Make sure asking God to remind you of His wrath is at the top of your list. BOOK IV Psalms 90–106 Psalm 90 A prayer of Moses the man of God. 1  Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. 2  Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3  You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you sons of men.” 4  A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. 5  Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death— they are like the new grass of the morning: 6  In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. 7  We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. 8  You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9  All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. 10  Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11  If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. 12  Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 13  Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. 14  Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15  Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. 16  May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. 17  May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ Since, however,  we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction [required by God's justice] or deliver ourselves from God’s wrath,  God in boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee  his only begotten Son,  who was made to be sin and a curse for us,  in our place, on the cross,  in order that he might make satisfaction for us. Summary We've already noted this year that the Psalter (the book of Psalms) is divided into five sub-books, and that the first psalm in each book sets the tone for the psalms that follow it. Not only is this 90th psalm unique in that it is the only psalm attributed to Moses, but it begins this new section of psalms focused on the eternal kingship of the LORD. Moses recognizes what we've been so focused on this year as we've read the Bible together: God's sovereignty - that is, His control, authority and presence in and over all things. Moses begins his prayer by a cknowledging God's timeless immutability (unchangeableness): the Lord has been our dwelling place throughout all generations. He notes that God's existence predates the birth of the mountains - indeed it was God who brought forth the whole world! The psalm's second stanza (v3-11) is the a lignment section of Moses' prayer (there's a big lesson just in the fact that the longest part of the prayer is focused on Moses a ligning himself with God's will!) In it he masterfully demonstrates how to hold the tension between the reverent worship expressed in the opening verses and the outright fear of God that the Bible so often calls us to. As he prays, Moses is reminded that God turns man back to dust, that He sweeps people away in death, that we are consumed by God's anger and terrified by His indignation and that all of our iniquities and secret sins are set before the light of God's presence. Moses here realizes that God is so much more than a grandfatherly presence in the sky smiling upon our mischief. All our days, Moses prays to God, pass away under your wrath.   Dig Deeper   For the last century there's been an unwritten rule promoted by self appointed evangelism experts that talking about sin and the wrath of God is the antithesis of church growth. People only want to hear about God's love, mercy and generous providence, so that's what our songs, sermons and prayers ought to be focused upon. But Moses completely contradicts such advice. It's to our benefit to be reminded of the power of God's anger and that His wrath is consistent with the fear due Him (NET)! Moses here knows that if people remain ignorant of God's wrath and anger, they'll a sk Him for all the wrong things and inevitably be left to face God's anger on their own. The things Moses does a sk God for in his prayer seem like the things most people ask for when they pray: for satisfaction, gladness, and God's favor to rest upon us. We see so many biblical prayers that ask for these things, and so clearly it is good to a sk God for these things in your own prayers as well. But frame these requests the same way Moses does by first a sking God to relent from His righteous anger and to have compassion on His servants. When you're continually reminded of what your sins deserve from our Holy God, it will be natural for you to pray this way. And you can confidently do so, knowing that (as the Canons put it) although you cannot deliver yourself from God’s wrath,  that you have been freed from it because Christ has made full satisfaction for your sin. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, our dwelling place throughout all generations; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Recognize and even fear God's righteous anger and wrath as you pray; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: for God to relent from His anger and to have compassion on you in Christ before asking for satisfaction, gladness, and God's favor. Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 25

