Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 5:12-14.

“Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God.  Stand firm in it!  She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark.  Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace be to you all who are in Christ.”  1 Peter 5:12-14.

—————–

What is the true grace of God?

Is the true grace of God that God loves everyone and Christ died for everyone so that anyone has the chance to obtain salvation by their own works or at least by their own free-will choice of Christ?

Or, is the true grace of God that God chose them for salvation by providing to them all that they need for salvation?

Even in today’s short Scripture, Peter answers that question by referring to those recipients of true grace as “chosen together with you”.

We also remember that at the very beginning of this chapter, Peter addresses the book to those “… who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood:  May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.”  1 Peter 1:1-2.

And, throughout Scripture, we see that being chosen is the basis for God’s grace.

For those who would rather stand on their works or their will, Scripture is also clear that they are “dead” in sin Ephesians 2:1-5, hostile to God Romans 8:7 and Colossians 1:21, and  in bondage to sin Romans 7:14-15.

“10 as it is written,

“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” Romans 3:10-12.

This is “Total Depravity”, the first point of “TULIP”.

Would you rather have salvation dependent on your choices through your works or your will?

Or, would you rather have salvation dependent on God’s choice through God’s grace?

Reformed Doctrine accurately summarizes Scripture and teaches that salvation is a work of God alone, by grace alone, and that God handles all the points of salvation from beginning to end:  from the beginning of “Unconditional Election” through “Limited Atonement” through “Irresistible Grace” to the end of “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.