It's not just about making better decisions, it's about changing your mindset. Logos.com Colossians 3:1–10 (NIV) 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2   Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3   For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5   Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature [ Sarx ]: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6   Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7   You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8   But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9   Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10  and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily  sins of weakness arise,  and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints,  giving them continual cause  to humble themselves before God,  to flee for refuge to Christ crucified,  to put the flesh to death more and more  by a spirit of supplication [prayer] and by holy exercises of godliness [piety / Spiritual Disciplines],  and to strain toward the goal of perfection,  until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Summary I wonder how many billions of decisions we each make over the course of a lifetime. There's a few big decisions along the way, like who to marry or what career path to follow. But those major choices are easily eclipsed by the countless mass of decisions we make, often without even thinking about them. The problem comes when we begin to consider our Christianity just another decision we've made. After all, as the old song goes, I have decided to follow Jesus. It's a big decision for sure, even the most important, but still it's one decision amongst the billions you continually make. And we're really good at compartmentalizing our decisions. After all, we make big decisions at the ballot box, but most of us keep those decisions stuffed away with our other political opinions (most of the time, at least). You make big decisions at work, but don't drag them home with you, and vice versa . So it's so easy to keep our decision to trust Christ stuffed in our church box. Paul here applies some corrective theology to this situation. It's not just that you've decided to be a Christian, rather you have been raised with Christ. In other words, your entire reality got transformed, not by a decision you made, but by the One seated at the right hand of God! So you can't just compartmentalize it; you must set all of your heart and all of your mind on things above, not on earthly things.   Dig Deeper   Setting your heart and mind on things above has earthly ramifications. Your behavior needs to reflect the reality you have been raised to. This means more than just making better decisions; much more... much more violent! You're called to put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature. You're called to continually kill Sarx (the Greek word for your sinful earthly nature) . The Canons provide the two primary weapons you've been given for this mission. First of all, you kill off Sarx with a spirit of supplication. That is, you're continually in a posture of prayer. Certainly this doesn't mean your hands are always folded and eyes tightly shut. Rather, it means that your heart and mind are continually set on things above. You're to live in an ongoing conversation with your Father through His Spirit who is in you. Your second weapon is described as holy exercises of godliness. To recover a long lost word that's fallen into disuse / misuse, you must be pious. A newer phrase has taken its place: you need solid Spiritual Disciplines, like the ongoing prayer just mentioned, daily Bible reading, gathering with God's people on the Lord's Day, and a myriad of other Biblical habits. Sarx is a formidable enemy who will ruthlessly battle against you until you're freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. You'll lose many of these battles, so thankfully your life is now hidden with Christ in God. But you can - you must - take up your weapons in a spirit of supplication and keep straining toward the goal of perfection. Then, when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory and Sarx will finally be put to death for the last time. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose wrath is coming because of the wickedness of sinful earthly nature; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for a spirit of supplication and for the resolve to daily strengthen your holy exercises of godliness (piety / Spiritual Disciplines).; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 3 John

It's Monday. Sunday's in the rearview mirror, and continual battles lie ahead. Find hope for the battles you lose. You will come to this junction often this week. Galatians 5:16–17 (NIV) 16   So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh ( Sarx ). 17  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily  sins of weakness arise,  and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints,  giving them continual cause  to humble themselves before God,  to flee for refuge to Christ crucified,  to put the flesh to death more and more  by the Spirit of supplication  and by holy exercises of godliness,  and to strain toward the goal of perfection,  until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Summary It's so simple. If you just walk by the Spirit - that is, if each and every moment you just keep your heart and mind focused on things above ( Col. 3:1-2 ) - then you won't even think about indulging the desires of Sarx (or as it's often translated, your sinful nature ). Then you will live a life defined by the fruit of the Spirit, which Paul describes a few verses after today's text. Most of you will be reading this on a Monday morning, after you've had the privilege yesterday of gathering with fellow believers in the Lord's house and hearing His Word proclaimed. You were reminded of similar principles as you listened to, read and sang scripture: principles calling you to flee from sin and pursue righteousness. These Words strengthened you for the week to come and built up your resolve. But now it's Monday. Your church clothes are hung up, the bulletin is somewhere in the back seat of your car with a dozen others, and the pepermunt jar is put away for the week. And already your resolve to walk exclusively with the Spirit has been challenged, or even completely abandoned. What's wrong with you? Why can't you stay on course? It's because, whether you realize it or not, you're at war. At war with yourself - with Sarx . These dueling natures are in conflict with each other. Paul puts it more bluntly in Romans 7 ... they're not just in conflict with one another, they're at war with each other!   