Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion is Luke 18:28-30.  

“²⁸  Peter said, “Behold, we have left our own homes and followed You.”

 29  And He said to them, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,

 30  who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.”  Luke 18:28-30. 

In essence, Peter. like many of Jesus’ disciples throughout the ages, was pondering whether or not God was just and would reward His disciples for their work.  Jesus did not rebuke Peter, but rather, Jesus encouraged Peter.  So, we should not be harsh toward Peter nor toward others who struggle to have such faith.  Peter’s statement (like a question) seemed hopeful, innocent and not accusatory.

Hebrews 11:6 teaches us that an element of faith is the hope, even expectation, of a reward.  “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

I have written about my struggles to have such faith, particularly in the face of financial struggles, in “Gold Mining” which is one of the “tags” at the top of my web site.  Here is one of my letters a/k/a “Gold Mines”.  It is also a good reminder and encouragement for me today, and I pray that it will also encourage you. 

August 21, 1992

Harry:

I am still struggling financially.  This is a hard fight.  “God give me faith”: I pray.  The Lord must think that I can bear a lot and have a lot of faith. I think it is more than I can stand through the flesh, but I trust God for strength.

My daily devotion today covered the book of Ruth.  God particularly gave me Ruth 2:12: ” ‘May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.’ ”

What struck me was the focus on the LORD:

1. “the LORD reward your work”

2. “your wages be full from the LORD“

3. “the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge”.

The LORD is able to make me stand.  He has helped me in the past and delivered me.  He can do it now.  He can do it later, even when I think it is too late.  But He will rescue me.  Psalm 91:15.

     Bill

 ²⁰  “You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'”

 ²¹  And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”

 ²²  When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack;  sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven;  and come, follow Me.”

 ²³  But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

 ²⁴  And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!

 ²⁵  “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

 ²⁶  They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?”

 ²⁷  But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”  Luke 18:18-27.

We have met quite a range of characters in this chapter:  a demanding and persistent widow,  an unrighteous judge, a self-righteous Pharisee, a humble Publican (tax collector), babies, and a moral young rich ruler.  Rather than focus on only the wealthy when Jesus said “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”, they who heard it said:  “Then who can be saved?”  Jesus did not correct them, but rather He replied:  “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”  

All of us, old and young, rich and poor, proud and humble, moral and immoral, need a Savior to handle all the points of salvation.  “And He saw that there was no man, And was astonished that there was no one to intercede;  Then His own arm brought salvation to Him, And His righteousness upheld Him.”  Isaiah 59:16.

Here is how The Heidelberg Catechism explains our need, impossible for people to meet, and the solution (possible with God):

Question 12.  Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserved temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favor?

Answer.  God will have his justice satisfied; and therefore we must make this full satisfaction, either by ourselves, or by another.

Question 13.  Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction?

Answer.  By no means;  but on the contrary we daily increase our debt.

Question 14.  Can there be found anywhere, one, who is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us?

Answer.  None;  for, first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man hath committed;  and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God’s eternal wrath against sin, so as to deliver others from it.

Question 15.  What sort of a mediator and deliverer then must we seek for?

Answer.  For one who is very man, and perfectly righteous;  and yet more powerful than all creatures;  that is, one who is also very God.

Question 16.  Why must he be very man, and also perfectly righteous?

Answer.  Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which hath sinned, should  likewise make satisfaction for sin; and one, who is himself a sinner, cannot satisfy for others.

Question 17.  Why must he in one person be also very God?

Answer.  That he might, by the power of his Godhead sustain in his human nature, the burden of God’s wrath;  and might obtain for, and restore to us, righteousness and life.

Question 18. Who then is that Mediator, who is in one person both very God, and a real righteous man?

Answer.  Our Lord Jesus Christ:  “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

Question 19.  Whence knowest thou this?

Answer.  From the holy gospel, which God himself first revealed in Paradise;  and afterwards published by the patriarchs and prophets, and represented by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; and lastly, has fulfilled it by his only begotten Son.

 ¹⁷  “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”  Luke 18:15-17. 

We are therefore eager to learn how a child receives the kingdom of God.

The first thing we notice is that “they were bringing even their babies to Him”.  This speaks of the irresistible grace that we see 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.”  Just as the parents were irresistably bringing their babies to Jesus, the Father irresistably draws His elect to Jesus.

Consider that the children did not come to Jesus through their wisdom or through their “free will choice”.  Instead, the children came to Jesus, just because their parents brought them.

This is “irresistible grace” which is the “I” of “TULIP”, the Five Points of Calvinism a/k/a Reformed Doctrine. 

This past Saturday, seven former NFL football stars were inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Although most tried to be humble and give credit to their teammates, they entered the Hall of Fame, because they earned it by their works. 

With the kingdom of God, we enter it as a child.  We may prefer to enter the kingdom of God like these seven former NFL football stars based on our own works (and strong drive or willpower) and likewise get the glory, but we enter the kingdom of God just because we were brought into the kingdom of God by our Heavenly Father.     

