Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 12, 2016

“This I know, that God is for me.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 56.

“Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
2 My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.
3 When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?
5 All day long they distort my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They attack, they lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have waited to take my life.
7 Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
In anger put down the peoples, O God!

8 You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?
9 Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.
10 In God, whose word I praise,
In the Lord, whose word I praise,
11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12 Your vows are binding upon me, O God;
I will render thank offerings to You.
13 For You have delivered my soul from death,
Indeed my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God
In the light of the living.”  Psalm chapter 56.

—————————-

“…  This I know, that God is for me.”  Verse 9.

Other doctrine thinks that they are for God.

But, Reformed Doctrine recognizes in its natural condition of “Total Depravity”, that they are not for God.  They realize that they are dead in sin, hostile to God, enslaved to sin and Satan.

Reformed Doctrine recognizes that their only chance for salvation is “Unconditional Election”, that God is for them.

“Total Depravity” and “Unconditional Election” are the first two points of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;  and these whom He predestined, He also called;  and these whom He called, He also justified;  and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who is against us?  He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?  Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?  God is the one who justifies;  who is the one who condemns?  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?”  Romans 8:29-35.

“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.

“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.”  Ephesians 2:4-7.

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  1 John 4:10.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 10, 2016

“As for me, I shall call upon God, And the Lord will save me.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 55.

I quote only the following verses.

“Give ear to my prayer, O God;
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Give heed to me and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,
3 Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the pressure of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me
And in anger they bear a grudge against me.

…

16 As for me, I shall call upon God,
And the Lord will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem my soul in peace from the battle which is against me,
For they are many who strive with me.
19 God will hear and answer them—
Even the one who sits enthroned from of old— Selah.
With whom there is no change,
And who do not fear God.
20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has violated his covenant.
21 His speech was smoother than butter,
But his heart was war;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
23 But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days.
But I will trust in You.”  Psalm 55:1-3 and 16-23.

—————————

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”  Psalm 50:15.

We see in today’s Scripture that David persistently called upon God.

“Give ear to my prayer, O God;
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
2 Give heed to me and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and am surely distracted,”  Verses 1-2.

“Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur,
And He will hear my voice.”  Verse 17.

Likewise, Jesus taught us that at all times we ought to pray and not to lose heart.

“Now He (Jesus) was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man.  There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’  For a while he was unwilling;  but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’”  And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said;  now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”  Luke 18:1-6.

David assured us in the conclusion to today’s Scripture.

“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”  Verse 22.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 9, 2016

“The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 54.

“Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your power.
2 Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me
And violent men have sought my life;
They have not set God before them.  Selah.

4 Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul.
5 He will recompense the evil to my foes;
Destroy them in Your faithfulness.

6 Willingly I will sacrifice to You;
I will give thanks to Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
7 For He has delivered me from all trouble,
And my eye has looked with satisfaction upon my enemies.”  Psalm chapter 54.

—————————–

“For the arms of the wicked will be broken,
But the Lord sustains the righteous.”  Psalm 37:17.

“11 Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.”  Psalm 51:11-12.

“Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you;
He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”  Psalm 55:22.

“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.”  Psalm 71:6.

Other doctrine relies on its alleged free-will to persevere until death and teaches that one can fall from grace if he or she is not strong enough to use his or her alleged free-will to keep faith until death.

But, Reformed Doctrine teaches that the Lord sustains (also known as preserves) our soul even to the end such that we will inherit eternal life.  This point is known as “Preservation of the Saints”, the “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

Here is what the Canons of Dordt state in part in the section titled FIFTH HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Perseverance of the Saints.

Article 3.  By reason of these remains of indwelling sin, and the temptations of sin and of the world, those who are converted could not persevere in a state of grace, if left to their own strength.  But God is faithful, who having conferred grace, mercifully confirms, and powerfully preserves them herein, even to the end.

Article 8.  Thus, it is not in consequence of their own merits, or strength, but of God’s free mercy, that they do not totally fall from faith and grace, nor continue and perish finally in their backslidings;  which, with respect to themselves, is not only possible, but would undoubtedly happen;  but with respect to God, it is utterly impossible, since his counsel cannot be changed, nor his promise fail, neither can the call according to his purpose be revoked, nor the merit, intercession and preservation of Christ be rendered ineffectual, nor the sealing of the Holy Spirit be frustrated or obliterated.

