Genesis 3:22 (NIV) 22 And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and Sometimes the Council of Nicaea, which met in 325 A.D. and drafted the Nicene Creed, is errantly said Likewise in Genesis 3:22, God says, “Behold, the man has become like one of us”.

Paul provides his own response and summary of God’s work of redemption in Ephesians 1:3–14.

God empowers your faith so that Christ's power is at work in you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 76 Q. What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink his poured-out blood? A. It means to accept with a believing heart the entire suffering and death of Christ and by believing to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. But it means more. Through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us, we are united more and more to Christ’s blessed body. And so, although he is in heaven and we are on earth, we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. And we forever live on and are governed by one Spirit, as members of our body are by one soul. Summary The first three chapters of Paul's letter to the Ephesians is one of the greatest summaries of Christian theology in the Bible. After expressing these glorious truths, Paul concludes with these beautiful verses that are part intercessory prayer (prayers given on behalf of others), part benediction (a Latin word that literally means 'good words,' which comprise a blessing), and part doxology (a Greek word that literally means 'words of glory,' directed to God). Though an entire book could be written to unpack the awesome truths in this short passage, today we're going to focus on just two aspects. First, notice that Paul prays that God would "strengthen you with power... so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." Two things stand out here. First, you're not strong enough in your own power to host Christ in your life. You need God the Father to intervene and provide you the strength to make this possible, since as Paul goes on to mention, Christ's power will be at work within you. Secondly, notice how it is that Christ dwells within you: He "dwells in your heart through faith." It's critical to get this order correct. Conventional wisdom says that if you display enough godly strength and power, Christ will come to dwell in you. But the opposite of that is true. Christ's power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9), because a weak person realizes how much they must trust another. Dig Deeper Regular participation in the Lord's Supper is key to both of these important concepts. In the past few weeks we've been reminded that the tiny portions of bread and wine nourish and strengthen your soul for eternal life. In other words, by eating at the Lord's Table, you are being strengthened by your Father through His Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your heart (v16-17a). We've also seen that the sacraments are one of the ordinary means God uses to give you faith, which is the one thing you need in order for Christ to dwell in your heart. So it quickly becomes clear that participation in the Lord's Supper is not just an optional 'extra' that you can take or leave. Rather, this simple exercise has been commanded to you to strengthen, equip and maintain Christ's presence in your heart. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: We kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth derives its name; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you live in such a way that demonstrates you've been filled to the measure of all the fullness of God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 12

Jesus came to both save and destroy. Be sure to pray for both. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the second request mean? A. “Your kingdom come” means, Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Keep your church strong, and add to it. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your Word. Do this until your kingdom is so complete and perfect that in it you are all in all. Summary In this letter John is writing to a church during a time of struggle to encourage them after a time of doubt brought on by false teachings. John reaffirms what the false teachers tried to deny: the full divinity and humanity of Christ. In the third chapter of this letter, John addresses how to respond to what had occurred. In verse 7 he gives a gentle reminder to not let anyone lead you astray. The devil and his forces are at work against the truth of the Gospel. However, Jesus came into the world to destroy the devil’s work. Listen to those that align with Christ, not those who are aligned with the devil. John gives a means of testing to see where one’s allegiance lies, writing that “anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child.” Do not be led astray, verify what you hear against the Word of God and consider the source and what their actions say about their intent. Dig Deeper John lays out the difference between those whom he labels the children of God and the children of the devil. The children of God practice righteousness while the children of the devil do not. And while the choice between the ways of righteousness and the ways of the devil seems like an easy one, keep in mind that the devil cheats. It is not always a decision between doing something righteous and doing something unrighteous. Sometimes the devil works to simply present an easy way out of doing what you know to be right. As the catechism teaches, praying “your kingdom come” is a way of asking God to destroy the devil’s work by destroying every force which revolts against him and every conspiracy against his holy Word. You must pick a side in this conflict: either you align with Christ, or you align with the devil. Where your allegiance lies will be seen in the choices you make. Take to heart John’s encouragement from today’s scripture passage by living lives of righteousness because you are the children of God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His Son to destroy the devil's work; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be led astray, and pray that God's kingdom will come; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 1

Baptism symbolizes you've been washed with the costliest of all detergents. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 70 Q. What does it mean to be washed with Christ’s blood and Spirit? A. To be washed with Christ’s blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of Christ’s blood poured out for me in his sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ’s Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life. Summary In his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul writes of the redemption we have through the blood of Christ. Redemption is deliverance through a price or ransom that is paid. The redemption to which Paul is speaking is the deliverance from the guilt of sin which has been paid by the blood of Christ shed for us on the cross. Redemption is not free; there is a price that must be paid. That price has been paid by Jesus and is offered freely to those who believe in Him for salvation. Dig Deeper When Katie and I were first married, she worked for a ministry out of Sioux Falls, SD named LifeLight. LifeLight’s claim to fame is being the largest outdoor free Christian music festival. Being a free music festival there was no required entrance fee, however that does not mean that there were no costs. As you can imagine, it can be quite expensive to hire some of the best Christian bands in the world to come sing at the festival, plus all the other costs (electricity, water, etc.) that come with hosting a festival. And while entry was free, these costs still had to be paid. LifeLight ran on donations. While many enjoyed a free experience, others would donate above and beyond to make sure there was enough to cover the festival. Essentially, some people gave more than the value they received in order that others could come for free and hear the gospel proclaimed. In this case, some paid for the many. When it comes to redemption it is not some, but the one who has paid for all. The people of God receive this gift via the grace of God seen in the blood of Christ poured out for us in his sacrifice on the cross. In baptism, we are reminded of Christ’s death on our behalf. This sacrament points to the redemption found in Christ and the price paid for our deliverance. Recognizing the price that has been paid on your behalf, live as one who has been forgiven, turning away from the vices of this world and living a life full of gratitude for the gift of grace found in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lavishes grace and forgiveness of sin upon us, His children; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will understand more and more the cost of your salvation so that more and more your life will reflect the necessary gratitude for such a gift; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philemon

