Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ³  Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God,

 ⁴  got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.”  John 13:1-4. 

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The love of Jesus for “His own” struck me as a good theme for this devotion.  Although the main point of this Scripture concerns a personal testimony, it is first noteworthy to comment that Jesus did not describe the objects of His love as everyone, but rather, Jesus described the objects of His love as “His own”.  Moreover, Jesus separates “His own” and contrasts them from everyone else by His use of the next phrase “who were in the world”.  Concerning this point, an excellent chapter to read is John Chapter 17, particularly starting with verse 9 Click here: John 17 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com       

Even yesterday, I read one church’s belief:  “Humanity – We believe that all people are loved by God, reflect God’s glory and are in need of salvation (John 3.16)”.  Well, it is true that all people reflect God’s glory (to some extent as images of God) and that all people are in need of salvation.  But, it is false that all people are loved by God, and it is misleading to just state that all people reflect God’s glory without stating anything about the effect of sin on man (“Total depravity” is how Reformed people would describe that condition.) 

Such false belief can lead to other false beliefs (such as “universal atonement”) and has consequences that go beyond the scope of this devotion.  We should not engage in brash, useless, and hurtful speculation such as:  “I am loved by God, but you are not loved by God.”  No one’s name beyond the first century is written in the Bible.  Our attitude should be humble such as described in 2 Peter 1:10 (“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;”)  Let me just conclude with this comment.  Does it not seem at least a little inconsistent, or more difficult to believe:  “all people are loved by God, reflect God’s glory” but “all people are in need of salvation“?   

Getting to the main point of this devotion, it is good to be reminded of Jesus’ love for us, “His own”. 

Yesterday, I was a little discouraged about little financial pressures.  I was bothered and moody as I watched TV last night, and I did not sleep well. So, as I often do when I am troubled and restless, I got up and read the Scripture for the devotion for the next day.

As I read “having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”, I was reminded of Romans 5:3-6.

“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;  and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;  and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”  Romans 5:3-6. 

I laid back down and repeated this Romans 5:3-6 Scripture until I fell asleep and I dreamed it.  I woke up feeling better.

But, going back to my thoughts as I repeated that Scripture, here are some of my thoughts. 

I remembered a childhood friend’s father who once described me as “tenacious”, and I felt better about the value of such “proven character”.  This is also a lesson in itself about the importance of encouragement.

I also noted that this hope does not disappoint.  I thought of Romans 8:32.  “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?”    I felt more convinced about this hope which does not disappoint.

When I meditated on the last sentence (“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”), I thought that our hope is not based on our wisdom or skill;  our hope is based on Christ.  If I did not motivate Christ to die and save me by my wisdom or skill in dealing with financial pressures or other troubles, then there is hope for Bill and others too.

 ⁴⁶  “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

 ⁴⁷  “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him;  for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

 ⁴⁸  “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him;  the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.

 ⁴⁹  “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.

 ⁵⁰  “I know that His commandment is eternal life;  therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”  John 12:44-50.

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The central theme of this Scripture is the unity between Jesus (Who is God the Son) and God the Father.  “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.”  “”He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.”  “For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak.”  “I know that His commandment is eternal life;  therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

The importance of this point (of the unity between Jesus (Who is God the Son) and God the Father) is demonstrated by the fact that Jesus often emphasized it.  Here are some examples.

“He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”  Matthew 10:40. 

“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me;  and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”  Luke 10:16.

“Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.”  John 5:19. 

“So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”  John 7:16. 

“I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true;  and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.”  John 8:26.

“So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me.”  John 8:28. 

“I speak the things which I have seen with My Father;  therefore you also do the things which you heard from your father.”  John 8:38.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me;  and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.”  John 13:20. 

“Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father;  how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”  John 14:9.

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me?  The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.”  John 14:10. 

“He who does not love Me does not keep My words;  and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”  John 14:24. 

“but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me.  Get up, let us go from here.”  John 14:31. 

“for the words which You gave Me I have given to them;  and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.”  John 17:8. 

“I know that His commandment is eternal life;  therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”  John 12:50.

 ³⁹  For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again,

 ⁴⁰  “HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM.”

 ⁴¹  These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.

 ⁴²  Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;

 ^{43  for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.”  John 12:37-43.}

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At first cursory thought, it is strange that God “HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED”.

But, we have a clue why God did blind and harden in the following verse.  “These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.”  John 12:41.

Isaiah spoke of the glory of God, God’s commission to Isaiah to tell the people (‘Keep on listening, but do not perceive;  Keep on looking, but do not understand.’ …), and God only leaving a remnant.  Click here: Is6:1-ff – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com  However, this passage only provides a clue, because this passage does not tell us why God only left a believing remnant, other than referring that the remnant was sufficient for His purpose in Jesus (“The holy seed is its stump.”).

Nevertheless, this clue, that God did blind and harden for His glory, is sufficient, because this clue reminds us of I Corinthians 1:26-31.

“For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;  but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”  I Corinthians 1:26-31.  

From the very beginning, God has chosen in order to get the glory. 

