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

The message of the Bible is complex, but it's not complicated. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 2 Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? A. Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary The Bible certainly has implications for every facet of life, and over the millenia, tens of thousands of pages of deep and complicated theology have been written unpacking the rich truth contained in scripture. But the primary message of the Bible is elegant in its simplicity. You only need to know three things. Paul explains this to young Pastor Timothy in today's passage. First, know that God has saved you... not because of anything you have done, but because of his own purpose and grace (v9a). The fact that you need salvation in the first place presupposes that you have something that you need salvation from. This is why the Bible goes to such great lengths to show you 'how great [massive] your sin & misery are.' Second, having recognized your need for salvation, you can trust in Christ alone, who who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (v10). Finally, knowing that you have been saved from your overwhelming sin problem must result in gratitude that changes the way you live. Not only did Jesus save you, but He called you to a holy life (v9a). Dig Deeper Notice the aggressive language Paul exhorts you with in this passage: fan into flame the gift of God (v6) Christians aren't timid, rather they're full of power, love & self discipline (v7) Don't be ashamed... suffer for the gospel by the power of God (v8) Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you (v14) As you begin a new year, pray that you will understand these three basic facts: that you'll come to recognize the depth of your sin (your Guilt), the magnitude of what Christ did to save you (Grace), and that in response you'll aggressively demonstrate your Gratitude by living a holy life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who by His power saved you and called you to a holy life (v9) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Repent of your sin, thank God for His salvation through Christ, and ask for strength to live a holy life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 5

To fully enjoy the comfort & assurance of your fully accomplished salvation, you must make every effort! Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary Maybe you've heard the trite little Christian saying that "Jesus + nothing = everything." Peter would have loved it! It nicely summarizes the opening statement of his second letter: Christ's power: has given us everything we need; through our knowledge of Him; since: He called us by His own glory and goodness and He has given us His promises. It's truths like this that provide you with the 'assurance of eternal life' that the Catechism mentions. Your certainty comes from the fact that Christ has fully accomplished your salvation, and there's nothing you need to add to it. Yet Peter prescribes more addition! In v5 he writes, make every effort to add... not to your salvation, because that's complete in Christ, but add to your faith. He repeats this command to make every effort again in v10, and this time he explains why: to confirm your calling and election. So certainly be assured of your salvation, but at the same time make every effort to live a godly life. The good works that result from these efforts will bolster the assurance and confidence you've already been given. Dig Deeper This famous first question and answer of the Catechism is like a warm blanket in a cold world, reminding you that your future is fully secured in Christ. But notice that even these words of comfort end with a call to action to 'wholeheartedly live for Him.' This is one of the great tensions of Christianity. Certainly rest in the thought that Christ is 'your only comfort in life and in death,' but in order to fully enjoy this rest you must continually make every effort to gratefully respond to the gift you've been given. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has set His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ over His eternal kingdom (v11); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to make every effort to live wholeheartedly for Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 4

The transition from lying to perjury in verses 11 and 12 demonstrates how one sin can lead into more

Photo credit: Michael Maasen via Unsplash Exodus 15:1–18 (NIV) 15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11  Who among the gods is like you, L ORD ? your holy dwelling. 14  The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. 15 Summary Moses' psalm here in Exodus 15 is comprised of five parts - parts that are technically referred psalms throughout scripture like Exodus 15.

Matthew 12:15-21 (NIV) 15  Aware of this [that the Pharisees were plotting to kill Him], Jesus withdrew -20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive 15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews

John 15:26–16:15 (NIV) 26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9  come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 11: The Deity of the Holy Spirit Today: Hebrews 12

Both the eyes of the Lord and the world are on you. What will they see? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Summary In each of today’s passages, Peter urges readers to live in such a way as to win over their peers for Christ. In chapter 2, he references how others were speaking of the recipients of this letter as evildoers. Living as spiritual exiles in this world, the Christian way of life did not line up with the norms of the day. During the time this letter was written, charges against Christians included such things as disloyalty to the emperor, propagation of unlawful customs, defamation of the (pagan) gods, and general trouble making. The beliefs and actions of early Christians drew the attention of those around them. Peter’s encouragement was to abstain from passions of the flesh so that others may see their deeds and glorify God. In the beginning of chapter 3, Peter is understood to be speaking to the Christian women in these congregations who were married to non-Christian husbands. These women faced a challenging dilemma because in Roman culture a wife was expected to adopt the religion of their husband. Peter’s direction for these women was to conduct themselves in such a way that the Gospel may be presented in the best possible light. The mention of winning them over “without a word” is not a prohibition on speaking of their faith but more of an encouragement to follow the submissive demeanor expected of their culture while being sensitive to the concerns of their unbelieving husbands in order that their gentle approach would open an avenue to share their faith. Dig Deeper You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. It’s a common saying you may have heard before. The message of this saying is that it is easier to persuade someone if you have a positive attitude than if you approached them with rude or forceful demands. This idea is seen in both of today’s passages from 1 Peter. Whether it was followers of Jesus living in a predominant pagan society or the 1st century wives of unbelieving husbands in the Roman Empire, Peter’s emphasis on kindness remains the same. Following Peter’s directions would have brought about all kinds of challenges. Whether it was facing unwarranted allegations of wrongdoing or remaining devoted to Christ within a system that challenged your faith; presenting the Gospel in the best possible light takes sacrifice. It is not easy to be kind to those who oppress or scorn you. The natural desire is to want to lash out or get even. When someone makes your life difficult, before you retaliate, remember the encouragement of Peter. Keep your conduct honorable and respectful, for in this they may see your good deeds and give glory to God. After all, you will catch more flies with honey than vinegar. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: 1 Peter 3:12 - For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Holy Spirit will strengthen you to be able to keep your conduct honorable, that others may see your good deeds and glorify God; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 8

children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys - and so Saul does... mostly. 1 Samuel 15  (NIV) 9  But Saul and the army spared King Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed. 10  Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: 11 15  Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep

In 1 Cor. 11:23-26, the Apostle Paul is ensuring the church in Corinth knows what the Lord’s Supper means