Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

One of the miseries of having a “free will – obstructable grace” Arminian mentality is that with such a mentality, one tends to focus on himself or herself to get out of trouble.  This “free will – obstructable grace” Arminian mentality does not limit itself to a theoretical belief as to how one is saved.  This “free will – obstructable grace” mentality extends to affect how one faces daily troubles.  This “free will – obstructable grace” Arminian mentality tends to focus on the free will that one has, because he or she knows that he or she can obstruct any grace, and he or she often depends on free will to make the right decisions to get out of daily troubles. 

One of the joys of having a “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality is that with such mentality, one tends to focus on God to get out of trouble.  This “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality also does not limit itself to a theoretical belief as to how one is saved.  This “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality extends to affect how one faces daily troubles.  This “irresistible grace” Calvinist mentality tends to focus on irresistible grace that God gives and depends on God and His grace to deliver him or her out of daily troubles. 

“The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.  Many are the afflictions of the righteous;  But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”  Psalm 34: 17-19 (emphasis added).

Article 13 of The Belgic Confession states it this way:

“This doctrine gives us unspeakable comfort
since it teaches us
that nothing can happen to us by chance
but only by the arrangement of our gracious
heavenly Father.
He watches over us with fatherly care,
keeping all creatures under his control,
so that not one of the hairs on our heads
(for they are all numbered)
nor even a little bird
can fall to the ground
without the will of our Father.

In this thought we rest,
knowing that he holds in check
the devils and all our enemies,
      who cannot hurt us
      without his permission and will.”

Jesus described the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees as leaven and strongly warned His followers to beware of it.  See Matthew 16: 12-13.  Leaven is “yeast, the substance that causes dough to ferment and rise.”  In the Bible, “leaven usually symbolizes corruption.”  “It was strictly forbidden in any sacrifices to God. Also, every Jewish household had to be purged of leaven in preparation for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.”  Quoted from the Concordance under the word “leaven” in my New American Standard Bible. 

Twice in Scripture, we are warned that even a little leaven can affect the whole.  “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.” Galatians 5: 9.  See also I Corinthians 5: 6. You know the concern was not about cooking, but rather the concern was about the effect of false teaching.

In other words, even just a little false teaching can corrupt the surrounding good teaching so that taken together the whole teaching is bad. For example, we know that the Word of God is true and good, but we also know that false teachers can give false teaching that can corrupt their entire message even if part of the message contains quotes from Scripture or good common sense.

Many false teachers will quote from Scripture, but just because they do so does not make their whole message true and good. In fact, just the opposite occurs, even a little false teaching corrupts the whole surrounding teaching. 

We are called to “purity in doctrine”. Titus 2: 7.  Scripture warns us against tolerating even a little false teaching.  Such false teaching can corrupt the whole surrounding “good” teaching.  We may think that tolerating Arminianism can be kept to a theory as to how we are saved.  However, the Leaven of Arminianism speads to affect how we deal with our daily activities.  In conclusion, once we try to secure our eternal salvation by “free will”, we will tend to also try to secure our “daily troubles” salvation by “free will”.   

If Reformed doctrine a/k/a Calvinism is correct in its first point of “Total Depravity” (the “T” of TULIP), then our only hope for salvation is “Unconditional Election” (the “U” of TULIP), the second point of Calvinism.

“Total Depravity” means that man is dead in sin.  It means more, much more, but that is the essence.  If man is dead in sin, he can never choose Christ.  His only hope is that God will choose him for salvation and make him alive.  There is no condition in man that motivates God to choose him.  Remember he is dead in sin.  One corpse does not look a whole lot better than another corpse.

So, what does Scripture state?

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).

Ephesians 2:1-9:

“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.

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

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.” (Emphasis added by bold, italic underline.)

Even our faith is a gift of God.  There is no room for boasting based on our works.  There is no room for boasting even for our faith.  A dead man can’t boast.  Lazarus couldn’t boast.  We can’t boast.  Our only hope for salvation is the “Unconditional Election” of God.

Hebrews 13: 9 states: “Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, …”  Reformed doctrine has stayed much the same since 1600 (about the time when most of the Reformed confessions and catechisms were finished) to today. Reformed doctrine was the sole doctrine, or at least the predominant doctrine, of the Reformation and our Protestant faith until about 1800 at which time Arminianism started to increase in popularity.  So, Reformed doctrine is neither varied nor strange.  Reformed doctrine does emphasize grace, including “salvation by grace alone”.  Reformed doctrine is also known as “The Doctrines of Grace”.

