The Law can't save you, but it's still God's good will! The Three Uses of God's Law Psalm 1 1  Blessed is the man who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2  but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 4  Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5  Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6  For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law What is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments  given by God through Moses  specifically to the Jews.  For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because,  although it does expose the magnitude of their sin  and increasingly convict them of their guilt,  yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery,  and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse. Summary Having taken a look so far this week at how the Law is inadequate to save, it can possibly leave us with a negative view of the Law. However, when you take a look at some of the passages we explored this week, you’ll notice that God’s Law is something good .  Paul, at various times in Romans 7 , points out how God’s Law is good like in verse 12, so the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good and likewise just after in verse 13, did that which is good , then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin. While the Law convicts us of our sin, that doesn’t make it bad.  God’s Law is good; it is His will for our lives!  Even in our passage today of Psalm 1, we find right away in verse two how those who walk in the way of righteousness, their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.   We’ve talked this week about uses of God’s Law that our Reformed Tradition discusses, and it is here that we arrive at the third use - “Principally it admonishes believers and urges them on in well doing,” as John Calvin puts it in his Institutes of the Christian Religion .  God’s good Law not only convicts us of our sin, restrains sin, but especially encourages believers in doing what is right, doing God’s will through the enabling work of the Holy Spirit.   Dig Deeper   So, we come full circle to what we talked about at the start of this week - the privilege and blessing we have in getting to love God and our neighbor through His grace and strength.  God’s Law is good, it is freeing, it is His will for our lives.  As believers, the Holy Spirit helps us to see that and creates in us the desire to do God’s will, doing so out of gratitude and love for what He’s done for us in Jesus.  So, when you read the Ten Commandments, or hear them read at church each week, rather than seeing just a list of do’s and don’ts, may you see the goodness of God’s Law, the ways that it encourages you in doing what is right in your day-to-day life in your interactions with your family, friends, co-workers, and even strangers, being a light and a witness for Christ to those around you.  May the Lord ever help us to see the goodness of His Law as believers who have gone before us have, filling us afresh daily with that desire to live and walk according to His good will! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who knows the way of the righteous; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will kindle in you a delight in His Law; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 16

God’s Law won't cure you... so what will? Romans 7:7–25 (NIV) 7  What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”  8  But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9  Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10  I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11  For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12  So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13  Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. 14  We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21  So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23  but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24  What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25  Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law What is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments  given by God through Moses  specifically to the Jews.  For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because,  although it does expose the magnitude of their sin  and increasingly convict them of their guilt,  yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery,  and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse. Summary During my Junior year of High School, the entire year for Bible class was spent going through the book of Romans, seeing how far we could get as we walked verse by verse through the deep but beautiful theology of the letter.  I still remember trying to follow Paul’s line of thought through this passage back then, as he goes back and forth from the good he wants to do, the good that he doesn’t do, that which he doesn’t want to do, he does, and so on.  It is here, in this passage, that God, through Paul, delves deeper into what we read yesterday, how the Law brings about knowledge of sin.  Paul writes: What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.”  But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. Later Paul adds, did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. The Canons echo this when it says although the Law does expose the magnitude of sin and increasingly convict us of our guilt, yet it does not offer a remedy or enable us to escape from our misery…   So, what is the remedy that mankind needs?   Dig Deeper   As Paul reminds us throughout his various letters, the remedy is not the Law.  Even here in this morning’s passage, Paul bemoans the weight of his sin, two laws waging war when he declares: Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Perhaps you have groaned that way with Paul before over your own sin.  In fact, it is important for us to recognize the weight of our sin, to come to grips with it, being reminded ever of our need for a Savior.  There is only one who saves, only one who redeems.  It is not the Law, but rather, as Paul writes, thanks be to God [we're saved] through Jesus Christ our Lord! Thanks be to God that He provided the remedy for us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who perfectly kept God’s Law in our place which we could never do, died for lost and broken sinners like us who were in need of saving as He took our punishment upon Himself, and rose victoriously from the grave, vindicated!  So, as we read God’s Law week in and week out as a part of our worship services, may God through the Holy Spirit ever convict us of our sin, our need to come and repent, asking for His forgiveness and grace, even as we are pointed once again to the cross of Christ and the forgiveness of our sins that God is faithful and just to give! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose Law we're called to delight in; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God for the strength to continue waging war against the law of sin; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 15

