Today’s devotion comes from Galatians 1:10-12.
“For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.
For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:10-12.
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Yesterday, we meditated on the gospel of man compared to the gospel of God, so to speak.
Man prefers 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. This is a gospel of man’s choice.
But, the true one and only gospel is that God chooses the people that He wants to save, and He provides all that is necessary for the salvation for His chosen ones. This is the gospel of God’s choice.
This is also the only good news that God chose “out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of his own will … from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault, from their primitive state of rectitude, into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom he from eternity appointed the Mediator and Head of the elect, and the foundation of Salvation. …” The elect were “… by nature neither better nor more deserving than the others, but with them involved in one common misery …” Canons of Dordt, Article 7 of the section titled FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.
“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 consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29.
In today’s Scripture, Paul recognizes that the gospel that he is preaching is not favored by man. “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” Verse 10.
Likewise, today, we see most churches, including the biggest churches, preach a gospel of man’s choice. They are “seeker-sensitive”, rather than “God-sensitive”.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3.
But, as Reformed Doctrine preachers and teachers, we are not called by God to have the biggest churches; we are called by God to faithfully preach the gospel of God’s choice. “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:4.
“For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” Verses 11-12.
“Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” Matthew 13:11.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 