You've been bought at a price by the One who came to serve. Mark 10:41-45 (NIV) CONTEXT: Two of Jesus' disciples, James and John, had asked Jesus for the honor of sitting right next to Jesus in His glory. Jesus turns them down, and it doesn't take long for the other ten disciples to hear about this audacious request. If possible, read this passage in a printed Bible, looking at what came before and right after it for the full context. 41  When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42  Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43  Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44  and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ Since, however,  we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction [required by God's justice] or deliver ourselves from God’s wrath,  God in boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee  his only begotten Son,  who was made to be sin and a curse for us,  in our place, on the cross,  in order that he might make satisfaction for us. Summary You can imagine the tension hanging over the group as James and John returned to the group after their selfish attempt to secure the highest places of honor from Jesus. Mark captures it well - the other ten were indignant. Maybe harsh words were muttered, or maybe it was just their silent but piercing glances at those two jerks who tried to make themselves the most important. Mark doesn't tell us, but it's a safe guess that they weren't just mad at these fellas tried and failed, but they were jealous, because deep down they all wanted those spots next to Jesus for themselves. James & John's misguided power play and the indignation of the other ten really get at the foundation of sin: wanting to lord it over others. Jesus doesn't let things fester. He immediately puts an end to it all, calling them together and turning the unfortunate episode into a teaching moment. Don't be like the rulers of the Gentiles and high officials (literally: the great ones), Jesus explains. He goes on to turn conventional wisdom on its top: whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. Digital Bibles are a convenient and powerful tool for looking up and reading passages. But today's passage is a great example of why you shouldn't shelve your printed Bible. Notice the surrounding passages: Jesus welcomes children, sends away the rich man who won't give up his stuff, and explains to His disciples for the third time that He must die. And now He tells them that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. In the passages that follow, Jesus gives sight to a blind man and then enters Jerusalem as the servant King.   Dig Deeper   It's the last few words of Jesus' mission that grab our attention today. Jesus came to serve by giving His life as a ransom for many. We often associate the word ransom with the price paid to free a captive, which certainly fits what Jesus did for us. But in Jesus' day and age, the word would have been more commonly used to refer to the price required for a slave to redeem himself - that is, to buy his freedom. This is one of the key things the Bible wants you to understand about yourself: You weren't just held captive by sin, as if you were tied up in the back room just waiting for your rescuer to arrive and pay the ransom . Rather, you were enslaved to it, mindlessly doing its bidding with no realistic hope of ever scrounging up enough to redeem yourself. But this is exactly why Jesus came: to become your ransom - to pay the price of redemption that set you free from your slavery to sin. Jesus didn't enter Jerusalem as a King in order to gain the type of selfish glory the disciples so badly wanted, but rather to, as the Canons put it, make satisfaction for us. Although you've been set free from slavery to sin, you're not really set free as if now nobody else has a claim on you. Rather, you now belong to the One who ransomed you - the One who redeemed (purchased) you. But His yoke is easy and His burden is light . He simply wants you to act like Him; not to be served, but to serve. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son to give His life as a ransom for many; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will seek to serve rather than to be served; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 24

The entire gospel comes down to two words. Romans 8:1-4 (NIV) 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2  because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 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. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ Since, however,  we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction [required by God's justice] or deliver ourselves from God’s wrath,  God in boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee  his only begotten Son,  who was made to be sin and a curse for us,  in our place, on the cross,  in order that he might make satisfaction for us. Summary One of the most powerful words in scripture is often found lurking in the background; it's unassuming, and at times it seems like it doesn't really even belong. That all important word is the conjunction therefore, and it has the honor here of being the first word in what is arguably the Bible's most magnificent chapter: Romans 8. The first seven chapters of Romans lay out the theology of your salvation. Paul begins with a brutal assessment of what sin has done to mankind and then contrasts our failure with Christ's perfect obedience. He then demonstrates what a regenerated person's life looks like after being baptized into Christ, even as we fight (and often lose) daily battles with sin. Along every step of the way we see grace that is so much stronger than we are. Therefore, Paul begins here in chapter 8 - because of all that our Triune God has done to secure our salvation - here are the massive benefits conveyed to the recipients of this amazing grace; people who are in Christ . Your salvation results in deliverance from the divine condemnation your sins deserve. Through Christ Jesus you have been set free from the law of sin and death that condemns you. Paul refers to that law - God's Law - as powerless, but it's not as if the laws God commanded us to follow are somehow fundamentally flawed. Rather, they were weakened by the flesh. If you've been around this Bible reading plan for awhile, you know the Greek word for flesh. It's Sarx . Sarx is that ugly representation of your old sinful self that twists everything - including God's good commandments - into an attractive opportunity to sin.   