Baptism doesn't just join you to the Church, it joins you to Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 69 Q. How does baptism remind you and assure you that Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross is for you personally? A. In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing and with it gave the promise that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, in other words, all my sins Summary In his letter to the Romans, Paul shares the significance of baptism. Baptism is a sign and a seal of God’s covenant of grace. In baptism, we proclaim that those who belong to Christ through faith are united to Him in His death and resurrection. Just as Jesus died and rose from the grave, the believer likewise dies to sin and is raised to new life. Notice that baptism is not just an external rite to perform, but rather it's a sign of full participation in Christ. When you were baptized, it was much more than a photo op: you were spiritually joined into Christ's death & resurrection! This means that those who've experienced baptism must live differently than those who've not. Those who've been joined to Christ's death have also been joined to His resurrection so that they may live a new life. Dig Deeper After a long day, few things are as refreshing as a nice hot shower. The water washes away the dirt and sweat that have accumulated throughout the day. And once you wash yourself clean, the water along with its newly acquired contaminates do not stay with you. The water, dirt, and sweat are washed down the drain never to be seen or heard of again. Just as water washes away the visible filth our bodies accumulate, by the blood of Christ your inward impurities, your sin, is washed away. This is no partial cleansing, Jesus’ death and resurrection wash away all the sins of those whose faith is in Him for salvation. Baptism does not bring about this cleansing, it instead points to the work of Christ. The visible cleansing of water seen in baptism is a visible representation of the invisible work of God in the life of a believer. Baptism points us to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the cleansing that washes away your soul’s impurity, that is, all your sins. In the sacrament of baptism all present, not just those being baptized or bringing their child forward to be baptized, are reminded of Christ’s promise to wash away all our sins. If your faith is in Christ and you have not been baptized, take a step of faith and talk to your minister about baptism. If you have been baptized already, remember the significance of this baptism and Jesus’ promise of new life in Him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose glory raised Christ, and those who've been baptised into Him, from the dead ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: If you've been baptised, pray that you'll live the new life that you've been raised with Christ into. If you haven't, pray that God will lead you to the fount. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Colossians 4

Summary The NIV has an excellent translation of the opening words of Colossians 3.

Can you trust your friends & family? Are you sure? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 112 Q. What is God’s will for you in the ninth commandment? A. God’s will is that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense anger. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name. Summary Sometimes the best way to know something is to study its opposite. In other words, if we want to understand what it means to "love the truth and speak it candidly," we can begin by examining the consequences of doing the opposite: what happens when people who "taught their tongues to lie... and in their deceit refused to acknowledge the Lord (v5-6)?" As we see so often in scripture, there's a direct link between your tongue and your overall actions. The truthfulness of your words is directly correlated to the honesty of your daily living. As God describes it, a life steeped in deceit has terrible consequences: trust is shattered and slander abounds. Even as the people "all speak cordially to their neighbors, in their hearts they set traps for them (v8)." Israel's descent into falsehood left God no choice. "What else can I do?" asks God in v7, "I will refine and test them." He continues, "Should I not punish them for this? ...Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?" In many ways, the constant lies and deception you are bombarded with - both from the media and from the people around you - are nothing new. But be on guard: Know that God will punish people severely, both in this life and the next, who continually exchange the truth for a lie. Dig Deeper Truth is much more than giving an accurate accounting or a correct definition. Truth is a bedrock upon which a solid community can be built, but that solid bedrock quickly turns to shifting sand when truth is replaced with deception. When that happens, you can't trust even your friends or family, because no one speaks the truth (v4-5). Although deception can take many forms, it always springs from the same source. God refers to this source twice in today's passage: "in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me (v3, 6)." When people lose their knowledge of God, they lose their grip on truthfulness, and it doesn't take long after that for entire societies to implode. The best way to reverse our own society's implosion is to restore people's knowledge of God so that they turn to Him in repentance and once again find solid footing in the bedrock of truth. And the best way for you to restore other people's knowledge of God is to continue building up your own! You can't stop other people from sliding unless you're firmly planted in the truth! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The LORD God, who will punish those who do not acknowledge Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your knowledge of God will increase so that your influence will cause others to find the bedrock of truth once again; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 9

In chapter 3, Paul uses the language that is found in this week’s questions and answers— putting to death Christian’s union with Christ’s resurrection, “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ” (3: 3). Colossians 3 describes a vision of a community working in perfect harmony and giving thanks to God in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (3:

away from sin; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 3