.”  Romans 9:22-24.