God's re-creating power sets you free from bone crushing sin. bibleversestogo.com Psalm 51 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 1  Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2  Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3  For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. 5  Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6  Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. 7  Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9  Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11  Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13  Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14  Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15  Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16  You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17  My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. 18  May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19  Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 3: Total Inability All people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath,  unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil,  dead in their sins, and slaves to sin.  Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit  they are neither willing nor able to return to God,  to reform their distorted nature,  or even to dispose themselves to such reform. Summary Commentator Mark Futato writes , Psalm 51 grips our hearts as it exposes our need that results from our moral failures in life. Our moral failures are not simply a matter of what we do. They are a matter of what we do because of who we are . Our need is for something outside of ourselves to make a radical difference within ourselves. Our need is for God—but not for just any god. Our need is for the God who will speak in truth about our desperate condition and who will act in love for our salvation. Our need is twofold: We need reconciliation (51:1–9), and we need transformation (51:10–19). We need justification, and we need sanctification. To experience these, we need repentance, and the way of repentance is set forth clearly and eloquently in Psalm 51.   Dig Deeper   David understood well the doctrine of total depravity that we've been working our way through these last couple of weeks. His prayer of confession here in Psalm 51 serves as one of the foundational supporting texts for this doctrine, as he realizes that not only was he sinful at birth, but that he was sinful from the time his mother conceived him. David realizes that his problem runs far deeper than just some bad habits he's picked up or misguided desires he has from time to time. As a son of Adam, David's entire being had been corrupted, just as it has for the rest of us. As such, David's life needs more than just a little tinkering or fine tuning to be fixed. Futato writes, "We are perpetually confronted with the temptation to blame others or our circumstances for our troubles. So we frequently pray that God would change other people and change our circumstances. David resists this temptation here." This is why David's key request is for God to create in me a pure heart, O God. David doesn't ask God to fix this or repair that; he doesn't blame others for his failures. Rather, he realizes that the only way he could ever find peace with God is for his heart - that is, his intellect, emotions and volition - to be made completely new again. Make David's prayer your prayer as another week draws to a close and you prepare for God to continue renewing a steadfast spirit within you as you gather with His people in His house to worship Him. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is merciful according to His unfailing love; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God would continue to change you and to grow your re-created heart through His Word; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 6

Your new birth in Christ enables you to see in the dark. John 3:1-8 (NIV) 3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2  He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3  Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4  “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5  Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7  You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8  The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 3: Total Inability All people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath,  unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil,  dead in their sins, and slaves to sin.  Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit  they are neither willing nor able to return to God,  to reform their distorted nature,  or even to dispose themselves to such reform. Summary John has this brilliant way of capturing profound truth with simple words, the way he here describes Nicodemus' secretive visit to Jesus - he came to Jesus at night . It's possible that John just casually mentions the time of day and means nothing by it. Maybe he wants to convey the fear that Nicodemus, a well known member of the establishment, had of being seen talking to Jesus. But it's more likely that John is framing this episode according to his prevailing gospel theme in which he contrasts light and dark; Nicodemus here steps out of the darkness and into Christ's wonderful light (to borrow language from Peter ). Interestingly, Nicodemus begins not with a question for Jesus, but a statement about himself. He and his colleagues know that Jesus is a teacher who has come from God. They've seen the signs Jesus performed ( sign is John's word for miracle), signs that Jesus could only perform if God were with Him. Nicodemus here is prodding Jesus to tell a bit more about who He is. But in His reply, it doesn't seem like Jesus takes the bait. Rather, Jesus begins talking about the kingdom of God. From our viewpoint, the concepts of Jesus and the kingdom of God are so synonymous that we hardly notice Jesus' subtle conversational shift, but image how confusing things were for Nicodemus at this point! Just a few words into their visit, Nicodemus is realizing for the first time that Jesus is so much more than what people tend to categorize Him as - both Jesus' contemporaries as well as people still today. Certainly Jesus taught and performed signs - almost everybody knows this - but that's not His primary identity. John conveys to you what Jesus explained to Nicodemus: He is the King God's people have been waiting for. But Nicodemus' confusion was only just beginning.   