Thanks be to God for freeing us from sin’s dominion! Romans 3:9–20 (NIV) 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.”  13  “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.”  “The poison of vipers is on their lips.”  14  “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”  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.”  18  “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  19  Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law What is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments  given by God through Moses  specifically to the Jews.  For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because,  although it does expose the magnitude of their sin  and increasingly convict them of their guilt,  yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery,  and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse. Summary Having previously shown how neither Gentiles nor Jews are righteous because they either suppress the truth or break the law and condemn themselves, Paul now asks if there is any difference, then, between Jews and Gentiles.  Paul answers his own question saying, no, not at all.  For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin….  As teachers do to help their students learn, apply, and understand what they are trying to get across, Paul goes on to list numerous examples of ways people are held under the power of sin, showing mankind’s total depravity.  Commentator Douglas J. Moo sums up what Paul is getting at here when he writes: “This is Paul’s, and the Bible’s, analysis of the human predicament: People, by nature, are addicted to sin.  They are imprisoned under it, unable to free themselves by anything they can do."  This principle is echoed in here the Canons: The Law does not offer a remedy or enable him to escape from his misery …  Then, just like we read yesterday in Galatians, Paul reminds us at the close of this passage: Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.  For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight , since through the law comes knowledge of sin.   Paul points out here what we’re going to explore more tomorrow: how the law is inadequate to save, how it can only bring about a knowledge of our sin and misery.  This is what the Reformed tradition calls the first use of the Law: the Law’s convicting us of our sin.   Dig Deeper   A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Independence Day, remembering and celebrating the freedom that we have as a nation.  The Lord has immensely blessed us with the freedom to be able to worship Him, to freely read His Word, for which we should give Him our humble thanks and praise.  We can so easily take it for granted.  As we mentioned earlier, apart from Christ, we were held as slaves under sin's power.  Sin was our master, and, on our own, we had no hope of escaping.  But thanks be to God for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the freedom that He graciously won for us in His perfect life, death on the cross, and resurrection from the grave, which He imparts to us as believers, and is now our master!  As you go about the rest of your day, the rest of the week ahead, and throughout your life, thank the Lord every day for freeing you from sin’s power in order to walk in newness of life!  We are still working on shedding what is of the old self, as Paul mentions in his letter to the Ephesians, and so we still struggle with indwelling sin.  May we ever ask Him to help mold and shape us to be more like Christ, even as we praise Him for saving, redeeming us from sin's power, and bringing us into the Kingdom of His marvelous light! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, to whom the whole world will be held accountable; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to continue to mold and shape you to be less like your sinful nature and more like Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 14

Let go of your “I do it…” theology and get back to the basics. Galatians 2:15-16 (NIV) 15  “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16  know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law What is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments  given by God through Moses  specifically to the Jews.  For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because,  although it does expose the magnitude of their sin  and increasingly convict them of their guilt,  yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery,  and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse. Summary Towards the end of February, 2024, my wife and I welcomed our son into the world, and in the past almost year and half, he has grown so much!  He’s beginning to pick up so many different words, among his favorite are animal sounds.  As any parent knows, the day will soon be here when he says, “I do it!” as only a toddler can.  Whether it’s putting on their shoes (most likely on the wrong feet), or trying to feed themselves, this child is going to do it themselves!  As we take a look at Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia, we find they had been led astray by some who said that they needed to undergo circumcision in order for God to welcome them.  But that wasn’t the case!  