The story of the Bible unpacks how God's grace is stronger than we are. Genesis 5:1-8 (NIV) 5 This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind ( ʾā·ḏām ), he made them in the likeness of God. 2  He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” ( ʾā·ḏām ) when they were created. 3  When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4  After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5  Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died. 6  When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7  After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8  Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 2: The Spread of Corruption Human beings brought forth children  of the same nature as themselves after the fall.  That is to say, being corrupt they brought forth corrupt children.  The corruption spread, by God’s just judgment,  from Adam and Eve to all their descendants— except for Christ alone— not by way of imitation  as in former times the Pelagians would have it  but by way of the propagation of their perverted nature. Summary Genesis 5 is a fascinating passage. We just read the first few verses of it, but the pattern set in this opening passage continues on, unpacking the history of the first ten generations of mankind, spanning over 1,600 years. The passage opens with a crucial phrase: this is the written account - the tô·lē·ḏôṯ . This word also gets used repeatedly as the book of Genesis unfolds, everytime a significant character is introduced, such as Noah, Ishmael, Isaac, Esau and Jacob. As Adam's line is introduced, it begins with a reminder of how God first created ʾā·ḏām - in the likeness of God. This reminder is necessary even here near the very beginning of the Bible, since that perfect creation seems like ancient history at this point. The previous passage told the sad story of Cain murdering his brother Abel, showing how quickly Adam & Eve's seemingly benign sin of biting into fruit devolved into pure evil. So it's really interesting how Adam's subsequent son, Seth, is introduced. Whereas ʾā·ḏām had been made in the likeness of God, Seth is a son in Adam's own likeness, in Adam's own image. As one commentator puts it , "Adam in his creation reflected the unfallen image of God, but Seth reflected the fallen image of Adam." Genesis 5 introduces one of scriptures ugliest phrases, a phrase repeated seven more times here in this early history of mankind: and then he died. It's through the repeated use of this somber refrain that we're to be continually reminded that death is the ultimate result of sin, the curse that, like Seth, we've all been born into. Lord willing, we'll be reading from Romans 5 later this week. We'll read in v14 that death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses and thereafter. This is the primary message of the gospel: the reign of death can only be broken by Jesus Christ. Death is our first enemy and will be the last enemy to be destroyed by Christ when He returns ( 1 Cor. 15:26 ).   Dig Deeper   We read here that Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son. We know that this wasn't his first born, since Cain & Abel famously preceded Seth. The Bible doesn't mention how old Adam was when Cain & Abel were born, or his age when Abel was killed, but certainly Adam & Eve had other children over the years, since chapter four does indicate that Cain had a wife. So why is Seth the only one mentioned in the tô·lē·ḏôṯ of Adam? Because the point of the Bible isn't to give a comprehensive history of mankind. The Bible's focus from the birth of Seth and on is singularly focused on the line that would lead to the second ʾā·ḏām, Jesus Christ. The story ( tô·lē·ḏôṯ ) of the Old Testament is how God guided, guarded and protected generation after generation of weak and wayward people until that glorious morning that Jesus was born. Another way to phrase that is that the story of the the entire Bible - both the Old and New Testaments - is the story of how God's grace is so much stronger than we are, preserving His covenant people in our Savior, Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who created man in His likeness; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the written history of His faithfulness that begins here in Genesis 5. Pray that you continue to learn and know this history well; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Colossians 2

Sin's effects are total, but that doesn't mean things are totally bad. In God's light, we see light that overcomes the darkness of our total depravity. Psalm 36:9 Psalm 36 For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. 1  I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:  There is no fear of God before their eyes. 2  In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin. 3  The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good. 4  Even on their beds they plot evil; they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong. 5  Your love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ), Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. 6  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, Lord, preserve both people and animals. 7  How priceless is your unfailing love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ), O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8  They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. 9  For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. 10  Continue your love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ) to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11  May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12  See how the evildoers lie fallen— thrown down, not able to rise! Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the image of God  and were furnished  in mind with a true and sound knowledge of the Creator and things spiritual,  in will and heart with righteousness,  and in all emotions with purity;  indeed, the whole human being was holy.  