Dig Deeper   The book of Romans famously begins with Paul describing the gospel as the power of God for the salvation of all who believe. Now after seven chapters of laying the groundwork, he returns to this opening theme. We need this gospel power because of what the law was powerless to do. This is such good news because the life God gives us depends on the fulfillment of our covenant obligation of perfect obedience. In other words, eternal life depends on the righteous requirement of the law being fully met in us. And on our own, weakened by Sarx, we're unable to meet that righteous requirement, and therefore we deserve condemnation. The gospel can be summarized in just two words. What you are unable to do, God did on your behalf by sending His own Son in your likeness to be a sin offering. Because your sin has been atoned (paid for) by Christ, there is now no condemnation for you, because through Christ Jesus you fully meet God's righteous requirement. This awesome opening to this magnificent chapter ends by reminding you how this truth makes you different. So many of your friends, neighbors, co-workers and even family live according to the flesh (Sarx). But not you. You kill off Sarx each and every day and instead you live according to the Spirit. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who did for us what we could not do for ourselves; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength, wisdom and desire to live according to the Spirit; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 23

Learn to explain the gospel in ten seconds or less. Bible.com 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NET) God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ Since, however,  we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction  or deliver ourselves from God’s wrath,  God in boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee  his only begotten Son,  who was made to be sin and a curse for us,  in our place, on the cross,  in order that he might make satisfaction for us. Summary In our church we often talk about the importance of practicing our '1-minute gospel' speech so that when the opportunity arises (often at unexpected times) we're ready to share it. Today's passage makes an excellent 1 minute gospel (and in reality it only takes ten seconds!). It's likely that most of the people you know have heard of Jesus and might even be very familiar with Him. They know that He cared deeply for the poor and marginalized, that He lived a perfect life that sets an example for the rest of us to follow, and that He's the best friend anybody could hope for, since even when things are down and everyone else has bailed out, He'll still be there. And, praise God, all of those things about Jesus are absolutely true! But what your friends, neighbors and coworkers probably don't know about Jesus is the primary purpose He came for, and that's the purpose Paul spells out for us in today's short passage. Jesus came, as the Canons put it, to make satisfaction for us, and thereby to deliver us from God's wrath against our sin.   Dig Deeper   Notice here what we've already noticed so many times reading the Bible together this year: that our salvation begins with God's initiative - God made... God would have been totally justified to do nothing and let us face the consequences of our sin, but instead He took action to save us. The verb Paul chose is perfect. God didn't just decree or stipulate or dictate from a distance, He made. But it's what He made that's so stunning. God made the One who did not know sin... This, of course, doesn't mean that Jesus had no idea what sin was until it was foisted upon Him. Rather, Jesus had no personal experience as a sinner until He was made to be sin for us. As Murray Harris puts it , "Treated as if he were a sinner, Christ became the object of God’s wrath and bore the penalty and guilt of sin." Remember always to be on the lookout for so that clauses and circle them in your Bible. The Bible doesn't just tell us what God did - in this case, that God made Jesus to be sin for us - the Bible also tells us why God did this. He did it so that in Christ, we would become the righteousness of God. The prepositional phrase there is critical; you need to do more than just believe some key facts about Jesus. You - by the power of the Holy Spirit - need to put yourself in Him. When you place every aspect of your life in Christ, you become the righteousness of God. That means that you fulfill your covenant responsibility and can live eternally at peace with Him. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who made our salvation possible through Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that every facet of your life - you're desires, ambition, family and work - is all firmly embedded in Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 22

