Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

One of the requirements of the church office of elders is that the man must not have unruly children.  “He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?),”  1 Timothy 3:4-5. 

Therefore, as elders, preachers, teachers, and even as parents, we want to manage our own households and our own congregations well.  We do experience joy when we have confidence in our children and our congregations. 

Just a few verses earlier in the same chapter as today’s Scripture, we read Paul’s statement to the Corinthians:  “Great is my confidence in you;  great is my boasting on your behalf.  I am filled with comfort;  I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.”  2 Corinthians 7:4. 

The Apostle John wrote:  “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”  3 John 1:4.  

But, our confidence is not in our own ability to be good and faithful elders, preachers, teachers, and parents.  Our confidence is in the Lord.  “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 1:6.  “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.  We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command.  May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.”  2 Thessalonians 3:3-5.

Reformed doctrine, which pounds the table on the sovereign, unconditional, and unilateral work of God in salvation, most effectively builds up the faith of the children and the congregations, so they may have confidence in the Lord.  And, Reformed doctrine, which pounds the table on the sovereign, unconditional, and unilateral work of God in salvation, most effectively builds up the faith of the elders, preachers, teachers, and parents, so that they may have confidence in the Lord that He will perfect the work in their children and their congregations and that He will strengthen and protect them from the evil one. 

And thus, we may experience the joy of both confidence in the Lord and confidence in our children and congregations.

⁷ and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.”  2 Corinthians 7:4-7.

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We may be “afflicted on every side:  conflicts without, fears within”.  Verse 5.  “But God, … comforts the depressed“.  Verse 6. 

And, God comforts us in different ways.  In today’s Scripture, we read the different ways in which God comforted Paul and his group.  God comforted them by the coming of Titus, and God comforted them by making them realize how much the Corinthians loved them as relayed by Titus who reported to them their longing, mourning, and zeal for Paul. 

“Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;  for they have been ever of old.”  Psalm 25:6

“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:  according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.”  Psalm 51:1

“Hear me, O LORD;  for thy lovingkindness is good:  turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.”  Psalm 69:16

“² Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

 ³ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

 ⁴ Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;  who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

 ⁵ Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;  so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”  Psalm 103:2-5.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”  2 Corinthians 2:3-4.

² Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one. 

³ I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.”  2 Corinthians 7:1-3.

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Here are motivations for action both for the Corinthians and for us today.  First, we have these promises of God.  Second, we fear God.  Third, Paul loved the Corinthians, and our church leaders love us.  Fourth, we are all “in this” together.  Therefore, having all of these motivations, “beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”  Verse 1. 

These promises of God motivate us.  In just the immediately preceding Scripture, we read:  “Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.  “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;  And I will welcome you.  “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”  2 Corinthians 6:17-18.  More generally, we read:  “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”  2 Peter 1:4

Fear of God motivates us.  “But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.  Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops.  “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.  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 12:2-5.  “Tremble, and do not sin;  Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.”  Psalm 4:4 

The love of our church leaders motivate us.  We often read about sports players doing just about anything for their coach whom they respect and even love.  How much more do our church leaders love us and motivate us!  Paul wrote to the Corinthians:  “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.  …   For to this end also I wrote, so that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things.”  2 Corinthians 2:4 and 9.

The fact that we are all “in this” together motivates us.  Next Thursday, I will be leaving for a hiking trip in which I will hike the Grand Canyon and other areas in Arizona with 7 other guys who all graduated the same year with me in high school.  Because we are all “in this” together, both the preparation and the hike itself, it motivates all of us to complete together these very physically challenging hikes.  How much more does this fact that we are all together in these spiritual trials of life motivate us!  “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”  Hebrews 12:1.

¹⁸ “And I will be a father to you,
And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty.”  2 Corinthians 6:14-18.