However, rebelling against God  at the devil’s instigation  and by their own free will,  they deprived themselves of these outstanding gifts.  Rather, in their place they brought upon themselves  blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in their minds;  perversity, defiance, and hardness in their hearts and wills;  and finally impurity in all their ­emotions. Summary David wastes no time getting to the crux of the matter in defining why wicked people are the way they are: There is no fear of God before their eyes. David doesn't reach this harsh conclusion on his own, perhaps at the end of a hard day when he's in a bad mood so as to skew his objectivity. No, his definition concerning the sinfulness of the wicked comes as the result of a message from God in his heart. In this regard, Psalm 36 isn't any different than any other psalm, or any other passage of scripture for that matter; God, through His Spirit breathed His message into the writer's heart, who then took up a pen and committed it to paper. David begins his description of wicked people negatively - that is, he indicates what's missing: there is no fear of God before their eyes. Whenever something is missing or removed, a vacuum results. Something will fill the void. So in this case, when the fear of God is removed, it's quickly replaced with self flattery in their own eyes and wicked and deceitful words in their mouths. This exchange sparks a vicious cycle of increasing depravity. As the fear of God decreases, the flattery increases to the point where a person can no longer even detect , much less hate their sin. As the words of their mouth becomes more and more wicked and deceitful, they more often fail to act wisely or do good. Once the fear of God is removed from a person's life, sin becomes all consuming. Even on their beds they plot evil! Instead of just dipping their toes in sinful waters from time, they commit themselves to a sinful course and do not reject what is wrong.   Dig Deeper   It's so easy to stop reading Psalm 36 at the end of v4, where the Psalm transitions from being an exposition of wickedness to a reminder of God's ḥěʹ·sěḏ ( unfailing covenant love ). Just think of the conversations you've had this past week; did you spend more time talking about problems or God's goodness in the midst of those problems? If you're like most people, you focused on the problems caused by sin. But notice how Psalm 36 is weighted. David certainly doesn't ignore the issues caused by those mired in a cycle of flattery, deceit and sinfulness, but he spends the majority of the psalm writing about God's love, righteousness and even His river of delights! It's important for you to understand this doctrine of total depravity. You're not to be like the proverbial ostrich, sticking your head underground and ignoring the blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in our minds. It's important for you to understand that your instinct leans toward perversity, defiance, and hardness in your heart and will , and that even the way you often feel is impure. While the effects of sin certainly is total , in that there's no aspect of life that it doesn't corrupt, don't fall into the trap of thinking everything is totally deprived. There are so many things that do continue to reflect God's unfailing love , even if that reflection is dim and blurred. Remember that no matter how much goodness sin has destroyed in this world, you can always take refuge in the shadow of the LORD's wings. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose righteousness is like the highest mountains, and whose justice like the great deep; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the LORD will continue His love and righteousness to you and that you will replace the indwelling sin in your life with the fear of God; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Colossians 1

Total depravity requires total repentance. Ephesians 4:17-19 (NIV) 17  So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the image of God  and were furnished  in mind with a true and sound knowledge of the Creator and things spiritual,  in will and heart with righteousness,  and in all emotions with purity;  indeed, the whole human being was holy.  However, rebelling against God  at the devil’s instigation  and by their own free will,  they deprived themselves of these outstanding gifts.  Rather, in their place they brought upon themselves  blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in their minds;  perversity, defiance, and hardness in their hearts and wills;  and finally impurity in all their ­emotions. Summary One of the primary themes of Paul's letter to the Ephesians is the transforming power of God's grace, which enables us to live harmoniously with our families and the Christian community around us. Yet these renewed relationships don't just fall down from heaven, so to speak, but they result from an even more significant work of the Spirit: His restoring our ability to properly think. This is why Paul is so insistent as he begins this passage. All of the strife and disunity that Gentiles experience is a product of their futile thinking ( Gentiles here doesn't mean people who aren't Jewish, but all people who live outside of God's Law). Their understanding is darkened - in other words, they're blindly stumbling through life. In fact, they're not just stumbling, they've completely wandered off and separated themselves from the life of God. So as you look at the relational messes all around you - which you so often get sucked into - it all stems from the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. The NIV translates the next phrase well: having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality. In other words, rather than thinking their way through decisions, challenges and problems, people simply do what feels right in the moment. But if you have any life experience at all, you already know that so often what feels right rarely is right. So indulging sensuality always leads to a devolving pursuit of impurity. What's so tragic is that sin creates an insatiable appetite that causes a continual lust for more and more impurity.   