Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 5, 2016

“You, even You, are to be feared”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 76.

“God is known in Judah;
His name is great in Israel.
2 His tabernacle is in Salem;
His dwelling place also is in Zion.
3 There He broke the flaming arrows,
The shield and the sword and the weapons of war.  Selah.

4 You are resplendent,
More majestic than the mountains of prey.
5 The stouthearted were plundered,
They sank into sleep;
And none of the warriors could use his hands.
6 At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
Both rider and horse were cast into a dead sleep.
7 You, even You, are to be feared;
And who may stand in Your presence when once You are angry?

8 You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was still
9 When God arose to judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth.  Selah.
10 For the wrath of man shall praise You;
With a remnant of wrath You will gird Yourself.

11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;
Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.
12 He will cut off the spirit of princes;
He is feared by the kings of the earth.”    Psalm chapter 76.

———————-

“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.

Article 37:  Of the Last Judgment.

Finally we believe, according to the Word of God, when the time appointed by the Lord (which is unknown to all creatures) is come, and the number of the elect complete, that our Lord Jesus Christ will come from heaven, corporally and visibly, as he ascended, with great glory and majesty to declare himself judge of the quick and the dead;  burning this old world with fire and flame, to cleanse it.  And then all men will personally appear before this great judge, both men and women and children, that have been from the beginning of the world to the end thereof, being summoned by the voice of the archangel, and by the sound of the trumpet of God.  For all the dead shall be raised out of the earth, and their souls joined and united with their proper bodies, in which they formerly lived.  As for those who shall then be living, they shall not die as the others, but be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and from corruptible, become incorruptible.  Then the books (that is to say the consciences) shall be opened, and the dead judged according to what they shall have done in this world, whether it be good or evil.   Nay, all men shall give an account of every idle word they have spoken, which the world only counts amusement and jest:  and then the secrets and hypocrisy of men shall be disclosed and laid open before all.  And therefore the consideration of this judgment, is justly terrible and dreadful to the wicked and ungodly, but most desirable and comfortable to the righteous and elect:  because then their full deliverance shall be perfected, and there they shall receive the fruits of their labor and trouble which they have borne.  Their innocence shall be known to all, and they shall see the terrible vengeance which God shall execute on the wicked, who most cruelly persecuted, oppressed and tormented them in this world;  and who shall be convicted by the testimony of their own consciences, and being immortal, shall be tormented in that everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels.  But on the contrary, the faithful and elect shall be crowned with glory and honor; and the Son of God will confess their names before God his Father, and his elect angels;  all tears shall be wiped from their eyes; and their cause which is now condemned by many judges and magistrates, as heretical and impious, will then be known to be the cause of the Son of God.   And for a gracious reward, the Lord will cause them to possess such a glory, as never entered into the heart of man to conceive.  Therefore we expect that great day with a most ardent desire to the end that we may fully enjoy the promises of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  AMEN.

“Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” – Revelation. 22:20.  Belgic Confession.

“28 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
30 Tremble before Him, all the earth;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
And let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.”
32 Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
33 Then the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the Lord;
For He is coming to judge the earth.”  1 Chronicles 16:28-33.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 4, 2016

“Do not boast” – “We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, … Men declare Your wondrous works.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 75.

“We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks,
For Your name is near;
Men declare Your wondrous works.
2 “When I select an appointed time,
It is I who judge with equity.
3 “The earth and all who dwell in it melt;
It is I who have firmly set its pillars.  Selah.
4 “I said to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn;
5 Do not lift up your horn on high,
Do not speak with insolent pride.’”

6 For not from the east, nor from the west,
Nor from the desert comes exaltation;
7 But God is the Judge;
He puts down one and exalts another.
8 For a cup is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;
It is well mixed, and He pours out of this;
Surely all the wicked of the earth must drain and drink down its dregs.

9 But as for me, I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 And all the horns of the wicked He will cut off,
But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.”    Psalm chapter 75.

————————-

“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.

Other doctrine boasts of what it has accomplished through its own alleged free-will, its own wisdom, and its own works.

But, Reformed Doctrine strips away any basis for boasting though its teaching of the natural condition of man summarized by “Total Depravity”.

And, Reformed Doctrine proceeds to declare the LORD’s wonderous works and show how the LORD “exercises this lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth” (in the above-stated Jeremiah 9:23-24) in its teaching of the LORD’s “Unconditional Election”, the LORD’s “Limited Atonement” , the LORD’s “Irresistible Grace”, and the LORD’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of 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.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 3, 2016

“Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause” – “Consider the covenant” – “Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, Which You have redeemed”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 74.

