Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew 16:21-28.

“From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.  Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord!  This shall never happen to You.”  But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it;  but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”  Matthew 16:21-28.

—————————–

How quickly we forget!  We read today’s Scripture and forget Reformed Doctrine and run to another doctrine that teaches that we can come to Christ through our own denial of self, discipline, and deeds.

Other doctrine teaches us to turn our focus from God to ourselves, to turn our focus from the Spirit to the flesh, turn our focus from God’s will to our will, and to turn our focus from Christ’s cross to our cross.

Let us first remember what we did learn from Reformed Doctrine.

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;  and I will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:44.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.  For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:37-40.

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing;  the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe.”  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.  And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”  John 6:63-65.

Then, on that Reformed Doctrine basis, let us proceed and meditate on some things that we can glean from today’s Scripture.

Christ only went to the cross once.  The disciples only followed Christ to the cross once.

Figuratively, we also have only followed Christ to the cross and been crucified in Christ once.

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all;  but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  Romans 6:10-11.

Some of the disciples who also saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom when they saw Christ ascension after His resurrection.  In a partial fulfillment of Christ coming to His kingdom, a taste of what was to come, some disciples also saw the transfiguration of Christ which was reported in the very next chapter.

Through faith by God’s grace, we have come to Christ and seen both the Christ’s transfiguration and Christ’s ascension.  We have seen Christ come in His kingdom, and we are entitled to all the benefits thereof, many of which we currently possess and the rest are reserved in Heaven for us.

Consider what the Heidelberg Catechism states.

Q.  49.  Of what advantage to us is Christ’s ascension into heaven?
A. First, that He is our advocate in the presence of His Father in heaven;  secondly, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that He, as the Head, will also take up to Himself, us, His members;  thirdly, that He sends us His Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God, and not things on earth.

So, here we are.  We live by faith in Christ in what He accomplished on the cross for us and what Christ continues to do for us seated in Heaven.  We do not live by faith in our fleshly ability to deny our self, carry a cross, and follow Christ.

“I have been crucified with Christ;  and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;  and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”  Galatians 2:20.

“Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”  Galatians 5:24.

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”  Colossians 3:2-4.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”  Philippians 3:20-21.

“… Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.  Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written,

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew 16:13-20.

“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah;  but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”  He *said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.  I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church;  and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven;  and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”  Then He warned the disciples that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.”  Matthew 16:13-20.

————–

Peter was blessed because God revealed Who Jesus was to Peter.

Some thought Jesus was some miracle worker or prophet.  But, Jesus was much more.  Jesus was the One and Only Christ, the son of the living God, Who shared divinity with God the Father and Who was Lord and Savior.  Peter did not learn that from any human;  God the Father revealed it to Peter.

“It is the Spirit who gives life;  the flesh profits nothing;  the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe.”  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him.  And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”

As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.  So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?”  Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have words of eternal life.  We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”  John 6:63-69.

Consider that despite all of Jesus’ miracles, despite all of Jesus prophecies and all of the other words of His wisdom, and despite Jesus’ compassion on the people, many withdrew and did not believe that Jesus was the One and Only Christ, the son of the living God, Who shared divinity with God the Father as “the Holy One of God”.  They did not believe because God chose to not reveal it to them.

And yet, other doctrine continues to rely on its own wisdom and its own will to both learn Who Jesus is and to teach it to others.

But, Reformed Doctrine relies on God alone to both learn Who Jesus is and to teach it to others.  In a nutshell, Reformed Doctrine sees the necessity of Christ Himself building His church.

Salvation is a work of God from the beginning to the end:  from the beginning of God’s “Unconditional Election” through God’s “Limited Atonement” through God’s “Irresistible Grace” to the end of God’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Jesus said:  “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church;  …”.  Verse 18.  Let us not only focus on Peter.  Let us not forget that Peter did not come to faith in Christ through his own wisdom or his own will.  In other words, it is not important whether Jesus built His church on Peter or built His church on someone else.  What is important is that Jesus Himself will build His church.