Dig Deeper   In theology, we call this broken reality that surrounds us the noetic effect of sin. We use the strange word noetic because it comes from the Greek word nous, meaning “mind,” “intellect,” or “understanding.” Today's passage uses a bunch of words that all stem from this same root: thinking, understanding and ignorance. Simply put, the noetic effect of sin  inhibits people's ability to think straight. But it goes deeper than that. Your nous is who you are at the deepest levels; it's not just your intellect, but your emotions and volition as well. The Bible often uses the word heart to refer to these three aspects as Paul does here. All of our problems stem from the hardening of our hearts. This is what we mean when we state that our depravity is total. The Canons remind us what it is that we've sinfully brought upon ourselves: blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in our minds; perversity, defiance, and hardness in our hearts and wills;  and finally impurity in all our ­emotions. This is why Jesus' core message to sinners is REPENT. The Greek word is meta- noe ō which literally means change your nous: the way you think, feel and act. God's grace, delivered to you through the faith given to you by the Holy Spirit, totally changes every aspect of you which had been affected by sin. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who through His Spirit, softens your hardened heart; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will do the hard work of continually repenting in every aspect of your life: intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally (will); A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philippians 4

Understanding the totality of your depravity is key to living in God's grace. Romans 3:9-18 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul's been deflating the idea that the Jewish people had an advantage over the Gentiles in gaining salvation. 9  What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. 10  As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. 12  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 14:1-3, 53:1-3, Eccl. 7:20 13  “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”  Psalm 5:9 “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”  Psalm 140:3 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”  Psalm 10:7 15  “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery mark their ways, 17  and the way of peace they do not know.” Isaiah 59:7-8 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  Psalm 36:1 Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the image of God  and were furnished  in mind with a true and sound knowledge of the Creator and things spiritual,  in will and heart with righteousness,  and in all emotions with purity;  indeed, the whole human being was holy.  However, rebelling against God  at the devil’s instigation  and by their own free will,  they deprived themselves of these outstanding gifts.  Rather, in their place they brought upon themselves  blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in their minds;  perversity, defiance, and hardness in their hearts and wills;  and finally impurity in all their ­emotions. Summary The book of Romans is the clearest exposition of Christian doctrine in the Bible. Paul begins the letter with the triumphant claim that the gospel is the power of God that brings salvation of everyone who believes ( Romans 1:16 ). The word gospel simple means good news. But the first two and a half chapters of Romans seems like anything but good news. Just two verses after announcing the gospel as the power of God that brings salvation, Paul shifts gears. Before he writes any more about salvation, he begins with the cold, ugly truth, announcing that the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness ( Romans 1:18 ) . Paul goes on in that first chapter to describe the depravity of Gentiles, using the threefold phrase so God gave them over to sinful desires, shameful lusts, and a depraved mind as a result of the Gentiles' ongoing efforts to suppress the truth. People like us - good 'church people,' that is - get pretty pumped up reading this part. We cheer Paul on, in a sense, glad to see somebody's finally describing the sinful citizens of the world as it really is. We shake our heads at their ever increasing wickedness and read this passage as a warning to our children not to be like the world. But then the second chapter comes. Paul turns his attention away from the godless throngs and looks people like us squarely in the eye, writing, You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment upon someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you're condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things.   Dig Deeper   As we come to grips over the next few weeks with the reality of what the Canons refer to as Total Depravity , it's critical that we understand exactly what's meant by these words. The word total doesn't mean that as sinners we're as wicked as what we can possibly be. Rather, it refers to the ubiquitous nature of sin - there's no aspect of creation undamaged by it. It's all over, even staining 'good church people' like us. Our passage today from the beginning of Romans 3 is a good example of what the word depravity means. Simply put, as sinners we've been deprived of the goodness of the God in whose image we've been created. Again, by God's grace, many vestiges of His goodness still is at work, even in people who don't know Him, and as regenerated Christians, we ought to display more and more of His goodness as the Spirit continues His work of sanctification. But notice how Paul stitches together so much scripture as he weaves such an ugly, yet realistic picture of humanity: no one righteous... no one who understands... our throats are open graves... our tongues tongues practice deceit... our mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Notice how much our mind and mouth are predominantly the source of our sin! Ultimately, on our own there is no fear of God before our eyes. Neither Paul nor the Canons of Dordt catalog these ugly passages simply to rub our faces in the smelly reality we've plunged ourselves in. Quite the opposite. It's only when the Spirit opens our eyes to see and understand the totality of our depravity that we are repulsed by it and, as we'll learn in a couple of months, will we be irresistibly drawn to the grace God offers. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who's good and perfect image we've been created in; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll recognize the ugly indwelling depravity in your life and that God's grace will strengthen you to put it to death ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philippians 3

