Today’s devotion comes from Galatians 1:6-9.
“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” Galatians 1:6-9.
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What is the gospel? Or, what is the good news?
Is the gospel that God loves everyone, Christ died for everyone, and everyone has equal opportunity and power to be saved by their own alleged free-will to choose or reject Christ?
Or, is the gospel that God only loves His elect (His chosen people) and Christ died only for God’s elect providing all that God’s elect need for salvation?
Is it good news that salvation is determined by man’s choice, by man who is “dead in sin” according to Ephesians 2:1-5, by man who is not righteous, does not understand, does not seek God, and does not do good according to Romans 3:10-18?
Or, is it good news that salvation is determined by God’s choice, by God Who chooses the people that He wants to save, “objects of his mercy”, by God Who knows all that is necessary for salvation, and by God Who provides all that is necessary for salvation for His elect?
Nevertheless, many (if not most) prefer the gospel to be that God loves everyone, Christ died for everyone, and everyone has equal opportunity and power to be saved by their own free-will choice.
But, is the gospel determined by man’s preference or by God, the truth set forth in Scripture?
The gospel is determined by God, the truth set forth in Scripture.
“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.
“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.
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
“The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 7:6-8.
“And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful shout.” Psalm 105:43.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32.
“But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” 1 Peter 2:9-10.
Scripture emphasizes the importance of truth.
Jesus said both in Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7: “‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”
Jesus also stated in John 4:23-24: “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Not any kind of worship will suffice, but “worship in spirit and truth”.
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.” Romans 10:1-3.
Not any kind of zeal will suffice, but zeal “in accordance with knowledge”, or in other words, in accordance with truth.
“But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.” 2 Thessalonians 2:13.
Not any kind of faith will suffice, but “faith in the truth”.
There are those who “did not receive the love of truth so as to be saved”. 2 Thessalonians 2: 10.
Not any kind of love will suffice, but “the love of truth”.
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:18.
Reformed Doctrine truly summarizes Scripture and teaches that salvation is a work of God alone, by grace alone, and that God handles all the points of salvation for His elect from “Unconditional Election” through “Limited Atonement” through “Irresistible Grace” through “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. This true doctrine of salvation is more fully taught in the Reformed Confession called Canons of Dordt.
“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.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 