Article 9.  Of this preservation of the elect to salvation, and of their perseverance in the faith, true believers for themselves may and ought to obtain assurance according to the measure of their faith, whereby they arrive at the certain persuasion, that they ever will continue true and living members of the church;  and that they experience forgiveness of sins, and will at last inherit eternal life.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 8, 2016

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 53:4-6.

“4 Have the workers of wickedness no knowledge,
Who eat up My people as though they ate bread
And have not called upon God?
5 There they were in great fear where no fear had been;
For God scattered the bones of him who encamped against you;
You put them to shame, because God had rejected them.
6 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores His captive people,
Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.”  Psalm 53:4-6.

————————–

“Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!  …”  Verse 6.

David, the Psalmist, rightly fixes his hope that salvation of Israel “would come out of Zion!”.  In other words, salvation would come out of God.

Other doctrine believes that God loves everybody, Christ died for everybody, and thus, the only basis why some are saved and others are not saved is that those who are saved contributed something to secure their salvation whether it be their works, their wisdom, or their alleged free-will choice of Christ.  In other words, by their beliefs, other doctrine shows their hope that salvation ultimately comes out of man.

But, Reformed Doctrine rightly summarizes Scripture that God does not love everybody (God hates the wicked), Christ did not die for everyone (Christ only died for God’s elect – “Limited Atonement” of “TULIP”), that man is dead in sin (“Total Depravity” of “TULIP”) and cannot contribute anything for salvation, and that the only basis why some are saved and others are not saved is that God unconditionally chose some for salvation (“Unconditional Election” of “TULIP”).  In other words, salvation truly comes out of God.

“For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.  For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I raised you up, to demonstrate My power in you, and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the whole earth.”  So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.”  Romans 9:15-18.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 7, 2016

“There is no one who does good, not even one.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 53:1-3.

“The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,”
They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice;
There is no one who does good.
2 God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there is anyone who understands,
Who seeks after God.
3 Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.”     Psalm 53:1-3.

————————–

Reformed Doctrine summarizes this natural condition of man as “Total Depravity”,  the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

There are other similar Scriptures describing this natural condition of man.

“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.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,”
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17 And the path of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Romans 3:10-18.

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  Ephesians 2:1-3.

“… you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, …”  Colossians 1:21.

Through God’s grace, a good understanding and deep belief in this “Total Depravity” produces humility and a fear of the LORD.

Through God’s grace, a good understanding and deep belief in this “Total Depravity” also leads to a good understanding and deep belief in “Unconditional Election” (the next point of “TULIP”) as being our only chance of salvation, because we understand that there is no condition that we could produce that would motivate God to save us, because we were dead in sin, alienated from God and hostile in mind.

We need God’s grace which is “Irresistible Grace”, the “I” of “TULIP”.

And, we need the rest of the points of “TULIP”:  “Limited Atonement” and “Preservation of the Saints”.

In summary, because of our natural condition of “Total Depravity”, we need God to provide all that is needed for salvation.

“I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.”   Psalm 52:9.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 6, 2016

“I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm chapter 52.

“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The lovingkindness of God endures all day long.
2 Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit.
3 You love evil more than good,
Falsehood more than speaking what is right.  Selah.
4 You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue.

5 But God will break you down forever;
He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.
6 The righteous will see and fear,
And will laugh at him, saying,
7 “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches
And was strong in his evil desire.”

8 But as for me, I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the lovingkindness of God forever and ever.
9 I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it,
And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.”   Psalm chapter 52.

—————————

Other doctrine focuses on man and what man has done.

But, Reformed Doctrine focuses on God and what God has done.

“I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it …”  Verse 9.

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.”  Psalm 40:5.

“For You, O Lord, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.”  Psalm 92:4.

“26 Help me, O Lord my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness.
27 And let them know that this is Your hand;
You, Lord, have done it.”  Psalm 109:26-27.

“O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
2 The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”  Psalm 98:1-3.

Reformed Doctrine summarizes Scripture as to what man as done in its first point:  “Total Depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation.

“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.

Reformed Doctrine summarizes Scripture as to what God has done in its remaining points:  “Unconditional Election”, “Limited Atonement”, “Irresistible Grace”, and “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 5, 2016

“A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 51:14-19.

“14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation;
Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
That my mouth may declare Your praise.
16 For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

18 By Your favor do good to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices,
In burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.”    Psalm 51:14-19.

—————————-

“And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:  “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself:  ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people:  swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week;  I pay tithes of all that I get.’  But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’  I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other;  for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Luke 18:9-14.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 3, 2016

“Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 51:1-13.

“Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned
And done what is evil in Your sight,
So that You are justified when You speak
And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness,
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins
And blot out all my iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners will be converted to You.”  Psalm 51:1-13.

——————————

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool.”  Isaiah 1:18.

“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—”  Colossians 1:21-22.

“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.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.  …”  Ephesians 1:3-7. 

“… Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;  but that she would be holy and blameless.”  Ephesians 5:25-27.

Article 8.  For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation:  that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death;  should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing;  and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.   SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby.  Canons of Dordt.

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever.  Amen.”  Jude 1:24-25.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 2, 2016

“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit … So then, you will know them by their fruits.” – “the infallible fruits of election … a hungering and thirsting after righteousness, etc.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 50:16-23.

“16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to tell of My statutes
And to take My covenant in your mouth?
17 “For you hate discipline,
And you cast My words behind you.
18 “When you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
And you associate with adulterers.
19 “You let your mouth loose in evil
And your tongue frames deceit.
20 “You sit and speak against your brother;
You slander your own mother’s son.
21 “These things you have done and I kept silence;
You thought that I was just like you;
I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God,
Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be none to deliver.
23 “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;
And to him who orders his way aright
I shall show the salvation of God.”  Psalm 50:16-23.

———————–

We may claim to be one of the elect.

But, such claim does not necessarily mean that we are in fact one of the elect.

Our lives should show righteousness.

Today’s Scripture, particularly verse 23, speaks in the same sense as the following Scriptures and shows us the proper attitude.

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?  So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  So then, you will know them by their fruits.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;  depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”  Matthew 7:15-23.

“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.  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 1:5-11.

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet;  but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude;  and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;  however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”  Philippians 3:12-16.

The Canons of Dordt provide a good conclusion and summary.

Article 12.  The elect in due time, though in various degrees and in different measures, attain the assurance of this their eternal and unchangeable election, not by inquisitively prying into the secret and deep things of God, but by observing in themselves with a spiritual joy and holy pleasure, the infallible fruits of election pointed out in the Word of God – such as a true faith in Christ, filial fear, a godly sorrow for sin, a hungering and thirsting after righteousness, etc.  FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination.  Canons of Dordt.

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Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | June 1, 2016

“you will honor Me.”

Today’s devotion comes from Psalm 50:1-15.

“The Mighty One, God, the Lord, has spoken,
And summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth.
3 May our God come and not keep silence;
Fire devours before Him,
And it is very tempestuous around Him.
4 He summons the heavens above,
And the earth, to judge His people:
5 “Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens declare His righteousness,
For God Himself is judge.  Selah.

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak;
O Israel, I will testify against you;
I am God, your God.
8 “I do not reprove you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9 “I shall take no young bull out of your house
Nor male goats out of your folds.
10 “For every beast of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
11 “I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12 “If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the world is Mine, and all it contains.
13 “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14 “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”  Psalm 50:1-15.

———————

Today’s devotion focuses on honoring God. 

We don’t honor God by earthly sacrifices of bulls, goats, or other burnt offerings.  Verses 8-13.  They only serve as shadows or images of the sacrifice of His beloved Son Jesus Christ Who truly honored Him.

“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;”  Verse 14.

We honor God by being thankful for what He has done for us.  Verse 14.

We honor God for paying our vows.  Our marriage vow is among the most important and most relevant vows to pay.  Verse 14.

“Gather My godly ones to Me,
Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”  Verse 5.

We also honor God by gathering together to worship God at congregational worship services.  Verse 5.

“9 Honor the Lord from your wealth
And from the first of all your produce;
10 So your barns will be filled with plenty
And your vats will overflow with new wine.”  Proverbs 3:9-10.

We also honor God by setting aside some of our wealth when we receive it to give to God.

“13 “If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
14 Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  Isaiah 58:13-14.

We also honor God by honoring the Sabbath for worship, rest, and otherwise as a special holy day dedicated to the LORD.

“… He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”  John 5:23.

We honor God by honoring His Son Jesus Christ.

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this:  to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  James 1:27.

We honor God by visiting and otherwise helping orphans and widows and by keeping ourself unstained by the world.

There are other ways to honor God.

In conclusion, we can only honor God by the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God;  for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”  Romans 8:1-7.

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6.

“Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”  Verse 15.

Notice the emphasis of “will” as in “you will honor Me”.  Part of God’s grace is that He shall rescue us.  But, part of God’s grace is that He also causes us to honor Him as in “you will honor Me”.  

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