“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.  “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”  Deuteronomy 7:6-8. 

“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.

1 Peter 2:9-10 ties it together for us.  God has chosen His people in order to get the glory “so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. 

“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.

In conclusion, some state that we should hide or minimize this doctrine that salvation is unconditionally based on election, God’s choice.  But, Scripture does not hide or minimize this doctrine.  This “unconditional election” doctrine, the “U” of “TULIP”,  the Five Points of Calvinism a/k/a Reformed Doctrine, is seen throughout Scripture to give the glory to God, “so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light”. 

 ³⁰ Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes.

 ³¹ “Now judgment is upon this world;  now the ruler of this world will be cast out.

 ³² “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.”

 ³³ But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death by which He was to die.

 ³⁴ The crowd then answered Him, “We have heard out of the Law that the Christ is to remain forever;  and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’?  Who is this Son of Man?”

 ³⁵ So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you.  Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you;  he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

 ³⁶ “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.”  These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.”  John 12:28-36. 

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In today’s Scripture, we have Jesus.  We have references to Jesus as the Son of Man.  We have a sign.  We have a voice from heaven.  We have a voice come to others, besides just Jesus.  We have a view of above.  We have light.  We have glory.  We have good news.  We have reference to a Savior.  Today’s Scripture reminds me of the Christmas story in Luke 2:7-14.   

“⁷  And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 ⁸  In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

 ⁹  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them;  and they were terribly frightened.

 ¹⁰  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;

 ¹¹  for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

 ¹²  “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
    ¹⁴  “Glory to God in the highest,
         And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”  Luke 2:7-14.

Merry Christmas!

 ²²  Philip came and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip came and told Jesus.

 ²³  And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.

 ²⁴  “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone;  but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

 ²⁵  “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

 ²⁶  “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me;  and where I am, there My servant will be also;  if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. 

 ²⁷  “Now My soul has become troubled;  and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’?  But for this purpose I came to this hour.”  John 12:20-27. 

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The very first verse identifies the people who initiated this conversation as Greeks, and this identification and whole passage reminds me of 1 Corinthians 1:22-24.

“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;  but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”  1 Corinthians 1:22-24.

Jesus came to earth, and even to this hour of suffering and crucifixion, for the purpose of His perfect sacrifice and atonement for the sins of His people through His shed blood on the cross. 

Jesus’ soul was indeed troubled, but He did not give up nor fail.  Jesus was obedient to death and accomplished His mission.  “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.  Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.  And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,”  Hebrews 5:7-9. 

Jesus came to do God’s will.  “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.  Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;  but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.  For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”  Hebrews 10:10-14.

“But for this purpose I came to this hour.”

 ¹⁹  So the Pharisees said to one another, “You see that you are not doing any good;  look, the world has gone after Him.”  John 12:17-19.

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Notice the growth started with the testimony of eye witnesses, proceeded through the hearing by others, and continued when these others “checked it out” by meeting Jesus. 

Each of us should ask ourselves:  “What works of God did we witness?”.  We will witness different works of God, but we should be faithful witnesses of what we witnessed and not try to pretend to witness something that we did not witness.

Some of us will witness God’s delivery from financial troubles.  I am such an eye witness and can testify to God’s faithfulness in this area.  

Some of us are scientists and can skillfully testify to the incredible design, complexity, diversity, beauty and function of creation.  They can build faith in others that there is God, the Creator, by their testimony.

Some of us have witnessed dramatic healing by God and can testify about such healing.  

However, I have not witnessed God’s healing of physical diseases, at least not in such dramatic and repeated ways.  But, I can tell others with such a disclaimer that I have heard others (whom I believe) that God does answer prayers and heal, and I can point to Scripture such as Psalm 103:3 and James 5:14-16 and tell others:  “Check it out for yourself.”

Here is what specifically bothers me.  There are those who point to Christians on the other side of the world (that they do not even personally know, at least well) as having financial problems, and basically say:  “God doesn’t deliver from financial troubles.  They are Christians, and God has not delivered them.”  Or, they may point to someone who has a continuing physical problem and state:  “God doesn’t heal.  He is a Christian, but God has not healed him.”

Let those Christians on the other side of the world, and those Christians apparently not healed, testify themselves to what God has done or not done.  Although they may have financial problems, they may joyously testify as to God’s faithfulness, because they have food and clothing.  Although they may still have physical problems, they may joyously testify that God fills them with great grace to endure with joy and to effectively do what they need to do.

Let us be more observant of what God has done for us and more willing to testify as to what God has done for us without worrying about the condition of others and without worrying about what others will think of our prior condition.  “It is the living who give thanks to You, as I do today;  A father tells his sons about Your faithfulness.”  Isaiah 38:19 

Let us be truthful and share what we know.  We can say:  “I heard from someone else that God did such a work.  Go meet them and talk to them.  Search Scripture.  Check it out yourself.”  But, let us not pretend that we are eye witnesses to something that we are not.  Let us not tell someone else’s story.

