Today's encouragement comes from Romans 10:2 & 3, where Paul wrote these words:
"For I bear them [the unbelieving Jews] witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God."
Do we understand that a lot of religious fanatics go to hell? In today's text, the problem was not passion, but it was misplaced trust. The Jewish people that Paul is referring to (above) were all for justification (even with God), but they wanted it on their own terms: namely, through keeping the law.
What is "the righteousness of God" referred to above? It is that right-eousness that is gained through faith in Christ (and not through works). Abraham had that kind of righteousness; and everyone else who ends up in heaven has it too.
[Puritan quote of the day: "A Christian conquers, even when he is con-quered." --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Monday, August 19, 2013
Mon., 8/19/13 Devotion (Rom. 9:20)
Today's encouragement comes from Romans 9:20, where we read these words:
"But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' "
Though God would have His own sincere children be very gut-wrench-ingly candid with Him, and tell Him everything in their hearts, and lay everything bare before Him--the Lord does *not* entertain complaints about *why* He has made people in one way or another.
Even when it comes to His sovereign election, (which is the immediate context of Rom. 9:20), we are not allowed to "reply against God." Of course, no one cares whether they please God, or not, until they are regenerated (born again). Therefore, it is especially ill-suited for God's redeemed people to quarrel with the Lord, as to why He elects some, and not others.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Without Christ's Spirit the soul is in confu-sion, without beauty and form . . . " --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]
"But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, 'Why have you made me like this?' "
Though God would have His own sincere children be very gut-wrench-ingly candid with Him, and tell Him everything in their hearts, and lay everything bare before Him--the Lord does *not* entertain complaints about *why* He has made people in one way or another.
Even when it comes to His sovereign election, (which is the immediate context of Rom. 9:20), we are not allowed to "reply against God." Of course, no one cares whether they please God, or not, until they are regenerated (born again). Therefore, it is especially ill-suited for God's redeemed people to quarrel with the Lord, as to why He elects some, and not others.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Without Christ's Spirit the soul is in confu-sion, without beauty and form . . . " --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]
Friday, August 16, 2013
Fri.-Sabbath, 8/16-18/13 Devotion
Yippee! Sunday is ALMOST here. All God's children GET to go to church. In order to help prepare us for this amazing privilege, here is the remarkable Thomas Watson, from his, "All Things for Good" book:
"Let us then ascribe the whole work of grace to the pleasure of God's will. God did not choose us because we were worthy, but by choosing us He makes us worthy. Proud men are apt to assume and arrogate too much to themselves, in being sharers with God. While many cry out against church sacrilege, they are in the meantime guilty of a far greater sacrilege, in robbing God of His glory, while they go to set the crown of salvation upon their own head. But we must resolve all into God's purpose. The signs of salvation are in the saints, but the cause of salvation is in God.
"If it be God's purpose that saves, then it is not free will. The Pelagians are strenuous asserters of free will. They tell us that a man has an in-nate power to effect his own conversion; but this text [Eph. 1:11] con-futes it. Our calling is 'according to God's purpose.' The Scripture plucks up the root of free will. 'It is not of him that wills,' (Rom. 9:16). All depends upon the purpose of God. When the prisoner is cast at the bar, there is no saving him, unless the king has a purpose to save him. God's purpose is His prerogative royal."
"Let us then ascribe the whole work of grace to the pleasure of God's will. God did not choose us because we were worthy, but by choosing us He makes us worthy. Proud men are apt to assume and arrogate too much to themselves, in being sharers with God. While many cry out against church sacrilege, they are in the meantime guilty of a far greater sacrilege, in robbing God of His glory, while they go to set the crown of salvation upon their own head. But we must resolve all into God's purpose. The signs of salvation are in the saints, but the cause of salvation is in God.
"If it be God's purpose that saves, then it is not free will. The Pelagians are strenuous asserters of free will. They tell us that a man has an in-nate power to effect his own conversion; but this text [Eph. 1:11] con-futes it. Our calling is 'according to God's purpose.' The Scripture plucks up the root of free will. 'It is not of him that wills,' (Rom. 9:16). All depends upon the purpose of God. When the prisoner is cast at the bar, there is no saving him, unless the king has a purpose to save him. God's purpose is His prerogative royal."
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Thurs., 8/15/13 Devotion (1 Sam. 5:3a)
Today's encouragement comes from 1 Samuel 5:3a, where we read these words:
"And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD."
This account (above) is part of the story of when the Philistines put the ark of the Lord in the temple of their false god Dagon. While the two ob-jects were set there next to each other, Dagon fell down from his ped-estal, and had to give homage to the Lord (through the ark's presence). The poor idol could do nothing, except collapse, and break off its head and hands (see v. 4).
So it is with all idols (or false gods)--be they the primitive type of the Philistines; or the "sophisticated" style of false believers: they all end up having to fall down and give honor to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God. Let us be thankful for this fact; and let us be sure to abhor all our own idols.
[Puritan quote of the day: "It is, I say, natural to think, but it is not nat-ural to think of God; this is proper to a saint." --Thomas Watson, in, "The Great Gain of Godliness"]
"And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the LORD."