Dig Deeper   The three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke) all begin with some sort of proclamation announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God. John, in keeping with his deeper style, frames his kingdom announcement more personally. John reports that the only way people can see the kingdom of God , as Jesus famously tells Nicodemus, is if they are born again. In other words, the blindness brought about by sin is so severe that something as significant as the kingdom of God can be right in front of an unregenerate person but not be seen. This is in keeping with the way that so many different Biblical writers explain the primary effect of this doctrine we call total depravity: sin incapacitates mankind's ability to think and properly understand the reality around us. As the Canons put it, without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit people are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform. But as Jesus talks to His new friend Nicodemus on that dark night, He's not so interesting in unpacking all of these theological and noetic implications. Jesus wants to shed light upon how this blindness is cured: that the only way one can see and enter the kingdom of God is to be born again. Nicodemus, one of the men responsible for teaching Israel prophecies like Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones come to life and how the Spirit would regenerate stone cold hearts into hearts of flesh , misses the implication of Jesus' words here as he gets hung up on physical logistics. For Nicodemus, the lights didn't suddenly come on all at once; He would need to hear more from Jesus. So it is with us all. The more we hear God's Word proclaimed, the more the Holy Spirit brings us into new birth. Sunday's quickly coming again; begin preparing yourself to come further out of this present world's night and into the light of Christ as you gather once again with the saints. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose kingdom has come near; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for a desire to leave the dark night behind and come into the light of Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 5

Your faith determines everything about you: how you think, feel and act. Romans 8:3-9 (NIV) CONTEXT: Romans 8 is one of the Bible's most powerful chapters. It begins with the famous words "There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," and ends with the powerful promise that "nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God." Today's passage contrasts life in the Spirit with the depravity of life in Sarx - that is, sinful human nature. 3  For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4  in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5  Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6  The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7  The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8  Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9  You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you... Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 3: Total Inability All people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath,  unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil,  dead in their sins, and slaves to sin.  Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit  they are neither willing nor able to return to God,  to reform their distorted nature,  or even to dispose themselves to such reform. Summary Many would likely agree with the statement that people are generally pretty good, since most of the people we encounter seem pretty decent. In this view, since you're 'pretty good' on your own, Christianity is merely a tool to make you a little better. Unfortunately, this is the underlying philosophy for far too many Christians and churches. Yet one of our foundational Reformed doctrines flies in the face of this conventional wisdom. We understand that in order to fully appreciate the good news of Jesus Christ, you must first comprehend the depravity of life apart from Christ. Paul here, as he does so often, demonstrates that there are only two types of people, and the distinctions are not 'pretty good' and 'a little better.' Rather, a person is either living according to the flesh or according to the Spirit . The effects of this distinction are total: we read here that it controls what your mind is set on as well as what your mind is governed by. In using the word mind here, Paul doesn't just mean your intellect; rather, it refers to everything that defines you: how you think, feel and act. Rather than seeking to live in submission to God's law, they act in hostility towards Him.   Dig Deeper   The scary bad news is that all those in the realm of the flesh cannot please God . Not only can such people not fulfill life's primary purpose of glorifying God, and therefore will never be able to truly enjoy life , but even worse, eternal life with God is predicated upon our pleasing Him - that is, keeping His covenant. The tremendous good news of this passage is that if you trust in Christ alone, you're no longer mired in the total depravity that defines the realm of the flesh. Rather, you're now in the realm of the Spirit, if [since] the Spirit of God lives in you. This means that you now please God because in Christ, the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in you! Now you can find true enjoyment in this life as you glorify God, and you have complete assurance that you will live at peace with Him for all of eternity. But as long as you live in the here and now, your sinful flesh will continually try to claw its way back into your life. It wants your mind to again be hostile to God and governed by death. Fight back each day by keeping yourself focused on what the Spirit desires and stay governed by life and peace as you submit yourself to God's law. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who did on our behalf what our flesh was unable to do for ourselves; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to live according to the Spirit; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 4

