Have you ever thought of yourself as being spiritually spoiled? Romans 8:32-34 (NIV) ... If God is for us, who can be against us? 32  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34  Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Since it has pleased God to give us his Son as our Intercessor, let us not leave him for another— or rather seek, without ever finding. For when God gave him to us he knew well that we were sinners. Therefore, in following the command of Christ we call on the heavenly Father through Christ, our only Mediator, as we are taught by the Lord’s Prayer, being assured that we shall obtain all we ask of the Father in his name. Summary Romans 8 never fails to disappoint. I've always taught students that when (not if) they come to the end of their rope and don't know where else to turn, open a Bible to Romans chapter 8. Every verse in it is pure comforting truth, and today's short passage is no exception. Today's opening line announced that "God is for us". Just let that sink in. Maybe that phrase seems sort of cheesy to you, like an overly saccharin sweet greeting card given to cheer you out of a low moment in life. Maybe it triggers your cynical side, as you wonder how different the world would look if God were actually 'for' everyone. But that's not what it says. God isn't for everyone, He's for us! This statement comes on the heels of a passage we looked at earlier this year called the 'golden chain of our salvation,' which unpacks how God bends history for the good of those He chose for Himself before creation. God is for you! And that's not all! No matter who drags you through the mud - even if and when you might deserve it - our Savior is right there before the Father's throne interceding for you. Dig Deeper This morning as I walked to the office I began thinking about what the day's post would be about, and I thought 'oh yeah, we're still on article 26... just another passage on how Jesus is our intercessor.' There's a little part of me that was actually getting bored with this topic! After a week and a half I was ready to move on to another topic. But how could what we just read in Romans 8 - or any one of a number of passages that say something similar - ever be considered boring? The fact that I considered dull, even for just a moment, the truth that the all-powerful Creator of all things is interceding for me is an indication of just how spiritually spoiled I am! Being spoiled - both physically and spiritually - is a big danger we face in our day and age. We think we know all there is to know about the Bible and Christianity, so we keep it on the shelf in favor of more interesting distractions. After all, we know where to find it when we need it. It's so easy to let our regular spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, ongoing prayer and attending corporate worship begin to slip, all because they begin to seem boring after awhile. It's no wonder that Guido de Bres, the author of our Confession, spent so long describing such a wonderful truth here in Article 26. Read these truths again with fresh eyes - both our Confession, and especially awesome passages like Romans 8 - and, as one famous theologian once said, wake up from your dogmatic slumber. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father in heaven, who is for us! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that these wonderful truths will seem exciting to you, and thank God that Jesus intercedes for you even when you're bored with Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 1

You have peace with your Father in heaven because of your Brother in heaven. Hebrews 2:14–18 (ESV) 11  For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers... 14  Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15  and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16  For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18  For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Since it has pleased God to give us his Son as our Intercessor, let us not leave him for another— or rather seek, without ever finding. For when God gave him to us he knew well that we were sinners. Therefore, in following the command of Christ we call on the heavenly Father through Christ, our only Mediator, as we are taught by the Lord’s Prayer, being assured that we shall obtain all we ask of the Father in his name. Today's passage, Summary and Dig Deeper post are a slightly modified reprint of the May 30, 2024 post . Summary As we began our journey through the Belgic Confession earlier this year, we looked at what it means when we confess that our God is omnipotent , and how although God can do all that He pleases, it doesn't mean He can do all things. For example, God cannot do evil, since doing so would violate who and what He is. This is critical to remember as we begin to understand exactly how our salvation was accomplished. God could not save us from a distance. He couldn't just declare "Let them be saved" the way that He called light into being. Only a man could satisfy God's covenant, so therefore God needed to become a man so "that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death (v14)." This is why Jesus had to become a man "in every respect (v17)." It wouldn't be enough for Him to just come down and be with us, or even to simply look like  us. He needed to become a man in every regard: He needed a physical body, as well as a spiritual soul. Jesus took on human nature "so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest..." Remember, whereas a prophet is one who represents God to us, a priest represents us to God. The only way for you to be perfectly represented before God was for Jesus to become God incarnate : that is, God in flesh. Dig Deeper How often haven't you said to someone going through a trial something along the lines of "I know what you're going through..." Certainly we say this sincerely in a way that we hope helps, but ultimately the only way to truly know what it's like to go through something is to actually go through the exact same experience ourselves. Certainly the primary reason the Son of God became man was "to make propitiation (atonement / payment) for the sins of the people." Jesus did this by taking on all of our sin and bearing the holy wrath of God as He hung on the cross. But in doing so, Jesus came to know first hand exactly what it's like to live as a human being in this fallen and broken world. He literally became our brother - our Brother who is now in heaven! Jesus suffered as He was tempted through life to a degree the rest of us will never truly experience. He can honestly say that He knows what it's like to be us, but we could never say that we know what it was like to be Him as He endured the worst of what Satan could muster. But because He endured this unimaginable suffering in life, "He is able to help those who are being tempted." So as we Confess, Jesus “ was made like his brothers in all things” for two reasons: First, and most importantly, " that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people." But don't miss the second huge benefit that having a Brother in heaven brings to you: "For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted." AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father in heaven, whom we are able to approach in peace because of our Brother in heaven; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will lean more and more on your Brother in heaven and not your own abilities or strength; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 16

There's a direct correlation between how you worship and pray. Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NIV) 5  This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6  That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8  They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Since it has pleased God to give us his Son as our Intercessor, let us not leave him for another— or rather seek, without ever finding. For when God gave him to us he knew well that we were sinners. Therefore, in following the command of Christ we call on the heavenly Father through Christ, our only Mediator, as we are taught by the Lord’s Prayer, being assured that we shall obtain all we ask of the Father in his name. Summary A few weeks ago, we read Jesus explaining that you can recognize genuine Christians by their deeds in the same way you can recognize a good tree by its fruit . A good tree, Jesus said gives good fruit, while a bad tree bears bad fruit. But Jesus there didn't elaborate on what makes the trees different, only that there are good trees and there are bad trees. Today in the book of Jeremiah, the LORD explains what the differences, and it's all about the roots. A bad tree, or in the case of today's example, a bush in the wasteland, is rooted in shallow, sandy, dry ground. People represented by these scrub bushes "trust in man, draw strength from mere flesh, and their hearts turn away from the LORD" (v5). Such people never enjoy true prosperity and live parched lives in miserable conditions. But the good tree that bears good fruit is "like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream" (v8). These are people "who trust in the LORD and put their confidence in Him" (v7). These people face the heat and drought of life in a fallen world just like everyone else, but they have "no worries... and never fail to bear fruit" (v8). Dig Deeper The LORD's words here in Jeremiah 17 make sense even when read out of the context they originally came in, but understanding that context helps you better understand what it means to be truly rooted in the LORD so that your life bears good fruit. In this section of Jeremiah, the LORD is calling His people out for their worship and prayers to idols and false gods. What this means is that the quality of your worship and prayers bear a direct correlation to how well you're rooted, and ultimately, how fruitful your life is. Shallow worship and sparse prayers result in a miserable scrub brush in the barren waste lands, while deep worship and continual prayers are like a tree whose roots tap into an abundant stream. Our Confession here wants you to understand that your worship and prayer are not isolated entities. Vapid worship produces people who ultimately put their trust in themselves, while Christ centered corporate worship will spur a person to pray "on the basis of Christ's excellence and dignity." So if you want good, solid roots that enable you to bear good fruit, be sure you're participating in solid, biblical worship each Lord's Day which causes you to pray - both consciously and unconsciously - throughout the week in a way that fully trusts in Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is yours by faith. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who blesses those who remain rooted in Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will keep your trust and confidence in the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 15