This account (above) is part of the story of when the Philistines put the ark of the Lord in the temple of their false god Dagon. While the two ob-jects were set there next to each other, Dagon fell down from his ped-estal, and had to give homage to the Lord (through the ark's presence). The poor idol could do nothing, except collapse, and break off its head and hands (see v. 4).
So it is with all idols (or false gods)--be they the primitive type of the Philistines; or the "sophisticated" style of false believers: they all end up having to fall down and give honor to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Son of God. Let us be thankful for this fact; and let us be sure to abhor all our own idols.
[Puritan quote of the day: "It is, I say, natural to think, but it is not nat-ural to think of God; this is proper to a saint." --Thomas Watson, in, "The Great Gain of Godliness"]
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Wed., 8/14/13 Devotion (Rom. 4:2-3)
Today's encouragement comes from Romans 4:2 & 3, where we read these amazing words:
"For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' "
Religious people often like to boast (at least within themselves) about how good they are. But Abraham knew better. He understood that his faithful deeds--like being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac--were not the *cause* of his right standing with God, but were, rather, the *results* of his being justified by faith.
There is nothing more despicable in the world, or in the eyes of God, than a self-, or works-righteousness person. These people despise and disdain the work of Christ, and believe themselves good enough to sat-isfy an absolutely holy God. On the judgment day, *only* those clothed with Jesus' righteousness, apprehended by faith alone, will stand.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Every man is as his God is. If you would know whether a man is a godly man or not, you must inquire what his god is like." --Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon entitled, "A truly Godly man prefers God before all others"]
"For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' "
Religious people often like to boast (at least within themselves) about how good they are. But Abraham knew better. He understood that his faithful deeds--like being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac--were not the *cause* of his right standing with God, but were, rather, the *results* of his being justified by faith.
There is nothing more despicable in the world, or in the eyes of God, than a self-, or works-righteousness person. These people despise and disdain the work of Christ, and believe themselves good enough to sat-isfy an absolutely holy God. On the judgment day, *only* those clothed with Jesus' righteousness, apprehended by faith alone, will stand.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Every man is as his God is. If you would know whether a man is a godly man or not, you must inquire what his god is like." --Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon entitled, "A truly Godly man prefers God before all others"]
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Tues., 8/13/13 Devotion (Rom. 3:28)
Today's encouragement comes from Romans 3:28, where Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote these words:
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."
How much of our own righteousness do we have? If we answer by say-ing that we have *any* at all, then we are in deep trouble, and we have blasphemously denigrated the atonement of Christ. There is not one thing we can do to procure our right standing with God, outside of be-lieving that Jesus Christ Himself has *fully* (and not partly) accom-plished this for us.
The Fall has left us all with the accursed sense that we still somehow possess Adam's initial "righteousness." The fact is, it is completely gone. If we are going to be justified at all, it must be done in and through Christ alone, apprehended by faith.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Heaven is ours already, only we strive till we have full possession." --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]
"Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."
How much of our own righteousness do we have? If we answer by say-ing that we have *any* at all, then we are in deep trouble, and we have blasphemously denigrated the atonement of Christ. There is not one thing we can do to procure our right standing with God, outside of be-lieving that Jesus Christ Himself has *fully* (and not partly) accom-plished this for us.
The Fall has left us all with the accursed sense that we still somehow possess Adam's initial "righteousness." The fact is, it is completely gone. If we are going to be justified at all, it must be done in and through Christ alone, apprehended by faith.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Heaven is ours already, only we strive till we have full possession." --Richard Sibbes, in, "The Bruised Reed"]
Monday, August 12, 2013
Mon., 8/12/13 Devotion (1 Sam. 2:30c)
Today's encouragement comes from 1 Samuel 2:30c, where we read these words:
" . . . For those who honor Me [the Lord] I will honor, and those who de-spise Me shall be lightly esteemed."
The Lord cannot be "outdone." If anyone is willing, by grace through faith in Christ alone, to "honor" Him, God will more than "return the favor." On the flip side: those who treat the Lord with disdain will be "lightly esteemed." (And to be "lightly esteemed" by God is *not* a good thing.)
How do we honor God? Only one thing pleases Him, and that is faith in Christ. (See Heb. 11:6 for vivid proof of this.) Sincere faith will, inevit-ably, lead to a life of love for God, which results in obedience, begin-ning with Sunday (Sabbath) observance, church membership, and true worship.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Morality shoots short of heaven. It is only nature refined. A moral man is but old Adam dressed in fine clothes."
--Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]
" . . . For those who honor Me [the Lord] I will honor, and those who de-spise Me shall be lightly esteemed."
The Lord cannot be "outdone." If anyone is willing, by grace through faith in Christ alone, to "honor" Him, God will more than "return the favor." On the flip side: those who treat the Lord with disdain will be "lightly esteemed." (And to be "lightly esteemed" by God is *not* a good thing.)
How do we honor God? Only one thing pleases Him, and that is faith in Christ. (See Heb. 11:6 for vivid proof of this.) Sincere faith will, inevit-ably, lead to a life of love for God, which results in obedience, begin-ning with Sunday (Sabbath) observance, church membership, and true worship.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Morality shoots short of heaven. It is only nature refined. A moral man is but old Adam dressed in fine clothes."
--Thomas Watson, in, "The Doctrine of Repentance"]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