Your sins are atoned because blood without defect was spilled. alittleperspective.com Leviticus 1:1-5 (NIV) 1 The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting. He said, 2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When anyone among you ( ʾādām ) brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock. 3  “ ‘If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, you are to offer a male without defect. You must present it at the entrance to the tent of meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. 4  You are to lay your hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on your behalf to make atonement ( kippur) for you. 5  You are to slaughter the young bull before the LORD, and then Aaron’s sons the priests shall bring the blood and splash it against the sides of the altar at the entrance to the tent of meeting. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 2: The Satisfaction Made by Christ Since, however,  we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction  or deliver ourselves from God’s wrath,  God in boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee  his only begotten Son,  who was made to be sin and a curse for us,  in our place, on the cross,  in order that he might make satisfaction for us. Summary If you've ever tried to read the Bible from cover to cover, chances are it was here in the book of Leviticus that your plan went off the rails. Genesis and Exodus are full of narrative adventures that make the reading fun, but Leviticus trails off into seemingly endless lists of rules and regulations that seem irrelevant to New Testament Christianity. But these seemingly boring instructions contain the key to your salvation, so these words are worth the effort it takes to read them. The opening line of the book contains a critical clue about your relationship to God: The LORD called to Moses... For all of its mind numbing details, the primary purpose of Leviticus is to communicate what's necessary for man to be at peace with God, and notice that it's the LORD who initiates the process! God doesn't wait for mankind ( ʾādām ) to come crawling back to Him, He called out to His people! Although the book of Leviticus gives instructions for all sorts of different offerings and sacrifices, it begins with the most important. Without the kippur - the sacrifice of atonement which makes payment for sin - any other attempt for a sinner to come before the LORD is rendered moot. The kippur procedure the LORD lays out contains two significant symbolic acts. First, the one bringing the sacrifice was to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering. As one commentator puts it, "the sacrificer identifies himself with the sacrifice, which becomes a substitute for him, to die in his place." Second, the blood of the sacrificed animal was to be splashed against the sides of the altar. Blood represents life, and the kippur makes clear what the writer of Hebrews would note thousands of years later: without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness ( Hebrews 9:14 ). Although all covenant people were welcome to - and required to - make a kippur sacrifice (Leviticus goes on to indicate a sliding scale of sacrificial animals so all income levels could participate), the specifications for the animal to be sacrificed was very specific: with was to be a male without defect... acceptable to the LORD.     Dig Deeper   The instructions given in the book of Leviticus guided the religious expression of God's people for centuries, but he book of Hebrews makes a shocking revelation about all of the rituals spelled out in Leviticus, stating that it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin ( Hebrews 10:14 ). All that these kippur regulations were doing was painting a bloody picture of what was still needed to actually atone for people: It was man, not beast, who sinned therefore it would need to be the blood of a man without defect (physical & spiritual) that made the payment. The rituals and sacrifices described in Leviticus are no longer binding on God's covenant people. It's not that God changed His mind and no longer requires sin to be atoned for, but that in Christ that atonement has been fully made. The lasting importance of Leviticus is what it pointed towards: the coming Messiah who would become  the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world ( 1 John 2:2 ). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who calls His people to salvation; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that the blood of Jesus has fully atoned for your sin; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 21

Repentance begins by understanding God's wrath has kissed His peace. Psalm 85 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. 1  You, Lord, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 2  You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. 3  You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger. 4  Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. 5  Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations? 6  Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? 7  Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation. 8  I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace ( šā·lôm ) to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly. 9  Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land. 10  Love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ) and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. 11  Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. 12  The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. 