You don't need to pray in the name of Saint So & So Acts 10:23-26 (NIV) CONTEXT: Peter has just had the vision in which God sent down a sheet with multiple kinds of meats, including non-kosher varieties, and told him to eat. This would have been a major cultural shift for Peter, but God wasn't done prying the door open for Gentiles. Immediately afterwards, Peter is sent to the house of Cornelius, a Roman centurion. The Jewish law Peter grew up with prohibited a Jew from associating with or visiting a Gentile (v28), but Peter obeyed God's call. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24  The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25  As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26  But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. He therefore was made man, uniting together the divine and human natures, so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty. Otherwise we would have no access. But this Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he was “in the form of God,” he nevertheless “emptied himself,” taking the form of “a man” and “a servant” for us; and he made himself “completely like his brothers.” Suppose we had to find another intercessor. Who would love us more than he who gave his life for us, even though “we were his enemies”? And suppose we had to find one who has prestige and power. Who has as much of these as he who is seated “at the right hand of the Father,” and who has all power “in heaven and on earth”? And who will be heard more readily than God’s own dearly beloved Son? So then, sheer unbelief has led to the practice of dishonoring the saints, instead of honoring them. That was something the saints never did nor asked for, but which in keeping with their duty, as appears from their writings, they consistently refused. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Summary This has been a jarring couple of days for Peter. He'd been faithfully proclaiming the gospel, healing diseases and even calling a woman back from the dead. But in all of this, Peter's ministry was exclusively to Jewish people; after all, they were God's chosen people! But all of that was about to change, and the change would come suddenly and overwhelmingly. It started with the meat laden sheet being lowered from heaven, with a divine voice commanding Peter to take and eat. Peter corrected the Lord and refused, so God repeated the process three more times to accommodate his obstinate apostle. Even as Peter is still trying to wrap his head around the massive paradigm shift that God had just laid out, there was a knock at his door with an invitation to the home of a Gentile of Gentiles: a Roman centurion. To Peter's credit, the next day Peter set out in response to the invitation, and upon his arrival, didn't just find a house with one Gentile, but all of Cornelius' friends and relatives as well. The next words in the passage don't seem very profound, but they represent a massive step forward for the church: "Peter entered the house." All of this to say that if anyone ever deserved the title of 'saint', Peter had all the more reason. In the last few days, he'd raised the dead, had God speak to him directly from heaven, and suppressed a lifetime of well deserved cultural prejudice as he stepped into the home of a man representing the worst of the world in order to share the gospel. And yet this saint of saints refused the worship offered by this Gentile of Gentiles. Dig Deeper Most of us don't have a strong temptation to channel our prayers through one particular patron saint or another. We respect these 'Saints' as people God used in a mighty way, but yet we know we don't need their assistance in responding to God's gracious invitation to come before His throne of grace; after all, it's "in Jesus' name we pray." Besides, the Bible refers to all of God's covenant people as saints, not just the really exceptional ones. So it may seem odd or anachronistic for our Confession - this document which summarizes what we believe the Bible says about the most important doctrines of our faith - to continue to include this paragraph about the danger of venerating saints. Certainly the Belgic Confession must be read in the context of the day and age it was written, and praying in the name of the saints was a much bigger issue four centuries ago than it is now, but why do we continue to confess this seemingly irrelevant paragraph yet today? Don't gloss over the opening words of this paragraph: " sheer unbelief has led to the practice of dishonoring the saints... " (another translation puts it, "a pure lack of trust "). The underlying problem - our perceived need to 'pad our resume' before presenting our requests to God - continues today and will continue until the day Christ returns. You don't need puff yourself up before God, and you certainly don't need to appeal to a long dead saint to present your requests to God. God doesn't accept you on the basis of your own dignity or that of any other Christian, no matter who. You and your prayers are received " only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is yours by faith." AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who alone deserves all of our worship, trust and respect; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will cling only to Christ in every aspect of life, including your prayers; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 14

Trusting anything more than Christ is idolatry! Revelation 22:8-9 (NIV) 8  I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9  But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. He therefore was made man, uniting together the divine and human natures, so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty. Otherwise we would have no access. But this Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he was “in the form of God,” he nevertheless “emptied himself,” taking the form of “a man” and “a servant” for us; and he made himself “completely like his brothers.” Suppose we had to find another intercessor. Who would love us more than he who gave his life for us, even though “we were his enemies”? And suppose we had to find one who has prestige and power. Who has as much of these as he who is seated “at the right hand of the Father,” and who has all power “in heaven and on earth”? And who will be heard more readily than God’s own dearly beloved Son? So then, sheer unbelief has led to the practice of dishonoring the saints, instead of honoring them. That was something the saints never did nor asked for, but which in keeping with their duty, as appears from their writings, they consistently refused. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Summary It's hard to blame John here. He's just completed a guided tour of the future, and the things he heard and saw were so fantastically wonderful he just had to worship, and since his angelic tour guide represented all that he'd seen, it only made sense to fall down at the angel's feet in worship. But the angel is quick to defer such a misplaced honor, reminding John that even as an angel, he was simply a fellow servant right alongside him. God alone must be worshipped. This concept has been one of the basic premises of scripture from the very beginning: that nothing or no one ought to be bowed down to other than the one true God. Yet this all important command is so often broken. It's not surprising to read of all of the pagan nations who fell prostrate before gods of wood and stone, and we're not even all that shocked to read about the Israelites' ushering in golden calves as the object of their worship. But John is not a pagan, nor is his faith as shallow as that of those former slaves left on their own in the Egyptian wilderness. John knew Jesus well, perhaps better than anyone on earth. He was a highly respected apostle, and the one man God chose to give a glimpse of the apocalypse to. So if even this stalwart Christian can so easily fall afoul of God's most basic commandment, the rest of us had better be constantly on guard. Dig Deeper Certainly you and I aren't tempted to carve or cast otherworldly little objects and then venerate them. The whole concept seems silly. We're way too sophisticated to fall for that! But just like John, we're every bit as susceptible to idol worship as ancient near eastern pagans. Our Confession helps us understand that every time we go looking for "another intercessor," we're substituting something or someone for the one and only Son of God. We confess that there's no one who could love us more that the One who gave His life for us, his enemies, and that nothing could have the prestige and power of the One sitting at the Father's right hand, and that only Christ has been given all authority on heaven and on earth. But every time we place our hope in something else, or try to represent ourselves before God, or even let earthly activities and concerns overshadow our worship of God, we, in a very real sense, fall down at the feet of something that's far less than divine. We give ourselves over to an idol. Praise God that Christ is interceding on your behalf. Pray that you will recognize all of the posers that seek divert your trust in Him, and pray that you will heed the advice of the angel by following the Bible's primary command to worship God alone. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who alone deserves all of our worship, trust and respect; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will recognize and avoid the idols that constantly tempt you to divert your worship and trust; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 13

You will wrestle with doubt, but it must not win! Matthew 28:16-18 (NIV) 16  Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18  Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. He therefore was made man, uniting together the divine and human natures, so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty. Otherwise we would have no access. But this Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he was “in the form of God,” he nevertheless “emptied himself,” taking the form of “a man” and “a servant” for us; and he made himself “completely like his brothers.” Suppose we had to find another intercessor. Who would love us more than he who gave his life for us, even though “we were his enemies”? And suppose we had to find one who has prestige and power. Who has as much of these as he who is seated “at the right hand of the Father,” and who has all power “in heaven and on earth”? And who will be heard more readily than God’s own dearly beloved Son? So then, sheer unbelief has led to the practice of dishonoring the saints, instead of honoring them. That was something the saints never did nor asked for, but which in keeping with their duty, as appears from their writings, they consistently refused. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Summary Certainly the final few verses of Matthew 28, often referred to as Jesus' "Great Commission," get lots of attention and are known well. But it's the verses that precede Jesus' famous instructions that get our attention today. The eleven remaining disciples do exactly what Jesus had told them to do after His resurrection and went to meet Jesus in Galilee. Imagine the scene as they waited there, perhaps a bit unsure if they were in the right spot or wondering if Jesus would even show up. So when He did arrive, their reaction was one of absolute joy, which organically led to pure worship. Well, for most of them at least. Matthew does record one bit of sad news in the midst of the unbridled joy, writing "but some doubted ." After everything that had happened over the last couple of months: the healings Jesus performed, Lazarus being called out of the tomb, the passion week culminating in Jesus' crucifixion, and then after that the overwhelming news that Jesus had risen from the dead, and not only that, He'd stood before these very same disciples with His wounded hands, feet and side. He even ate with them! And yet, Matthew tells us, "some doubted." Our Confession stacks several rhetorical questions on top of each other in the portion we read today, ultimately asking who, or even what, could a person turn to for hope if not Jesus, the One who gave His life for us and to whom was given "all authority in heaven and on earth?" In other