Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Jesus said in John 4:23:  “”But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.” 

We should know that answer by now.  But sadly, how often are we like the Galatians who pursued righteousness as if it could be obtained by what we do, by acting rightly, by perfecting ourselves!  Galatians 3:3-6 chides us and reminds us:  “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?  Did you suffer so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain?  So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

In other words, righteousness is a gift, not a human achievement.  ‘For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”  Romans 5:17. 

If there was anyone who could have achieved such righteousness if it was based on human achievement, it was Paul.  Yet, he writes:  “… as to the righteousness which is in the Law, (I was) found blameless.  But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,”  Philippians 2:6-9.   

THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE is mentioned next.  This piece of armor is a little more difficult to understand.  John Gill writes in his commentary:  “but the word (Greek word for preparation) etoimasia signifies a “base,” or foundation; and so it is used by the Septuagint interpreters on Zechariah 5:11; and here it designs a firm and solid knowledge of the Gospel, as it publishes peace by Jesus Christ, which yields a sure foundation for the Christian soldier to set his foot upon …”.  Calvin in his commentary on this piece of armor writes:  “A rough road and many other obstacles retard our progress, and we are discouraged by the smallest annoyance.”  In summary, putting the two thoughts together, we need the good shoes of the Gospel of Peace as our base or foundation, because every step that we take in this Christian life has both dangerous rocks that could cause us to fall and numerous pebbles that could irritate us. 

THE SHIELD OF FAITH is mentioned next.  Calvin in his commentary states:  “And yet it is not without reason that the most necessary instruments of warfare — a sword and a shield — are compared to faith, and to the word of God.  In the spiritual combat, these two hold the highest rank.  By faith we repel all the attacks of the devil, and by the word of God the enemy himself is slain.  If the word of God shall have its efficacy upon us through faith, we shall be more than sufficiently armed both for opposing the enemy and for putting him to flight.  … 

Calvin continues:  “Wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the darts. But quench appears not to be the proper word.  Why did he not use, instead of it, ward off or shake off, or some such word?  Quench is far more expressive; for it is adapted to the epithet applied to darts.  The darts of Satan are not only sharp and penetrating, but — what makes them more destructive — they are fiery.  Faith will be found capable, not only of blunting their edge, but of quenching their heat.  “This,” says John, “is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4.)”

THE HELMET OF SALVATION is mentioned next.  The importance of the helmet can be seen from football to bike-riding.  We may get cut or bruised in the body, but protecting the head is most important for survival.  Thus, the most important piece of armor is the helmet.  Which doctrine provides the best helmet, so to speak?  Does Arminianism provide a better helmet of salvation, in which salvation is dependent on the “free will of man”?  Or, does Calvinism provide a better helmet of salvation, in which salvation is dependent on the sovereignty of God including unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints (better described as preservation of the saints)?     

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT is mentioned next.  The Sword of the Spirit is defined herein as The Word of God, so we do not need to search elsewhere for a better definition or description. 

So, how do we “take” “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”?  We listen to preaching in our worship services.  We read the Bible in our daily private devotions. 

Preaching is “the chief means of grace”.  Here is a link to an article “The Reformation – A Return to the Primacy of Preaching” by Rev. Charles Terpstra that expands this thought – Click here: The Reformation: A Return to the Primacy of Preaching

Regarding the importance of our daily private devotions, Psalm 1:2-3 tells us:  ” But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.  He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.”

3  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.

4  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5  even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6  and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7  so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:1-9. 

So, was there anything loveable within man that motivated God to save certain individuals?  No!  We “were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” 

Then, why did God saved certain individuals if they “were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”? 

Verse 4 provides the answer.  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”.  This is “Unconditional Election”, the “U’ in “TULIP”.  There was no condition in man which motivated God to elect to save that certain individual.  That certain individual was not more loveable than the rest.  He or she was “by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  That certain individual did not do a sufficient amount of works to motivate God to elect to save him or her.  That certain individual did not even have faith which motivated God to elect to save him or her.  Verse 8 tells us that even faith is “not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”.  In summary, “no one may boast”. 

But, God, for reasons not disclosed in Scripture, but according to His desire and purpose, loved certain individuals and had mercy on them.  “Just as it is written, ‘JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.’ ”  Romans 9:13.  “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,”  Romans 9:11.  “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.

