Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 6:1-4.
“Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.” Genesis 6:1-4.
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In the prior chapter, we saw in the listing of the descendants of Adam the number of years that each descendant lived, more or less nine hundred years. In reducing man’s life span from about nine hundred years to about one hundred and twenty years, God did a work in reducing the number of years that man could sin so that His “Spirit shall not strive with man forever”. We later will see that age span was reduced further to about seventy to eighty years, more or less. Psalm chapter 90.
Yikes! I am sixty-eight.
Yes!! I will not sin much longer AND I will go to heaven soon!
As we try to do from time to time in these Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions, when we see a work of God, we use it to meditate on similar and even greater work God will do. Today’s Scripture leads us to meditate on two major ways that God deals with man’s sin in addition to reduction of the number of years that man could sin.
First, we also were made to die in a different way: “our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin” and we “were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another (Christ), … , in order that we might bear fruit for God.”
“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” Romans 6:4-7.
“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” Romans 7:4.
“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24.
Second, we also were given the Holy Spirit through which we put to death the deeds of the flesh.
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:11-15.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.” Galatians 5:16-18.
“14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
…
16 …
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.” Psalm 139:14 and 16.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 