words, Jesus is your only hope. Dig Deeper A person who truly encounters Jesus will go forward in life in one of two very different directions. Those who realize He's the Lord of Life can't help but to live a life of worship before, submitting to Him every aspect of life. But those who doubt - not the kind of fleeting questions or curiosities all people have regarding their faith, but a deeply settled rejection of the truth claim Jesus makes that He is the way, the truth, and the life - those who harbor these doubts have absolutely nothing of value to cling to apart from Christ. I wonder what became of those "doubters" that Matthew mentioned. We know well the gospel adventures that awaited some of the disciples because the Bible tells us so much about them. Reliable extra-biblical sources tell of how others brought the gospel to different parts of the world. But we don't know all of their stories, and we don't know a thing about how the rest of life unfolded for these doubters. But I'm quite sure they're sad stories. There's really no alternative, unless later their faith in Christ returned. You will have doubts about your Christianity, perplexing questions that often seem unanswerable for a time. But as you wrestle with these questions in a solid church community by digging into God's Word, such experiences will strengthen and grow your faith, and you'll be ready to help others through their doubts. But don't let your doubt become so consuming that it causes you, like these poor, unnamed disciples, to miss the Savior of the world, who stands before you offering to intercede on your behalf before Almighty God. As our Confession insinuates, where else can you go? AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who granted to Jesus all authority in heaven and on earth; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for strength as you wrestle with doubt, and thank God for the powerful intercessor who represents you before Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 12

Find eternal confidence by seizing your confession! Hebrews 4:13-16 (NIV) 13  Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. 14  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. He therefore was made man, uniting together the divine and human natures, so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty. Otherwise we would have no access. But this Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he was “in the form of God,” he nevertheless “emptied himself,” taking the form of “a man” and “a servant” for us; and he made himself “completely like his brothers.” Suppose we had to find another intercessor. Who would love us more than he who gave his life for us, even though “we were his enemies”? And suppose we had to find one who has prestige and power. Who has as much of these as he who is seated “at the right hand of the Father,” and who has all power “in heaven and on earth”? And who will be heard more readily than God’s own dearly beloved Son? So then, sheer unbelief has led to the practice of dishonoring the saints, instead of honoring them. That was something the saints never did nor asked for, but which in keeping with their duty, as appears from their writings, they consistently refused. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Summary It's been awhile, but remember that we began this year and this study of the Belgic Confession by being reminded exactly who and what God is, and one of those primary characteristics we learned is that He's omniscient . Hebrews here reminds us of that fact, that nothing is hidden from God's sight, and rather is "laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." That's pretty intimidating. We can't get away with anything. Even all of those things you've been able to keep hidden from others is "uncovered" in God's sight. But Hebrews doesn't tell you this to browbeat or frighten you. Quite the opposite, in fact. This passage ends with an invitation for you to "approach God's throne of grace with confidence!" It's not that your guilt and the bad things you've done suddenly vanish, as if somehow Jesus helps you keep them all under wraps and out of our Father's sight. Rather, you can have this confidence before God because you have a faithful mediator - one who stands before God and represents you. Dig Deeper Last year we learned what it means that Jesus has been anointed as our prophet, priest and king . When you confess Jesus Christ as Lord , we're recognizing His kingship over your entire life. Prophets represent God to the people, and Jesus certainly did that not just during His life on earth, but also in His enduring Word. A priest, on the other hand, is one who represents the people to God, and your confidence before God comes from the fact that you have a perfect priest representing you, one who is able "to empathize with your weaknesses" and "who has been tempted in every way, just as you are, yet he did not sin." That final imperative - to "approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" - is comforting and familiar for sure, but notice it's not the only imperative in this passage. For you to enjoy and live in this confidence, you must first "hold firmly to the faith you profess" - literally translated, seize your confession. This means when you know what the Bible says and why it's so important, you can cling to its gospel promises because you know your intercessor perfectly represents you before God and reconciles you to Him. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, before whom everything is uncovered and laid bare; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: " approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need"; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 11