“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.”  1 Corinthians 1:26-31.  (Emphasis added.)

 ¹¹  “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

 ¹²  ‘I fast twice a week;  I pay tithes of all that I get.’

 ¹³  “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’

 ¹⁴  “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other;  for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Luke 18:9-14.

“TULIP”, the Reformed Doctrine of Salvation a/k/a Five Points of Calvinism starts humbly with the “T” of “Total Depravity”. 

Here is what The Canons of Dordt state in part about “Total Depravity”.

THIRD AND FOURTH HEADS OF DOCTRINE
Of the Corruption of Man, His Conversion to God, and the Manner Thereof.

Article 1.  Man was originally formed after the image of God. His understanding was adorned with a true and saving knowledge of his Creator, and of spiritual things; his heart and will were upright; all his affections pure; and the whole man was holy; but revolting from God by the instigation of the devil, and abusing the freedom of his own will, he forfeited these excellent gifts; and on the contrary entailed on himself blindness of mind, horrible darkness, vanity and perverseness of judgment, became wicked, rebellious, and obdurate in heart and will, and impure in his affections.

Article 2.  Man after the fall begat children in his own likeness. A corrupt stock produced a corrupt offspring. Hence all the posterity of Adam, Christ only excepted, have derived corruption from their original parent, not by imitation, as the Pelagians of old asserted, but by the propagation of a vicious nature.

Article 3.  Therefore all men are conceived in sin, and by nature children of wrath, incapable of saving good, prone to evil, dead in sin, and in bondage thereto, and without the regenerating grace of the Holy Spirit, they are neither able nor willing to return to God, to reform the depravity of their nature, nor to dispose themselves to reformation.

Here is how Total Depravity is described in Five Points of Calvinism by David N. Steele and Curtis C. Thomas. Louisville: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1989, page 25. 

“When Calvinists speak of man as totally depraved, they mean that man’s nature is corrupt, perverse, and sinful throughout. The adjective “total” does not mean that each sinner is as totally or completely corrupt in his actions and thoughts as it is possible for him to be. Instead, the word “total” is used to indicate that the “whole” of man’s being has been affected by sin. The corruption extends to every part of man, his body and soul; sin has affected all (the totality) of man’s faculties – his mind, his will, etc.”

“As a result of this inborn corruption, the natural man is totally unable to do anything spiritually good; thus Calvinists speak of man’s “total inability.” The inability intended by this terminology is spiritual inability; it means that the sinner is so spiritually bankrupt that he can do nothing pertaining to his salvation. ”

“It is quite evident that many unsaved people, when judged by man’s standards, do possess admirable qualities and do perform virtuous acts. But in the spiritual realm, when judged by God’s standards, the unsaved sinner is incapable of good. The natural man is enslaved to sin; he is a child of Satan, rebellious toward God, blind to the truth, corrupt, and unable to save himself or to prepare himself for salvation. In short, the unsaved man is DEAD IN SIN, and his WILL IS ENSLAVED to his evil nature.” (Emphasis added.)

A few Biblical descriptions of Total Depravity:

Romans 5:12:
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned–”

Ephesians 2:1-3:
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”

Romans 3:10-11:
“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.” (Emphasis added by bold, italic underline)

Bill’s Conclusion:

This “Total Depravity” point is difficult for our pride to swallow.  But, as the Scripture for today states:  “he who humbles himself will be exalted.”   

If we correctly understand this first point of total inability to save oneself or prepare oneself for salvation, then we understand and appreciate all the more the need for God’s unconditional election of us, which is the second point of Calvinism.  There is nothing virtuous or desirable or “calling to God” in our “total depraved” nature that motivates God to elect us.  There is no condition that we can supply that motivates God to elect us.    

We need to understand our hopeless state, repeatedly referred to in Scripture as “dead”, in order to understand our desperate need for a Savior to handle all the points of salvation. 

 ³  “There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’

 ⁴  “For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,

 ⁵  yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'”

 ⁶  And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said;

 ⁷  now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?

 ⁸  “I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”  Luke 18:1-8. 

There was not a clear reference to anything righteous in the two main characters of this prayer parable.  The judge was directly described as unrighteous, and the widow was just demanding with nothing disclosed that tugs at our heart that she was righteous or otherwise entitled.  This simple setting focuses on the importance of persistence in prayer.  We are encouraged by the question and statement:  “… will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?  I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly.”

But, there is a puzzling conclusion.  “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

I am sure that there a lot of good interpretations and commentaries on the purpose of this conclusion.  You can look them up.  But, for me, James 1:5-8 pops up:  “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.  For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”  (Emphasis added.)

The Pharisees may have been fondly imagining a sign of the coming of kingdom of God first as a cloud of dust in the horizon.  Then, as it gets closer, they see the banners of an army coming to deliver their nation from the Romans.  “There it is!”

Or, as the coming of the kingdom of God, the Pharisees may have been fondly imagining the signs of miracles with Jesus at their beck-and-call providing all the bread that they would ever need.  “Here it is!”