“O God, why have You rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?
2 Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.
3 Turn Your footsteps toward the perpetual ruins;
The enemy has damaged everything within the sanctuary.
4 Your adversaries have roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their own standards for signs.
5 It seems as if one had lifted up
His axe in a forest of trees.
6 And now all its carved work
They smash with hatchet and hammers.
7 They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
8 They said in their heart, “Let us completely subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our signs;
There is no longer any prophet,
Nor is there any among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, will the adversary revile,
And the enemy spurn Your name forever?
11 Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
From within Your bosom, destroy them!

12 Yet God is my king from of old,
Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth.
13 You divided the sea by Your strength;
You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You broke open springs and torrents;
You dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
You have prepared the light and the sun.
17 You have established all the boundaries of the earth;
You have made summer and winter.

18 Remember this, O Lord, that the enemy has reviled,
And a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast;
Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider the covenant;
For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not the oppressed return dishonored;
Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name.

22 Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries,
The uproar of those who rise against You which ascends continually.”  Psalm chapter 74.

——————————

Today’s Scripture shows us the basis of our hope that God will deliver us and otherwise help us, particularly when it seems to us that the world is getting worse and worse.

There is the reminder that the people who are experiencing the afflictions are God’s people whom He has purchased.

“Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old,
Which You have redeemed to be the tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount Zion, where You have dwelt.”  Verse 2.

There is the reminder that God loves us.  In the following verse, we notice the use of the tender intimate nickname of “turtledove” for His beloved.

“Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast;
Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.”  Verse 19.

There is the reminder that it is God’s covenant through which He takes care of His people.

“Consider the covenant;
For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.”  Verse 20.

There is the reminder that it is God’s name and God’s cause at stake.

“They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground;
They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name.”  Verse 7.

“Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long.”  Verse 22.

Other doctrine depends on its own goodness and its own cuteness in praying to God to deliver and otherwise help it.

But, Reformed Doctrine knows that there is no goodness and no cuteness in the natural condition of man (which it labels as “Total Depravity”) and that it can only hope and depend on God’s cause, God’s name, God’s covenant, God’s love, and God’s choice of His people whom He purchased for redemption.  

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | July 1, 2016

“Surely God is good to Israel”. But, for the wicked, “Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 73.

“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.
4 For there are no pains in their death,
And their body is fat.
5 They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued  like mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
The garment of violence covers them.
7 Their eye bulges from fatness;
The imaginations of their heart run riot.
8 They mock and wickedly speak of oppression;
They speak from on high.
9 They have set their mouth against the heavens,
And their tongue parades through the earth.

10 Therefore his people return to this place,
And waters of abundance are drunk by them.
11 They say, “How does God know?
And is there knowledge with the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
And washed my hands in innocence;
14 For I have been stricken all day long
And chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
Behold, I would have betrayed the generation of Your children.
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!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.

21 When my heart was embittered
And I was pierced within,
22 Then I was senseless and ignorant;
I was like a beast before You.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.”  Psalm chapter 73.

——————————

It may seem like there is “Common Grace” when we, like the Psalmist, see the prosperity of the wicked.  Verses 6-12.  But, when we perceive the end of the wicked, we understand.

“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!”  Verses 18-19.

God’s grace is reserved for His people a/k/a the elect a/k/a the righteous.

“Surely God is good to Israel,
To those who are pure in heart!”  Verse 1.

But, God will destroy the non-elect a/k/a the wicked.

“For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.”  Verse 27.

God protects and preserves His people.  God guides them and brings them to heaven.  Reformed Doctrine calls this precious point “Preservation of the Saints”, the “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“23 Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 With Your counsel You will guide me,
And afterward receive me to glory.”  Verses 23-24.

In this chapter which sharply contrasts the righteous and the wicked, showing that there is no “Common Grace” covering both groups, this chapter notably ends with the following verse 28.

“But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.”  Verse 28.

Other doctrine is proud of itself and its works.

But, Reformed Doctrine is humble through its teaching of man’s natural condition of “Total Depravity” and continually looks to God as its refuge and tells of God’s work from the very beginning to the very end:  from the very beginning of His “Unconditional Election” through His “Limited Atonement” through His “Irresistible Grace” to the very end of His “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 30, 2016

“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 72.

“Give the king Your judgments, O God,
And Your righteousness to the king’s son.
2 May he judge Your people with righteousness
And Your afflicted with justice.
3 Let the mountains bring peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he vindicate the afflicted of the people,
Save the children of the needy
And crush the oppressor.

5 Let them fear You while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass,
Like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may the righteous flourish,
And abundance of peace till the moon is no more.

8 May he also rule from sea to sea
And from the River to the ends of the earth.

9 Let the nomads of the desert bow before him,
And his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish and of the islands bring presents;
The kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.
11 And let all kings bow down before him,
All nations serve him.