You have continual access to the Father through Jesus, who is your advocate. 1 John 2:1-2 (NIV) My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 26: The Intercession of Christ We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor: Jesus Christ the Righteous. He therefore was made man, uniting together the divine and human natures, so that we human beings might have access to the divine Majesty. Otherwise we would have no access. But this Mediator, whom the Father has appointed between himself and us, ought not terrify us by his greatness, so that we have to look for another one, according to our fancy. For neither in heaven nor among the creatures on earth is there anyone who loves us more than Jesus Christ does. Although he was “in the form of God,” he nevertheless “emptied himself,” taking the form of “a man” and “a servant” for us; and he made himself “completely like his brothers.” Suppose we had to find another intercessor. Who would love us more than he who gave his life for us, even though “we were his enemies”? And suppose we had to find one who has prestige and power. Who has as much of these as he who is seated “at the right hand of the Father,” and who has all power “in heaven and on earth”? And who will be heard more readily than God’s own dearly beloved Son? So then, sheer unbelief has led to the practice of dishonoring the saints, instead of honoring them. That was something the saints never did nor asked for, but which in keeping with their duty, as appears from their writings, they consistently refused. We should not plead here that we are unworthy— for it is not a question of offering our prayers on the basis of our own dignity but only on the basis of the excellence and dignity of Jesus Christ, whose righteousness is ours by faith. Since the apostle for good reason wants us to get rid of this foolish fear— or rather, this unbelief— he says to us that Jesus Christ was “made like his brothers in all things,” that he might be a high priest who is merciful and faithful to purify the sins of the people. For since he suffered, being tempted, he is also able to help those who are tempted. Summary John is the only writer in the Bible to use the word paraklētos , and this is the only time he uses it to describe who and what Jesus is. The other four times he uses the word, he's quoting Jesus as He describes who the Holy Spirit is and what He does. When John uses the word paraklētos in His gospel, the translators struggle with it because the meaning of it is hard to capture with just one English word, and so it often gets rendered differently into words like 'comforter', 'counselor' and 'helper.' All of those are good ways to describe who the Holy Spirit is and what He does, but all the different versions of the Bible agreed on the way to translate the use of the word paraklētos here in John's epistle to describe who Jesus is. He is our advocate . Certainly the Holy Spirit advocates on your behalf as well, but not the way that Jesus does. Jesus is especially suited to advocate for you because it is His own blood that made atonement for you. It's not that the Holy Spirit is less vested in you than Jesus is; afterall, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are triune - three in one. But yet this blood bond you have with Christ is unique. Remember, one of the Bible's favorite ways to describe your relationship is that you are in Christ. So not only does your faith in Christ cause forgiving grace to flood in and cleanse you from your sin, but it gives you access to God the Father - the same exact access that Jesus has, because you're inseparably bonded to Him. As the God-Man , Jesus truly and fully represents you. Dig Deeper These next couple of weeks we're going to be learning quite a bit about your access to God. Article 26 is one of the longest in the entire Confession, which makes sense, given that the reason the Belgic Confession was written 463 years ago was to explain to the Roman Catholic establishment the Biblical foundation of the newly constituted Reformed churches. At the time, the Roman Church directed people to pray to God via intercessors, like Mary or one of the saints, and here in Article 26, the Confession makes the case that you have full access to God through Christ, not earthly saints. For most of us, praying through one particular patron saint or another really isn't much of a temptation anymore. But Article 26 is just as important as it's ever been! One of the biggest problems Christians experience today is feeling isolated, alone, and ignored by God, as if they aren't worthy enough to attract God's attention on their own. But our Confession spills much ink for you to be certain of what John tells you here in chapter two of his first epistle: you have an advocate before God. And not just when you've been doing really 'holy' things! Your most basic identity is one who is in Christ. That means that since Christ continually has full access to God the Father, so do you. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, through whom we have continual access through our Advocate, Jesus Christ. A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that, as John so simply puts it, "you will not sin;" A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 10