Are you a true believer or a poser? BibleStudyTools.com John 8:30-44 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus has been talking to a somewhat hostile group of people in the temple courts, including Pharisees. But as He describes His identity and relationship to the Father, we read: 30  Even as he spoke, many believed in him. 31  To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33  They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34  Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35  Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37  I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. 38  I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father.” 39  “Abraham is our father,” they answered. “If you were Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then you would do what Abraham did. 40  As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. 41  You are doing the works of your own father.” “We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.” 42  Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43  Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 3: Total Inability All people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath,  unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil,  dead in their sins, and slaves to sin.  Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit  they are neither willing nor able to return to God,  to reform their distorted nature,  or even to dispose themselves to such reform. Summary Once again John torpedoes the pervasive idyllic image so many people have regarding what Jesus was like. Jesus is often described using words like gentle, nonjudgmental, tolerant, soft-spoken and mild. Certainly at times Jesus was those things. And of course no matter His demeanor He never acted sinfully, but notice how often in the gospels (especially John's) Jesus argues with people! What's so surprising about today's passage is that it's not just the corrupted religious establishment types that Jesus tussles with, but that he here lays into the Jews who had believed Him! And He doesn't just gently chide them either; He challenges their core identity as descendents of Abraham. He provocatively tells them than not only was Abraham wasn't their father, but that not even God was! Jesus knew that these people weren't true believers, they were posers. He tells them their father is the devil! True believers - or disciples , to use Jesus' terminology - are the ones who hold to His teaching. Jesus knew that although these people were intrigued by what He said at the moment and even actually believed it, they were not true believers. They would quickly lose their grip on the gospel and instead begin to look for a way to kill Jesus. Jesus goes on to explain their specific problem: they had no room for His Word. As soon as His Word challenged their carefully constructed identity, they immediately and instinctively attacked it.   Dig Deeper   Ironically, it's one of Jesus' most beloved and well known sayings that sets these 'believers' against Him: You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. The very people who had been saved from slavery in Egypt and now were under the thumb of Caesar ironically retort that they've never been slaves of anyone! In their mind, they had nothing that they needed to be set free from. This deeply embedded human instinct persists. People continue to reject these doctrines of grace that we've been studying this year because they can't swallow the concept of total depravity , which teaches that, in Jesus' words, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Robert Schuller, the famous twentieth century Crystal Cathedral preacher (who actually grew up in NW Iowa!), once said, “I don't think anything has been done in the name of Christ… more destructive to human personality … than the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.” But Jesus wants you to know that it's not until you come to grips with the slavery to sin that you were born into that you - empowered by the Holy Spirit - can keep your grip on Jesus' teaching as His disciple. This is why the ugly doctrine of total depravity is the very T in our TULIP, continually reminding us that God's grace is stronger than our slavery. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent Jesus so that we would love Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to keep on killing of your old self which is enslaved to sin so that you can hold to Jesus' teaching and truly believe into Him. A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 2

Apart from God's grace, you have a one track mind. Genesis 6:5-8 5  The LORD saw how great the wickedness of man ( ʾā·ḏām ) had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6  The LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7  So the LORD said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth — and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8  But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 3: Total Inability All people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath,  unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil,  dead in their sins, and slaves to sin.  Without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit  they are neither willing nor able to return to God,  to reform their distorted nature,  or even to dispose themselves to such reform. Summary This passage introducing the flood account begins with familiar words in the book of Genesis: the LORD saw. This word appears seven times in the first chapter as God surveyed the progress of His creation, with the report each time that what He saw was good. But here in chapter six, the goodness is nowhere to be found. Now, instead of goodness, all the LORD sees is how great the wickedness of ʾā·ḏām had become on the earth. It wasn't that there were just pockets of wickedness amongst the good. Genesis doesn't catalog all of the particulars of the widespread sin or report the details of what life was like at this point in history, though it does go on in v11 to indicate that the earth was corrupt in God's sight and full of violence. The full truth of the serpent's lie was now completely evident. ʾA·ḏām had been promised that upon eating the fruit, he and Eve would be like God, knowing good and evil. It was as if with this full range of knowledge the serpent offered he would be able to choose the appropriate response to any situation on his own, independent from his creator. But now, rather than dishing out the ugly details, our text today provides a far more damning description of the problem humanity faced then and continues to face now as a result of taking the serpent's bargain: now every inclination of ʾā·ḏām's heart was only evil all the time .   