The devil's most successful attacks are often the least scariest! BibleHub.com Genesis 3:1–7 (NIV) 3   Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2  The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  3  but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4  “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5  “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the image of God  and were furnished  in mind with a true and sound knowledge of the Creator and things spiritual,  in will and heart with righteousness,  and in all emotions with purity;  indeed, the whole human being was holy.  However, rebelling against God  at the devil’s instigation  and by their own free will,  they deprived themselves of these outstanding gifts.  Rather, in their place they brought upon themselves  blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in their minds;  perversity, defiance, and hardness in their hearts and wills;  and finally impurity in all their ­emotions. Summary Today's passage is one that we come to nearly year as we read through the Bible together, regardless of which confession we're using at the time as our roadmap for reading. Normally a hinge point comes in the middle of something, but in the Bible, one of the central hinge points comes just a few pages from the beginning, as the fall of man into sin is recorded here in the third chapter of Genesis. What stands out in reading it today is the serpent's politeness. He doesn't pop up in all of his demonic fury in an attempt to terrify Eve and scare her into sinful submission. Instead, he's, as we noticed last year, very shrewd ( crafty ) in his approach. It's almost as if he's sincerely seeking the truth himself, and wants to know if God really said they must not eat from any tree in the garden. Certainly, the serpent intoned, a good, kind and loving God wouldn't issue an edict like that! Eve, eager at this point to defend her Creator, begins to correct her new friend. But as it turns out, she wasn't solidly certain of what God had commanded either, as she adds a provision that she and Adam were not to even touch the tree in the middle of the garden, or they would die. But now the shrewd serpent has her right where he wants her: on shaky theological ground; she's not really sure of what God actually said and consequently no longer certain of what's really true. The serpent nudges Adam & Eve's decision making to rely more on aesthetics (Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom ) rather than on their intellect. He instantly pounces on this weakness and plants the lie: you will not certainly die.   Dig Deeper   The Canons here emphasize a phrase that's normally an anathema Reformed theology, stating that Adam & Eve by their own free will,  they deprived themselves of these outstanding gifts ( sound knowledge, perfect righteousness and pure emotions ). As Calvinists, we're quick to point out that none of us have free will , since the Bible repeatedly informs us that our wills are enslaved to sin as a result of man's fall into sin. But Adam & Eve are the exception to that rule. Before the fall they had a truly free will . They still had minds with a true and sound knowledge of the Creator . This is what we want to focus on today as we look at this miserable passage once again: the serpent didn't force Adam & Eve to do anything. They freely bit into the fruit on their own. We remember from studying this passage in previous years that the primary fault for their failure lies with Adam, and that his fall brought us all down . His sin sold us all into slavery to sin, so that we are no longer able to do anything good unless it's given to us from heaven ( Belgic Confession, Art. 14 , John 3:27). But in order to fully understand the Good News of the Gospel, you must first correctly understand this very bad news. The Good News, is of course that we have a new Adam who successfully resisted the serpent's temptations and passed on His covenant fulfilling righteousness to those who trust in Him. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who through the Holy Spirit has regenerated our ability to choose to trust and obey Him ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your intellect and theology will be strengthened so that you can resist the serpent's temptations; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philippians 2

