Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ¹⁶  “The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John;  since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

 ¹⁷  “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.”  Luke 16:14-17.

We may too use the Law to try to justify ourselves.  We may try to justify ourselves by using the Law as a measure stick to compare ourselves to someone else.  I am six inches more righteous than him!  We also may try to justify ourselves by using the Law as a measure stick to compare where we are now compared to where we were before.  I am now three inches more righteous than I was before!  By either method, we may try to use the Law to prove our own self-righteousness to justify ourselves.

We also may try to improperly use grace to try to force ourselves in the kingdom of heaven.  We may think and even teach that God loves everyone and Christ died for everyone.  All that I need to do to be saved is exercise my own free-will on my own terms and force my way into the kingdom of heaven. 

But, either way, the Law stands as a guard.  “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.”   

The Law stands as a guard against those who seek to justify themselves.  Yes, they may be better than someone else.  Yes, they may be better than they were.  But, the Law will still not allow them to justify themselves.  “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight;  for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”  Romans 3:19-20.   

The Law also stands as a guard against those who try to improperly use grace to try to force themselves in the kingdom of heaven.  Guests must wear the perfect wedding clothes of the perfect righteousness of Christ.  The Law will not allow wedding-crashers.  “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’  And the man was speechless.  “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness;  in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’  “For many are called, but few are chosen.”  Matthew 22:11-14.

 ¹³  “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and wealth.”  Luke 16:11-13.  (Emphasis added.)

This devotion will focus on “the true riches”, but it seems appropriate to first at least briefly consider being “faithful in the use of unrighteous wealth”.  I will cover it by being more general:  “whatever you do“.  Emphasis is frequently added in these Scriptures by bold and italic font and by underline. 

Although “true riches” cannot be captured by just a review of the keyword “riches”, we can learn a lot about true riches by reviewing these verses.  There are a lot of riches, so there are a lot of verses. 

 ²⁷  “And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’

 ²⁸  “But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.

 ²⁹  “But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look!  For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours;  and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;

 ³⁰  but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

 ³¹  “And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.

 ³²  ‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'”  Luke 15:25-32.

It is interesting to compare these three parables:  The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son.  We see an increasing value to the lost object from 1 out of 100 sheep to 1 out of 10 silver coins to 1 out of 2 sons.  We also see a change of focus from the persistent “finder” of the Shepherd and the Woman in the first two parables to the lost brother who “came to his senses” and returned on his own in the last parable.

Accordingly, although there are so many lessons that can be learned from this parable, I want to focus on the compassion that we should have as mature Christians, even Reformed Christians, for our lost brothers.  As Reformed Christians, we tend to be like the older son.  We are faithful.  We don’t stray from home.  We do our duty. 

We may also be like the “frozen chosen”.  We may not deserve credit for the returning of the lost brother. 

But, the least we can do is “celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.”

¹⁰  “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  Luke 15:8-10.

Today’s parable of the Lost Coin is very similar to yesterday’s parable of the Lost Sheep.  We see two statements substantially repeated:  “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!” and “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  Such repetition along with the emphasis “I tell you” warrants our deepest attention. 

Today, we will focus on the statements “Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost!” 

Although there are many things that man loses and never finds, God always finds what He “lost”, so to speak.  We can say that God truly never lost it.

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.  “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.  “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.  “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6:37-40.  (Emphasis added.)

“While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”  John 17:12.  (Emphasis added.)

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;  and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish;  and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  “I and the Father are one.”  John 10:27-30. 

This is “Perseverance of the Saints” also known as “Preservation of the Saints”, the “P” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism also known as Reformed Doctrine.  “Rejoice with me”!

 ³  So He told them this parable, saying,

 ⁴  “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?

 ⁵  “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

 ⁶  “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’

 ⁷  “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  Luke 15:1-7. 

Wow!  “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  

This verse can help us better understand so many other verses. 