Dig Deeper   It's no wonder that the LORD regretted that He had madeʾā·ḏām on the earth, and His heart was deeply troubled. Verses like this one seem to throw a huge monkey wrench into our highly tuned theology as to who and what God is. How could an omnipotent, omniscient, immutable God regret His own divine decisions? Certainly there's more to this than we can discuss in this short post, but let's instead follow the advice that John Calvin gives in commenting upon this passage: We don’t need to get caught up in complicated questions here. The point is clear: when humanity became deeply corrupt, God was grieved because they no longer reflected the people He had made. It’s as if God said, “This is not the humanity I created in My image. I can’t recognize this defiled and degenerate creature as mine anymore. (Paraphrased and shortened for modern English). What we want to focus on today is the two huge aspects of grace seen in today's passage. First, notice that God's regret - whatever it represents - doesn't come until Genesis six, well over a millennium after ʾA·ḏām ate the forbidden fruit. ʾA·ḏām's depravity filled world, and it deserved destruction the moment he sinned, yet God gracefully and patiently waited until that sin reached its full measure. Secondly, and most importantly, is what Noah found. Modern English translations for the most part translate verse 8 the same exact way: Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. But this is one of those times when it's useful to go back to the good 'ol King James Version, which puts it this way: Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. Even in the midst of our total depravity , God provided salvation for His covenant people. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sees our wickedness and depravity yet shows us His grace through Christ Jesus; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to fight against the evil inclinations of your thoughts; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 2

There are two types of people in this world: fools and believers. Which one are you? https://worshiparts.net/psalm-14-the-fool/ Psalm 14 For the director of music. Of David. 1  The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2  The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind ( ʾā·ḏām ) to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3  All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. 4  Do all these evildoers know nothing? They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the Lord. 5  But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. 6  You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. 7  Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 2: The Spread of Corruption Human beings brought forth children  of the same nature as themselves after the fall.  That is to say, being corrupt they brought forth corrupt children.  The corruption spread, by God’s just judgment,  from Adam and Eve to all their descendants— except for Christ alone— not by way of imitation  as in former times the Pelagians would have it  but by way of the propagation of their perverted nature. Summary The word fool is a lukewarm word in English. It certainly isn't complementary, but neither is it the harshest term a person can be referred to as. In Hebrew, the word used here - nā·ḇāl - is significantly uglier. It describes one who is 'futile, worthless and good for nothing.' But the word has deeper connotations than just a person's lack of utility or usefulness. A nā·ḇāl is 'morally deficient and godless.' The reason a person becomes a nā·ḇāl boils down to the last word in its definition - a nā·ḇāl  is an unbeliever. It's not that they don't believe in anything; after all, everybody believes in something. It's just that in coming to the conclusion that there is no God, these fools have rejected the very foundation of knowledge and goodness. In their unbelief of God, nā·ḇāls  believe in themselves as being the center of all knowledge and goodness. As one commentator notes, "Foolishness is not a lack of knowledge in general but a failure to acknowledge God in trustful obedience." So it is here that David borrows a word to describe humanity that was used in scripture long before his time, writing that unbelieving humanity is corrupt. This word is used in a often in Genesis - to describe the depravity of the earth at the time of Noah, the wickedness of Sodom, and the Israelites who built the golden calf. David adds emphasis to this point by repeating it: people's deeds are vile and there is no one who does good... All have turned away, all have become corrupt. It's so bad that amongst those who do not believe, there is no one who does good, not even one. Ultimately, David poetically sums up the nā·ḇāl  with a rhetorical question: Do all these evildoers know nothing?   Dig Deeper   This year our Friday episodes have become the most popular of the week as we've dedicated them to reading through Psalms. We love how the beautiful poetry gives us words to glorify God and enjoy the beautiful world He's created. So I hope that those who tuned in today hoping for such encouragement aren't too disappointed with the dismal words we've focused on today from Psalm 14. It's so easy to get stuck in the swamp of despair that comprises the first half of this short psalm that the brilliant good news of the second half gets missed. So as you finish out the work week, let these gospel proclamations from Psalm 14 guide you into the Lord's Day. Despite the overwhelming presence of foolishness in this totally depraved world, remember that: God is present in the company of the righteous (you've been made righteous in Christ); The LORD is the refuge of those whose plans have been frustrated by evildoers; Salvation for Israel (God's covenant people, which includes you) has come out of Zion! The LORD has restored His people, so let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the LORD, who looks down from heaven on all mankind and who restores His people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will actively repent - change your thinking from the foolishness that denies God to that which acknowledges God in trustful obedience; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 1