Salvation restores what sin stole: your divine likeness. Genesis 1:24-26 (NIV) 24  And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25  God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 26  Then God said, “Let us make mankind ( ʾā·ḏām ) in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27  So God created mankind ( ʾā·ḏām ) in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 1: The Effect of the Fall on Human Nature Human beings were originally created in the image of God  and were furnished  in mind with a true and sound knowledge of the Creator and things spiritual,  in will and heart with righteousness,  and in all emotions with purity;  indeed, the whole human being was holy.  However, rebelling against God  at the devil’s instigation  and by their own free will,  they deprived themselves of these outstanding gifts.  Rather, in their place they brought upon themselves  blindness, terrible darkness, futility, and distortion of judgment in their minds;  perversity, defiance, and hardness in their hearts and wills;  and finally impurity in all their ­emotions. Summary The summary section is paraphrased from The Expositor's Bible Commentary, by John Sailhamer The creation of humankind is set apart from the previous acts of creation by a series of subtle contrasts with the earlier accounts of God’s acts. First, in v. 26, the beginning of the creation of humans is marked by the usual, “And God said.” However, God’s word that follows is not an impersonal (third person) “Let there be”; rather, what is used is the personal (first person) “Let us make.” Second, throughout the previous narrative each creature is made “according to its own kind." But the account of the creation of humankind specifically notes that the man and the woman were not made “according to their own kind.” Rather, they were made “in God’s image." They are not merely like themselves, they are also like God; they share a likeness to their Creator. Third, the creation of humankind is specifically noted as a creation of “male and female” (v. 27). The author has not considered gender an important feature in his account of the creation of the other forms of life, but for humanity it is clearly of considerable importance. Thus the narrative puts heavy stress on the fact that God created man as “male and female.” Fourth, only humanity has been given dominion in God’s creation. Humankind’s dominion is expressly stated to be over all other living creatures: those of the sky, sea, and land. Why the author has singled out the creation of humankind in this way? One answer is that the author intends to portray him as a special creature marked off from the rest of God’s works. But the author’s purpose seems to go beyond merely marking humankind as different from the rest of the creatures; the narrative is also intent on showing that humans are like God. As much as they are not like the other creatures, they are to that extent also like God.   Dig Deeper   The Canons help explain the significance of being created imago Dei ( in the image of God ). Upon creation, mankind was furnished with: A true and sound knowledge of the Creator and things spiritual - Adam & Eve had the perfect ability to know God in a way unblurred by sin; In will and heart with righteousness - Man was created with the ability to perfectly obey God and fulfill His covenant requirements; In all emotions with purity - The first recorded effect from sin was emotional: Adam and Eve felt ashamed at their nakedness. The sudden appearance of fear and shame highlights what was previously absent: before sin, emotions were uncorrupted. Indeed, the whole human being was holy - Holy in every sense of the word; Man was not just flawless and without sin, but separate and different from any other aspect of creation. They were completely whole, and in a state of shalom with their Creator. Every aspect of the gospel is focused on restoring what sin ruined: Once regenerated, people are called to repent - to think, feel and act differently; Christ supplies the perfect righteousness needed to satisfy God's covenant; It transforms our feelings from lusting after sin to rejoicing in righteousness. Ultimately, the gospel makes you holy and places you once again at peace with God. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who made you in His image; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will steadily grow in sanctification to become the holy image bearer you were created to be; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philippians 1

God laughs at those who think they're stronger than His grace! worshiparts.net/psalm-2/ Psalm 2 (NIV) ¹ Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? ² The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, ³ “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” ⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. ⁵ He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, ⁶ “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” ⁷ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. ⁸ Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. ⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” ¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. ¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. ¹² Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary This summary is a re-post from November 2024 The second Psalm, along with the first, set the tone for all of the Psalms that follow them. Psalm 2 sets forth two competing realities, but it also makes clear that only one of these realities will ultimately prevail. You didn't need Psalm 2 to tell you about the existence of the first reality: that all of the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain... banding together against the the LORD and His anointed one (mā·šîaḥ ) . The kings of the earth rise up against the very God who established them (Romans 1). You didn't need Psalm 2 to tell you this because you see evidence of it everywhere you look, whether it's 'kings' operating at the local level or 'kings' who have tremendous geopolitical power. What you need Psalm 2 to be reminded of is what's in store for these wicked and corrupt rulers. You need to be reminded often that despite how much you worry about policies and proclamations that seem so backwards, the One enthroned in heaven laughs and scoffs  at them! He's not laughing because He thinks their attempts are so funny, but because He knows their rebellious efforts are so pathetic. The One enthroned in heaven  can be so confident because He knows who the true King is: the one He installed on Zion, His holy mountain , and He knows that this King  - His Son - will  break the rebellious nations with a rod of iron and will dash them to pieces like pottery.   