Killing sin is a matter of life and death. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 89 Q. What is the dying-away of the old self? A. It is to be genuinely sorry for sin, to hate it more and more, and to run away from it. Summary The prophets in the Old Testament brought God’s Word to the people of Israel, warning the people against impending judgment due to their sins and the consequences of breaking their covenant with their Lord. Yet the message always included a statement of deliverance and salvation for God’s people who repented. One of the most frequent imperatives the prophets give is to “return,” a rightful return to God. It is very similar to how we understand the word “repent:” to turn away from sin and back to God. In line with the message of Joel, the old Puritan, John Owen, famously said, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” Joel begins his message with the immediate judgment of locusts destroying the land, but follows up with a call to repentance. In chapter 2, he proclaims a more distant yet terrifying day of judgment. And at the end of this, he poses the question, “The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?” (Joel 2:11b). And Joel follows up with another call to the people to prepare for that day by turning back to their Heavenly Father. The call to repentance in our text begins with a promise declaration from God: “even now, return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” The repentance Joel describes is a comprehensive change in direction that includes an inward transformation that shows itself visibly. Esther 4:3 also describes these elements: “In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.” However, the Lord wants more than an outward display of how sorry you are, but to be genuinely sorry for the sin, so Joel writes, “Rend your heart and not your garments.” Dig Deeper Another common thread in the Old Testament prophets is a revelation of God’s purpose behind communicating the message of doom: God has provided an alternative route. God sent the prophets to remind the people of God’s covenant promises. Their disobedience would lead to curses, but returning to their covenant-Lord would only serve to their benefit (see Deuteronomy 28 for a listing of covenant blessings and curses that come up in prophetical books). Just as Jesus showed in the parable of the lost son, the Father desires a return to Him and is eager to bless and restore those who run to Him in repentance and faith (Luke 15:11–32). You can know this because of how God's character is described throughout Scripture, including here in Joel 2:13, “for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.” Those are things a life embracing sin and temptation can never promise. The promises of being sorry for sin, hating it, and running from it are always worth embracing because God is faithful and just and will forgive our sins (1 John 1:9). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Confess your sins and remember what a faithful Savior you have to forgive you for them; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 11

The Bible's absolute, authoritative truth is exactly what you need in this deceptive world. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 3: The Written Word of God We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of men, but that holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit, as Peter says. Afterwards our God— because of the special care he has for us and our salvation— commanded his servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit this revealed Word to writing. He himself wrote with his own finger the two tables of the law. Therefore we call such writings holy and divine Scriptures. Summary You've likely be told dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of times that you need to read your Bible and stay rooted in scripture. It's not unfair to ask why, though. Why is it that reading a bunch of ancient words, written by men who lived in vastly different cultures with really weird customs, why should this be a central part of your daily routine? Paul tells you exactly why in this short passage. The primary purpose of Scripture is to "make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Certainly God's self-revelation - both His book of creation, and the clearer and fuller revelation in His written Word - teach us all sorts of things about Him and how to best navigate this world He's created, but the primary purpose of it all is so that you might understand how it is you are saved through Christ alone. These words that are to be the mainstay of your life are not ordinary words. Millions of pages have been written over the course of history, some better than others. But the words of Scripture stand alone in that they are the very words of God, breathed out by the Holy Spirit through ordinary men comprised of vastly different cultures and personalities. Because its divine origin makes Scripture so much different than anything else ever written, it is the world's only source of authoritative, objective truth. Certainly God's Word brings you grace, mercy and peace, but it also uncomfortably prods you at times. It's designed to teach, rebuke and correct you. Most of us don't like experiencing rebuke and correction, or even being taught for that matter. But this "training in righteousness" is exactly what you need as the Spirit sanctifies you into the righteous person God has declared you to be. Dig Deeper We're entering a phase of history that will likely be far more hostile to Christianity than it's been for several generations. Although you and I probably won't be risking our lives to profess Christ like our brothers and sisters in some parts of the world, verse 13 accurately describes our society: "Evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." Today's opening verse seems like something that applies to Christians in far off countries more so than it does to us, but as our society devloves, it will become much easier to personally understand that "everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (v12)." You need to prepare yourself to stand firm in the midst of this persecution. The key to doing so is "continuing in what you have learned and become convinced of..." Do this by staying rooted in the Holy Scriptures, which, like Timothy, many of us have known from infancy (v13-14). Understand that you must know scripture well not just so that you can survive in a world that's hostile to Christianity, but so that you can thrive in it! Let the Bible teach, rebuke, correct and train you so that "you may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (v17)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father in heaven, who breathed out the words of Scripture through His Holy Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength and resolve to "continue in what you have learned and become convinced of" in this increasingly hostile world; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Acts 4