Dig Deeper   As we begin this final and most comforting of the five Doctrines of Grace contained in the Canons of Dordt, you're reminded that you haven't crossed life's finish line yet. As the Canons put it, although you're straining toward the goal of perfection,  you have not yet been freed from this body of death. This means that although each and every Monday you're a little bit older and wiser than the week before, daily sins of weakness will continue to arise, and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints no matter how many bulletins accumulate in the back seat. But notice also how the Canons frame this bad news. It's not presented as a hopeless reminder you that you'll never really be a Christian; it's not put forth in such a way to clobber you over the head for your continual failure. Rather, it's given as an encouragement; a motivator, even. This reality gives you continual cause . In other words, it gives you a mantra to live by, a purpose you can attain. Your continual cause is not somehow attaining perfection on your own, but rather daily humbling yourself before God, fleeing to Christ crucified for refuge, so that more and more, by the Spirit's power, you can put Sarx to death. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has bestowed His Spirit on all who are in Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the continual resolve you need to walk by the Spirit; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 John

Sin is an ongoing struggle, but you can be free from its bone crushing guilt. Faithlife.com Psalm 32 Of David. A maskil.  1   Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2   Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4   For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5   Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6  Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7   You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble 8   I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 9   Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10  Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ) surrounds the one who trusts in him. 11  Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin Those people whom God according to his purpose  calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord  and regenerates by the Holy Spirit,  God also sets free from  the dominion and slavery of sin,  though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Summary Today's Summary section is reposted from November 2, 2023 "The Bible just isn't very relevant in this day and age..." What a lousy excuse so many people give for not digging into God's Word! As if the Bible is nothing more than page after page of ancient history, obscure laws, and meaningless religious rituals! Quite the opposite is true! So many passages - especially psalms - give us pointed, specific and actionable instruction as to how you can live a blessed  life; that is, a life filled with happiness, joy and shalom . What could possibly be more practical and relevant? Like the other Psalms we've looked at this year, Psalm 32 is divided up into strophes  (stanzas / verses). Notice how these strophes progress: STROPHE THEME 1 (v1-2) The key to happiness is having sins forgiven. 2 (v3-4) Not confessing sin crushes people (bones waste away under God's heavy hand, strength sapped) 3 (v5) Acknowledging / confessing sin leads to immediate forgiveness of sin & guilt 4 (v6-7) God's heavy hand is transformed into a hand of protection and songs of deliverance 5 (v8-10) God instructs the repentant in the way they should go. The Lord's   ḥěʹ·sěḏ (unfailing) love  surrounds the one who trusts in Him 6 (v11) People who repent of their sin and follow God's commands rejoice and are glad in life!   Dig Deeper   Whether or not you consider yourself a theologian, you likely know well the theological tension that the Bible describes your relationship to sin with. On the one hand, as a Christian you've been set free from it (Romans 6:22), but on the other, as the Canons have reminded us all week, at this point you've only been freed from sin's dominion and slavery; you're not yet entirely freed in the flesh and from the body of sin as long as you are in this life. You know this well because at points in your life - maybe even now - you've felt your bones wasting away, crushed by guilt and regret stemming from sins you've committed. Theology isn't just far out theoretical musings - it has real life physiological effects! David here describes this crushing as the LORD's heavy, strength sapping hand bearing down on those who keep silent about their sin. But you can find relief from this guilt, even here and now on this side of eternity! You can do this by acknowledging your sin to the LORD and no longer covering up your iniquity. David finishes this poetic thought with a beautiful parallelism: I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. David describes well what we will be unpacking as we study this final, and most comforting doctrine in the Canons of Dordt - that you will always persevere in God's strong grace: The LORD's unfailing love (ḥěʹ·sěḏ) surrounds the one who trusts in Him. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who invites all of the faithful to pray to Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Confess your transgressions to the LORD and He will forgive the guilt of your sin; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 John 5

Fight temptation. But when you sin, remember you have an Advocate. New International Version Verse of the Day 1 John 1–2:2 (NIV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2   The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3   We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4   We write this to make our joy complete. 