Mon., 3/7/22 Devotion (2 Cor. 6:1)

Today's encouragement comes from the words of Paul, as they are found in 2 Corinthians 6:1:

"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain."

How is the grace of God received "in vain”—even potentially by regenerated, sincere Christians? It is "received in vain" when we *forget* that our right-eousness is all contained in Jesus Christ *alone*. The previous verse, (2 Cor. 5:21), had taught us the glories of imputed righteousness and substitutionary atonement. But our flesh continually recoils at such marvels; and seeks to regain its perverse "credibility" (even with God).

So, when we cease to look to Christ alone for our redemption, (and we gaze upon ourselves or something else), we receive the grace of God "in vain." Is Jesus our righteousness? Then let us look no further.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ is never really absent from such as love Him, but He may seem to be so sometimes.” —Thomas Vincent, in, "The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 3/4-6/22 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday. We get to go back to church, and worship God as His covenanted people! In order to help get us ready for the Sabbath (Resurrection) Day, here are some beautiful words of John Calvin, from his monumental, “Institutes of the Christian Religion.” . . .

“That Jesus Christ is the proper goal and object of our faith, is easily shown by the fact that every part of our salvation is reckoned and included in

Him. . . . For by Christ’s hand God accomplished His work of mercy, the re-demption of His people. . . .

"In Christ, and nowhere else, will we find salvation. . . . Accordingly Scripture states that there is no other Name under heaven by which we may be saved, (Acts 4:12). . . . This Name therefore teaches believers that only in Christ should we look for salvation, and it assures us that we will find it there."

Thurs., 3/3/22 Devotion (Lk. 17:5)

Today's encouragement comes from Luke 17:5, where we read these words:

"And the apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith.' "

When we believers in Christ are faced with impossible tasks, typically a good prayer to God is: "Increase our faith." And though this is a desirable end; the Lord does not always answer this request in the way we would expect. In-stead, sometimes He teaches us that we do not need *a lot* faith; but that rather we need real and applied *sincere* faith—which is always centered in and on Jesus.

Let us be sure that we do not look for more of anything in our Christian lives, without first availing ourselves of what we already possess. The exercise of faith does not require a lot of religious fanfare; but it does call on our hearts to truly cling to The Christ of the Gospel.

[Puritan quote of the day: "The true God perfectly knows the circumstances of everyone who prays to Him throughout the world.” —Jonathan Edwards, in his sermon, "The Most High a Prayer-Hearing God"]

Wed., 3/2/22 Devotion (Lk. 16:31)

Today's encouragement comes from Luke 16:31, where we read these words:

"But he ['Abraham'] said to him [the 'rich man'], ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ "

Since faith is sovereignly given to sinners through *hearing* the gospel preached (Rom. 10:17), and not through *seeing* miracles performed—we should not be surprised to hear this principle taught in this text (above) by our Lord Jesus.

Sometimes well-meaning and sincere Christians mistakenly think that sinners will be converted to Christ by their *seeing* various spectacular religious mar-vels (like even someone rising from the dead). But this is not the case at all. Instead, God miraculously saves people through the hearing of the Good News. Via this message of supreme grace in Jesus, the Holy Spirit sovereign-ly converts those God has chosen to redeem.

[Puritan quote of the day: "If we once get the victory over ourselves, all other things are conquered easily.” —Richard Sibbes, in, "The Soul's Conflict With Itself"]

Tues., 3/1/22 Devotion (Lk. 15:21)

Today's encouragement comes from Luke 15:21, where we read these great words:

"And the [prodigal] son said to [his father], ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ "

This is a most poignant and beautiful section of Holy Scripture. The Prodigal Son is on his way home. He has been rehearsing his lines. He is saying to himself, "Remember to say, 'I have sinned.’ Do not forget the, ‘No longer worthy' part. And be sure to finish with, 'Make me like one of your hired ser-vants.' "

The repentant son does pretty well at reciting his prepared speech to his fa-ther—but before he ever gets to his last line (about being a hired servant), his father is all over him, showering love and acceptance on him. So it is with our good and glorious God: He is a loving Father, who forgives His own elect chil-dren of His church, and receives them into His embraces. This parable is a vivid picture of God's love for the people Jesus procured with His precious blood atonement.

[Puritan quote of the day: "If anything in us or on our part could stop God lov-ing us [His church], then He would long ago have turned away from us.”

—John Owen, in, "Communion with God"]

Fri.-Sabbath, 2/11-13/22 Devotion

Praise God—it is almost Sunday! Here is Thomas Watson, from his, "A Body of Divinity" book. Pastor Watson is addressing Christ's Incarnation (be-

low). . . .

"Why was Jesus Christ made flesh?

"The principal and impulsive cause, was free grace. It was love in God the Father to send Christ; and love in Christ that He came to be incarnate. Love was the intrinsic motive. Christ is God-man, because he is a lover of man. Christ came out of pity and indulgence to us. Augustine wrote, 'Not our de-serts, but our misery, made Christ take flesh.' Christ's taking flesh was a plan of free grace, and a pure design of love. God Himself, though Almighty, was overcome with love. Christ incarnate is nothing but love covered with flesh. As Christ's assuming our human nature was a masterpiece of wisdom, so it was a monument of free grace.

"Christ took our flesh upon Him, that He might take our sins upon Him. . . . and so appease God's wrath.

"Christ took our flesh that He might make the human nature appear lovely to God, and the divine nature appear lovely to man."

Thurs., 2/10/22 Devotion (Job 9:1-2)

Today's encouragement comes from Job 9:1 & 2, which says this:

"Then Job answered and said: 'Truly I know it is so, but how can a man be righteous before God?' "

Job's question here (above) is very important. After all, just *how* can a hu-man being, conceived in original sin and always being affected by that sinful nature, actually "be righteous before God"? This is a big problem, since God Himself is totally righteous and holy, and nothing short of absolute sinless perfection will, can, or should satisfy Him.

Nothing we could ever do or perform would ever give us this righteousness before God. No amount of religion, prayers, or effort would or could suffice. A sinful person gets righteous before God when he/she realizes that Jesus alone is his/her righteousness. Christ is apprehended by faith. Therefore, a person is "righteous before God" through the sovereign imputation of Jesus’ righteousness to a dead soul—all received (on our part), by faith. 

[Puritan quote of the day: "A Christian may come to lead a comfortable life, even a heaven upon earth, be the times what they will: by Christian content-ment.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Art of Divine Contentment"]