Hebrews 5:1-10 (NIV) Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent 4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5  he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10

Ephesians 2:1–5 (NIV) 2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5  Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 15: The Doctrine of Original Sin It certainly is "a lamp for our feet, and a light on our path (Psalm 119:105)" providing endless wisdom in mercy and because of His great love, made you alive in Christ even when you were dead in sin (v4-5)

John 17:1–5 (NIV) CONTEXT: As His crucifixion draws near, Jesus prays to His Father. 1 After Jesus said Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5  Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 10: The Deity of Christ We believe

Galatians 5:1-6 (NIV) It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5  

Jesus is both God and man, so He stands for you before God. 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (NIV) 5 For there is one this verse with this catchy song: Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 19 In today’s reading from the Belgic Confession, Article 19 rightly points out that these two natures of

1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 (NIV) 12  Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care [ lit: watch over] for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13  Hold Live in peace with each other. 14  And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15  Make sure that Today: John 5

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 102 Q. declared you to be; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 you to be; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Timothy 5

Sometimes the truth hurts, but God's truth hurts in order to heal. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 3 Q. How do you come to know your misery? A. The law of God tells me. Summary One of our human tendencies is to lay blame on others while claiming yourself as blameless. These actions are common in children, yet adults are not immune to this either. It is this type of situation to which Paul steps in to give clarification. In these passages Paul argues that the Jewish believers were not in a superior position to the non-Jewish followers of Christ. The crux of his argument is the fact that both are under sin. Paul quotes a series of Old Testament passages from the Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah which together show the sinfulness of all mankind. Following this reminder of the sinfulness of all people, Paul points out in v19 that the law, in what we today call the Old Testament, was written to the Jewish people. The words so that every mouth may be stopped come as a reference to court customs of the Jewish people. When someone was done with their defense, they would put their hand over their mouth to signify they were finished speaking in their own defense. Since the law was given to the Jewish people, their mouths are silenced, for there is nothing else they can say in their defense. They were given the law, and Paul was certain to point out that they did not keep the law. In v20, Paul gives the clarification the Jewish people needed to hear: no one can be justified by upkeeping the law. Yes, they had the law, but they were unable to keep it. Instead, the function of the law is the agent through which we come to know our sin. Dig Deeper Learning is a life-long process. Regardless of what kind of diploma one might go on to earn, there is always more to know. Some of this is based upon our own limitations to learn, our inclination to forget, or more information being discovered. There are different ways that we learn, through life experience, a class, or reading a book. When it comes to our sin, which is the source of our misery, the Bible is where we learn the depth of our sinfulness. While it is unpleasant to be confronted with your own sinfulness, this serves an important role in your life. It is through this confrontation with our sin that we come to know the depth of our misery and our need for a savior. Truly, if you had no awareness of your debt of sin, how then could you come to know your need for the grace of Jesus? Praise God for all that He does on our behalf, including giving us the Word of God which makes us aware of our sinful state and need for redemption. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, your name is holy, and your law demands perfect righteousness. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Keep me close to your law, so that I continually recognize my own sinfulness and cling even tighter to the cross of Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 6

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 3

1 John 5:19-20 (ESV) 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 15: The Doctrine of Original Sin used the word 'world' earlier, when he commanded us to "not love the world or anything in the world (1 John 2:15)."