5   This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6   If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8   If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2   He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin Those people whom God according to his purpose  calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord  and regenerates by the Holy Spirit,  God also sets free from  the dominion and slavery of sin,  though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Summary John's letter writing style differs from Paul & Peter's. That only makes sense, because John's gospel writing style is completely different than Matthew, Mark or Luke's. And his Apocalypse - the official name for what we often refer to as Revelation - well, that's different than just about every other book in the Bible! Whereas most of the other epistles have rather formal introductions which identify the original recipients ( to the saints in X, Y, Z... ), the author(s), and perhaps a greeting ( grace, mercy and peace be yours... ), John never identifies himself, and he doesn't name the addressees until the second chapter: My dear children... The word John uses there - teknia - is one of the first words we learned in beginning Greek. There was no pedagogical reason for putting this word first, like how an English reader might learn cat or dog first because of their simplicity. Rather, even though John is the only Biblical writer to use this word, it very well describes who the entire Bible is written to: to our Father's dear children. So even if you don't remember anything else about our dive into these opening passages of John's first letter this week, remember this: you are God's teknia, and He authored sixty six individual books over the span of thousands of years and in three very different languages so that you could know one thing: if you sin, you have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.   Dig Deeper   The final clauses of this opening article of the Canon's fifth and final point illustrate well the tension we've seen so often as we've worked through the Canons this year: On one hand, God also sets free from the dominion and slavery of sin... As a regenerated person, sin no longer has dominion over you; you've now been freed from its slavery. Soli Deo Gloria ! But then comes the contrast that sets the tension. You've been set free for sure, though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Anybody whose been a Christian for longer than five minutes knows this concept well. Even though sin doesn't have dominion over you - that is, it can't make you do anything - it continues to poke at you and tempt you every moment of your life. And you sometimes cave into those temptations. Not just sometimes... often. As God's dearly beloved child, John wrote you this letter so that you would not sin. He implores you to use the strength derived from your fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ that we read about earlier this week to triumph over the temptations that continually plague you. But John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, also wants to remind you that when you do sin, you have an advocate standing before our Father in heaven who has provided the atoning sacrifice for your sin : Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (Curious about what John means when he writes that Jesus atoned not only for our sins but also for the sins of the whole world? Certainly John wasn't a universalist, and this doesn't this contradict what we learned about Limited Atonement . John simply means here that our Father has teknia all over the world. Check out our post on The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death from earlier this year). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who loves His teknia (dear children); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for continuing strength and resolve to resist temptation, and thank God for your Advocate, Jesus Christ the Righteous One; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 John 4

You may lose more battles with sin than you win. But there's good news! Bible.com 1 John 1–2:2 (NIV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2   The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3   We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4   We write this to make our joy complete. 5   This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6   If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8   If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2   He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin Those people whom God according to his purpose  calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord  and regenerates by the Holy Spirit,  God also sets free from  the dominion and slavery of sin,  though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Summary Today we're considering the second of two contrasting false claims people often make about themselves. Yesterday we were reminded of the first lie: that people claim to have fellowship with the Light but are actually walking in the darkness. Now John jumps to the other end of the spectrum: those who claim to be without sin. Ironically, although these c laims seem like polar opposites, they're really not all that different from one another. First of all, both extremes are the result of a complete lack of self-awareness. On the one hand you have people who either don't care at all about the sin in their life, or who ignorantly don't recognize it. On the other hand are people who've somehow rationalized all of their deviant behaviors to the point they've convinced themselves that they're without sin. Secondly, both claims , as different as they appear, stem from the same exact source. When we hypocritically claim fellowship but yet walk in the dark we lie and do not live out the truth. When we deny our sinfulness, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Both of these claims come as the result of rejecting the truth. When you hold on to these falsehoods, not only are you lying to yourself and others, but even worse, you make Jesus out to be a liar, and His Word is not in you.   Dig Deeper   In theology, just as in so many other aspects of life, words matter. Oftentimes, it seems like more words get used than are necessary to clearly articulate a matter, so we get in the habit of shaving off the seemingly extraneous verbiage to make things easier to understand. We might be tempted to reduce this first article of the Canon's fifth point to the phrase God sets us free from... sin... . But it's critically important to include all of the words in that statement, for the abbreviated version isn't at all what God has done for us (yet, at least). God has thus far set us free from the dominion and slavery of sin, though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Until Christ returns or calls us home, you'll struggle with sin and temptation every moment of our lives, and to think you won't is to, as John put it, deceive yourself. But - and this is important - sin no longer has dominion over you, and you're no longer enslaved to it . By God's grace you can now win many of your daily battles against it! But you won't win every battle. In fact, you may lose more than you win. The good news is that when you fail, you can be assured that your salvation doesn't depend upon your faithfulness and justice, because when you confess your sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive you your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is faithful and just; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will remain in the truth as you battle sin and temptation every moment; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 John 3