13  Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only  supremely merciful,  but also supremely just.  This justice requires  (as God has revealed in the Word)  that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty  be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments,  of soul as well as body.  We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice. Summary Psalm 85 poetically presents the process of repentance. Notice where repentance so often begins - conventional wisdom places its first steps in realizing the wrongness of your actions. Although such a realization is an important step, the psalmist in v1-3 places the first step of repentance in being reminded (or told the first time) of God's simultaneously righteous and gracious nature. The LORD showed favor, He restored the fortunes and forgave iniquity and covered sins. He set aside wrath (other translations: hot/burning/raging anger ) and turned from His fierce anger. It makes sense that repentance must begin with this theological understanding of who God is. Why else would one repent if there was no fear of punishment? Why would one repent if there was no possibility of the resulting hot/burning/raging anger and wrath being set aside? The superscriptions that precede many Psalms are different than the headings that appear before other passages in the Bible. Those headings have been added by the publisher as a handy convenience to help us locate and summarize passages. But the superscriptions in the psalms are an ancient indication of not only who wrote the psalm, but what the psalm was written for. There are 55 psalms (roughly 1/3) designated for the director of music. Among other things, it meant the psalm was a key part of ancient Hebrew liturgy - it was meant to be sung by all the people. Notice here that God wanted His people singing of His wrath! But not just singing about its hot/burning/raging nature, but about how God sets it aside in order to show favor, restore and forgive the sins which He has covered.   Dig Deeper   After completing this critical first step of coming to understand God's righteous / gracious nature, Psalm 85 walks us through the remaining aspects of repentance: Asking God our Savior to restore (v4) and revive (v6) us; Promising to listen to what God the LORD says ; Being certain that His salvation is near those who fear Him, and that somehow God doesn't compromise His holy nature as He forgives our sin. God's covenant requirements ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ) are met by His faithfulness , and His righteousness [holy justice] and peace kiss each other. To the psalmist, this must have seemed impossible. Of course we know that God accomplished this through Christ! An assurance that upon our repentance, that the LORD will indeed give what is good. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, God our Savior in whom love and truth are met together (KJV); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you prepare for Lord's Day worship that your church's music and liturgy will remind you that God has set aside His wrath and calls you to repent before Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 20

God presented Christ as an atonement ... what does that mean? Romans 3:20-26 (NIV) 20  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 21  But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith . He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26  he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only  supremely merciful,  but also supremely just.  This justice requires  (as God has revealed in the Word)  that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty  be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments,  of soul as well as body.  We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice. Summary It would be entirely possible for us as we read the Bible together this year to understand nearly every doctrine in the Canons of Dordt by only reading from the first couple of chapters of Ephesians and the first half of the book of Romans. These two epistles from Paul so clearly unpack and explain Christian theology, yet we've been intentionally 'throttling' these two books this year - only so that we can see that it's not just these two books that form our doctrine, but that the whole of God's Word echoes what is condensed in Paul's books. This year, we've focused on passages that aren't quite as familiar. But every so often, we need to dive back into these familiar passages which shine so much light on what God has done for us in Christ. Since we could spend the entire week unpacking this passage, and since this likely won't be the last time we read this awesome passage this year, we're only going to focus in on the first half v25 today. God One of the biggest themes of the Canons is that every aspect of our salvation, from beginning to end, is a product of God's sovereignty (His control, authority & presence). So it makes sense that this monumental sentence starts with what God did to make your salvation possible. presented This is one of those fascinating words that every version translates differently, yet they're all correct. God put forward (ESV), made publically available (LEB), publicly displayed (NET), and set forth Jesus. Christ Remember, Christ isn't Jesus' last name, it's His title. It seems awkward, but it would be more accurate for us to refer to Him as Jesus the Christ. The Greek word Christos means anointed, as does the Hebrew word Messiah. Jesus is anointed by God as our prophet (the One who represents God to us) and our King . But this passage focuses in on the fact that Jesus is also anointed to be our priest - the One who represents us to God. [as a sacrifice of] atonement This phrase translates one word, and it too is a fascinating one! Other translations use the older word propitiation (ESV, KJV) , which means payment. It's more literally translated as the mercy seat (LEB, NET), as it's the same word used to describe the seat of God formed by the angel wings above the Ark of the Covenant. It was on this seat that sacrificial blood was sprinkled once a year on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). through [the shedding of] His blood The NIV added the words the shedding of to help us understand what Paul meant here. Blood must be shed for sins to be forgiven because blood represents the life God grants contingent upon man's obedience and covenant faithfulness.   Dig Deeper   [to be received] by faith. Once again, the NIV uses an entire phrase to translate just two words: through faith. Faith is the conduit through which God's grace, earned for us by Christ, flows into your life. Without faith - that is, without your connection to God - Christ's atonement is just an empty, theoretical exercise. God has given you the faith you need as a gift (Ephesians 2:8), but He also expects you to make every effort to add to your faith goodness, knowledge, etc. (2 Peter 1:5) . In other words, God wants you to fully receive by faith the saving benefit that come through Christ's sacrifice of atonement , and He also wants those benefits to spill over into every aspect of your life. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who saved us by presenting His Son as a sacrifice of atonement; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the faith He's given you to accept this salvation and pray that you will make every effort to add to it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 19

You ought to be afraid of Jesus. Very afraid. But you need not be frightened. Luke 12:4-7 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus is surrounded by a huge crowd, but His words are directed towards His disciples. 4  “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6  Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only  supremely merciful,  but also supremely just.  This justice requires  (as God has revealed in the Word)  that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty  be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments,  of soul as well as body.  We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice. Summary We've noted before that Jesus' tone changes near the middle of each of the gospel accounts. It's at this point the crowds hoping to witness or experience a miracle begin to diminish and Jesus speaks more plainly with His disciples about the coming trials. Our text today focuses in on a warning Jesus issues. It would make sense at this point for the disciples to fear the future. Although the Pharisees were the minority party in the religious establishment, they were still plenty powerful and were growing more incensed with Jesus by the day. They could (and likely were) making the disciples' lives miserable at this point and they were already plotting to kill Jesus. However, Jesus here indicates that those who kill the body aren't the guys to be afraid of. It's not at all that they can't inflict lots of pain - after all, they can kill the body - it's just that there's a much bigger threat that ought to capture our attention. And that threat is God Himself! In the bigger context, Jesus tells His disciples they ought to be more afraid of Him than the Pharisees. Even though Jesus' statement here is stunning, His logic is simple. All our earthly enemies can do is kill the body , but after that can do no more . God, on the other hand can throw the one whose body has been killed into hell! In other words, people here and now can inflict serious pain and damage, even to the point of killing you, but even physical death pales in comparison to enduring the eternal suffering of Hell.   Dig Deeper   This isn't the kind of statement that's made Jesus the most popular individual to have ever lived. The crowds surrounding Jesus wanted to hear more teachings like the Golden Rule or to have Him to supernaturally change their circumstances in life. The crowds only want teaching that makes them feel warm and fuzzy, which is why the crowds get smaller and smaller in the second half of the gospels, up until the point that Jesus stands all alone. Jesus here isn't trying to manipulate you into trusting Him by using fear to control you. Quite the opposite. He wants you to know the truth, and the truth is there is so much more to life than that which we presently see. He wants you to focus more on your eternal destiny than your fear of what might happen to you in this world. Jesus also wants you to know your worth. If not one of the sparrows is forgotten by God, how much more are you loved by the One who knows the number of hairs on your head! So Jesus doesn't teach you to fear Him in order to scare you, He tells you this to set you free from fear altogether. You need not fear those who can kill the body because you are held tightly in the hands of the One who controls both the present and the eternal future. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who knows how many hairs are on our heads; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will fear God rather than fearing the world; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 18