And what is the result of such truth:  such eye witness testimony and hearing and meeting and checking it out for yourself?  Today’s Scripture tells us that “the world has gone after Him”, even despite the efforts of those who oppose it.

 ¹⁴  Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it;  as it is written,

 ¹⁵  “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION;  BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.”

 ¹⁶  These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.”  John 12:12-16.

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Jesus quoted the prophecy about Himself in Zechariah 9:9.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
         Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
         Behold, your king is coming to you;
         He is just and endowed with salvation,
         Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
         Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”  Zechariah 9:9.

It is important that this prophecy be fulfilled and be proven to be true.  It is also important that we understand Jesus’ attribute of humility by His use of a donkey to sit on it.  We will focus on this second point.

In America, we have little knowledge about kings, and we have even less knowledge of the fear that typically strikes the hearts of those confronted by the presence of a king.  But, infinitely beyond the power and penetrating wisdom of a king, here is Almighty God!  There is good reason that Jesus states:  “FEAR NOT, DAUGHTER OF ZION;  BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING, SEATED ON A DONKEY’S COLT.”

Kings took everything that they wanted.  But here is Jesus who is “just and endowed with salvation”.  In other words, Jesus is first of all “just”;  Unlike typical kings, Jesus would not steal or enslave.  But, second of all, when Zechariah states that he is “endowed with salvation”, Zechariah prophesied that Jesus would come bringing and giving gifts of salvation.  And even those kings who would give gifts, those kings often stole those gifts from some to give to others.  Kings would not bow down to pick up anything.  But, here is Jesus Who bowed down to come to earth to pay for those gifts of salvation by His own blood.  “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  Philippians 2:8

Matthew 11:29 ties it together:
“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.”

Isaiah 42:3
“A bruised reed He will not break And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish;  He will faithfully bring forth justice.”

We rejoice greatly and shout in triumph!

 ⁶  So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

 ⁷  Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”

 ⁸  The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”

 ⁹  Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

 ¹⁰  “But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”  John 11:5-10.

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Here is some of what Scripture states about walking in the light.

John 8:12
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world;  he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

^“1  And Job again took up his discourse and said,
    ²  “Oh that I were as in months gone by,
         As in the days when God watched over me;
    ³  When His lamp shone over my head,
         And by His light I walked through darkness;
    ⁴  As I was in the prime of my days,
         When the friendship of God was over my tent;
    ⁵  When the Almighty was yet with me,
         And my children were around me;
    ⁶  When my steps were bathed in butter,
         And the rock poured out for me streams of oil!
    ⁷  “When I went out to the gate of the city,
         When I took my seat in the square,
    ⁸  The young men saw me and hid themselves,
         And the old men arose and stood.
    ⁹  “The princes stopped talking
         And put their hands on their mouths;
    ¹⁰  The voice of the nobles was hushed,
         And their tongue stuck to their palate.
    ¹¹  “For when the ear heard, it called me blessed,
         And when the eye saw, it gave witness of me,
    ¹²  Because I delivered the poor who cried for help,
         And the orphan who had no helper.
    ¹³  “The blessing of the one ready to perish came upon me,
         And I made the widow’s heart sing for joy.
    ¹⁴  “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me;
         My justice was like a robe and a turban.
    ¹⁵  “I was eyes to the blind
         And feet to the lame.
    ¹⁶  “I was a father to the needy,
         And I investigated the case which I did not know.
    ¹⁷  “I broke the jaws of the wicked
         And snatched the prey from his teeth.
    ¹⁸  “Then I thought, ‘I shall die in my nest,
         And I shall multiply my days as the sand.
    ¹⁹  ‘My root is spread out to the waters,
         And dew lies all night on my branch.
    ²⁰  ‘My glory is ever new with me,
         And my bow is renewed in my hand.’
    ²¹  “To me they listened and waited,
         And kept silent for my counsel.
    ²²  “After my words they did not speak again,
         And my speech dropped on them.
    ²³  “They waited for me as for the rain,
         And opened their mouth as for the spring rain.
    ²⁴  “I smiled on them when they did not believe,
         And the light of my face they did not cast down.
    ²⁵  “I chose a way for them and sat as chief,
         And dwelt as a king among the troops,
         As one who comforted the mourners.”  Job Chapter 29.

 ³  So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

 ⁴  But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”  John 11:1-4.

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The very beginning of The Westminister Larger Catechism begins with the following:

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.

1 Corinthians 10:31
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

“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.

Matthew 5:16
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

^“1  Praise the LORD!
         Sing to the LORD a new song,
         And His praise in the congregation of the godly ones.
    ²  Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
         Let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King.
    ³  Let them praise His name with dancing;
         Let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and lyre.
    ⁴  For the LORD takes pleasure in His people;
         He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.
    ⁵  Let the godly ones exult in glory;
         Let them sing for joy on their beds.”  Psalm 149:1-5.

We may glorify God by our good works or by our praise or even, as shown by Lazarus, our death.

Romans 14:8
“for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord;  therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.”

In conclusion, “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God;  whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies;  so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  1 Peter 4:11.