God's law is the key to an enjoyable life in which things go well. Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2  “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3  “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 25: The Fulfillment of the Law We believe that the ceremonies and symbols of the law have ended with the coming of Christ, and that all foreshadowings have come to an end, so that the use of them ought to be abolished among Christians. Yet the truth and substance of these things remain for us in Jesus Christ, in whom they have been fulfilled. Nevertheless, we continue to use the witnesses drawn from the law and prophets to confirm us in the gospel and to regulate our lives with full integrity for the glory of God, according to his will. Summary Christianity is an all inclusive belief system. A person can't just live in a Christian manner in some parts of life but not others. The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. the world, and all who live in it" (Psalm 24:1). This means that everything in the world, if it is to be good, wholesome and beneficial, must be conducted according to God's Word. The fact that the final chapter of one of Paul's most important letters begins with instructions directed to children likely shocked many of the first people who read it. Children were an afterthought in that Roman society, and were often considered little more than household property. It may be, from time to time, that the children participated in household religious rituals, but they were certainly never directly addressed or given specific instructions as the Apostle Paul does here. Paul brings this simple reminder to these youngest church members for two reasons. First, he's simply repeating the command God had given to His covenant children thousands of years prior to honor and obey one's parents. But more than that, Paul shows that this command wasn't just an arbitrary religious expectation, but rather was the key to an 'enjoyable' life that 'goes well with you.' Dig Deeper In Reformed Theology, the law is often compared to a mirror. As you look at the 'mirror' law, you see your own reflection compared to the ideal God had set forth, and the subsequent shame and guilt drives you to the cross where you're invited to confess and repent of your sin. This is certainly the primary purpose of the law, but not the only purpose of the law. To fully enjoy an expertly crafted musical instrument, you need to do more than just look at it. You need to learn to play it the way it was designed. Certain things must be done to play it well, other things ought never to be done while playing it; such things would only obscure its beauty. Our society sees God's Law simply as a clobber tool propagated simply to maintain the patriarchal system holding back society from its true potential. It shouldn't surprise you to learn that this is a lie, perpetrated by the father of lies. Rather than an instrument of oppression, God's law is a guide for you to show your gratitude towards God for the grace you've been given, and the instructions you need “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father who designed us to live and thrive within the confines of His Law; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as little children are commanded to honor their parents, that you too will honor the Lord your God in every aspect of your life; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 9

Grace equips you to fulfill God's law by loving your neighbor. Romans 13:8-10 (NIV) 8  Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 25: The Fulfillment of the Law We believe that the ceremonies and symbols of the law have ended with the coming of Christ, and that all foreshadowings have come to an end, so that the use of them ought to be abolished among Christians. Yet the truth and substance of these things remain for us in Jesus Christ, in whom they have been fulfilled. Nevertheless, we continue to use the witnesses drawn from the law and prophets to confirm us in the gospel and to regulate our lives with full integrity for the glory of God, according to his will. Summary One of the best feelings in life is to finally pay off a long standing debt. Once the debt is satisfied, you can spend the money you had been using for payments for whatever you want. We often apply this same principle to our relationships. If someone does you a favor, you're indebted to them until you reciprocate. Once you're even again, you can use your time however you'd like. The Bible has no room for such an attitude. Since loving others is the fulfillment of the law, and love "is not self-seeking" and "keeps no record (1 Cor. 13:5)," you'll never completely fulfill God's law. You'll always be seeking to reflect the holiness of God that the law points to in the lives of those you have relationships with. In that sense, be glad to let this debt to one another never be paid in full. As Jesus teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount, the Law is much more than a collection of do-nots. In other words, although not killing people who cross you will keep you out of trouble with the civil law, you will not have fully complied with the sixth commandment until you "love your neighbor as yourself." Dig Deeper One of the major truths of the Bible comes near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus indicates that the righteousness of His disciples must surpass that of the Pharisees (Matt. 5:17). We understand this doctrine two ways. First, praise God that Jesus has already  fulfilled your coventantal obligation to perfectly abide by God's Law. In this way, everyone who trusts in Christ alone has the all surpassing righteousness that God requires from those He's in communion with. Secondly, the grace that included you in the righteousness of Christ also equips you to live out all of the implications of God's law. In this way, you're personal righteousness must surpass the Pharisees. Whereas they were content to just follow the letter of the law, you must make every effort to not only avoid breaking the commandments, but also look for ways to love those around you in every situation you face. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father who calls us to love others the way that He loves us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will see opportunities to love your neighbor as yourself and have the desire to follow through; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Corinthians 8