Be reminded of the benefits walking in the light brings. You have to let go of the darkness to walk in the light 1 John 1–2:2 (NIV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2   The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3   We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4   We write this to make our joy complete. 5   This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6   If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8   If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2   He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin Those people whom God according to his purpose  calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord  and regenerates by the Holy Spirit,  God also sets free from  the dominion and slavery of sin,  though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Summary John returns to one of his favorite motifs: the contrast between light and darkness, and in doing so he paints a picture of God that might seem hard for many in our society to accept. People - especially young people - in our age highly value nuance. Nothing is ever either black or white, everything is a shade of gray. The good guys in our movies are flawed in some way, and there's always a tinge of goodness even in the baddest of our bad guys. But God is different. God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. As Karen Jobes explains , "Light is an apt metaphor for God, for it is the first fundamental property of the universe created by God (Gen 1:1), it allows and sustains all life, it makes life far more pleasant and safer than living in the dark, and it reveals what is hidden." Jobes continues, "Just as light and darkness cannot physically coexist in the same space, John uses this duality to explain what constitutes fellowship with God and what disqualifies a person from fellowship, because sin and righteousness are as mutually exclusive as light and darkness."   Dig Deeper   It's John's explanation of fellowship that's brought us to the first chapter of his first letter this week. We're interested in fellowship because as we begin this final and most comforting doctrine in the Canons, which reminds us that scripture promises us our salvation in Christ is secure, it roots this security in the fellowship we have in Christ. Yesterday we learned that this Biblical concept of fellowship is far deeper than the way we often think of it. Biblical fellowship (koinōnia) is a profoundly mutual relationship in which we hang onto one another as we each do our best to cling to God. But more importantly, it's Christ who hangs on to us and will never let go. God's stark uniformity (all light and no darkness ), as pleasant and safe as it is, puts constraints on how you live if you claim to have fellowship [this profoundly mutual relationship] with the Light and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. There's absolutely no nuance possible, although we sure like to think there is! The good news for you today is that if you walk in God's light, not only will enjoy God's eternally secure grip on your life, but you won't walk alone. You'll have fellowship with one another - your fellow members of Christ's Church who will help support you even as you support them. On top of it all, when you walk in the light as He is in the light, you can be certain that the blood of Jesus, God's Son, purifies you from all sin. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire and strength to walk in the light. Pray for opportunities to both support and be supported by those your walking in fellowship with; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 John 2

It's not just up to you to hang on for dear life. You're in a mutual relationship with One whose grace is far stronger than you are. Logos.com 1 John 1–2:2 (NIV) 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2   The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3   We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4   We write this to make our joy complete. 5   This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6   If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 8   If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10  If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 2 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2   He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 1: The Regenerate Not Entirely Free from Sin Those people whom God according to his purpose  calls into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord  and regenerates by the Holy Spirit,  God also sets free from  the dominion and slavery of sin,  though not entirely from the flesh and from the body of sin as long as they are in this life. Summary John begins a very intimate letter written to encourage others in the basic truths of Christianity by sharing his experience, but he does so in a way that makes clear that the gospel he proclaims concerning the Word of life isn't just a subjective feeling. It was from the beginning; and it was far more than just something he felt. He writes we heard it (notice the plural - John was one of many), we have seen it and they even touched it with their hands. It's very important for you to be able to communicate your personal testimony - the unique way in which you've experienced God's blessing - but always remember what John reminds us of here: that the gospel is first and foremost objective fact, rooted in history. More than that, it's rooted in a person: Jesus Christ. If you can tell of your experience, but can't explain the elements that form its foundation, your testimony will be limited. And vice versa, a pure recitation of brute facts without any evidence of how these facts have changed you will be empty. Learn to share the gospel like John does, including both what Jesus did and how it makes you feel. John next introduces a new descriptor for Jesus. He is the life which appeared. Not just ordinary, mortal life, but eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared ). In other words, the path to eternal life isn't something that everyone can define as they see fit, but rather it's visible, clear, and manifest in Christ alone. This is what and who John testifies to.   