This kind of thinking is like that of a toddler saying, “I do it…”, thinking that there was something they needed to do to add to their salvation for God to receive them.  But that kind of thinking is spiritually lethal! It ties salvation to law keeping. So Paul warns these believers, calling them, and us, back to the basics of salvation in his reminder that we are justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. The Canons echo this when it says For man cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue (i.e. Ten Commandments)...   Paul calls these believers back to the basics of the Gospel - that we are saved by grace through faith alone in Christ Jesus.   Dig Deeper   Standing some two thousand years down the road, we probably find this thought of the need to be circumcised in order to be saved preposterous, perhaps even silly.  But the thing is, this “I do it…” theology is still alive and well today.  As is often the case, wrong theology stays the same, it just wears different clothes, or presents itself in different ways.  There can be times where we slip into this “I do it…” theology in our own lives and walk with the Lord, wondering if we’re doing enough good for God to accept us, to love us, to welcome us into Heaven.  But it is bad theology that needs to be discarded!  These are times where we, too, need to get back to the basics of the Gospel.  We are not justified (made right with God) based on anything we do, only by the precious blood of the Lamb that we trust in wholeheartedly.  Of course, as new creations in Christ, we’ll walk in faith and obedience to God’s will through the enabling work of the Holy Spirit, bearing good fruit, but we are not justified by the good that we do.  So, when the enemy tempts you to wonder if you’ve done enough for God to accept you, to love you, turn your eyes to the Lord, to the Gospel, asking for His help to overcome the lies and doubts of the enemy.  If you have slipped into this mindset, ask God for His grace and forgiveness, asking Him to help you get back to the basics.  AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the basic training that comes from His Word, and pray that He will keep you close to it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 13

What a precious blessing you have getting to love God and your neighbor! Biblia.com Exodus 20:1-17 20 And God spoke all these words: 2  “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 3  “You shall have no other gods before me. 4  “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6  but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7  “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. 8  “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10  but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12  “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 13  “You shall not murder. 14  “You shall not commit adultery. 15  “You shall not steal. 16  “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. 17  “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Matthew 22:35-40 ...an expert in the law tested Jesus with this question: 36  “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37  Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  38  This is the first and greatest commandment. 39  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  40  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 5: The Inadequacy of the Law What is true of the light of nature is true also of the Ten Commandments  given by God through Moses  specifically to the Jews.  For humans cannot obtain saving grace through the Decalogue, because,  although it does expose the magnitude of their sin  and increasingly convict them of their guilt,  yet it does not offer a remedy or enable them to escape from human misery,  and, indeed, weakened as it is by the flesh, leaves the offender under the curse. Summary In the Reformed tradition, oftentimes as a part of Sunday’s worship service, the Ten Commandments are read in some way, shape, or form.  Whether it be a summary of the Law, a responsive reading, or reading through the Ten Commandments together as a congregation, we are reminded of God’s Law, and we need that reminder as it is God’s will for our lives, His will for how we are to live in relation to Him and our fellow man.  When we take a look at the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments) we find that the first four commandments deal with our relationship with God, while the remaining six deal with our relationships with our neighbors, those around us whether it be family, friends, co-workers, or the stranger we meet on the street or at the grocery store.  Our Lord Jesus summarizes this in the second of our two passages, telling us that the greatest commandment is that you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets ”.  Yet, as we’re reminded in both Scripture and the Canons, it is inadequate to save us.   Dig Deeper   We’ll dig more into what is meant by the Law’s inadequacy to save us in the days ahead, so for now, let’s take some time to reflect on God’s call to love Him and our neighbor together.  As believers in Christ, having been washed in the precious blood of the Lamb, this is God’s will for us. We do so through His grace and strength, not in order to be saved by it, but out of gratitude and love for all that He has done for us in Jesus’ perfect life, atoning death on the cross, and His victory over the grave which He graciously imparts to us!  Each and every day we have numerous opportunities to love God and our neighbor through our words, our actions, and even our thoughts.  Instead of worshipping all the false gods this world would have us chase after, we get to love God and worship Him solely.  Instead of lying to get ahead, we get to honor and glorify God in our honesty as He is Truth.  Instead of cutting someone down with our words or our actions, we get to see and treat our neighbor as a fellow image-bearer of God.  What opportunities do you have in your own life to love God and your neighbor?  Ask God to show you, and ask Him for the grace and strength to do so. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the LORD our God, before whom we shall have no other gods; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the grace and strength to notice and act upon the opportunities you have to love God and your neighbor; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 12

