Today’s devotion comes from 2 Kings 16:1-9. Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Kings%2016&version=NASB1995
I quote only the following verses.
“In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham, king of Judah, became king. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; and he did not do what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel. He sacrificed and burned incense on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.” 2 Kings 16:1-4.
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Today’s Scripture warns us from drifting away from the LORD.
First, Ahaz the king of Israel drifted away from doing “what was right in the sight of the LORD his God, as his father David had done.” Second, Ahaz drifted away, so to speak, even from the general morality of Israel. Third, Ahaz “even made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had driven out from before the sons of Israel.”
We can drift away from the what we consider are too strict teachings of our parents. At first, we may try to be as good as most people in our church. Then, we may think our church and our denomination are also too strict, and we want to be more loving and inclusive and cool as we see other churches and other denominations are. Then, we may think that we can quit attending church altogether and only* “stream” worship services from YouTube. Then, we think it is better to focus more generally on good self-help teachings, and we leave altogether the LORD and focus on being the best me. We become wise in our own eyes.
(*As a quick side note, it is certainly not bad to stream worship services from YouTube. There are profitable worship services and other content to stream from YouTube. I am emphasizing that we should not “only” stream worship services from YouTube as an excuse for quitting attending congregational worship services altogether.)
“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools,” Romans 1:21-22.
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” Hebrews 6:4-6.
“But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.” Hebrews 6:9.
Our hope is not in the works of man, and our hope is not even in as little as the will of man.
Our hope is in the LORD Who provides all the “things that accompany salvation”.
Reformed Doctrine accurately summarizes Scripture and teaches that salvation is a work of God alone, by grace alone, and that God provides all the “things that accompany 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 creed Canons of Dordt.
In the words of the Canons of Dordt in Article 9 of the section titled FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination, “election is the fountain of every saving good; from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself“.
“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.
“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” Romans 8:29-30.
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.” 2 Peter 1:2-4.
“For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” 1 Corinthians 4:7.
“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.
“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.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 