Although we tend to think of repentance in terms of just sorrow and tears, we now better understand through today’s Scripture that the result of repentance is joy.  In one of the most memorable chapters of the Bible on repentance, Psalm 32, copied below, the conclusion of repentance is joy (see verse 11), and even the beginning of repentance is the blessing of forgiveness. 

“¹How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
         Whose sin is covered!
    ²  How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
         And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
    ³  When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
         Through my groaning all day long.
    ⁴  For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
         My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
    ⁵  I acknowledged my sin to You,
         And my iniquity I did not hide;
         I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”;
         And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
    ⁶  Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
         Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
    ⁷  You are my hiding place;  You preserve me from trouble;
         You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
    ⁸  I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
         I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
    ⁹  Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
         Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
         Otherwise they will not come near to you.
    ¹⁰  Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
         But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
    ¹¹  Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
         And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”  Psalm Chapter 32. 

We can now also better understand that the purpose of the Law was not to deliver righteousness and life.  Applying today’s Scripture, so to speak, the purpose of the Law was not to deliver “ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance”.  Rather, the purpose of the Law was to “shut up everyone under sin”, to temporarily keep us “in custody”, and to be “our tutor to lead us to Christ”.  Again, applying today’s Scripture, so to speak, the purpose of the Law was to corral the Lost Sheep until they could be picked up by the Good Shepherd. 

“²¹  Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God?  May it never be!  For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.

 ²²  But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

 ²³  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.

 ²⁴  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

 ²⁵  But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

 ²⁶  For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”  Galatians 3:21-26. 

Finally, through today’s Scripture, we can now better understand Ephesians 1:2-12 which contains one of the most sweeping views of eternity and the will of God and the administration of all things in Scripture.  Our precious Shepherd does everything for us lost sheep from the beginning of eternity to the end of eternity with the overall purpose to bring us within His fold, and He pegs His glory and joy to it. 

^“2  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 ³  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,

 ⁴  just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love

 ⁵  He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,

 ⁶  to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

 ⁷  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace

 ⁸  which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight

 ⁹  He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

 ¹⁰  with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him

 ¹¹  also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,

 ¹²  to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”

 ²⁷  “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

 ²⁸  “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

 ²⁹  “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,

 ³⁰  saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

 ³¹  “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

 ³²  “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

 ³³  “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”  Luke 14:25-33.  

After our Scripture yesterday in which “the poor and crippled and blind and lame” were brought into the kingdom of heaven and in which others were also compelled to come in, this Scripture seems particularly hard in contrast.  And, I  think that was the intention;  it was no coincidence.

This Scripture for today protects us.  When we read about irresistible grace, we can be tempted by laziness and smugness.  But, this Scripture reminds us of the cost of discipleship and protects us from these temptations.   

I am also reminded of the following two parables which also point out the cost as the Scripture for today, but these parables also point out the value of such investment.  “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again;  and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  Matthew 13:44.  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.”  Matthew 13:45-46.

We read in the beginning of today’s Scripture:  “Now large crowds were going along with Him”.  It is easy to follow “a bandwagon”.  We can easily imagine that there were curiosity seekers who were tempted into thinking that just by following Jesus, that they were disciples. 

For us today, it may be easy to follow for a while.  We may be entertained by some of the worship services.  We may see our friends, even family.  We may tap our feet to the music.  We may like some of the messages that we hear.  We may like the fellowship hour snacks.

But, as this Scripture reminds us, there is a cost to discipleship.  Discipleship costs us all that we have.  “And He said to him, “What is written in the Law?  How does it read to you?”  And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”  And He said to him, “You have answered correctly;  DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.” ”  Luke 10:26-28.  

We cannot love God, as we should, in our own strength.  We cannot love our neighbor, as we should, in our own strength.  In summary, we cannot pay this cost of discipleship and give up all of our own possessions, nor obey the ten commandments and all the law as we should, in our own strength. 

 ¹⁸  “But they all alike began to make excuses.  The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it;  please consider me excused.’

