Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Greetings!  I am Bill Hornbeck.  I grew up in the Christian Reformed Church denomination in Muskegon, Michigan.  I learned about Reformed Doctrine at home, at a Christian Reformed church, and at Christian Reformed schools from kindergarten through high school.

In 1977, I moved to Florida to go to law school, and I stayed here in Florida.  I attended and was a member, even a lay leader, of Protestant churches in a wide range of denominations and also in some nondenominational churches and small fellowships.  I thought Reformed Doctrine such as preached by John Calvin and Martin Luther (who were the leaders of the Protestant Reformation) would be preached in all Protestant churches.  But, Reformed Doctrine was not preached in all Protestant churches.

At first, when I heard some different preaching that did not seem right, I thought that it might just be a bad sermon and that the next sermon would be much better.  When it did not get much better, I thought the problem was just with that particular minister.

Eventually, when I spoke about what I encountered to a childhood friend (with whom I grew up in church and school), he asked me if I remembered “TULIP” which is also known as the Five Points of Calvinism and the Reformed Doctrine of salvation.

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. (The “T” of “TULIP” represents “Total Depravity” of man). This true doctrine of salvation is more fully taught in the Reformed Confession called Canons of Dordt.

That tip from a childhood friend led me to buy a few books that presented the Scriptural bases of the five points of “TULIP” and that also compared the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism which is “the other doctrine” that I was hearing in other churches, even though they would not label it Arminianism by themselves.

Later, I read through all Scripture closely examining how often I read about God’s chosen people and God’s sovereignty and how much credit was given to God for His work of salvation.  You can now see that the daily devotions go through Scripture in its order.  I saw “TULIP” a/k/a Five Points of Calvinism throughout Scripture.

All of this study made me aware that what I encountered was not just an isolated bad sermon nor just that the minister was not a good preacher.  Rather, the problem was more widespread, caused by bad doctrine that broadly and deeply affected a certain Protestant church and sometimes its denomination, which church or denomination, at some time of its history strayed away from Reformed Doctrine rediscovered in the Reformation.  The truth, logic, and simplicity of “TULIP” proved to be in sharp contrast to this bad doctrine which I encountered.

“TULIP” glorifies God alone for salvation. 

But, in sharp contrast, other doctrine glorifies man for man’s works, or at least, other doctrine glorifies man for man’s wisdom and man’s alleged free-will to choose Christ.  Other doctrine teaches that God loves everybody, Christ died for everybody, and man is ultimately saved by producing enough works or enough will to distinguish himself worthy for salvation.

“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.  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 1:26-31.

Because Scripture pounds the table that only the chosen a/k/a the elect a/k/a the predestined receive salvation and eternal life and heaven, then why do so many preachers and teachers shun it or hide it or minimize it?

Some may pay some “lip service” to Reformed “doctrines of grace”. But, when you listen to their sermons and teachings, they focus on man and what man should do (often using words like “submit” and “allow God”), rather than focus on God, God’s sovereignty, and what God has done for man’s salvation.  The sermons and teachings try to build up faith in man and man’s alleged free-will and man’s works, rather than build up faith in God, God’s will, and God’s works.  They shun, hide, or minimize God’s predestination a/k/a election as if they were embarrassed by it or as if view it as an obstacle to growing a church.

Rather than shun God’s predestination also known as “Unconditional Election”, we should cling to it, joyfully preaching it and teaching it, recognizing that due to our natural condition of “Total Depravity”, “Unconditional Election” is our only chance for salvation.

The Canons of Dordt in the FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination states “election is the fountain of every saving good”.

Article 9.  This election was not founded upon foreseen faith, and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality of disposition in man, as the pre-requisite, cause or condition on which it depended;  but men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc., therefore election is the fountain of every saving good;  from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as its fruits and effects, according to that of the apostle:  “He hath chosen us (not because we were) but that we should be holy, and without blame, before him in love,”  Ephesians 1:4.

“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.

Christ will build His church.  From man’s perspective, the church may look small and weak.  But, God will accomplish all of His good pleasure in saving every one of His elect.