Dig Deeper   John doesn't leave us wondering as to the purpose of his epistle. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, John writes, so that you may have fellowship with us. Lots of groups can offer you fellowship. You can find various groups of people who have the same interests as you, who are going through similar aspects of life together, or who just want to be surrounded by other people and have fun. Many of us will associate the word fellowship with the large room or hall in our churches that people file into after the service to drink marginal coffee while talking to fellow church members. That's actually a key aspect of fellowship - just the consistent habit of sharing life on a consistent basis with other Christ followers. But John's letter is more than just a bland appeal for you to join his club, and the fellowship he offers here is far deeper than just surface level affinities; it's fellowship - a profoundly mutual relationship - with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Today we begin the fifth and final of these doctrines of grace we've studied all year which articulates the eternal and unbreakable nature of the salvation you've been given. Notice that the Canons root this security in your fellowship with the Father and His Son. It's not just up to you to hang on for dear life. You're in a mutual relationship with One whose grace is far stronger than you are. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose fellowship makes our joy complete; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you often of the fellowship you have with our Triune God and His people; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 3

Nobody wants their work to be inconsequential. Find out how to make your life count. Psalm 127 A song of ascents. Of Solomon. 1   Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2   In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves. 3  Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. 4   Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. 5   Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary The primary theme of this week's psalm is a word that's doesn't appear in it: Shalom. Shalom is the peace that comes when everything is the way it's supposed to be, when you have both earthly prosperity and spiritual fellowship with your heavenly Father. But even though our psalm today doesn't use the word shalom, we can be confident that it is the theme, because of the psalms that surround it: the psalms of assent. As we've already seen this year, these are the songs the Israelites would sing as they ascended up the hill to the temple in Jerusalem. These psalms are saturated with the expressed desire to experience the shalom that only comes from being in God's presence. Psalm 127 accentuates shalom by unpacking its opposite: living in vain . Builders labor in vain if the house is not built in the LORD. Guards stand watch in vain unless the LORD watches over the city. Those who rise early and stay up late toiling for food do so in vain when they labor without God's blessing. Literally translated, this vanity means worthless, futile, inconsequential. Isn't sad to think that so many people are working so hard just to build an inconsequential life? Mark Futato, whose commentary on the Psalms has been so helpful for us this year, describes the antidote to this futility: The alternative is to be vigorously engaged in all of life’s activities out of faith in God and in keeping with his principles. Then our hard work will be accompanied not by anxiety but by a sleeplike tranquility. We can do our very best, leaving the outcome in God’s hands and experiencing sleep at night as one part of the shalom we experience throughout the day. God’s will is this: “Whatever you do, do well” (Eccl 9:10; see 1 Cor 10:31) and “My righteous ones will live by faith” (Heb 10:38).   Dig Deeper   The second stanza of our Psalm today goes on to extol the value of children. Certainly many of us have come to realize the blessings our children bring, and how they are so often a reward from the LORD. But Solomon's beautiful song isn't just referring to your physical offspring, but metaphorically refers to actions you take which give evidence of your salvation. The Apostle Paul speaks of these 'children' when he instructs you to, "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose" ( Philippians 2:12-13 ). Your good works, done out of gratitude to God for the free grace He's given you, then becomes, as Solomon puts it, a heritage from the LORD. Futato goes on to conclude, The central teaching of this psalm, applicable to both body and spirit, is that when we turn away from self-sufficiency and replace it with a faith in God that lives out his principles, our activities are not useless but are fruitful—they produce the desired result of shalom. They are fruitful because God is at work in them and through them. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who builds our house, watches over our city, and grants shalom to those He loves; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask your Father each day to grant you what you need both spiritually and physically for this day so that you'll experience His shalom ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 2

Doxology is more than just the last song of the service. Knowing-Jesus.com Jude 24-25 (NIV) 24  To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary Today's short passage is a good example of Biblical doxology . If you're familiar with the word doxology at all, you probably know it as the final song sung at the end of a worship service. The word itself is a compound Greek word, but it's not a word that appears in the Bible! The first part, doxa , simply means glory , while the second comes from the word logos. So doxology simply means 'words of glory.' As he closes his short letter, written to encourage Christians to contend for the faith (v3) against those who seek to pervert it, Jude includes this doxology to give glory to God for two things that God is able to do for you. First, God keeps you from stumbling. The Canons explain how God ordinarily does this: by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel, under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline . As you participate in what are often referred to as these ordinary means of grace , God uses them to hold you upright and keep you steady. Secondly, God is able... to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy. I often encourage Christians to be able to present the gospel shortly and succinctly in minute or less, and this opening verse of Jude's doxology would be an excellent way to do that. It perfectly summarizes the entire Bible: God is able to eliminate our fault and re-establish our joyful relationship with Him.   