“What then is Apollos?  And what is Paul?  Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”  1 Corinthians 3:5-7.

Jesus stated:  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;  and I will raise him up on the last day.  It is written in the prophets, ‘AND THEY SHALL ALL BE TAUGHT OF GOD.’  Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father, comes to Me.”  John 6:44-45.

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew 16:1-12.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“And the disciples came to the other side of the sea, but they had forgotten to bring any bread.  And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.”  But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?  Do you not yet understand or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets full you picked up?  Or the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets full you picked up?  How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?  But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”  Matthew 16:5-12.

————–

The Pharisees were legalistic.  They were more interested in the letter of the law than the spirit of the law.  They were more interested in proving their own righteousness than seeking the righteousness of God.

“Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”  And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?  For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’  But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’  And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.  You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,
BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.
‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME,
TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”  Matthew 15:1-9.

The Pharisees superficially appeared religious and admirable.  If people did not beware of their teaching, they could be sucked into copying their doctrine and practice and faith in their own righteousness.  “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.”  Galatians 1:9.  In other words, a little caving into the Pharisees’ doctrine and practice and faith in their own righteousness would lead to a total transformation to their doctrine and practice and faith in their own righteousness.

“Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you.  And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.  You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law;  you have fallen from grace.  For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.”  Galatians 5:2-5.

So, beware of the teaching of the Pharisees!  There are Pharisees around us today.  Jesus’ warning was not only for His disciples two thousand years ago.

“For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor.  For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.  I have been crucified with Christ;  and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;  and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.  I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”  Galatians 2:18-21.

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew 15:29-39.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+15&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Departing from there, Jesus went along by the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up on the mountain, He was sitting there.  And large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet;  and He healed them.  So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing;  and they glorified the God of Israel.”  Matthew 15:29-31.

————-

The crowd glorified God, because they knew that no mere man could do these miracles.  These miracles must have been a work of God.

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16.

When the crowd see our good works, they too will glorify God if they discern that those good works must have been a work of God.

The good works of other doctrine show off man’s goodness, man’s wisdom, and man’s alleged free-will, and the crowd glorifies man.

But, the good works of Reformed Doctrine show off God’s goodness, God’s wisdom, and God’s will, and the crowd glorifies God.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit show off God’s goodness, God’s wisdom, and God’s will.  In a nutshell, the fruit of the Spirit glorify God.

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.

The salvation of other doctrine is ultimately dependent on man’s goodness, man’s wisdom, and man’s alleged free-will showing that the individual being saved is worthy of salvation and glory.

But, the salvation of Reformed Doctrine is solely dependent on God from the beginning to the end:  from the beginning of God’s “Unconditional Election” through God’s “Limited Atonement” through God’s “Irresistible Grace” to the end of God’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.  In a nutshell, the salvation of Reformed Doctrine glorifies God.

“11 I shall remember the deeds of the LORD;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all Your work
And muse on Your deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy;
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known Your strength among the peoples.
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph.  Selah.”  Psalm 77:11-15.

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew 15:15-28.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+15&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.  And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David;  my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.”  But He did not answer her a word.  And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”  But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”  And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  But she said, “Yes, Lord;  but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great;  it shall be done for you as you wish.”  And her daughter was healed at once.”  Matthew 15:21-28.

——————–

The Canaanite woman did not argue with Jesus Who said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  She did not claim that it was unfair.  She did not form her own doctrine of God according to her desires and even desperate need.

Even after her plea, “Lord, help me!” when Jesus answered her and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”, the Canaanite woman was humble and did not take offense at Jesus.  She very humbly replied to Jesus:  “Yes, Lord;  but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”  See verse 27.  “Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great;  it shall be done for you as you wish.”  And her daughter was healed at once.”  Verse 28.

