Never forget the lengths God has gone for you. ourdailyverse.com John 1:1-5 (ESV) 1   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4  In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-3 Article 4: Reasons For The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death is of such great value and worth for the reason that  the person who suffered it is— as was necessary to be our Savior— not only a true and perfectly holy human,  but also the only begotten Son of God,  of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  Another reason is that this death was accompanied by the experience of God’s wrath and curse, which we by our sins had fully deserved. Summary 'Was when He was not…,' 'Was not when He was not…'  If you lived in the early 300s AD, you could have heard slogans or jingles along these lines.  Throughout the early Church, various points of theology were being hammered out and nailed down; in this particular case, the deity of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was being vigorously debated. So, what do these two phrases mean?  'Was when He was not' translates out to be that there was a time when Jesus did not exist, that He was a creation of the Father at some point in time.  This is what is known as the Arian heresy, which was espoused early on in the Church.  The other, 'Was not when He was not,' is the biblical doctrine that we believe, uphold, promote, and defend, that there has never been a time when Jesus did not exist.  He is co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever; as the Canons put it: Jesus is of the same eternal and infinite essence with the Father and the Holy Spirit. As we read just a few moments ago in the beginning of John’s Gospel account, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.   Jesus has existed from all eternity, as John reminds us here, and He is one hundred percent God!   Dig Deeper   The beautiful and wonderful truth that Jesus is fully God is so important to our theology, especially to our salvation, as we’re going to see more in depth on Wednesday.  But as we’ve been seeing throughout the year, our theology is not just dry, head knowledge, but practical. The amazing truth that Jesus is one hundred percent God should lead us to such praise and worship since He Who is eternal God - the One who created Heaven and earth, who created you and me, who willingly humbled Himself as He took on our flesh in order to save, redeem, and reconcile us to Himself!  When the enemy would tempt you, trying to get you to doubt God’s love and care for you, remember the unfading truth that He Who is God from eternity, came and was born, lived, died, and rose again for you and me!  Never forget the lengths that He was willing to go for you, as He showed you just how much He loves and cares for you! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who made all things through the Word; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would live in the truth of knowing that He Who Is God became flesh to give you peace with God; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 3

No matter how much you save, you'll never be able to buy yourself. Minnesota's favorite couple expressing their version of Psalm 49 Psalm 49 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm. 1  Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, 2  both low and high, rich and poor alike: 3  My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the meditation of my heart will give you understanding. 4  I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle: 5  Why should I fear when evil days come, when wicked deceivers surround me— 6  those who trust in their wealth and boast of their great riches? 7  No one can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for them— 8  the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough— 9  so that they should live on forever and not see decay. 10  For all can see that the wise die, that the foolish and the senseless also perish, leaving their wealth to others. 11  Their tombs will remain their houses forever, their dwellings for endless generations, though they had named lands after themselves. 12  People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. 13  This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. 14  They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. 15  But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. 16  Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; 17  for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. 18  Though while they live they count themselves blessed— and people praise you when you prosper— 19  they will join those who have gone before them, who will never again see the light of life. 20  People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary Psalm 49 is different than other parts of the Bible. Many of the New Testament epistles, for example, are addressed to God's elect or saints (people like you, whom God has made holy), not to everyone in general. But Psalm 49 has something to say to all peoples - all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike. The psalmist begins by showing the futility of those who trust in their wealth... so that they should live on forever and not see decay. Billionaires can buy nearly anything they want; they can even buy their way into space! But they can't buy their way out of death, for all can see that both the wise and the foolish die, leaving their wealth to others. As Ole wisely replied when Lena asked how much his rich uncle left behind when he died: "He left all of it." Nobody, regardless of what else they can afford to buy here and now can afford to pay the price required to dodge death. No one , the Psalmist writes, can redeem (literally: buy out) the life of another or give to God the price of his life (ESV). Psalm 49 has a refrain that has a slight variation as it's repeated: 12  People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. 