Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 3:18-20.

 

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;  in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.”  1 Peter 3:18-20. 

 

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“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God“.  What a message of love and salvation!

                                          

I thought of some wonderful ways Christ brought us to God, and there are other ways:

First, Christ brought us to God by His sacrificial death by which our sins are forgiven and by which we are justified, sanctified, and reconciled to God.  See 1 Peter 3:18 above.

Second, Christ brought us to God by coming to earth to be our Immanuel, “GOD WITH US”.  Matthew 1:23.

Third, Christ brought us to God by sending us the Holy Spirit to indwell us.  See for example John 14:16 & 26, John 16:7 & 13-15; and Acts 1:8.

Fourth, Christ brought us to God by giving us eternal life to be with God:  “…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23.

Fifth, Christ brought us to God by giving us the right to become children of God.  “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” John 1:12.

Sixth, Christ brought us to God by being the Word and teaching us grace and truth:  “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.　

Seventh, Christ brought us to God by giving us glory.  “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;  I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”  John 17:22-24.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 3:13-17.

 

“¹³ Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?  ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed.  And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled, ¹⁵ but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;  ¹⁶ and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.  ¹⁷ For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.”  1 Peter 3:13-17.

 

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Today’s devotion gives us three things to do.

 

First, “do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled”.  Verse 14.

 

Second, “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence”.  Verse 15. 

 

Third, “keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame”.  Verse 16.

 

To do these three things, it helps us to believe in a sovereign and faithful Savior.  For example, look what can happen when we more fully believe the following Question and Answer 1 of the Heidelberg Catechism.

 

 

 

First, we will not be intimidated nor troubled, because we know that “without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head“.

 

Second, we will sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, because we know that we “belong” to Him.  He truly is our Lord.  We don’t trust our self;  we trust our sovereign Lord.  It is not a partnership where we need to trust our self to do half of the job.  We “set apart” (the meaning of sanctify) Christ as our sovereign Lord. 

 

Third, we will keep a good conscience, because we know that God “makes” us “sincerely” (good conscience) willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him. 

 

In conclusion, by this belief in our sovereign and faithful Savior Jesus Christ, we don’t approach these three things as three separate “to do” things which we depend on our selves to remember and do all three things.  By this belief in our sovereign and faithful Savior, all three things flow together out of us as “living water”, so to speak, out of such belief in our sovereign and faithful Savior. 

 

And, this truly is our only comfort in life and death, throughout whatever suffering we experience.   

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 3:8-12.

 

“⁸ To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit;  ⁹ not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead;  for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.  ¹⁰ For,

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 3:3.

 

“You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman;  and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.”  1 Peter 3:3.

 

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“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”  Romans 8:16-17.

 

“to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,”  Ephesians 3:6

                                 

“By faith he (Abraham) lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;”  Hebrews 11:9

 

The differences between husbands and wives are not as great as what they have in common.  They are both children of God and fellow heirs of the grace of life.  They are “fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel”. 

 

Their best strengths and best works don’t gain them salvation.  Both husbands and wives are utterly dependent on grace.  Neither gender can boast. 

 

Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, both husbands and wives live as aliens in the land of promise.  Men may be from Mars, and women may be from Venus, but they are both aliens.  

 

Therefore, as aliens but also as fellow heirs of the grace of life, let husbands (particularly as they are the focus of today’s devotion) and wives both be understanding and patient with each other.  Let us honor each other as fellow heirs of the grace of life.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 3:1-6.

 

“In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.  Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;  but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.  For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands;  just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.”  1 Peter 3:1-6. 

 

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We have read about the importance of submission in citizens in 1 Peter 2:13-17. 

 

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 2:18-25.

 

“¹⁸ Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.  ¹⁹ For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.  ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience?  But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. 

 

²¹ For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, ²² who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;  ²³ and while being reviled, He did not revile in return;  while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;  ²⁴ and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;  for by His wounds you were healed.  ²⁵ For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”  1 Peter 2:18-25.

                                     

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We submit, because we trust God.  Like Christ, we keep entrusting ourselves to Him Who judges righteously.  Verse 23.

 

When we do what is right and suffer for it and patiently endure it, we are proving our faith.  This patient endurance of unjust suffering finds favor with God, because it is in essence faith which pleases God. 

 

This trust also known as faith is not only that a conviction or assurance that God will somehow get us through the suffering;  this trust is a specific belief that God turns that unjust suffering to be for our advantage, and it is a general belief that we, the righteous, live our whole lives by faith.

                                     

We trust, because we believe in a Sovereign Savior Who so absolutely controls everything that not a hair can fall from our head apart from His will and Who causes all things to work toward our salvation.

Consider the following from the Heidelberg Catechism.

Question 1.  What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer.  That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ;  who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil;  and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head;  yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

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

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

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 2:13-17.