Dig Deeper   Jude's doxology ascribes four key attributes of God. The words Jude uses to do so are words we use and read quite often, but often when it comes to common words we don't really think about what they actually mean. Here's how a good Biblical lexicon defines each one: ...to the only God our Savior be: glory - to speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor; majesty - greatness, prominence or importance. It's often used to describe kings; power - strength to rule or control; authority - the right to control or govern over. Obviously God our Savior has these attributes in relation to all of creation. But for the last several months we been coming to see how these attributes, which combined together comprise God's sovereignty , have been at work through Jesus Christ our Lord to regenerate and save His elect. It's because of this that the fifth and final pillar of Reformed theology is Soli Deo Gloria , or glory to God alone! ( You can read about the other four pillars here ). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you before His glorious presence without fault A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your activities today would glorify God's majesty, power and authority over all things; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 2

Both your salvation and your ability to fulfill your purpose depend on your ears. Photo: Dylan Hendricks, via Unsplash Ephesians 1:11–14 (NIV) 11   In Christ we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12   in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13   And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14   who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Article 17: God’s Use of Means in Regeneration Just as the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life  does not rule out  but  requires the use  of means,  by which God, according to his infinite wisdom and goodness, has wished to exercise that divine power,  so also the aforementioned supernatural work by which God regenerates us  in no way rules out or cancels the use of the gospel,  which God in great wisdom has appointed to be  the seed of regeneration  and the food of the soul.  For this reason, the apostles and the teachers who followed them taught the people in a godly manner about this grace of God,  to give God the glory and to humble all pride,  and yet did not neglect meanwhile to keep the people,  by means of the holy admonitions of the gospel,  under the administration of the Word, the sacraments, and discipline.  So even today it is out of the question that the teachers or those taught in the church  should presume to test God by separating what God in his good pleasure has wished to be closely joined together.  For grace is bestowed through admonitions,  and the more readily we perform our duty,  the more lustrous the benefit of God working in us usually is,  and the better that work advances.  To God alone,  both for the means and for their saving fruit and effectiveness,  all glory is owed forever. Amen. If you’ve been blessed by Unfading Truth, help others discover it. A simple share on your socials could be the reason someone starts finding daily comfort and confidence in God’s Word. Perseverance of the Saints begins Monday → unfadingtruth.com/share Summary It's hard to believe, but so far in our year of studying the Doctrines of Grace as they're articulated in the Canons of Dordt, this is the first time we've turned to the first chapter of Ephesians! This chapter of the Bible could function as the seminal proof text for nearly everything we've covered so far. But by design it's been set aside so that we can see that it's not the only proof text for God's sovereignty in our salvation, and that the whole of scripture proclaims these truths as well. But as we begin this final season of 2025, we'll be certainly coming back to this chapter often. This middle section of the Ephesians 1 begins with one of the Bible's clearest descriptions of how you were saved: you were chosen in Christ, having been predestined according to His plan. This ought to give you tremendous confidence! The world wants you to think that you're just a product of a random collision of time and matter. So it makes sense to them that each one of us who've evolved from this randomness need to individually define our reality as it makes sense to us. But you know that nothing is random; rather the truth is that everything is being worked out in conformity with the purpose of His will. Not only does this passage help you understand how you've been saved, but it tells you why. It gives you purpose. You were predestined to salvation in order that you might be for the praise of His glory. That makes the phrase Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God Alone - more than just a meaningless motto, it's your purpose and reason for living.   Dig Deeper   Ironically this wonderful reminder of our Unconditional Election isn't why we turned to this beautiful chapter of the Bible today. Our particular interest at this juncture isn't the theoretical how or why of your salvation, as important as those things are. Our focus this week is on the practical means of your salvation - the particular process that God sovereignly used to include you in Christ. All of this happened when you heard the message of truth. Isn't it amazing that God, who sovereignly chose and predestined you before the creation of the world (v4), also designed this to come to fruition indirectly. In other words, God used an intermediary - a tool. As the Canons put it, the almighty work by which God brings forth and sustains our natural life does not rule out,  but requires the use of, means. You weren't born innately knowing of your chosen status, you needed to be told. You needed to hear the gospel [good news] of your salvation. And this requirement for you to listen extends beyond your initial acceptance of the truth of the gospel. Preaching is not just the seed of regeneration , it's the ongoing food of the soul. So both your initial inclusion in Christ and your ongoing ability to grow in it to the praise of God's glory depends on your continual listening to the message of truth. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for having this message of truth proclaimed to you, and pray for on ongoing hunger to continue hear it preached; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Titus 1