 ¹⁹  “Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out;  please consider me excused.’

 ²⁰  “Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’

 ²¹  “And the slave came back and reported this to his master.  Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’

 ²²  “And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’

 ²³  “And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled.

 ²⁴  ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'”  Luke 14:16-24.

This Scripture for today teaches us the need for “irresistible grace”, the “I” in “TULIP”.  Although many were invited, none came.  “But they all alike began to make excuses.”  There was the need to “compel”.

“as it is written,
         “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; 
    THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
         THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 
    ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
         THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
         THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”  Romans 3:10-12. 

“Where is the wise man?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the debater of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”  1 Corinthians 1:20-21. 

“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,”  Ephesians 2:1. 

We may bristle against the thought of “compel”.  We may not like this doctrine of “irresistible grace”.  But, because of this spiritually dead condition of man described as “total depravity”, the “T” of “TULIP”, “irresistible grace” is the only opportunity and provision of God for salvation.   

Salvation “… does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:16.  “For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.”  Romans 9:15. 

Jesus said in John 6:44:  “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him;  and I will raise him up on the last day.”

So then, why do we rely on our own wisdom and skill in presenting good invitations to others?  Why do we rely on the wisdom and skill of others in accepting these good invitations?  Why do we preach and teach “a gospel” based on the wisdom of man?

The Scripture for today ends with a warning.  ” ‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’ ”  Luke 14:24. 

In case we breeze by this warning, Galatians 1:6-9 confirms the importance of understanding and preaching and teaching the true gospel.  “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;  which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

Calvin in his Commentary about these verses states in part: 

“… They were removed from Christ; not that they entirely rejected Christianity, but that the corruption of their doctrines was such as to leave them nothing more than an imaginary Christ.  …

On the same principle, he calls it another gospel, that is, a gospel different from the true one. And yet the false apostles professed that they preached the gospel of Christ; but, mingling with it their own inventions, by which its principal efficacy was destroyed, they held a false, corrupt, and spurious gospel. …

The gospel of Christ. To know what are the leading points of the gospel, is a matter of unceasing importance. When these are attacked, the gospel is destroyed. …

It is impossible, no doubt, for angels from heaven to teach anything else than the certain truth of God. But when the credit due to doctrines which God had revealed concerning the salvation of men was the subject of controversy, he did not reckon it enough to disclaim the judgment of men, without declining, at the same time, the authority of angels.  …”

Here is the full commentary – Click here: Commentary on Galatians and Ephesians | Christian Classics Ethereal Library

In conclusion, “TULIP” also known as the Five Points of Calvinism presents in a nutshell, the true gospel, the true doctrine of salvation.  “TULIP” gives all the glory to God for salvation.  As Calvin stated:  “The gospel of Christ. To know what are the leading points of the gospel, is a matter of unceasing importance. When these are attacked, the gospel is destroyed. …”  Let us pause and meditate on the Scripture for today including the final warning.

 ¹⁴  and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”  Luke 14:12-14. 

It is hard for us, regular folk, to even imagine such a thing for even a plain potluck dinner.  “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind”.   

Now, think of a king.  Only a few of the top class of citizens of a kingdom get the privilege to be around him.  But, to be at a king’s feast, you have to be the very best.

So, what does our King of Kings do for His heavenly reception (the best party of all time)?  We will read just a few verses later in this same chapter of Luke 14 that He commands His slave:  ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’  Luke 14:23.

 ⁸  “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him,

 ⁹  and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place.

 ¹⁰  “But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.

 ¹¹  “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

There are 10 verses which contain the word “humility” according to this keyword search by BiblewayGateway.com. Click here: BibleGateway.com – Keyword Search: humility .  There are also more verses which contain the word “humble” like today’s Scripture.  Moreover, other Scriptures may use neither word but still also contribute to this teaching on the importance of humility and that warn against pride. 

But, for today’s devotion, it is enough for us to meditate upon today’s Scripture and these 10 verses.