It may seem like the wicked always prosper, but be reminded the LORD is King! DailyVerses.net CONTEXT: Psalm 10 is a direct extension of Psalm 9, which is attributed to David. Both psalms praise the LORD as the King forever, and both contain pleas for the LORD to come to the aid of His people. Psalm 10 1  Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 2  In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. 3  He boasts about the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. 4  In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. 5  His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies. 6  He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.” He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.” 7  His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. 8  He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims; 9  like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. 10  His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. 11  He says to himself, “God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees.” 12  Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. 13  Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, “He won’t call me to account”? 14  But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 15  Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out. 16  The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17  You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18  defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly men will never again strike terror. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 4: The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature There is, to be sure, a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall,  by virtue of which they retain some notions about God, natural things, and the difference between what is moral and immoral,  and demonstrate a certain eagerness for virtue and for good outward behavior.  But this light of nature is far from enabling humans to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him— so far, in fact, that they do not use it rightly even in matters of nature and society.  Instead, in various ways they completely distort this light, whatever its precise character, and suppress it in unrighteousness.  In doing so all people render themselves without excuse before God. Summary Psalm 10 begins with one of life's most difficult words. Certainly the word why isn't hard to pronounce or define; what makes it so difficult is its persistence. Our why's never quite find the satisfaction they demand in the answers they're given. Why is one of the first questions a child learns and one of the last a person mutters before death. The why on David's mind as Psalm 10 begins is one of the most desperate of them all: Why, LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Isn't it remarkable that someone that God described as being "a man after His own heart" would unload such an inquiry before Him? If even David felt abandoned by God at times, it's likely you will as well. Mark Futato, my former professor whose excellent commentary on the Psalms has been referenced often in this space this year, writes, There are times in our lives when it seems as if God is far off. God often seems distant, uninvolved, and unconcerned “in times of trouble” (9:9 and 10:1). Our personal anguish can become even more intense when, “in times of trouble,” we look around at those who have no time for God and who even despise God, yet they seem to be succeeding in every way. Psalms 9–10 teaches us how to respond in such situations. At the center of our response is our willingness to honestly pour out our heart to God, expressing to him exactly how we feel about his apparent distance and the apparent injustice of life. Such lamenting is not the complaining of ancient Israel in the wilderness, because surrounding this complaint is the plea for God to act. We may plead with the Lord in times of trouble. In spite of appearances, the Lord does see our trouble and grief. In his own time he will “arise” to help the helpless. With this assurance we can surround our sorrow with songs of praise.   Dig Deeper   The heart of David's lament helps illustrate this ugly doctrine of Total Depravity. This past week, we've come to understand that it doesn't mean that all people are totally evil. Rather, as the Canons put it, there is a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall. This light can often lead to what appears to be a blessed life. Part of David's angst in Psalm 10 stems from the fact that the ways of the wicked man are always prosperous. This light of nature seems so adequately bright to sinners that they often say to themselves "Nothing will ever shake me." They swear "No one will ever do me harm." But Canons go on to note that the wicked completely distort this light, whatever its precise character, and suppress it in unrighteousness. David poetically explains that the faint light of nature the wicked prosper under cements their own arrogance and pride , causing them to think that God will never notice that they reject His Law as they murder the innocent, catch the helpless, and crush their victims. But even in his deep lament, David knows the truth. He knows that the LORD is King for ever and ever, and that He sees the trouble of the afflicted. Our King is the helper of the fatherless and defends the oppressed. David knew, even here in the depths of Psalm 10, that God's grace is stronger than the wicked. You know that this grace has been forever applied to your life in and through our Savior, Jesus Christ, as you wait for God to replace the flickering, dim light of nature with the eternal light of His glory. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who hears the desire of the afflicted; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not simply be led by the light of nature, but will instead follow the true light of God's Word; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 11