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We may not like this Scripture, but here it is, providing the command, the explanation, and even the promised blessing.  The command is “Do not be bound together withunbelievers”.  The explanation is “what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?”.  The promise is “COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.  “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN;  And I will welcome you.  “And I will be a father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty.”  

“Do not be bound together with unbelievers” applies to a potential marriage between a believer and an unbeliever, but possibly other relationships as well.  This is also not a unique command taught only once in Scripture.  God taught it to the people of Israel, and Israel got into much trouble ignoring this commandment.  See for example Ezra Chapter 9.  Rather, than trying to twist Scripture into not governing our behavior, we need and seek God’s grace to obey.  

But, there is hope!

In a parallel Scripture, Isaiah 52:12 states:                                                                                   

“¹¹ Depart, depart, go out from there,
Touch nothing unclean;
Go out of the midst of her, purify yourselves,
You who carry the vessels of the LORD.
¹² But you will not go out in haste,
Nor will you go as fugitives;
For the LORD will go before you,
And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”  

“⁷ The way of the righteous is smooth;
O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.
⁸ Indeed, while following the way of Your judgments, O LORD,
We have waited for You eagerly;
Your name, even Your memory, is the desire of our souls.”  Isaiah 26:7-8.

“³ “The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.
⁴ “Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.”   Isaiah 26:3-4.

“To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak;  I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”  1 Corinthians 9:22

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;  just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.”  1 Corinthians 10:31-33.

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We read God’s word that God is a “very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1), but we want to wait, not quite trusting God nor that He is helping us now.  Today’s Scripture teaches us that we can trust God and that now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME” to act upon that trust.  Today is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”. 

We may have heard a great sermon yesterday.  But instead of acting upon that sermon, we try to excuse  ourselves:  “I will think about it.”  And, Monday’s cares and concerns make the sermon recede in our minds until we forget about it.

Remember the Parable of the Sower.  Are we going to let the Word of God just lie there on the road next to us, or are we going to pick it up, embrace it, and act upon it?  Are we going to let the Word of God just sit there on “our back burner”, or are we going to “cook with it”?   

“Now the parable is this:  the seed is the word of God.  Those beside the road are those who have heard;  then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved.  Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy;  and these have no firm root;  they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.  The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”  Luke 8:11-15. 

“Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”—” 

Remember Jesus’ words in Luke 9:59-62.  “And He said to another, “Follow Me.”  But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.”  But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead;  but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”  Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord;  but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.”  But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

“Behold, now is “THE ACCEPTABLE TIME,” behold, now is “THE DAY OF SALVATION”—”

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will hardly die for a righteous man;  though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.  And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”   Romans 5:6-11.

Romans 5:6-11 pounds the table on man’s lack of meritorious contribution in reconciliation:  “while we were still helpless“, “while we were yet sinners“, and “while we were enemies“.  Romans 5:6-11 pounds the table on God doing it all in reconciliation:  “we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” and “we shall be saved by His life” and “we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”  

The distinctive mark of Reformed Doctrine is not that we just try harder to reform our doctrine to the Bible.  The Baptists and many other denominations study the Bible as much and try as hard as they can to form their doctrine based on the Bible.  Rather, the distinctive mark of Reformed Doctrine is its emphasis on the sovereign and unilateral actions of God in salvation.  Reformed preachers and teachers see the sovereign and unilateral actions of God in salvation throughout Scripture and preach and teach it.  Reconciliation illustrates this distinctive mark of Reformed Doctrine.        

Although Reformed preachers and teachers may not necessarily agree with everything that is written and posted at the well-known web site:  http://www.monergism.com , the Reformed founders and contributors at the web site do a service to their readers in emphasizing monergism which is their term for the sovereign and unilateral action of God in salvation.  Here is a link to their description of it – Click here: What Is Monergism? (Monergism)  (There is also a link to the home page of the monergism web site in my “Links” in the right column.)

In conclusion, “… we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”   Romans 5:11.  Praise God for His sovereign and unilateral action in reconciliation!