This is arguably the most important passage in the Bible. Romans 5:12-14 (NIV) CONTEXT: Though it's usually not often recognized as such, this passage is quite possibly the most important in the entire Bible. It sets the context for the entire gospel. Consequently, it becomes the key by which the whole rest of the Bible ought to be interpreted. 12  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned— 13  To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. 14  Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 2: The Spread of Corruption Human beings brought forth children  of the same nature as themselves after the fall.  That is to say, being corrupt they brought forth corrupt children.  The corruption spread, by God’s just judgment,  from Adam and Eve to all their descendants— except for Christ alone— not by way of imitation  as in former times the Pelagians would have it  but by way of the propagation of their perverted nature. Summary This isn't the first time this year that we've read today's passage together. It was, in fact, the very first passage we read this year , and because of its importance, there's a good chance we'll land on it again before we wrap the 2025 season up. You may have a ton of questions about why this world which God created good and perfect is now broken and riddled with sin, but one thing you don't need to wonder about is how it got this way. Your Sunday School instinct might be popping up right now, eager to offer that explanation. It was the Serpent in the Garden , right? Well, kinda... sorta... actually, no! We often ascribe way to much power to the devil. The Serpent simply served up the suggestion, and although he certainly is sinful, he wasn't the one who corrupted creation. Paul here, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, explains that sin entered the world through one man. It was Adam's fault. And since Adam represented you and me, it actually was our fault. Just to add emphasis to that last point - that you and I share the blame right alongside Adam - Paul explains that death came to all people - not just Adam - because all sinned. It's not just that we sinned afterwards, but that in that fateful moment in the garden, when Adam sinned, we all sinned. If you're curious as to why Adam is implicated when it was Eve who took that first bite, Paul explains this as well. Adam, writes Paul, broke the command. God set the conditions for the covenant He entered into with Adam (and subsequently us) - to work the garden and keep it holy and to not eat from the tree in the middle of the garden. These commands were given to Adam before Eve had even been created. Still curious? Dig Deeper .   Dig Deeper   We began by noting that this passage sets the context for the entire gospel (Good News), but so far, all we've seen is how it explains the bad news. But this passage delivers all of its good news in one key word. Adam wasn't just the one who sinned by breaking a command. He was also the pattern of the One to come. You'll at least be able to figure out the Greek word Paul used there: typos . As one lexicon defines it , a typos is "a model or example which anticipates or precedes a later realization—‘archetype, figure, foreshadow, symbol.’" What this means is that Adam is not the only option we have to represent us. There would be another, and that would of course be our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the gospel: All who are represented by Adam fail to meet God's covenant requirements and are cast out of paradise, but everyone represented by the new Adam - Jesus Christ - have the perfect righteousness required to satisfy the covenant and have peace with God. Christ's grace is stronger than Adam's sin. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our covenant God and Father, A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that although you share in Adam's guilt, you also share in Christ's perfect righteousness; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Philemon

Meet Pelagius, a really nice heretic with good intentions. Heretics are often really nice people who pull your attention away from scripture towards something 'even better.' Titus 3:3-7 (NIV) 3  At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5  he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy . He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6  whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7  so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 2: The Spread of Corruption Human beings brought forth children  of the same nature as themselves after the fall.  That is to say, being corrupt they brought forth corrupt children.  The corruption spread, by God’s just judgment,  from Adam and Eve to all their descendants— except for Christ alone— not by way of imitation  as in former times the Pelagians would have it  but by way of the propagation of their perverted nature. Summary Today's Summary & Dig Deeper posts are a repost from May 10, 2024 Enslaved . That's what Paul says that at one time we all were (v3). For most of us, this concept is tough to identify with, since, by God's grace, we've had the blessing of knowing Jesus our whole lives. But even those who came to know the Lord later in life likely wouldn't describe their life prior to Christ as living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. Thankfully, God restrains people's sinful natures so that most people don't fully experience a life filled with total malice and hatred (a doctrine we call common grace ). Yet Paul here accurately describes what life is like apart from God's grace. So if God has brought us to new life through the Holy Spirit, and He even holds in check the behavior of those who haven't been regenerated, why is it so important to continually remind ourselves of this ugliness? The answer comes in the very next verse. If you don't realize the effect that original sin  has had on you - that it's sapped you of any ability to do any sort of good on your own - you'll end up chalking the good relationship you currently have with God up to the righteous things you've done, as if God owes you salvation because you're such a good person (or at least better than most). Paul here corrects this sinful instinct, writing that Christ saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.   