Unlike the Canaanite woman, when faced with the clear and repeated truth of God’s election in Scripture, many try to argue.  They remain proud and claim it is unfair.  They form their own doctrine of God according to their desires.  They rebel against the God of Scripture and worship only their own god of their desires.

But, for those who humbly acknowledge the the truth of God’s election in Scripture, but still do not yet experience a lively faith in Christ and an assured confidence that they are among God’s elect, there is hope!

Here is what the Canons of Dordt states.

Article 16.  Those who do not yet experience a lively faith in Christ, an assured confidence of soul, peace of conscience, an earnest endeavor after filial obedience, and glorying in God through Christ, efficaciously wrought in them, and do nevertheless persist in the use of the means which God hath appointed for working these graces in us, ought not to be alarmed at the mention of reprobation, nor to rank themselves among the reprobate, but diligently to persevere in the use of means, and with ardent desires, devoutly and humbly to wait for a season of richer grace.  Much less cause have they to be terrified by the doctrine of reprobation, who, though they seriously desire to be turned to God, to please him only, and to be delivered from the body of death, cannot yet reach that measure of holiness and faith to which they aspire;  since a merciful God has promised that he will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed.  But this doctrine is justly terrible to those, who, regardless of God and of the Savior Jesus Christ, have wholly given themselves up to the cares of the world, and the pleasures of the flesh, so long as they are not seriously converted to God.  FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.

“And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”  Matthew 11:6.

“But He gives a greater grace.  Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”  James 4:6.

“Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you;  for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;  for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”  2 Peter 1:10-11.

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew 14:22-36.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+14&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.  After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray;  and when it was evening, He was there alone.  But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves;  for the wind was contrary.  And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.  When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!”  And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”  And He said, “Come!”  And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”  When they got into the boat, the wind stopped.  And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”  Matthew 14:22-33.

——————

Like Jesus made His disciples go ahead of Him to the other side, it is Monday, and for many of us, Jesus sends us to go ahead of Him in the business world.  We leave behind us Sunday and the day of worship and the time of special meditation of God and being in His presence that is special on Sunday.  We may think we are alone on Monday.

But, there is hope!

Like Jesus followed His disciples, Jesus follows us into Monday and the business world.

The challenge for us, as the challenge was for the disciples, is to recognize Jesus Who follows us into Monday and into the business world and into the rest of the week and all of our other activities.  If our image of Jesus is limited to the ghosts of our own desires and imaginations of a jesus whom we can control and manipulate and limit to Sunday appearances, then, like the disciples, we may not recognize the Jesus of Scripture Who comes to us on Monday and into the business world and into the rest of the week and all of our other activities.

But, there is hope again!

Like Jesus identified Himself and strengthened His disciples, Jesus comes to us in the business world, saying “Take courage, it is I;  do not be afraid.”

And, when we do recognize Jesus, let us not take our eyes off of Him.  When we do take our eyes off Jesus and focus on the wind and storm of the business world, like Peter, we begin to sink.

But, there is hope again!

Like Jesus saved Peter, Jesus saves us.

Jesus continually assures us:  “… “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”  Hebrews 13:5.

Today’s devotion comes from Matthew 13:53-58.

“When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there.  He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?  Is not this the carpenter’s son?  Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this man get all these things?”  And they took offense at Him.  But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”  And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.”  Matthew 13:53-58.

———————

God knows all of our thoughts.

“For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind
And declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who makes dawn into darkness
And treads on the high places of the earth,
The LORD God of hosts is His name.” Amos 4:13.

“But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.'”  John 2:24.

Some take delight in the misfortune of others, particularly people close to them, neighbors and even members of their own family.  Some are jealous.  Some feel like they will look better if people surrounding them look worse.  Some want others to fit their desires and expectations of them.  

Thus, it was no surprise to Jesus that people in His own hometown took offense at Him.

“…  Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”  And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.”  Verses 57-58.

And likewise, we should not be surprised even when people close to us take offense at us when we preach and teach and try to do good.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves;  so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”  Matthew 10:16.