You must recognize, receive and believe into the True Light. John 1:6-14 (NIV) CONTEXT: This is part of the famous prologue that introduces John's gospel. 6  There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8  He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9  The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 4: The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature There is, to be sure, a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall,  by virtue of which they retain some notions about God, natural things, and the difference between what is moral and immoral,  and demonstrate a certain eagerness for virtue and for good outward behavior.  But this light of nature is far from enabling humans to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him— so far, in fact, that they do not use it rightly even in matters of nature and society.  Instead, in various ways they completely distort this light, whatever its precise character, and suppress it in unrighteousness.  In doing so all people render themselves without excuse before God. Summary John doesn't waste any time establishing the theme of his gospel - contrasting the light of Christ with the darkness of the world. In doing so he introduces another John , the one often referred to as 'the baptist,' who came as a witness to testify concerning the coming true light. The sad fact in this happy passage announcing the light's arrival is that the world, which was made through Him, did not recognize Him. It's interesting how John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, frames Jesus' reception - or lack thereof. John doesn't describe the world's reaction to Jesus by using active tense words like reject or spurn, rather John uses reflexive & passive verbs here: the world simply did not recognize or receive the true light . This passive failure certainly led to active rebellion. The point here is that it's easy to think of sin as simply being a deliberate choice to act contrary to God's law (which it is). But John is helping demonstrate that it's even far more insidious: dark sin oozes out of people's rejection of the true light. In other words, the ugly and obvious acts commonly associated with sin begin as an inability to receive or even recognize truth. As the Canons put it, sin comes as the result of people completely distorting the true light... and suppressing it in unrighteousness.    Dig Deeper   Of course John didn't pen this prologue or write his gospel, three epistles and the Revelation to announce bad news. Quite the opposite! John holds out a massie promise here to those who do receive the true light and who believe in His name: He gave them the right to become children of God! Notice here how John combines a passive tense verb - receive - along with an active tense verb - believe . What a picture of how salvation works! The Holy Spirit regenerates those whom God has chosen for salvation. One way to understand this is that He opens the eyes of the elect so that they can't help but recognize the true light shining into the darkness. At this point, salvation is a passive process - we simply receive what the Spirit gives: recognition of Christ as our Savior. But this passive process gives way to a very active demand: you must believe. John has an interesting and unique way of describing belief in the true light. Literally translated, you must believe into Him. The people Jesus ministered amongst are a good example of what John means. Even those who crucified Jesus believed in Him; how could they not? He stood right there before them! But the those who had true faith, who recognized the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth, actively believed into Jesus by repenting. That is, they took all of their darkened, worldly ways of thinking and put all of their heart and soul and mind and strength into the True Light. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose children we now are because the True Light gave us the right; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as a believer in the True Light that you would put all of your heart and soul and mind and strength into Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 10

The scary reality is that God always gives people what they want. Romans 1:18-32 (NIV) 18  The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19  since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21  For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23  and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 24  Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25  They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26  Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27  In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28  Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29  They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30  slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31  they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32  Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 4: The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature There is, to be sure, a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall,  by virtue of which they retain some notions about God, natural things, and the difference between what is moral and immoral,  and demonstrate a certain eagerness for virtue and for good outward behavior.  But this light of nature is far from enabling humans to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him— so far, in fact, that they do not use it rightly even in matters of nature and society.  Instead, in various ways they completely distort this light, whatever its precise character, and suppress it in unrighteousness.  