Proverbs 30:5–6 (NIV) 5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 5: The Authority of Scripture We

Dig Deeper We come to Psalm 5 today in the context of a warning, being reminded that God will not permit descriptions of evil people not being welcome before God, and that they in fact are hated by Him (v4-5)

John 17:1–5 (NIV) CONTEXT: As His crucifixion draws near, Jesus prays to His Father. 1 After Jesus said Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. 5 

adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman Adoption in ancient Roman times was different from how we practice adoption today in North America. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Galatians 5

You will enter the Promised Land by grace alone, just as God's people always have. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 79 Q. Why then does Christ call the bread his body and the cup his blood, or the new covenant in his blood? (Paul uses the words, a participation in Christ’s body and blood.) A. Christ has good reason for these words. He wants to teach us that as bread and wine nourish our temporal life, so too his crucified body and poured-out blood truly nourish our souls for eternal life. But more important, he wants to assure us, by this visible sign and pledge, that we, through the Holy Spirit’s work, share in his true body and blood as surely as our mouths receive these holy signs in his remembrance, and that all of his suffering and obedience are as definitely ours as if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins. Summary It's often easy to think that God's plan of salvation changed when Jesus arrived. In plan A, God entered into a covenant with Moses, giving His people a clear set of expectations for them to follow in order to gain a reward. Indeed we see language like that in this passage from Deuteronomy that every Israelite would have known so well: keep the commandments so that you may enjoy long life; be careful to obey so that it might go well with you; follow these rules so that you might increase. Having given the Israelites plenty of time to get their act together, it might seem like God finally gave up on plan A for the grace-filled plan B that Jesus would inaugurate, in which His covenant people would now be saved by the fact that Jesus perfectly kept the law on our behalf. But as we keep reading in Deuteronomy 6, it becomes clear that God has always had one plan of salvation for all people, and it has always been completely grace based. God was bringing His people - then, and now - through their wilderness wanderings and into the Promised Land, which flowed with milk and honey. They would enjoy flourishing cities, nicely appointed houses, wells, vineyards and olive groves. All of this would be a gift: they would not need to build, provide, dig or plant. Another word for gift is grace. Certainly they had a covenantal obligation to keep the law, an obligation they couldn't keep. What they didn't know then was that Christ would provide that covenant faithfulness for them, as He has for you. So inhabiting the Promised Land was a pure gift; it was never an obligation God owed them. So the reminder God gives to Israel - the recipients of His grace then - is just as valid for us, the recipients of His grace now: Be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery (v12). Dig Deeper The next time you see the bread broken and the wine poured out, remember that all you have - the good things here and now, and especially an eternity with Christ are all a gift of grace made possible because Jesus suffered vicariously on your behalf. As the Catechism puts it, "all of His suffering and obedience are as definitely ours as if we personally had suffered and paid for our sins." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Start your prayer the way God's people have for millenia, by reciting the Shema: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be careful to obey God's laws, to love God with all of your heart, soul and strength, and that you'll impress the gospel on the generations that follow you out of gratitude for the grace given to you. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 18

