Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.

But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:17-23.  (Emphasis added.) 

So, who deserves the credit?  Who freed us from sin?  Who enslaved us to God?  Who caused us to be a slave of righteousness?   Verse 17 above tells us the answer:  “thanks be to God“.

Romans 5:8:  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” 

Although the major point is that Christ loves us, the minor point is how God demonstrates His love.  The demonstration of God’s love is the death of Christ for us.  If you accept the premise (which is wrong) that God loves everybody, then applying this Scripture, it would logically follow that premise that Christ died for everybody.  However, if you accept the premise (which is right) that God only loves His elect, then applying this Scripture, it would logically follow that premise that Christ died only for His elect. 

Romans 5:9:  “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” 

Although the major point is that Christ’s blood does more than just justify us, it saves us from God’s wrath, the minor point is that for whomever Christ shed his blood, those people are justified.  If Christ died for everyone (which is wrong), then everyone would be justified.  However, if Christ died for only the elect (which is true), then only those elect are justified.   

In conclusion, The Canons of Dort, Article 8 states the following about “Limited Atonement”:  “… 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.”  (Emphasis added.)  See the following link which will bring you right to this Article 8, but which you can also use to access the rest of the Canons of Dort – http://www.prca.org/cd_text2.html#a8

For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified;

for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”  Romans 4:13-17 (Emphasis added.). 

So, why do we cling to the Law?

“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.

Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.

The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”

So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.”

Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, “HE WHO PRACTICES THEM SHALL LIVE BY THEM.”  Galatians 3:3-12.

But, isn’t the Law holy and righteous and good?  Yes, the Law is holy and righteous and good.  “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”  Romans 7:12.

The problem is the sin within us.  “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.  I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died;  and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;  for sin, taking an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”  Romans 7:8-11. 

What Law brings about wrath?  What Law causes our death?

The Ten Commandments is specifically included.  “…  I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.”  Romans 7:7.

So, what is the solution?  “Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”  Romans 7:4. 

What is some of this fruit?  “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22-23. 

Are we going to have faith and trust God to produce within us this fruit, or are we going to look to the Law to measure and motivate us?  It is a matter of life or death. 

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;  and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

Second, what did God give the wicked nonelect?  Here are the three “gifts”.

1.  “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.”

2.  “God gave them over to degrading passions”  

3.  “God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful”

Do these “gifts” (‘gave them over”) reveal any love or favor or other common grace toward them?  Of course not.  These gifts show the wrath of God against them. 

Third, how does God view those who “give hearty approval to those who practice them”?

Answer:  “those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”

In conclusion, if God views those who give hearty approval to those who do such wicked things, as worthy of death, then how can we even imagine in our wildest imagination that God has any love or favor or approval or other common grace toward these wicked nonelect?

There are numerous Scriptures which warn us about false teaching and false teachers. I hope that these Scriptures make us think more on this subject. I hope that we are more conscious of false teaching and false teachers of which the Scripture so strongly and repeatedly warns us. I hope that this Scripture motivates us to seek truth, to discern what is true from what is false, and to expose and refute false teaching.  

Psalm 119:128
Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.

Proverbs 21:28
A false witness will perish, But the man who listens to the truth will speak forever.

Jeremiah 14:13-15 regarding False Prophets

Matthew 7:15
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.“

Matthew 24:11
“and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

Matthew 24:24
“For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible.”