12 For he will deliver the needy when he cries for help,
The afflicted also, and him who has no helper.
13 He will have compassion on the poor and needy,
And the lives of the needy he will save.
14 He will rescue their life from oppression and violence,
And their blood will be precious in his sight;
15 So may he live, and may the gold of Sheba be given to him;
And let them pray for him continually;
Let them bless him all day long.

16 May there be abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains;
Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon;
And may those from the city flourish like vegetation of the earth.
17 May his name endure forever;
May his name increase as long as the sun shines;
And let men bless themselves by him;
Let all nations call him blessed.

18 Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone works wonders.
19 And blessed be His glorious name forever;
And may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen, and Amen.

20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.”  Psalm chapter 72.

——————————–

Although superficially this chapter appears to be a prayer of David for his son Solomon, we should meditate on the deeper and more important meaning of its description of the reign of Jesus Christ.  Christ has these qualities and done these works.

The reign of Christ is sovereign over all the earth.  Verses 8-11.

The reign of Christ brings forth justice and righteousness.  Verses 1-4.

The reign of Christ brings forth lovingkindness.  Verses 12-16.

And, we call Christ blessed.  Verses 17-19.

Other doctrine focuses on man and man’s work.

But, Reformed Doctrine focuses on God and God’s work.

Here is what the Westminster Larger Catechism states:

Q. 45.  How doth Christ execute the office of a king?

A.  Christ executeth the office of a king, in calling out of the world a people to himself, and giving them officers, laws, and censures, by which he visibly governs them;  in bestowing saving grace upon his elect, rewarding their obedience, and correcting them for their sins, preserving and supporting them under all their temptations and sufferings, restraining and overcoming all their enemies, and powerfully ordering all things for his own glory, and their good;  and also in taking vengeance on the rest, who know not God, and obey not the gospel.

“Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
Who alone works wonders.”  Verse 18.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 29, 2016

“My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 71.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+71&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“5 For You are my hope;
O Lord God, You are my confidence from my youth.
6 By You I have been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of You.

7 I have become a marvel to many,
For You are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with Your praise
And with Your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
Do not forsake me when my strength fails.

…

14 But as for me, I will hope continually,
And will praise You yet more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your salvation all day long;
For I do not know the sum of them.
16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.

17 O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?

…

22 I will also praise You with a harp,
Even Your truth, O my God;
To You I will sing praises with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You;
And my soul, which You have redeemed.
24 My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;
For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.”  Psalm 71:5-9 and 14-19 and 22-24.

—————————–

Other doctrine tells of its own righteousness.

But, Reformed Doctrine tells of the righteousness of God.

Other doctrine tells of its own alleged free-will and wisdom and works.

But, Reformed Doctrine tells of God’s will, God’s wisdom, and God’s works.

Other doctrine proudly tells of its own works, its wisdom, and free-will choices distinguishing itself for salvation.

But, Reformed Doctrine humbly tells of God’s salvation, what God has done for it from the very beginning to the very end:  from the very beginning of His “Unconditional Election” through His “Limited Atonement” through His “Irresistible Grace” to the very end of His “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness
And of Your salvation all day long;
For I do not know the sum of them.
16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord God;
I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone.”  Verses 15-16.

“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.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 28, 2016

“Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, “Let God be magnified.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 70.

“O God, hasten to deliver me;
O Lord, hasten to my help!
2 Let those be ashamed and humiliated
Who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.
3 Let those be turned back because of their shame
Who say, “Aha, aha!”

4 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified.”
5 But I am afflicted and needy;
Hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay.”  Psalm chapter 70.

—————————-

Other doctrine seeks to magnify itself:  its works, its wisdom, and its will.

But, Reformed Doctrine confesses that it is afflicted and needy, and instead of magnifying itself, Reformed Doctrine seeks to magnify God.

“Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And let those who love Your salvation say continually,
“Let God be magnified.”  Verse 4.

“… You are my help and my deliverer …”  Verse 5.

“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.  Selah.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered;
He raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.  Selah.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth;
He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two;
He burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.  Selah.”  Psalm chapter 46.

Reformed Doctrine’s teaching of “Total Depravity” as the natural condition of man is consistent with its confession of being afflicted and needy.

Reformed Doctrine loves God’s salvation and magnifies God through its teaching of God’s “Unconditional Election”, God’s “Limited Atonement”, God’s “Irresistible Grace”, and God’s “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“10 “Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold.  Selah.”  Psalm 46:10-11.

“Let God be magnified.”  Verse 4.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 27, 2016

“For the Lord hears the needy” – “The humble have seen it and are glad” – “May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 69.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+69&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Save me, O God,
For the waters have threatened my life.
2 I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.
3 I am weary with my crying;  my throat is parched;
My eyes fail while I wait for my God.
4 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would destroy me are powerful, being wrongfully my enemies;
What I did not steal, I then have to restore.