Jesus is coming soon to settle up. What will He bring for you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 11 Q. [God won't permit sin to go unpunished...] But isn’t God also merciful? A. God is certainly merciful, but he is also just. His justice demands that sin, committed against his supreme majesty, be punished with the supreme penalty— eternal punishment of body and soul. Summary Today's passage is from the closing passage of the Bible, and it's packed full of theology that ought to give you hope. First of all, and most importantly, Jesus announces that He is coming soon! Yes, these words were recorded two millennia ago and we're still waiting, but remember God operates in the Divine Time Zone, which is entirely different than how we experience time in our world. So you ought to be ready at any moment. Second, Jesus is returning with His settlement. Since as a believer you've been given the perfect righteousness of Jesus, you ought to look forward to this! Jesus expands on what your reward will be in v14: "you will have the right to the tree of life, and you may go through the gates" and into the Kingdom of God! But a settlement cuts both ways. Those lacking the perfect righteousness God requires will get what they have coming as well, and it can be summed up in one word: exclusion. They will not be allowed in, and in fact their fate was sealed a few chapters earlier when they were cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:11-15). Dig Deeper Certainly the average American has a very distorted view of God in which the Father is viewed as an grandfatherly type who forgives sins and simply wants to bestow blessings upon His children, which they deserve for all of the good deeds they have performed in their lifetimes. So when they read that at the end, Jesus will return with His reward, they eagerly anticipate this, not understanding that a positive reward will be reserved only for those individuals possessing perfect righteousness, while all others will be paid back with the eternal wrath which their sins deserve. It ought to be obvious to you that you don't have the perfect righteous God requires, and if you're not putting your full faith in Jesus Christ, this ought to trouble you greatly! Don't be one of the myriads of people who shortchange themselves by just considering Jesus as their good buddy up in the sky whom they can call on when they get in a jamb. Christ came so that you might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). He did this by putting your sin upon Himself, and in exchange giving you His perfect righteousness, which you so desperately need. And He's coming... Soon! Be ready for His settlement by making sure that in every aspect of life, you belong to your faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The Alpha & Omega, the First & the Last, the Beginning & the End (v13) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will submit every aspect of your life to Christ's Lordship, so that you can eagerly anticipate His settlement. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 4

1 Corinthians 12:1–6 (NIV) 1 Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5  Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 5: The Authority of Scripture We because the Holy Spirit testifies in your heart that [the books of the Bible] are from God (Article 5)

Jesus is coming to settle up. What does that mean for you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 63 Q. How can you say that the good we do doesn’t earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next? A. This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace. Summary It's always interesting looking at the famous last words of people throughout history. Often times people use such words to convey advice for those who continue to live. These words of Jesus that John records here could be classified as Jesus' last words, communicating key advice for how His followers ought to live as they wait for His return. We're just going to focus on v12 today as we continue looking at what it means that God promises to reward Christians for the good work we do, in addition to the saving grace that He gives to all who believe. The plain reading of the NIV’s translation could easily be misunderstood as presenting the returning, victorious Christ as some sort of a divine Santa Claus, coming back with a bag of rewards to give out for all of the good things that people have done in their lifetimes. Many people mistakenly place their hope for salvation in God by comparing the number of seemingly good deeds they have performed against their sinful deeds, and such a person might conclude after reading this passage that Christ’s words bear good news for them since, from their perspective at least, they have done more good things than bad. But this is a dangerous misunderstanding of the gospel. Your salvation is based on grace alone, through faith alone, so you must place all of your trust in Christ alone, since as we learned a few days ago, even your best efforts are tainted with sin and on their own are unacceptable to God. But as we learned yesterday, the work you for Christ's Church will not go unrecognized, and in His final words to us, Jesus promises that He will reward them! Dig Deeper When I was in seminary, I wrote a lengthy paper on how to best translate this verse. Here's where I landed: Look, I am coming soon. My settlement is with me to repay each one for what he has done. One thing that quickly becomes apparent with this translation is that Jesus has something for everyone: To those who have ignored Jesus' free offer of grace and have instead followed their own way, Jesus will settle up with them by giving them exactly what they want: an eternity devoid of grace (in which they'll face the full measure of God's unmitigated wrath for their sin); To those who trust in Christ for their righteousness, He will most certainly give to them the reward He's promised: peace with God; But to those who've not only trusted in Christ alone for their salvation, but who have also sacrificed their own wants and desires to work hard for Him in their lives, Jesus here promises to pay them with wages that will never fade away! Which of these three categories do you fall in? Be sure to heed Christ's famous last words. Trust in Him alone for salvation for sure, but also take full advantage to increase your reward by using the gifts He's given you to build up His body, the Church. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who accepts the sanctified work you do in Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that when Christ returns with the settlement you deserve, you will not be ashamed of what you have done for Him. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philippians 1