20 People who have wealth but lack understanding are like the beasts that perish. It's bad enough that people who trust in their wealth will perish , but it's how they'll perish that is even sadder: they are like the beasts. In other words, they die devoid of the one attribute that separates mankind from the animals, having lost all aspects of the image of God they were created in. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd.   Dig Deeper   The mood changes in third stanza (vss. 15-19) of Psalm 49. After warning all the peoples who live in the world that they can't dodge death despite their wealth and power, the psalmist proclaims good news for the people of God. It's not that they won't die - after all, the psalm has already noted that both the wise and the foolish will - but there remains hope after death for those who trust in the LORD. This hope is made possible because although nobody can redeem themselves or be bought out by another, you can rest in the fact that God will redeem you from the realm of the dead; He will surely take you to Himself! As the ancient Israelites sang of this hope they had no idea what it would cost or how it would be possible for this transaction to take place. But as one who is in Christ, you know that your redemption is only possible because, as the Canons put it, the death of God's Son is... of infinite value and worth . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has redeemed you from the realm of the dead; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 2

Your testimony is a powerful tool - but it must be used correctly! You likely give testimonies about all sorts of things that happen to you. How often do you give testimony about what Jesus has done for you? John 4:39-42 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus has just finished His famous encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. She had run back into town to tell her community about Jesus. 39  Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40  So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41  And because of his words many more became believers. 42  They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary Why don't we have the same level of excitement about Jesus that the Samaritan woman had? Why don't we have the same eagerness to provide testimony about our experience with the Living God? Testimonies have tremendous power. They tell of a person's unique experience, an experience other people are interested in. Maybe you think that your story is boring - especially compared to somebody as colorful as the Samaritan woman - and that nobody wants to hear about it. But you likely don't take that same attitude in other aspects of your life. When you get home, you tell people about your day (even when it wasn't much different than any other day). At work, you tell people about what you did the night before or the interesting thing you saw on the drive in. At the store you tell the random person in the aisle about an awesome coupon or deal you just found. When it comes down to it, you're almost always engaged in some sort of testimonial! So why don't you testify about the far more amazing things you read and hear from the Bible? The testimony of this woman of ill repute captures her neighbors' attention, enough that many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony!   Dig Deeper   As powerful as what personal testimonies are, they have their limitations. At this point, the Samaritans who believed in Him because of the woman's testimony only know about her personal experience with Jesus - that He told her everything she ever did. That's a pretty big deal for sure, but it's only a drop in Jesus' divine bucket! Sharing your testimony is related to, but not the same as, sharing the gospel. Your testimony is simply telling how you've experienced Christ, how it's changed your life, and how it's made you feel. Again, these insights are valuable and all of us introverted upper midwesterners (and beyond!) need to do much better at it! But nobody's going to really understand how God has unconditionally elected them or how it is that the death of God’s infinitely valuable Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins based only on how Jesus makes you feel.  And so it is that the woman's neighbors want to know more about Jesus. They urged Him to stay with them, and He stayed two days. John doesn't convey what it was that Jesus taught them for those couple of days, but we can tell from the people's reaction that it must have been awesome! Because of Jesus' words , John tells us, many more became believers. Testimonies are important - the woman's testimony about what Jesus told her got her neighbors interested and piqued their attention. But testimonies are a short lived means to an end. Even the testimony of the Samaritan woman at the well. After a couple of days of listening to Jesus themselves, her neighbors told her, We no longer believe just because of what you said , but we believe because we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world! So get better testifying to the amazing things (or even the ordinary things) that Jesus has done in your life! But use your testimony to point others to hear the Word of God for themselves, so that they too can know not just how Jesus makes you feel, but that He really is the Savior of the world. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son to be the Savior of the world ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the courage, ability and desire to share your testimony often, not just to tell others how you feel, but to help them come to know what you know about Jesus; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 1