Dig Deeper   We come to Psalm 2 in the midst of the graduation and wedding seasons. People in those stages of life usually have at least some semblance of a plan for their lives - where they want to go and what they want to do as life begins to move forward. Those of us with a bit more experience just smile and do our best to encourage, even though we know how the realities of life tend to tame robust ambitions. Sometimes we simply adapt our plans to the challenges that come; more often life events end up changing our plans altogether. One of the quiet, ever present truths of theology is the simple fact that God is not like us. Adaptation and change are so woven into our psyche, so we mistakenly conclude it must be the same for God. He's just rolling with the punches, like us, doing the best He can to hold things together according to His grand plan. But Psalm 2 and the Canons serve as a reminder of how different God is. God's plan arrives out of His eternal love for the elect... it has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future. Not even the gates of Hell can budge it off course. Subsequently, there is always a church of believers... which both here and in all eternity praises Christ as her Savior. God's grace always has been and always will be stronger than you are! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who laughs and scoffs at those who try to thwart His plans; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in every aspect of your life that you will take refuge in the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 5

You've been beautifully transformed both by and for your Savior. Photo credit: Unsplash Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV) CONTEXT: Today's passage comes in the midst of some instructions Paul lays down for Christian households - specifically for wives and husbands. Our focus today isn't so much on our domestic relationships as it is on the analogy Paul uses here for Christ's relationship to the Church. 25  Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26  to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27  and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary The English word 'church' has so many senses - the word could refer to either a religious institution or a building people meet in for worship, wedding ceremonies and other significant events. But the word that the Bible uses to describe the church - ekklēsia - simply means ' a gathering of people called out from their homes .' Church, then, at its deepest sense refers to the people God has called out into salvation. All throughout the Bible, the Church (God's people) is analogically referred to as a bride, a Paul does here in Ephesians. Mike McKinley helps explain the significance of this: The fact that God refers to himself as a husband tells us something important about Him and the amazing love that He has for us, but it also shows us something very important about the institution of marriage. If God is a husband, then marriage is not merely a social construct or even primarily a way for people to find companionship and start a family. Instead, marriage is fundamentally a picture of God’s love. It is a way for us to understand and display the depth and intensity of the love God has for his people.   Dig Deeper   There are two primary benefits to officiating a wedding. For one thing, I don't have to wait for my row to be dismissed before I get to walk out when the ceremony is over. But even better is getting to stand up front and observe as everyone stands and turns their attention towards the back to watch the bride and her father as they make their way up the aisle. The best part is watching the look on the groom's face as he sees his radiant bride coming toward him, without stain or wrinkle or other blemish, but holy and blameless. Most of the time, as is tradition, the first time the groom sees his bride on their wedding day is when she appears in the aisle, and what he sees is the culmination of hours of preparation and primping by bride's maids to make sure everything is just so. Grooms normally don't participate in those preparations, primarily due to our ignorance and incompetence in such practices. Grooms would just get in the way. All analogies have limitations - even Biblical analogies like this one. Whereas grooms can take no credit for the beauty of their bride, Christ takes all of the credit for the radiancy (literally: glory ) of His Bride, the Church. We know how ugly we are and how many warts we have. Yet Christ prepared and purified us in a way far beyond the capacity of any earthly bridesmaid: He gave Himself up for us to make us holy, cleansing us by the washing with water through the word, to present us to Himself as a radiant Church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who created marriage as a picture of His love for us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in a way that doesn't soil the cleansing Christ has accomplished to prepare you to belong to Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 5

Your significance comes from the Good Shepherd who claims you as His own. John 10:11-16 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus is speaking to a group of incredulous Pharisees “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13  The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — 15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary The shepherd motif has a rich history in Scripture, which is fitting given how familiar many of the Bible’s original readers would have been with the role and responsibilities of a shepherd. But the shepherd concept extended to more than just one who watches over a flock of sheep; both kings and sometimes even local deities were considered as shepherds over their people. So when Jesus here famously claims to be the good shepherd, He's not just equating Himself to a humble agrarian caretaker, but He's claiming to be a king. And not just a typical king; in announcing Himself He began with the theologically charged phrase I AM, which would have been understood by the Pharisees who heard it as the holy name the LORD identified Himself as when He appeared to Moses in the burning bush. Jesus included the Pharisees He spoke to in His metaphor. Whereas He is the true and good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep, the religious establishment that the Pharisees were part of were nothing more than uncaring hired hands who abandoned their posts at the first sign of danger. In just five short words - I AM the good shepherd - Jesus claims to be the rightful protector of God's people (contrary to the current religious hired hands), the true King of Israel, and even to be God Himself!   