John Gill in his Commentary on this phrase “the hope of His calling” states:  “that ye may know what is the hope of his calling; by which is meant, the effectual calling of the saints”.  (Emphasis added.)  This “hope of His calling” is not the Billy Graham altar call, hoping that man will exercise his “free will” to accept the altar call.  This “hope of His calling” is “irresistible grace”, the “I” in “TULIP”.  This is “in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”, namely resurrection power.  See above verses 19 and 20.  This “hope of His calling” is powerfully described in Ephesians 2:4-6:  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,”

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. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him 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 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”  Ephesians 1:3-12.  (Emphasis added).

Not only is the word “predestined” clearly and repeatedly stated, there are additional statements which support predestination.  “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world”.  We have been predestined “according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will”.  His will is “the summing up of all things in Christ”.

Not only are there these clear statements of predestination, there is the emphasis of how predestination is  “to the praise of the glory of His grace” and “to the praise of His glory”.  In other words, God is glorified alone when He alone determines who is saved.  As stated in the prior post, to the Arminian, salvation is a work of two parties.  God gets the credit and glory for the “cross of Christ”, and man gets the credit and glory for “the free will of man” which chose Christ.  However, to the Calvinist, salvation is the work of one party Who is God.  God gets all the credit and all the glory. 

16  And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”  Galatians 6:14-16.

First, this last chapter of Galatians describes the gospel of Christ in its simplest and starkest form as “the cross of Christ”.  Which doctrine, Arminianism or Calvinism, rings true through this verse of Galatians 6:14:  “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”? 

The Arminian does not only boast in the cross of Christ, but rather the Arminian also boasts in the free will of man.  The Arminian proclaims that everyone, saved and unsaved, gets the cross of Christ, but only through the free will of man that man chooses Christ and is thereby distinguished as being the saved.  Therefore, the Arminian also boasts in the free will of man as the basis for his salvation.  To the Arminian, salvation is a work of two parties.  God gets the credit and glory for the “cross of Christ”, and man gets the credit and glory for “the free will of man” which chose Christ.    

The Calvinist does only boast in the cross of Christ, because the cross of Christ procures all the saving gifts of his salvation.  The Calvinist proclaims that Christ died only for the Elect and that such particular atonement procured all the saving gifts (including faith), and therefore the cross of Christ is the only reason for one to boast of his salvation.  The Calvinist proclaims: “… that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death; should purge them from all sin …”.  Article 8 of the SECOND HEAD OF DOCTRINE Of the Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby in the Canons of Dort.  (Emphasis added.)

Here is Article 8 in full: 

Article 8. For this was the sovereign counsel, and most gracious will and purpose of God the Father, that the quickening and saving efficacy of the most precious death of his Son should extend to all the elect, for bestowing upon them alone the gift of justifying faith, thereby to bring them infallibly to salvation: that is, it was the will of God, that Christ by the blood of the cross, whereby he confirmed the new covenant, should effectually redeem out of every people, tribe, nation, and language, all those, and those only, who were from eternity chosen to salvation, and given to him by the Father; that he should confer upon them faith, which together with all the other saving gifts of the Holy Spirit, he purchased for them by his death; should purge them from all sin, both original and actual, whether committed before or after believing; and having faithfully preserved them even to the end, should at last bring them free from every spot and blemish to the enjoyment of glory in his own presence forever.

To the Calvinist, salvation is the work of one party Who is God.  God gets all the credit and all the glory.  That is why it is so important to boast only in the cross of Christ!  (Monergism is a term for this work by one party, and there is a link  to a web site named Monergism which is a very good and comprehensive source of Reformed Doctrine articles in the right margin column of Links.)   

Second, Paul also summarizes the inability of the Law to make us righteous stated throughout the book of Galatians in the verse:  ” For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”  Galatians 6:15.  It does not matter whether we are circumcised or not;  it only matters whether or not we are a new creation in Christ.   

Third, it should be noted that “… those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”  Galatians 6:14-16.  In other words, if you live by this rule of boasting only in the cross of Christ (which I summarize in the title of this post as “Particular Boasting in Particular Atonement”), then you shall have peace and mercy.  At this point, this verse should remind us of the severe warning by which the book of Galatians started:  “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!”  Galatians 1:6-9. 

In conclusion, why do we boast only in the cross of Christ?  Why should we not also boast in the free will of man?  A true understanding and belief in the gospel of Christ is essential to salvation.  The essence of the gospel of Christ is the particular atonement, that is, Christ died only for the Elect and that by His death on the cross, Christ procured all the saving gifts, including faith.  (There is more information, including Scripture support, about “particular” atonement” which is also known as “limited atonement”, the “L” in “TULIP”, in the “TULIP” link in the right margin column of Links.)  Finally, it needs to be stated that like faith, this true understanding and belief in the gospel of Christ is a gift bestowed on the Elect through the cross of Christ.