Are teachings more true, because they are varied?
Are teachings more true, because they are not so easily labeled?
Are teachings more true, because it may be easier to believe in man’s work (“What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”) than God’s grace (“This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” ?  See John 6:28-29.

Are teachings more true, because it may seem more just for everyone to have an equal opportunity for salvation and that we can control salvation by our choice by free will (works), rather than to believe that salvation is controlled by God’s election (grace)?

The doctrine of our forefathers of the faith in the Reformation and the Protestant faith is not varied nor strange.  Reformed doctrine stays the same and is not ashamed to be labeled Reformed doctrine.  The Belgic Confession, The Canons of Dordt, The Heidelberg Catechism, and The Westminister Confession of Faith remain the Reformed doctrinal standards.  Although they were written about 400 years ago, they remain the rock-solid truth and yet are filled with God’s grace.

It is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace.

If we approach the Doctrines of Grace (a/k/a  Reformed doctrine) primarily just to make us appreciate our salvation more, then we will tend to tolerate Arminianism as just a stepping stone to Calvinism.  Then, we will tend to view Arminianism as just a lesser appreciation of our salvation.  Then, we will tend to view Arminianism, to use a material example, like salt rather than like leaven.  With salt, we are only concerned if we add too much, and even then, there is no real damage.  We can just brush it off.  Is Arminianism like salt where there is no real harm if we add to it surrounding “good” teaching?  NO!  Can we just brush off Arminianism?  NO!   Or, is Arminianism like leaven that can corrupt the whole? YES!   Arminianism is like leaven that can corrupt the whole.                                             

We are called to “purity in doctrine”.  Titus 2: 7.   Scripture warns us against tolerating even a little false teaching.  Such false teaching can corrupt the whole surrounding “good” teaching.

Lord’s Day 1

“Q & A 1

Q. What is your only comfort
   in life and in death?

A. That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.”

Notice the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism as shown by The Heidelberg Catechism which teaches Calvinism (a/k/a Reformed doctrine):

1.  Calvinism speaks of belonging to Christ;  Arminianism speaks of free will and freedom to chose or reject Christ including freedom even to later change your mind.

2.  Calvinism speaks of Christ blood as shed only for the Elect, by itself effective to redeem and make full payment for all of the Elect’s sins;  Arminianism speaks of Christ’s blood as shed for everyone, by itself ineffective to redeem and save anyone, unless man exercises his free will to chose and believe in Christ, but many if not most (for whom Christ died) go to hell, according to Arminians.  

3.  Calvinism recognizes the tyranny of the devil;  Arminianism claims man is free.

4.  Calvinism trusts God’s preservation of the saint;  Arminianism teaches that man can fall from grace and lose his salvation if he does not keep his faith till death.

5.  Calvinism focuses on God and comforts and assures the believer of salvation;  Arminianism focuses on man and causes the believer to be insecure and to focus on his own faith and his own works till death. 

6.  Calvinism makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him (irresistable grace);  Arminianism pleads with me to try harder to live for Him (obstructable grace).

7.  Calvinism teaches that all things must work together for my salvation;  Arminianism teaches that I must work all things for my salvation.   

Reformed doctrine not only gladly sings:  “There is Power in the Blood!” 

Reformed doctrine teaches it. 

Canons of Dordt

The Second Head of Doctrine: Christ’s Death and Human Redemption Through It

TOTAL DEPRAVITY-

“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.’  “Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’  “Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’

IRRESISTABLE GRACE-

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

‘For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.'”  (Emphasis added.).

The Arminian thinks all we need to do to bring people into the kingdom of God is invite them.  Surely, they think, they are wise and good enough to accept an invitation to something as good as a heavenly feast.

The Calvinist recognizes the Total Depravity of man as described in Scripture.  The Calvinist recognizes the need for God to exercise His sovereign power of Irresistible Grace to bring people to Christ and to the heavenly feast. 

See my web site www.reformeddoctrine.org for a much fuller explanation of Total Depravity, Irresistible Grace, and the other Five Points of Calvinism known as TULIP.