Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

³  For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

⁴  For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,

⁵  so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

⁶  Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:  if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;

⁷  if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;

⁸  or he who exhorts, in his exhortation;  he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence;  he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”  Romans 12:1-8.

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There are many different things we can do in Christian service, but we need to determine our gifts and God’s perfect will for us.  We will not accomplish what is best if we settle for what is good.

We have a duty as fellow Christian brothers and sisters to encourage and help others discover their gifts.  We need to be truthful, not just flatter and be nice.

When we discover our gifts and God’s perfect will for us, we need to decline those opportunities for merely good service, so that we can accomplish the best service.  We need to realize that we will be tempted to accept the merely good, most often when we are praised.  We need to say:  “No, thank you.” and stay focused on our gifts and God’s perfect will for us.  Notice the focus in today’s Scripture.  “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;  if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;  or he who exhorts, in his exhortation;  he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence;  he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” 

“For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,”  Romans 12:4.  An ear should not try to be an eye.  A foot should not try to be a hand.

God is in total control, giving gifts and working all things in all persons, all for the common good.  “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.  But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”  1 Corinthians 12:4-7.

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For the elect, both Jews and Gentiles, “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”.  God does not “give and take”.  God does not base his actions on our reactions.  God does not fall out of love with His elect.  “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”  James 1:17. 

Here is what Article 11 of The Canons of Dordt state about “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable”. 

Article 11.  And as God himself is most wise, unchangeable, omniscient and omnipotent, so the election made by him can neither be interrupted nor changed, recalled or annulled;  neither can the elect be cast away, nor their number diminished. 

In conclusion, Ephesians 1:3-8 describes these irrevocable gifts and calling.  “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.   …”

   “GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”

 ⁹  And David says,

   “LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.

¹⁰  “LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”  Romans 11:7-10.

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The Scripture for today describes the decree of reprobation.  God is not only sovereign over the elect;  God is also sovereign over the reprobate.  Here is what The Canons of Dordt state about it in part:

Article 15.  “… not all, but some only are elected, while others are passed by in the eternal election of God; whom God, out of his sovereign, most just, irreprehensible and unchangeable good pleasure, hath decreed to leave in the common misery into which they have willfully plunged themselves, and not to bestow upon them saving faith and the grace of conversion;  but leaving them in his just judgment to follow their own ways, at last for the declaration of his justice, to condemn and punish them forever, not only on account of their unbelief, but also for all their other sins.  And this is the decree of reprobation which by no means makes God the author of sin (the very thought of which is blasphemy), but declares him to be an awful, irreprehensible, and righteous judge and avenger thereof.

We, as the clay or the pottery, should not accuse God, the Potter, our Maker.  “So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.  You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”  On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God?  The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?  Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?”  Romans 9:18-21. 

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. (The Canons of Dordt)

There is more hope!

In the very same Psalm that is the source of the quotes for the Scripture today, Psalm Chapter 69, after stating this decree of reprobation, this Psalm Chapter 39 concludes with the following.

“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 69:29-36.

That is, there is hope for those who humble themselves and seriously and diligently seek God. 

There is also even more hope!  Stay tuned to the Scripture following today’s Scripture!

¹⁶  However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT?”

¹⁷  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

¹⁸  But I say, surely they have never heard, have they?  Indeed they have;                                                                                                                                      

“THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH,
AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.”

¹⁹  But I say, surely Israel did not know, did they?  First Moses says,                                                                                                                                                   

“I WILL MAKE YOU JEALOUS BY THAT WHICH IS NOT A NATION,
BY A NATION WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING WILL I ANGER YOU.”

 ²⁰  And Isaiah is very bold and says,                                                                                                                                                  

“I WAS FOUND BY THOSE WHO DID NOT SEEK ME,
I BECAME MANIFEST TO THOSE WHO DID NOT ASK FOR ME.”

 ²¹  But as for Israel He says, “ALL THE DAY LONG I HAVE STRETCHED OUT MY HANDS TO A DISOBEDIENT AND OBSTINATE PEOPLE.”  Romans 10:14-21. 

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It is important that the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ is preached and teached.  The Scripture for today makes it very clear.  “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard?  And how will they hear without a preacher?  How will they preach unless they are sent?  Just as it is written, “HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!””  Romans 10:14-15.

But, a one time presentation by preaching from the pulpit is not sufficient.  “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”  Colossians 3:16.  We are exhorted to teach each other.  We are exhorted to admonish and otherwise encourage each other each other.  We are exhorted to sing with each other.

But, even all this is not sufficient.  The content and context of this Scripture today reveals to us that we need the sovereign and infallible power of God’s word to irresistably draw His elect to salvation.

The content of today’s Scripture shows that all did not “heed” the good news (Romans 10:16) even though the message of salvation was extensively preached and teached.  “THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD.”  (Romans 10:18).

The context of today’s Scripture is God’s election.  “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.”  Romans 9:15-16.  

“Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.  For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.  Therefore I speak to them in parables;  because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND;
YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; 
FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL,
WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN,
AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”  Matthew 13:11-16.

The ultimate assurance is that God’s Word will accomplish God’s purpose.  “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”  Isaiah 55:11

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”  We come to faith through hearing the good news.  We truly hear and heed this good news through this power of the word of Christ.