Hell is a paradox. By God's grace you don’t need to figure it out. BibleHub.com 2 Thessalonians 1:3-10 (NIV) 3  We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. 4  Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5  All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6  God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7  and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8  He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9  They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might 10  on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only  supremely merciful,  but also supremely just.  This justice requires  (as God has revealed in the Word)  that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty  be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments,  of soul as well as body.  We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice. Summary Things were going well for this young Thessalonian church. Paul writes that their faith is growing more and more, and because of this the love they had for one another is increasing. It's interesting here how Paul makes a direct link between growing faith and increasing love! Ironically, the best way to increase love isn't by focusing on love itself, but rather by focusing on building faith so that love is generated as a byproduct. But despite their faith and love, the Thessalonians were enduring all sorts of persecutions and trials. This doesn't seem to make sense; the Thessalonians are doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing - growing in faith and love - but rather than getting the blessings one might expect for their obedience, all they had to show for it were persecutions and trials. Yet it's this seemingly flipped situation that Paul points to as evidence that God's judgment is right! What Paul is teaching them (and us) here is that present circumstances are not necessarily indicative of eternal results. In other words, blessings now may or may not point to blessings in eternity, but godly perseverance in the midst of suffering indicates worthiness of the Kingdom of God. God will payback troublers with trouble and give relief to the troubled for sure, and by His grace many of us may experience this relief here and now. But even if you don't, you can be absolutely certain that this will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven!   Dig Deeper   It's Paul's inspired description of Christ's return that grabs our attention today. Too many people think only of Jesus' kindness, empathy and tenderness. They see Him as a friend when they need one and a shining example of how people ought to live. And of course Jesus is all of those things! Praise God! But He's more than those things. He'll be revealed from heaven in blazing fire with His powerful angels, and one of His top priorities will be to punish those who do not know God and who do not obey His gospel. Do you see why it is that doing the hard work of studying and learning about God is so critical, and why demonstrating your belief in the gospel message is so important? And it's not just a slap on the wrist that Jesus will dole out to those who've stubbornly clung to their ignorance; They will be punished with everlasting destruction. That's an oxymoron (two words that seem incompatible, like 'jumbo shrimp' or 'act naturally'). How can something be both everlasting and destroyed? Yet that's exactly what those who've rejected Christ will face. Worse yet, such people will be shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His might for all of eternity. The Canons remind us that this is the treatment that all people deserve, but they also point us to a way to escape: satisfaction must be given to God’s justice . In other words, your sins must be atoned for. This is the wonderful doctrine we'll be exploring here in Point Two of the Canons of Dordt as we learn that God's grace is stronger than we are. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is just and whose judgment is right; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for an eagerness and desire to know God and to obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 17

Your sins have been paid for, but that payment comes with an obligation. BibleHub.com Hebrews 10:26-31 (NIV) 26  If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27  but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28  Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29  How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30  For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” q and again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31  It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Article 1: God’s Right to Condemn All People Romans 5:12-14 - Mis-Markmanship Deuteronomy 28:15-20 - Not A Tame Lion Genesis 2:15-17 - Or Else Luke 15:11-16 - Prodigious Deprivation Psalm 143 - Aggressive Prayer Pattern ​ Article 2: The Manifestation of God’s Love Zephaniah 3:14-17 - The Mighty Warrior Who Saves Lamentations 3:19-23 - Great Is Thy Faithfulness John 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Article 3: The Preaching of the Gospel 1 Timothy 2:1-7 - God Our Savior Isaiah 52.7 - Good News! Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos ​ Article 4: A Twofold Response to the Gospel John 1:9-13 - The TRUE Light John 3:31-36 - Wrath Removed John 6:37-40 - Tensegral Theology John 12:42-50 - Buffet Theology Psalm 16 - In God We Trust ​ Article 5: The Sources of Unbelief and of Faith James 1:13-18 - The Devil (didn't) Make You Do It Ecclesiastes 7:25-29 - Many Schemes Ephesians 2:8 - The Gift of God Philippians 1:27-30 - Granted Psalm 95 - The LORD is OUR God ​ Article 6: God’s Eternal Decree Isaiah 45:21-25 - Irrevocable Ezekiel 36:24-27 - A Whole New Reality Romans 9:15-21 - God's Mercy, Not Your Effort 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 - Love The Truth Psalm 81 - Call To Worship ​ Article 7: Election Ephesians 1:3-6 - Before the Foundation Deuteronomy 7:1-10 - Set Apart John 17:1-5 - Sovereign Submission John 17:6-12 - Given Psalm 115 - God Does What He Pleases ​ Article 8: A Single Decree of Election Romans 4:1-8 - One and the Same Romans 4:9-17 - Chicken or Egg? Romans 4:18-25 - Faithfully Face the Facts Hebrews 11:39-40 - Promises Kept Psalm 33 - God's Control, Authority & Presence Article 9: Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith John 10:22-30 - Listen Up! 2 Timothy 1:7-10 - Passive & Powered Titus 3:3-7 - Transformed Deuteronomy 9:4-6 - You're Not That Awesome Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-14 - Christmas in March Galatians 4:1-7 - From Slave to Son Isaiah 53:6 - Herd Mentality 1 Peter 2:9-10 - You're The Best Thing God Has! Psalm 5 - The Morning Psalm Article 11: God’s election is unalterable. Malachi 3:6-7 - Keep It Simple Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchanging Anchor Hebrews 13:1-8 - Keep On Loving Hebrews 6:13-20 - Unchangeable Blessing Psalm 110 - Victory in Jesus Article 12: The Assurance of election Hebrews 11:1-6 - Confident Assurance Malachi 3:14-18 - Childlike Fear 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 - Godly Sorrow Matthew 5:6 - Stay Hungry Psalm 65 - The Hearer of Prayers ​ Article 13/14: The Fruit of our assurance Isaiah 57:14-21 - God's Second Residence 2 Peter 1:3-10 - Make Every Effort Isaiah 42:1-9 - The Sovereign & His Servant Deuteronomy 29:29 - The Secret Things Psalm 96 - Soli Deo Gloria Article 1: The Punishment Which God’s Justice Requires God is not only  supremely merciful,  but also supremely just.  This justice requires  (as God has revealed in the Word)  that the sins we have committed against his infinite majesty  be punished with both temporal and eternal punishments,  of soul as well as body.  We cannot escape these punishments unless satisfaction is given to God’s justice. Summary We live in a culture in which close enough is good enough. On the interstate, 75 MPH seems close enough to the speed limit of 70. As the end of a work day draws near, 4:55 seems close enough to 5 PM to pack up and go home. Since the effects of bending the speed limit a bit or knocking off a few minutes early don't seem catastrophic, we often apply the same attitude toward keeping God's law. Keeping eight of the commandments seems close enough to keeping all ten. But we don't have a 'close enough' God. Because He defines the very concept of goodness, He must defend it by responding with holy wrath against anything that infringes upon or even slightly compromises that which He has decreed to be righteous. He will respond with a raging fire that will consume His enemies - even those enemies who kept 80% of His law but rejected the rest. Many of the Israelites who experienced God's justice as they wandered through the wilderness kept most of God's law, but anyone who rejected the law of Moses (even a little bit) died without mercy. So often it seems like God doesn't care that much about sin; after all, so many people completely ignore God's Law and are doing just fine. Even the prophet Jeremiah wondered why the wicked prosper (Jeremiah 12:1). But the writer to the Hebrews reminds us what God has said, and therefore what God will do: He will avenge, repay, and judge His people. And in one of the most haunting lines of scripture, we're told that it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.   Dig Deeper   But as a Christian - that is, one who has been given the knowledge of truth, you need not fear God's holy wrath, despite your sin. This is because a sacrifice has been made on your behalf. Literally translated, One was killed and offered His blood in order to satisfy God's justice on account of your sin. So far this year we've come to understand that we've experienced God's grace because He unconditionally elected us to receive it. The next stage in our journey is understanding that we've been made right with God because a payment - an atonement - was made on our behalf. Christ's blood of the covenant has sanctified you (made you holy and acceptable to God). Quite literally, you were bought at a price and now you belong, as the Heidelberg Catechism begins so beautifully, in body and soul, in life and in death, to your faithful Savior Jesus Christ . So if you deliberately keep on sinning , you are rejecting Christ's ownership over your life and as a consequence, no sacrifice for sins is left. A lackadaisical, 'close enough' attitude towards God's Law is tantamount to trampling the Son of God underfoot. The best way to free yourself from the fearful expectation of judgement that rejecting Christ results in is to live every moment of your life demonstrating your gratitude for Christ's atoning for your sin by keeping God's good and perfect commandments. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will consume His enemies in judgment and raging fire; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Holy Spirit will cure you from having a 'close enough' attitude towards keeping God's Law; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 16