Dig Deeper   As amazing and profound as what Jesus' claims about Himself are here, it's what He says about His sheep - that's us - that draws our attention today: 14  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. Literally translated, Jesus said I know mine and mine know me. What's critical to understand here is that Jesus wasn't putting His emphasis on the fact that you're a sheep, but rather that you are His - that you belong to Him, the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. He didn't lay down His life for all of the sheep, just the ones that He claims as mine, the ones He would go on to describe in v29 as the sheep which my Father has given to me . So who then are the other sheep that are not of this sheep pen ? Although the Mormons like to imagine these sheep as a supposed civilization (the 'Nephites') living in North America two thousand years ago whose descendents would go on to become latter day saints , the real explanation is far simpler. You and I are the other sheep, in that we are (for the most part) gentiles and not physical descendents of Abraham that Jesus was speaking directly to. Most of us don't have much worldly significance; it often seems like we're just a random statistic in a sea of statistics. When you feel that way, remember these words of your Savior, the Good Shepherd. He says of you, you are mine! That's true significance! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who along with His Son, the Good Shepherd, and the Holy Spirit are the Triune God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live with the confidence and significance of knowing that you fully belong and are protected by the Good Shepherd; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 14

Chances are you're afflicted with a syndrome you didn't know you had! Romans 11:1-6 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul is discussing why the Jewish people have rejected Christ at the end of the tenth chapter: 17  Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18  But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did... 19  Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? 21  ...concerning Israel Moses says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” 11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2  God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3  “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4  And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”  5  So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6  And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary Paul begins chapter eleven with another of his famous rhetorical questions to help move his discussion forward. This one comes on the tail end of a series of inquiries as to why his own people - the Jews - were rejecting Christ. Faith comes through hearing, he surmised at the end of the previous chapter, so did they not hear? Paul doesn't wait long to supply the answer: of course they did! They'd been given God's law and the prophets! His final question of chapter ten identifies the issue. Paul asks, did they not understand what they'd heard ? This time the answer is a bit more drawn out. Ultimately, they didn't understand, and their lack of understanding came as a result of their disobedience and obstinance. So then, the big question at the beginning of chapter eleven is did God reject His people - the ones He foreknew? Could it be that although God had chosen them to belong to Him, He finally had enough of their stubborness and finally cut them loose? Once again Paul quickly makes the answer to his own rhetorical question firmly absolute: No! God did not reject His people!   Dig Deeper   It's called the Elijah syndrome, and people like us are especially prone to it. Most of our readers (not all!) come from solid Christian communities and remember back in the day when our pews were overflowing. Extra chairs were set up often. Potlucks and dinners dominated the calendar and enrollment in children's programs were busting at the seams. But now, decades later, many experience the opposite reality: empty pews, quiet fellowship halls and far fewer children. Like Elijah, we often silently pray Lord, are we the only ones left? Paul here reminds us that God answered Elijah's somewhat delusional prayer, telling Elijah that He had reserved for Himself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, writes Paul, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace! There was then and is now a portion of Jewish people preserved by God in the grace of Christ. You may think the Church is quickly disintegrating; your own congregation is likely smaller than it used to be and you're continually bombarded with bad news seemingly indicating the Church's demise all over North America. But come back to this passage often and revisit what both Elijah and Paul learned about God's grace, which is summarized in the Canons: God’s eternal love for the elect, from the beginning of the world to the present time, has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future... There is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who always has and always will keep His covenant people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Even if your own church community is a fraction of what is was, praise God for preserving you and others as a remnant chosen by grace; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 4