Dig Deeper   Pelagius was a British monk, and a really nice guy. He moved to Rome around the end of the 4th century. He was appalled by the moral laxity of society and advocated for more personal responsibility in the Christian life. This sounds like a good thing, so it might be surprising to find out Pelagius' efforts sparked one of the biggest theological controversies of all times and ended with him branded as a heretic. Pelagius' teachings revolved around the idea that human beings were created with the inherent capacity to choose good or evil without the necessity of regenerating grace. He argued that the essential nature of humanity was not corrupted by original sin, and therefore, each person was born morally neutral with the ability to live a sinless life by their own efforts. In other words, he taught that people are not born in sin, but end up sinning simply by imitating those who came before them. So the key to defeating sin is to just stop imitating it. Through sheer willpower, people can set themselves on the straight and narrow. God's grace was only necessary to forgive past sins, but wasn't necessary for a person to repent in the first place or even live Godly lives moving forward. Those things can and must be done by us independently. This may sound really good, and even freeing! It's easy to see why it's attractive to think that the Church has been holding humanity under its thumb by telling them that on their own they're totally depraved , and how much better everything would be with some softer theology. But not only does this never work out in reality, it flies in the face of all that God has told us is true as we've read what the Bible says about original sin. But worst of all, and the reason that Pelagianism is deemed a heresy, is because it points people away from their need of Christ and leaves them clinging to nothing but their corrupted, sinful selves. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who saved us because of His unfailing covenant love; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the wisdom to live into the new identity given to you in your Spiritual rebirth; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Colossians 4

You didn't learn how to sin. It came quite naturally. Photo Credit: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash Genesis 8:20-22 (ESV) CONTEXT: Noah, his family and all of the animals have just come out of the ark. 20  Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21  And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth .  Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 22  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Article 2: The Spread of Corruption Human beings brought forth children  of the same nature as themselves after the fall.  That is to say, being corrupt they brought forth corrupt children.  The corruption spread, by God’s just judgment,  from Adam and Eve to all their descendants— except for Christ alone— not by way of imitation  as in former times the Pelagians would have it  but by way of the propagation of their perverted nature. Summary Today's Summary & Dig Deeper posts are a repost from May 1, 2024 Was the great flood a symbol of God's justice, or His mercy? Yes. The flood narrative begins with these words from the sixth chapter of Genesis: 11  Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12  And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13  And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. God certainly was justified  in raining His justice down upon His rebellious creation drop by drop until the whole earth was inundated, snuffing out all life. Well, not all  life; God in His great mercy preserved the life of Noah, his family, and two of every kind of animal. But as Noah and crew disembark their massive lifeboat and begin the process of resettling the newly 'washed' earth, it becomes immediately clear that the root of the problem persisted. That God immediately makes a covenantal promise to them shouldn't be surprising, for God always  deals with His image bearers within a covenantal framework. But in the midst of the wonderful promises that God will never again destroy all living creatures in a flood, and that the seasons will continue without ceasing, God makes it painfully clear that the issue which precipitated the flood in the first place will continue: ...The intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.   Dig Deeper   Sin is not a learned behavior. Certainly many specific sins are the result of people replicating what they've seen done by others, which is why the example parents set for subsequent generations is so critically important, but our sinful condition is something we're born  into. More than that, says King David. It's something we're conceived  in ( Psalm 51:5 ). So the story of the great flood is not just a giant 'do-over' opportunity that God gives to man. Just a paragraph after God seals this covenant with creation by setting a rainbow in the sky, Noah and his sons have already fallen into the most grievous of sins. They weren't imitating the sins of others, for there was nobody left to imitate; they were just following their heart. Sin and guilt is so intertwined with you that it's wrapped up in your DNA. This is why the New Testament emphasizes your need to not just change your behavior, but to change your very nature; you need to go from being in Adam and his sin to being grafted into Christ and His righteousness. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who saved us because of His unfailing covenant love; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that more and more you will die to the sinful nature you were conceived in and come to new life in Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Colossians 3

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