In doing so all people render themselves without excuse before God. Summary Paul begins the greatest exposition of the gospel (Good News) ever written with the harshest proclamation of bad news ever written: The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the godlessness and wickedness of people. But notice that, for as bad as what godlessness and wickedness are, they are simply the presenting symptoms of our sin. Our underlying problem, as we've seen so often these last couple of weeks, is noetic . That is, we have a thinking problem. People know God, because He's clearly seen and understood from what has been made. Therefore, claiming ignorance , or as it's often more attractively described as being agnostic, isn't an option. But sin causes people to suppress the plain truth about God, and consequently to fail to act upon this knowledge by glorifying and giving thanks to God. As a result, their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. In other words, the result of this thinking problem results in total depravity: people's intellect, emotions and volition are broken and useless. The scary reality is that God always gives people what they want. Three times in this passage, we read that God gave them over - first to their sinful desires, then to shameful lusts, and then finally to a depraved mind. At each stage, a person's capacity to think is further replaced by increasing sensual lusts which lead to increasingly deviant sexual behavior.   Dig Deeper   So if God always gives people what they want, can you then attribute the fact that you want to live in the knowledge of God to the fact that your thinking ability is more robust than that of the common herd of ignorant fools? No! Not at all! The reason that you don't suppress the truth the way the rest of the world does is because God in His electing grace through His Spirit has regenerated you; that is, He's turned the lights on, so to speak, so that you no longer wander in ignorant darkness guided solely by what feels good in the moment. Praise God that His grace is stronger than your instinctive desire to suppress the truth. He sovereignly restored your ability to think, and now that you properly understand God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature, it changes what you want. As we'll learn later this year, God's grace has now become irresistible to you, and God gives you what you now want. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose grace has set us free from our sinful desires; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and desire to continually sharpen and develop your restored ability to think; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 9

You'll never be smart enough to find God on your own. Thankfully, He found you. It doesn't matter how smart or wise you are if you're wandering around in the dark. Acts 17:16-30 (NIV) 16  While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17  So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18  A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19  Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20  You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21  (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 22  Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24  “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’  As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29  “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30  In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 4: The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature There is, to be sure, a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall,  by virtue of which they retain some notions about God, natural things, and the difference between what is moral and immoral,  and demonstrate a certain eagerness for virtue and for good outward behavior.  But this light of nature is far from enabling humans to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him— so far, in fact, that they do not use it rightly even in matters of nature and society.  Instead, in various ways they completely distort this light, whatever its precise character, and suppress it in unrighteousness.  In doing so all people render themselves without excuse before God. Summary Things hadn't been going well for Paul. In each of the recent cities he's visited, he either ended up in jail or run out of town by a riotous mob, angry that his preaching of the gospel upset their status quo. He'd been separated from his companions, Silas and Timothy, and in today's passage, we find him waiting for them in Athens. Athens, of course, is that ancient Greek city famous for its philosophy. It's where men like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Epicurus were from. But it had been centuries since those men lived and spoke and wrote in Athens, and the city was a mere shell of what it had used to be by the time Paul arrived. Luke, the author of Acts who loves to subtly point out irony, simply notes that this city once known for its brilliant intellect was now full of idols. Nonetheless, even in Paul's day everybody who lived in Athens spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas. When Paul got there, he did what he did in every new city he came to: he began to teach in the local synagogue. Except Luke uses a different word to describe Paul's teaching here in Athens - Paul reasoned... with both the Jews and God fearing Greeks. Interestingly, Luke will go on to use this word often to describe Paul's teaching. You've likely been told before the lie that in order to fully embrace faith you need to suspend your logic and intellect. Paul faced the same animosity from the self appointed Athenian elites who called him a babbler when they first heard him speak. But then Paul, no intellectual slouch, came in and schooled those gathered in the Areopagus - even quoting their own philosophers back to them to make his point.   