Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 3:20-21.

“Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.  The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”  Genesis 3:20-21.

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We remember earlier in the chapter that Adam and Eve clothed themselves “…  and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.”  Genesis 3:7.  

We compare Genesis 3:7 with verse 21 in today’s Scripture.  “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.”  Verse 21.  We notice two major contrasting points about the clothing.  First, we notice that the LORD God made the clothing in today’s Scripture compared to Adam and Eve who made the clothing earlier.  Second, we notice the much superior clothing of “garments of skin” compared to “sewed fig leaves” for “loin coverings”.

We meditate on what this work of God could lead to future work of God.

“I will rejoice greatly in the LORD,
My soul will exult in my God;
For He has clothed me with garments of salvation,
He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10.

Finally, and more generally, let us use this lesson to remember that whenever we see a work of God, let us use it to motivate us to look eagerly as to what similar and even greater work that God may do in the future. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” Matthew 6:30.

“20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.” Psalm 33:20-21.

“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:31-33.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 3:17-19.

“17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;

Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you will eat the plants of the field;
19 By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19.

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“But I will warn you whom to fear:  fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell;  yes, I tell you, fear Him!”  Luke 12:5. 

“7 For we have been consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been dismayed.
8 You have placed our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a sigh.
10 As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away.
11 Who understands the power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the fear that is due You?
12 So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:7-12.

We do not have time nor the strength to play church. We don’t have time to shrug our shoulders and flip-flop back and forth between doctrines, thinking that we only need to attend church, rather than to diligently study Scripture and come to abiding faith in Who God is and what He has done for us. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” John 6:39-40.

What is your image of God?

Is your image of God as one who loves everybody but only waits and hopes that the individual will use his alleged free-will to accept him? Do we prefer this image of God because it appeals to most people, our sense of fairness, and our pride and desire to be in control and boast that we deserve some credit for contributing to our salvation?

Or, is your image of God as a victorious warrior who does all that is necessary to secure the salvation of only, but all, of His elect? Do we use Scripture alone to form our image of God and humbly and joyfully use our few days to pursue that God of the Scripture?

Consider that Scripture exhorts us to seek for wisdom as one would seek for silver or hidden treasure.

“4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:4-5.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46.

If we are to “strive to enter through the narrow door” and seek wisdom and the kingdom of heaven as one would search for hidden treasure with all of our heart, how much more should we seek the one true God and the one true doctrine of salvation with all of our heart!!!

“And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Luke 13:23-24.

Most doctrine is like a broad bridge open to everyone, but it only goes half-way across the river. Such doctrine teaches that God loves everyone, Christ died for everyone, and God wants to save everyone, but it is up to man to contribute something worthy of salvation whether it be works or at least alleged free-will choice of Christ. The only difference between the unsaved and saved is that the saved does works or maybe as little as uses his alleged free-will choice of Christ to, so to speak, jump from the end of the bridge, across the river, to the shore of salvation. Most doctrine believes that everyone has an equal opportunity to be saved, so the bridge is broad in that sense, but that Christ’s death completely saved no one in particular. Only those who do sufficient works or who take a sufficient “free will leap of faith” to the shore of salvation will be saved. Thus, the bridge is wide, open to everyone, but it only goes halfway across the stream. Accordingly, the saved have reason to boast for contributing to their own salvation and showing themselves worthy of salvation.

In sharp contrast to most doctrine, Reformed Doctrine is like a narrow bridge only open to God’s elect, but the narrow bridge goes all the way across the river to the shore of salvation. Reformed Doctrine teaches that God only loves His elect and only wants to save them and that Christ died only for the elect. In summary, God does everything necessary for the salvation of His elect. Reformed Doctrine teaches that man is “dead” in sin, hostile to God, cannot please God, cannot understand the things of God, and is in bondage to sin and Satan (which is summarized by the phrase “Total Depravity” of “TULIP”, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation, as more fully taught in the Canons of Dordt), such that man can not contribute anything to his salvation and God must do everything for the elect, including making them alive (regenerating them), giving them faith, sanctifying them, and preserving them to salvation, so that all of God’s elect will be saved. Accordingly, God’s elect have no reason to boast, because God provided everything needed for their salvation.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.

“My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.” Psalm 34:2.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 3:14-16.

“14 The LORD God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
16 To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:14-16.

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But, regarding verse 16, there is hope for the woman in pain in childbirth, and more generally for all of us!

“Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come;  but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.  Therefore you too have grief now;  but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”  John 16:21-22.  

But, regarding verse 15 and the continued hatred and hostility (enmity) between Satan and God’s children, although Satan persecutes God’s children, there is hope for God’s children who will overcome Satan!

“…  The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.  No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him;  and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”  1 John 3:8-9.

“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them;  because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.”  1 John 4:4.

“I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.  I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.  I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.  I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.  I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”  1 John 2:13-14.

“And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon.  The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven.  And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world;  he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,

“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night.  And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.  For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them.  Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.  …  So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.”  Revelation 12:7-17.

“And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also;  and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”  Revelation 20:10.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 2:10-17.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+2&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.  The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;  but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”  Genesis 2:15-17.

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We remember from the preceding Scripture of all the trees that were pleasing to the sight and good for food that God provided for man, so that we can better specifically understand that this commandment in today’s Scripture to not eat of this one tree was not too burdensome to obey.

“The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden;  and there He placed the man whom He had formed.  Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;  the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  Genesis 2:8-9.