The Lamb of God didn't just take on our sin, He took our place. John 1:29-31 (NIV) CONTEXT: The religious establishment had just sent a contingent to inquire whether John the Baptist, who'd been garnering massive crowds, was the coming Messiah. John denied he was, and he also denied being a reincarnation of Elijah or the Prophet. When pressed for his true identity, John quoted Isaiah, saying he was "the voice of the one calling in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'" 29  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30  This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31  I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary What a sight - and even sound - it must have been. John the Apostle doesn't record what it was that John the Baptist was doing when he saw Jesus coming toward him , but we do know from other gospel accounts that nothing about John the Baptist was ordinary or dull - he was not, as they say, a slave to fashion, and he had no reservations about speaking truth to power when the opportunities came up. That's probably part of the reason crowds flocked out to the desert to see him. He was a spectacle to behold. So no matter what he'd just been doing, his shocking statement certainly rang out and captured the attention of all who could hear him. And the words he proclaimed have kept the attention of theologians now for millennia: Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Everybody agrees that John was describing the approaching Jesus, but what exactly did he mean by referring to Jesus as a Lamb? If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you're likely not surprised at all to see Jesus described as the Lamb of God. You've heard it, read it, sung it, and have even seen lots of artwork depicting it. It's just part of the everyday Christian vernacular, so much so that it almost goes by unnoticed. Of course Jesus is the Lamb of God. But John the Baptist's proclamation is one of only two times in the entire Bible that Jesus is described as a lamb (the other being Rev. 5:12, interestingly also written by John). Furthermore, nowhere does the Bible describe sheep as being used to atone for sin. Hundreds of thousands of bulls and goats (maybe even millions?) had people's sin put upon them before having their blood poured out, but never lambs. So why, out of all the titles John the Baptist could have used to announce Jesus, does he choose Lamb of God to describe the One who takes away the sin of the world? And why has this description of who Jesus is become so foundational to Christianity?   Dig Deeper   Although lambs were not prescribed by God's Law as a sacrificial animal, there are all sorts of examples of sheep being symbolically tied to salvation, especially by the prophet Isaiah . Likewise, when Abraham obeyed God's directive to sacrifice his son Isaac, it was a ram caught in a nearby thicked that God provided as a substitute that spared Isaac's life. "The Lamb of God is certainly prefigured in the Passover. When God prepared to bring His final plague on the Egyptians, the death of every firstborn male of the Egyptians, including the crown prince of the Pharaoh, He instructed His people Israel to slay lambs without blemish and to spread the blood on their doorposts . God promised to pass over all the houses where He saw the blood of the lambs on the doorposts" ( RC Sproul ). So when John the Baptist announces Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, he's putting Jesus into a whole new category of atoning sacrifice. Jesus wasn't just another creature in a long line of bulls and goats who had sin & guilt put upon Him before being sacrificed. Jesus was something new and different: He was truly a substitute; One who not only took on our sins, but also who took our place. Sproul concludes, "Just as the blood of those lambs caused the people of Israel to be spared from God’s wrath, the Lamb of God redeemed His people from the penalty that was due for their sin." AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world by taking our place; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will have the same sense of awe and wonder that John the Baptist had toward Jesus; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 28

The old sacrificial system wasn't just a symbol, it was a shadow. Hebrews 10:1-14 (NIV) CONTEXT: Yesterday we read the passage ( Hebrews 9:22-28 ) that precedes today's. 10 The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2  Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3  But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4  It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5  Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; 6  with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. 7  Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” (Psalm 40:6-8) ... 10  And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11  Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13  and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14  For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary It's easy to think that the Old Testament was merely symbolic; that all of the rules, regulation and transfer of guilt to sacrificial animals whose blood was poured out as a kippur (atonement) was just a grand drama pointing us to what would later be accomplished by Christ. And in some senses, that's true. As our passage today indicated, those activities were not the realities themselves. In fact, they could never make anyone perfect , no matter how often they were repeated, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. But those Old Testament practices were more than just symbolic. Symbols are abstract designs that artistically point to a concept, the way the red stripes on an American flag remind us of the blood spilled to attain freedom. The red on the flag comes from ink; it only symbolizes blood. We understand the bread and wine of communion as symbols which signify Christ's body and blood; they neither are nor become actual flesh and blood. But our passage today describes doesn't describe those gruesome procedures repeated day after day as mere symbols. Rather, it calls them a shadow of the good things that would come. A shadow is more than just a mere symbol, it's an extension of something very real. The sins requiring atonement were very real . The fact that atonement required the shedding of blood ( yesterday's passage ) became very evident as the very real lifeblood drained out of a very real animal. The ceremonies put in place by God in accordance with His law to account for the sins of His people were real payments, it's just that they were just not sufficient payments. They were a shadow of the payment Christ made.   