Dig Deeper   You probably haven't thought about philosophy much this past week... or month... or even decade. That's ok. Most modern philosophy isn't worth your time. But sometimes it can be quite helpful in making sense of this world in which we live. Plato is a good example. He taught of an eternal, unchanging creator and that man must live morally according to an external, objective standard. In other words, Plato, who lived hundreds of years before Christ and likely had no knowledge of the Hebrew scriptures, independently reasoned his way to an understanding of reality that's quite consistent with what God has revealed in His Word! As the Canons put it, humanity retains some notions about God, natural things, and the difference between what is moral and immoral. God has revealed Himself in nature so that we would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him. Although he came amazingly close, Plato never found God. It's not that he wasn't smart; it's just that like everyone else, Plato was infected with Adam's curse. The light of nature that Plato so brilliantly illuminated is far from enabling humans to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him . Plato's students would go on to suppress and distort this light as they marched away from the truths Plato taught. This is the doctrine of total depravity in a nutshell. It doesn't mean that people are as totally bad and evil as possible; the world has always been full of brilliant thinkers who benefit humanity even as they miss the big picture. Total depravity simply means that unless people's intellects are set free by the Holy Spirit from their slavery to sin, they'll never fully understand the truth, no matter how smart they are. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, in whom we live and move and have our being (don't miss the irony that you're praying words from the ancient philosopher Epimenides that Paul uses to describe our relationship to God!) A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will do the hard work necessary to keep your intellect sharp so you can reason with those who are still in the dark; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 8

It's Monday! Find out how you can find satisfaction in your toil this week. Monday doesn't need to be this way. Ecclesiastes 3:9-15 CONTEXT: The book of Ecclesiastes contain the writings of the Teacher, a character modeled after the life and wisdom of King Solomon, as he searches for meaning under the sun. 9  What do workers gain from their toil? 10  I have seen the burden God has laid on the sons of man ( ʾā·ḏām ). 11  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him. 15  Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 4: The Inadequacy of the Light of Nature There is, to be sure, a certain light of nature remaining in all people after the fall,  by virtue of which they retain some notions about God, natural things, and the difference between what is moral and immoral,  and demonstrate a certain eagerness for virtue and for good outward behavior.  But this light of nature is far from enabling humans to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him— so far, in fact, that they do not use it rightly even in matters of nature and society.  Instead, in various ways they completely distort this light, whatever its precise character, and suppress it in unrighteousness.  In doing so all people render themselves without excuse before God. Summary Most people will read this on a Monday, that most dreaded day of the week in which the grind of work edges out the fun and rest of the weekend (although for too many, the 'fun' far surpasses the rest). Today millions of people - perhaps even yourself - will wonder along with the Teacher what do workers gain from their toil? as they drag themselves back to work. But the fact that Mondays are so universally loathed is actually one of the greatest testimonies to the truth of scripture! The Teacher here writes of the burden that God has laid upon the hearts of the sons of ʾA·ḏām. On one hand, as image bearers of God we have an ability to see, appreciate and long for the beauty of God's creation in a way no other creature can. But on the other hand, it quickly and painfully becomes evident that our work in this beautiful world is cursed. Mondays painfully remind us that things are not the way they're supposed to be. Our problem, writes the Teacher, stems from the same root so many other Biblical writers identify and which we've noticed so often as we've read the Bible together these last few months: the noetic effect of sin - the fact that apart from God's grace, people can no longer think properly. No one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Or as the NET Bible translates it, people cannot discover what God has ordained. In other words, sin has blocked people's ability to understand who God made them to be and what He's designed them to do. As a result life for them has become a perpetual Monday: purposeless, hopeless, corrupted, and anything but the beautiful thing God created it to be.   Dig Deeper   The Teacher's prescription for this broken world seems trite, especially if it's read apart from his overall message. Just be happy and do good while you live. Believe it or not, all people, regardless of whether they've experienced God's grace or not, have the ability to follow this seemingly simplistic advice. As the Canons put it, people in general demonstrate a certain eagerness for virtue and for good outward behavior . But despite the inability to think clearly that came as the result of Adam's sin, people still instinctively know that things are not the way they're supposed to be, and this fuzzy knowledge continually sabotages people's ability to be happy. We know this, writes the Teacher, because God has set eternity in the human heart. All people know in their heart of hearts that there's something more, and this insatiable longing makes those who live apart from God's grace miserable. They know this world is broken, and that there has to be something more, but they can't ever figure it out. The flickering light of nature that they still retain is far from enabling them to come to a saving knowledge of God and conversion to him . So be thankful that God's grace is stronger than you are - that it's restored your ability to fathom what God has done from beginning to end and to satisfy your natural longing for peace with your eternal Creator. Mondays will still have their problems and challenges, but as one who is saved by grace, you can joyfully fulfill the purpose God created you for: to eat and drink and find satisfaction in all of your toil - this is the gift of God. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has made everything beautiful in its time; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for His grace which has restored your ability to fathom Him, and pray that your work will glorify the one who freed you from meaninglessness; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 7