More generally about God’s commandments, we later read in Scripture both that God’s commandments are not too burdensome and the clear and stark consequences of obedience and disobedience.  

“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”  Deuteronomy 30:11. 

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;  and His commandments are not burdensome.”  1 John 5:3.

“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;  in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the LORD your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.  But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish.  You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.”  Deuteronomy 30:15-18. 

Nevertheless, we know the rest of the sad story about the fall of man.  See Genesis chapter 3.

But, there is hope!

Although God’s commandments are not too burdensome and we know the clear and stark consequences of obedience and disobedience, our hope is not in our wisdom nor our will nor our works.

We are “dead” in sin.  Ephesians 2:1-5.  We are hostile to God.  Romans 8:7 and Colossians 1:21.  We are 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.

“Where is the wise man?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the debater of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”  1 Corinthians 20-21.

Our hope is in God.

“Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.”  Deuteronomy 30:6. 

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;  and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.  I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”  Ezekiel 36:26-27.

“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 26-31.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith;  and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9. 

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 2:4-9.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%202&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;  and man became a living being.  The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden;  and there He placed the man whom He had formed.  Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;  the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”  Genesis 2:7-9. 

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Today’s Scripture leads us to consider whether apparently good places, paradises so to speak, and apparently good food and other things, are necessarily good for all.

I will first give some practical examples for a quick superficial look, then more importantly, I will give some Scriptures and creeds for a deeper look upon which we can meditate.  

I live in St. Petersburg, Florida which many consider a paradise.  But, this city is not necessarily good for all.  Here are just some examples.  There may be better churches for some elsewhere.  Some people’s family may be elsewhere.  There may be better jobs for some elsewhere.  Some may prefer more open spaces and other qualities of other places.  

There are many good foods, but we know that if one eats too much of good foods, it can be bad for them.  

The nature of the recipient is more important than the nature of the object in determining whether or not that object will be good for the recipient. Consider how God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, who are called according to His purpose, and in sharp contrast, consider how God keeps the unrighteous under punishment and how there is no peace for the wicked.

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
The LORD gives grace and glory;
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

Consider the following Isaiah 48:20-22 Scripture and the sharp contrast between the righteous and the wicked. For the wicked, there is no peace no matter the apparently good places in which they live or how many apparently good things they have. For the righteous, even if for a while they are led through the wilderness and even into captivity, God will literally or figuratively split rocks and cause water to gush forth for them.   

“20 Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans!
Declare with the sound of joyful shouting, proclaim this,
Send it out to the end of the earth;
Say, “The LORD has redeemed His servant Jacob.”
21 They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts.
He made the water flow out of the rock for them;
He split the rock and the water gushed forth.
22 “There is no peace for the wicked,” says the LORD.” Isaiah 48:20-22.

“then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,”  2 Peter 2:9.

Consider the following from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.

Article 9.  … 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.

Consider the following from the Heidelberg Catechism.

Q. 26.  What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth”?

A.  That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (who of nothing made heaven and earth, with all that is in them;  who likewise upholds and governs the same by His eternal counsel and providence) is, for the sake of Christ His Son, my God and my Father;  on whom I rely so entirely, that I have no doubt but He will provide me with all things necessary for soul and body;  and further, that He will make whatever evils He sends upon me, in this valley of tears, turn out to my advantage;  for He is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing, being a faithful Father.

Q. 27.  What dost thou mean by the providence of God?

A.  The almighty and everywhere present power of God, whereby, as it were by His hand, He upholds and governs heaven, earth, and all creatures;  so that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, and all things come, not by chance, but by His fatherly hand. 

Q. 28.  What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by His providence doth still uphold all things?

A.  That we may be patient in adversity;  thankful in prosperity;  and that in all things which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from His love;  since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move.

“Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!
2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling,
My steps had almost slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
…
16 When I pondered to understand this,
It was troublesome in my sight
17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God;
Then I perceived their end.
18 Surely You set them in slippery places;
You cast them down to destruction.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment!
They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors!” Psalm 73:1-3 and 16-19.

Today’s devotion comes from Genesis 1:26-31.

“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;  and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”  God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him;  male and female He created them.  God blessed them;  and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it;  and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”  Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed;  it shall be food for you;  and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food”;  and it was so.  God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.  And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”  Genesis 1:26-31.

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“Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches;  but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth;  for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.”  Jeremiah 9:23-24.

When Scripture states:  “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness”, we eagerly use this opportunity to see what qualities that God created in man in order to help us understand and know God in addition to what else Scripture states directly about the qualities of God.

Accordingly, when God created man to “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth”, we can conclude and meditate on God’s rule also known as God’s sovereignty over all, because God created man in His image, according to His likeness.

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 103:19.

“9 “Remember the former things long past,
For I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is no one like Me,
10 Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
11 Calling a bird of prey from the east,
The man of My purpose from a far country.
Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass.
I have planned it, surely I will do it.” Isaiah 46:9-11.

“But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.” Psalm 115:3.

Other doctrine worships a god of their desire and imagination, a cosmic Santa Claus, whose primary quality is to please man and give gifts to them.

But, Reformed Doctrine worships the God of Scripture whose primary quality is that His sovereignty rules over everything.

And, there are these warnings.

“But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:27.

“Why are the nations in an uproar
And the peoples devising a vain thing?
2 The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
6 “But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.”

7 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron,
You shall shatter them like earthenware.’”

10 Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.
11 Worship the LORD with reverence
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” Psalm chapter 2.