Dig Deeper   A shadow takes its form from that which cast it, even though the shadow's form is often compressed, elongated, or not the exact image of the original shape. If you only saw the shadow of something, it would be hard to accurately describe that object's details. The book of Hebrews changes the angle of the light, so we can see Christ's perfect sacrifice and not just its shadow. It's in this light that the accuracy of the previous understandings derived from the shadow become evident. First, the shadow accurately made clear that it is God's will that His people be made holy through sacrifice . Sin must be atoned for, and blood sacrifice is the currency. It's likely that those who lived in that shadow understood this concept better than we do, since they saw the grotesque reality of this every time they witnessed those sacrifices , which were an annual reminder of sins. But being in the shadow made it hard for those living in it to understand that it was impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Nor did the endless repetition of those sacrifices do anything to achieve the holiness that God's will desired. But, praise be to God, we now clearly see the wonderful object that cast that long shadow: the one sacrifice by which Christ has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. As the Canons put it, the death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins. It's no longer known just by its shadow; it's now the light of this dark world. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, by whose will we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in the light of Christ rather than the shadow of the law; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 27

God's grace is stronger than you are because of Christ's infinitely valuable atonement. Hebrews 9:22-28 (NIV) CONTEXT: One of the key themes in the book of Hebrews is that 'Jesus is better than...' The previous passages have demonstrated that Jesus is better than the Jewish priests and sacrificial system, which are described as only "a copy and shadow of what is in heaven" (Hebrews 8:5). 22  In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 23  It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24  For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence. 25  Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26  Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27  Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28  so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-2 Article 3: The Infinite Value of Christ’s Death This death of God’s Son is the only and entirely complete sacrifice and satisfaction for sins;  it is of infinite value and worth,  more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. Summary You probably don't need much help understanding what it's like to be stuck in an endlessly repeating cycle. At work you deal with the same problems over and over, and it seems like at the end of the day there are always more issues needing solutions than what you began with, despite all the work you did. Others of you are at home day in and day out following the same dull routine that makes it hard to remember which day of the week it actually is. The Old Testament sacrificial system was stuck in a very similar rut. Day after day, blood was shed as to atone (pay) for the sins - both of the priests offering the sacrifices and the of the people they represented before God. But day after day, the pile of sins needing atoning kept getting bigger. Jesus came to put an end to this hopeless cycle. Jesus is our priest - the One who entered heaven itself to appear for us in God's presence - but He's far different than the human priests who were mere copies. Jesus did not enter heaven to offer Himself again and again the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Instead, Jesus appeared once for all to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself! Christ's blood was of such tremendous value that He only needed to be sacrificed once for the sins of many in order to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.   Dig Deeper   These five Canons that we're using as a roadmap to read through the Bible this year are commonly referred to by the acronym TULIP. Arranging the letters in the actual order of the doctrines they represent results in the much less attractive word ULTIP, but that helps explain why we started the year with U nconditional Election and have now moved to the second doctrine: L imited Atonement. Although the 'L' is handy for spelling out the word T-U-L-I-P (after all, a tulip by any other name wouldn't smell as sweet... or would it??), people often mistakenly assume that somehow this doctrine implies that Jesus' atonement - they payment that He made as He shed His blood on the cross - is somehow limited in its value. We'll discover why the adjective limited was attached to the word atonement in the weeks to come, but this second article makes very clear what so many passages like what we just read from Hebrews teaches: that far from being limited in value, the death of God’s Son... is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world . It's this infinite value that has freed you from the otherwise endless and hopeless cycle of needing to placate God for each and every sin you commit. Understanding the overflowing worth of Christ's sacrificial death on your behalf is critical to fully experiencing the peace that comes from knowing why it is that God's grace is stronger than you are. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father in heaven; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the forgiveness you've received because of the infinite value of Christ's atoning blood; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Matthew 26

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