Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

For to us God revealed them through the Spirit;  for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”  1 Corinthians 2:8-13.

¹³ Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.  ¹⁴ We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.  He who does not love abides in death.  ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer;  and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”  1 John 3:11-15.

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There are deeds of darkness and death.

“Cain … was of the evil one and slew his brother.  And for what reason did he slay him?  Because his deeds were evil”.  Verse 12.

“Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.”  Verse 13.

“He who does not love abides in death.”  Verse 14.

“Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer”.  Verse 15.

“and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”  Verse 15.

There are lights of love and life.

“For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another”.  Verse 11.

The deeds of Abel “were righteous.”  Verse 12.

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren.”  Verse 14.

Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, is our only hope that we can be those lights of love and life in a world of darkness and death.

“The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light,
And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death,
Upon them a Light dawned.”  Matthew 4:11.

“In Him (Jesus Christ) was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  …

^“There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.  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, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  John 1:4-5 and 9-13.

“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;  but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”  1 John 1:5-7.

“The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”  1 John 2:10.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God;  and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”  1 John 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.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”  1 John 4:10-11.

“We love, because He first loved us.”  1 John 4:19.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.”  John 5:24.

We all believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that there is one only simple and spiritual Being, which we call God; and that he is eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, immutable, infinite, almighty, perfectly wise, just, good, and the overflowing fountain of all good.  Belgic Confession.

Question 7:  What is God?

Answer:  God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection;  all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.  Westminister Larger Catechism.

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.  Heidelberg Catechism.

This glorious hope (that we will be like our Dad) is not based on our duty and determination.  This glorious hope is based on the Almighty Power of God.

“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.”  Romans 8:29-30.

“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.

Grace is why we have eternal life.  Verse 25.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23.  “Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;  but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst;  but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”  John 4:13-14.  “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Romans 5:20-21.

Grace is why we have the anointing that teaches us about all things.  Verse 27.  “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”  John 14:26.  “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth;  for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak;  and He will disclose to you what is to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”  John 16:13-14.  

Grace is why we have confidence and do not shrink back from Christ in shame.  Verse 28.  “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit;  for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”  2 Corinthians 3:4-6. 

Grace is why we are born again and practice righteousness.  Verse 29.  “Little children, make sure no one deceives you;  the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;  the one who practices sin is of the devil;  for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.  No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him;  and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious:  anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”  1 John 3:7-10.

Grace is why we have all these saving gifts. 

The following Article 8 of the Canons of Dordt (SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby) reminds us that God’s grace is the source of all saving gifts. 

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.   

Thus, when we think of grace, we should think of gifts.  When we think of grace, we should think of righteousness.  When we think of grace, we should think of anointing.  When we think of grace, we should think of confidence.  And, when we think of grace, we should think of eternal life.

Some explain grace making grace an acronym for “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”.  Today’s devotion also makes me think of grace as an acronym for these other key words of grace:

Gifts                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Righteousness                                                                                                                                          Anointing                                                                                                                                                  Confidence                                                                                                                                               Eternal Life