5 O God, it is You who knows my folly,
And my wrongs are not hidden from You.

…

16 Answer me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good;
According to the greatness of Your compassion, turn to me,
17 And do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am in distress;  answer me quickly.
18 Oh draw near to my soul and redeem it;
Ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my reproach and my shame and my dishonor;
All my adversaries are before You.

20 Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick.
And I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
And for comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me gall for my food
And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

…

29 But I am afflicted and in pain;
May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.
30 I will praise the name of God with song
And magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31 And it will please the Lord better than an ox
Or a young bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The humble have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, let your heart revive.
33 For the Lord hears the needy
And does not despise His who are prisoners.

34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
36 The descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name will dwell in it.  Psalm 69:1-5 and 16-21 and 29-36.

——————————

Other doctrine is proud.

But, Reformed Doctrine is humble.

Other doctrine is self-sufficient, thinking that God is waiting for it to seize salvation by its own will, wisdom, or works.

But, Reformed Doctrine is needy, knowing its natural condition of “Total Depravity” and that God must do everything for salvation from the very beginning to the very end:  from the very beginning of His “Unconditional Election” through His “Limited Atonement” through His “Irresistible Grace” to the very end of His “Preservation of the Saints”, the “U”, “L”, “I”, and “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

We see our Savior Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture, particularly in verse 21.

“3 He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.”  Isaiah 53:3-5.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 26, 2016

There is no “Common Grace”. God scatters and shatters the wicked. In sharp contrast, God delivers and strengthens His people, makes a home for them, and shows them goodness and prosperity.

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 68.  Here is a link to this chapter – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+68&version=NASB

I quote only the following verses.

“Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered,
And let those who hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
As wax melts before the fire,
So let the wicked perish before God.
3 But let the righteous be glad;  let them exult before God;
Yes, let them rejoice with gladness.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name;
Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,
Whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him.

5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows,
Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God makes a home for the lonely;
He leads out the prisoners into prosperity,
Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

7 O God, when You went forth before Your people,
When You marched through the wilderness, Selah.
8 The earth quaked;
The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God;
Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God;
You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched.
10 Your creatures settled in it;
You provided in Your goodness for the poor, O God.

11 The Lord gives the command;
The women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host:
12 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home will divide the spoil!”

…

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden,
The God who is our salvation.  Selah.
20 God is to us a God of deliverances;
And to God the Lord belong escapes from death.
21 Surely God will shatter the head of His enemies,
The hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.

…

34 Ascribe strength to God;
His majesty is over Israel
And His strength is in the skies.
35 O God, You are awesome from Your sanctuary.
The God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to the people.
Blessed be God!”  Psalm 68:1-12 and 19-20 and 34-35.

———————-

In refuting common grace, the preceding chapter focused on the saving nature of grace.  Grace saves!  Grace is particular to the elect, shown only to the elect.

In further refuting common grace, today’s chapter focuses on the sharp distinction between God’s people (the elect a/k/a the righteous) and the wicked.

God scatters and shatters the wicked.  Verses 1, 2, and 21.

In sharp contrast, God delivers and strengthens His people, makes a home for them, and shows them goodness and prosperity.  Verses 5-12, 19-20, and 35.

We easily see that there is no common grace between both groups.

“Blessed are you, O Israel;
Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord,
Who is the shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
So your enemies will cringe before you,
And you will tread upon their high places.”  Deuteronomy 33:29.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 24, 2016

There is no “Common Grace”. Grace is particular, shown only to the elect. If God is gracious to us, then He will save us. “by grace you have been saved”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 67.

“God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us—  Selah.
2 That Your way may be known on the earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy;
For You will judge the peoples with uprightness
And guide the nations on the earth.  Selah.
5 Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
6 The earth has yielded its produce;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 God blesses us,
That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.”  Psalm chapter 67.

—————————–

Other doctrine teaches that God is gracious to all, but only saves some.  This false doctrine is called “common grace”.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches that God is only gracious to His elect.  If God is gracious to us, then He will save us.

We see this truth in verses 1-2.

“God be gracious to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us—  Selah.
2 That Your way may be known on the earth,
Your salvation among all nations.”  Verses 1-2.

And, we see this truth stated in a different way in verse 7, namely, if God blesses us, then we will fear Him.

“God blesses us,
That all the ends of the earth may fear Him.”  Verse 7.

Reformed Doctrine also teaches that this grace is irresistible in its point “Irresistible Grace”, the “I” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation. 

We see this irresistible nature of grace in the following Scriptures.

“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.”  John 6:37.

“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.”  John 6:38.

“Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”  John 6:29.

When we were dead in sin, God showed His “Irresistible Grace”, by making us alive, raising us up, and seating us in the heavenly places in Christ.  By grace, we have been saved.  

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  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 2:4-9.

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