 

“¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.  ¹⁵ For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.  ¹⁶ Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.  ¹⁷ Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”  1 Peter 2:13-17.

 

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“My son, fear the Lord and the king;
Do not associate with those who are given to change,”  Proverbs 24:21.

 

Submission to authority is doing right.  It is the will of God.  Verse 15.  It also earns the praise of those who do right.  Verse 14.  It also helps the punishment of evildoers.  Verse 14. 

 

Submission to authority helps silence the ignorance of foolish men.  Verse 15.  We may infer that submission to authority helps silence the ignorance of foolish men, because those foolish men don’t want to stick out as evildoers when everyone else is quiet and in submission.  But, submission to authority is expressly stated that it is the will of God.  

 

Submission to authority is also part of that “excellent behavior” about which we read yesterday.  “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.  1 Peter 2:12.

 

We submit to authority not because we are slaves to men;  but, we submit to authority, because we are bondslaves to God.  Our goal is not some personal freedom to do whatever we want.  Our goal is to best serve God.

 

We read elsewhere in Scripture that we submit to authority “so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”  “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.  This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  1 Timothy 2:1-3. 

                                

This makes sense.

 

 

 

 

Now, there may be rare times when rebellion is the best course of action, because justice is also the will of God.  We do read about God leading the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. 

 

But, we also need to consider that Christ did not lead a rebellion to free the Jews from the rule of the Romans as many wanted.  We also don’t read about rebellion being the best course of action in today’s Scripture.  Instead, we read about the command to submit to authority and the reasons to do so.

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 2:11-12.

 

“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.  Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”  1 Peter 2:11-12.

 

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We are reminded of the hope that we have by which we can abstain from fleshly lusts and by which we can keep our behavior excellent.  By God’s grace and sovereign action, we are set apart from the world.  We are “aliens and strangers” to the world.  We are not like the worldly Gentiles (even if we are technically Gentiles by blood). 

 

We are different.  The previous Scripture states:  “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God;  you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  1 Peter 2:9-10. 

 

Therefore, although we can and do sin, it is now unnatural for us.  It is against our spiritual nature.  We may not be perfect, but by God’s grace and action, we are now set apart as holy.   

 

“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;  for he who has died is freed from sin.”  Romans 6:5-6.

 

 

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness;  but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”  Romans 6:12-14. 

 

“Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy;  and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.”  Leviticus 20:26

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 2:9-10.

 

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;  for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God;  you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  1 Peter 2:9-10.

 

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God’s purpose (in making us “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession … the people of God”) is that we “may proclaim the excellencies of Him“.

 

As “a chosen race”, we proclaim with joy God’s absolute sovereignty.

 

 

“Question 1:  What is the chief and highest end of man?

Answer:  Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him forever.”  

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Peter 2:7-8.

 

“This precious value, then, is for you who believe;  but for those who disbelieve,

and,

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.”  1 Peter 2:7-8.

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We focus on two points in today’s Scripture.  First, Christ is the very corner stone of our salvation.  Second, God is not only sovereign in predestining those who will believe;  God is also sovereign in predestining those who will not believe.

First, regarding Christ is the very corner stone of our salvation, we are reminded of Scripture quoted in yesterday’s devotion.  “He (Jesus Christ) is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.  And there is salvation in no one else;  for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:11-12.

“What shall we say then?  That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;  but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law.  Why?  Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works.  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written,

Second, today’s Scripture confirms that God is not only sovereign in predestining those who will believe;  God is also sovereign in predestining those who will not believe.  We read:  “and to this doom they were also appointed.”  Verse 8.

Here are two articles from the Canons of Dordt in the section titled “FIRST HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of Divine Predestination”. 

Article 6.  That some receive the gift of faith from God, and others do not receive it proceeds from God’s eternal decree, “For known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world,” Acts 15:18.  “Who worketh all things after the counsel of his will,” Ephesians 1:11.  According to which decree, he graciously softens the hearts of the elect, however obstinate, and inclines them to believe, while he leaves the non-elect in his just judgment to their own wickedness and obduracy.  And herein is especially displayed the profound, and merciful, and at the same time the righteous discrimination between men, equally involved in ruin;  or that decree of election and reprobation, revealed in the Word of God, which though men of perverse, impure and unstable minds wrest to their own destruction, yet to holy and pious souls affords unspeakable consolation.

But, there is hope!

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.

 

We conclude with praise and a quote from the above Article 6:  “decree of election and reprobation, revealed in the Word of God, which though men of perverse, impure and unstable minds wrest to their own destruction, yet to holy and pious souls affords unspeakable consolation”.  

“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 56:13

“For You have rescued my soul from death, My eyes from tears, My feet from stumbling.”  Psalm 116:8

“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.