But Jesus tells them:  “For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”  

“What?!”, the Pharisees reply.  “All we see is you and twelve scraggly disciples.”

But, for those of faith who meditate on the words of Scripture and treasure them, they begin to remember verses such as Luke 13:20-21:  “ And again He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God?   “It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three pecks of flour until it was all leavened.”  Luke 13:18-21.  In a prior devotion, we meditated about the kingdom of heaven.   

 ¹⁷  Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed?  But the nine–where are they?

 ¹⁸  “Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”

 ¹⁹  And He said to him, “Stand up and go;  your faith has made you well.”  Luke 17:15-19.

The Westminister Larger Catechism begins as follows:

“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.”

How do you glorify God?

How do you enjoy God?

The Samaritan in our story could answer these questions.  He turned back.  He praised God with a loud voice.  He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet.  He gave thanks to Jesus. 

But, the other nine, sons of Israel we can infer from Jesus’ contrast of the Samaritan, maybe pious and maybe religious as far as their leprosy would let them, did not give glory to God as they should have done.

So, these questions remain for us, pious and religious folk.  Do we glorify God as we should?  Do we enjoy God as we should?

There is hope.  Read a Psalm.  For example, Psalm Chapter 18 is “A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD, who spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (NASV introduction).  Psalm 18:28 states:  “For You light my lamp;  The LORD my God illumines my darkness.”  Click here: Psalm 18 – Passage Lookup – New American Standard Bible – BibleGateway.com

David gives glory to God.  David enjoys God.  It is contagious.  Look out.  You might break out into a dance. 

“Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;  And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.”  Psalm 32:11.

 ⁹  “He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he?

 ¹⁰  “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves;  we have done only that which we ought to have done.'”  Luke 17:7-10. 

Beyond our action needing to be good, our attitude also needs to be good.  The Heidelberg Catechism defines good works.

Question 91.  But what are good works?

Answer.  Only those which proceed from a true faith, are performed according to the law of God, and to his glory;  and not such as are founded on our imaginations, or the institutions of men.

But, as with all the strict requirements of Scripture, there is all the help that we need. 

First, we were created to do these good works.  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  Ephesians 2:10.  

Second, although we may feel that our work is difficult, we can also state that with God’s help, it is easy.  “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Matthew 11:30 

Even when the Apostle Paul felt weak from the work, he was content, even most glad, because the power of Christ dwelt within him.  “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness ” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake;  for when I am weak, then I am strong.’  2 Corinthians 12:9-10.  

Third, God gives us the will (good attitude) that we need for good works, and God works within us for His good pleasure.  “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13. 

Fourth, God equips us for every good work and works in us that which is pleasing in His sight.  “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.  Amen.”  Hebrews 13:20-21. 

Yes, we can patiently complete our work and humbly state that we have done only that which we ought to have done, for our Almighty and Sovereign God is at work within us.

Our Lord’s answer seems a little strange in the sense that He does not directly reply with any grant to their request or any offer of help.  

Likewise, in Matthew 17, the disciples had asked for help from Jesus, because they could not cure someone.  Here is that story.  A man brought his son to the disciples.  The son was “… a lunatic and is very ill;  for he often falls into the fire and often into the water”.  “I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.”  And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I put up with you?  Bring him here to Me.”  And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.  Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?”  Matthew 17:15-19.  

But, notice a similar reply by Jesus.

“And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move;  and nothing will be impossible to you.”  Matthew 17:20.

In both Scriptures, our Lord does speak about the power of faith.  Thereby, He was encouraging them about seeking faith.  However, here too, our Lord’s answer seems a little strange in the sense that He does not directly reply with any grant to their request or any offer of help.

An explanation to the reason for our Lord’s “strange” answer was the attitude of the disciples.  Notice that in the Scripture for today, the disciples said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”.  The disciples focused on their faith.  Moreover, the disciples did not ask for faith, they said:  “Increase our faith!”.  They may have thought they had considerable faith;  they merely asked for an increase in their faith. 

Jesus was saying in effect:  “So, you think you have faith? …”.

Likewise, in the second Scripture, the disciples were also presumptuous about their faith.  “Why could we not drive it out?” 

Again, Jesus was saying in effect:  “So, you think you have faith? …”.

The lesson today for us is to remember that Jesus is “the author and perfecter of faith”.  Hebrews 12:2.  We must fix our eyes on him, rather than fix our eyes on “our faith”.

We can see the practical importance of this point when we consider that there are many that believe that God loves everyone and Christ died for everyone and that the only difference between the saved and the unsaved is “their” faith.  They get their own faith through their own free will.  They keep their own faith through their own free will.

However, those who believe in Reformed Doctrine a/k/a Calvinism do not trust  themselves.  They fix their eyes on Jesus and trust Him to give them that initial faith.  They fix their eyes on Jesus and trust Him to keep their faith.  They fix their eyes on Jesus to handle all the points of salvation from beginning to end.  They know that if even 1% of salvation is dependent on themselves that they would not achieve salvation.  They don’t consider it “their” faith.  Rather, they realize faith is a gift of God.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9.