How grateful would you be if trillions of dollars were credited to your bank account? Romans 4:5 (NIV) 4  Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5  However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or by faith “apart from works.” However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us— for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins. Summary You likely have a good sense of the concept of compensation. You know that when you have someone provide a service for you, be it a haircut, a car wash, or a complex surgery, that you will need to pay the people who provide it for you. Likewise, when you go to work or sell your product, you're expecting to be paid for your efforts. When you are given a check, you might say thank you out of common courtesy, but you don't express the same gratitude you would if someone came up to you out of the blue with enough funds to pay off all of your debts. But that's exactly what salvation is! In this case, we are the ones "who do not work." Most of us aren't used to being in this position. We don't like be given handouts, and prefer to pay our own way through life. The problem comes when we extend that same attitude to our salvation. It's natural to assume that eternal life comes at a cost, and we'd just as soon pay that cost ourselves. But we don't have this attitude simply because our work ethic is so much better than other people's. We want to earn God's justification ourselves so that we're not beholden to anyone else. Ultimately, we have this 'I'll take care of myself' attitude because we're selfish: we want to depend fully on ourselves. Dig Deeper Chances are you don't have a miraculous conversion story. You probably weren't living a lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll before suddenly being interrupted by the Holy Spirit. Ironically, that's why it's harder for people like us to truly understand Christianity. We like to think that since we've more or less kept ourselves on the straight and narrow, that there isn't much left for the Spirit to clean up for us. We earned most of our righteousness on our own, or so we like to think. Understand that every good thing you have - especially your faith - has come to you as a gift from God, not because of the 'work' you've done to earn it. God justifies the ungodly , which is exactly what you would be were it not for His grace at work in your life. You do have righteousness - perfect righteousness, in fact. But again, this isn't because you've lived a better life than others, but because it was credited to you through your faith ( which was given to you as well ). The word Paul uses here is an accounting term. Think of opening up your bank app and noticing that trillions of dollars had instantly been credited to your account. How grateful would you be then? This is exactly what's occured for you: through your faith in Christ, you've been credited with the most valuable and important currency there is: the perfect righteousness God requires to be at peace with Him (Romans 5:1). AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who justifies the ungodly that trust in Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for this invaluable gift, and pray that your hard work will be an ongoing expression of gratitude for it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 13

In eight words, the Bible obliterates the world's wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:27-30 (NIV) 27  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29  so that no one may boast before him. 30  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or by faith “apart from works.” However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us— for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins. Summary What a humbling statement! Verse 30 says "It is because of Him [God] that you are in Christ Jesus." It's so easy to flip this concept around, isn't it; to think that it was our own ability to recognize God's good news in a world full of bad news, or that somehow we were able to make sense of the evidence God's provided of His existence and Christ's salvation when so many others either chose to ignore or reject it. "It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus. " That second half of the sentence summarizes the essence of Christianity: being in Christ. Christ has exactly what you need: the righteousness and holiness required to satisfy our perfectly holy Father. Those who are in Christ have what He has, so in Him, you have the perfect righteousness and holiness that your eternal redemption requires. Both halves of this humbling statement point you away from your sinful nature's instinct to define yourself. Your sinful nature seeks the strength and wisdom of this world, as Paul puts it here. In other words, you want what the people around you seem to have and value, and you want to gain these things on your own. In eight words, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, obliterates the world's wisdom. You don't gain eternal riches by your own knowledge or efforts, you gain it because God placed you in Christ. Dig Deeper Foolish; weak; lowly; despised. That's how the world views you as a Christian. But for many of us in this group, it may not seem that way. We live in communities that still value godly lifestyles and promote biblical principles. Even the most pagan among us at least seem to respect our piety, that is, as long as we leave them out of it. Our communities are really good places to live, offering a far higher than average quality of life than what's found in less Christianized places. Why is this? Well it's because we're such awesome people who do things the right way. Or at least that's what we tend to think after awhile. That's why it's so important to remember these eight words that come in v30 to keep yourself humble: "Because of Him you are in Christ Jesus." It wasn't your idea to enter into this relationship, and it isn't your talent, wisdom or ability that keeps you there. It's purely God's grace, "so that no one may boast before Him." As our Confession puts it, "faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits." Thank God for giving you this faith, and make every effort to build and strengthen it daily. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; the weak things of the world to shame the strong and the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are (v27-28); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for placing you in Christ and giving you faith, and pray that you will make every effort to build it up; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 12

Shift your focus from scoring points to knowing Christ. Philippians 3:5-11 (NIV) If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5  circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6  as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7  But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10  I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or by faith “apart from works.” However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us— for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins. Summary Do you keep score? Of course you do, because we all do to one extent or another. We keep track of all the little things we do for the Church and for others; all of the good deeds, prayers offered, verses memorized and days where the Bible got read at least once. Now certainly these things often are an organic outworking of the Spirit in our lives and are done for good and pure reasons, but our sinful nature likes to remind the rest of our nature just how much better we are than others, and how much more grace they need than we do. Paul kept score big time prior to his conversion, and if scoring points by doing 'good' things was the deciding factor, Paul would have been the champion. But once Paul understood the truth of the gospel, everything changed. Every gain he'd earned, he now considered loss. More than that, he thought of it all as garbage (the Greek word Paul used here can also mean dung). As we've seen before, the most important thing you need is perfect righteousness , because that's God's covenant requirement to have eternal peace with Him. But there's no reason to try so hard to "build up a righteousness of your own" when you can have a surpassing "righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith ." Paul puts it this way in Romans 4:5 - To the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. Dig Deeper Certainly Paul here isn't commanding you to stop doing good work since it doesn't really count for anything anyway. They do count, but just not towards your salvation . And you still need to put effort into working out your salvation, but as you do so you need to continually be recalibrating your efforts . Paul shifted his efforts from 'scoring points' to "knowing Christ" (v8 & 10). This definitely takes hard work! Never stop learning why there's power in His resurrection, how you can participate in His sufferings, and how you too can become like Him in His death. Being a Christian means making every effort to be a lifelong learner . The more you learn, the more you build your faith, so the process builds exponentially. But, somebody argues, if the whole church keeps busy putting all of our efforts into learning these things, then who will do all of the important good works that need to be done? This is the amazing part: if you put your efforts into learning Christ rather than 'scoring points,' you'll also find yourself effortlessly doing all those good works that so many people count on. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who gives the perfect righteousness we need through faith in Jesus Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire and strength to know Christ more and more so you can effortlessly do the good work that needs to be done; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 11

Want to live with confident assurance? Flex your faith! Hebrews 11:1-3 (NIV) Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2  This is what the ancients were commended for. 3  By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or by faith “apart from works.” However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us— for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins. Summary You know it's an awesome word when every English translation of the Bible translates it a different way, and even though they're all different, they're all correct. Such is the case with the definition of the word faith given in the opening verse. In the NIV, we read that faith is confidence in what we hoped for and assurance of what we do not see. But look at these other ways to express the very same thing: NIV84 - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ESV - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. LEB - Now faith is the realization of what is hoped for, the proof of things not seen. NET - Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. KJV - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Again, all of these are very good translations, and the fact that the idea being expressed here can be accurately stated so many different ways illustrates just how magnificent our faith is. It's just one more example of the benefit of reading the Bible in multiple different translations ! Dig Deeper Today's short passage doesn't just tell us what our faith is , but also what our faith does , and every single one of the translations above translates this phrase the exact same way (so that tells you something too): By faith we understand ... The verse goes on to say that by faith we understand that God created all that is out of nothing, but this certainly doesn't mean that this one particular fact is the only thing that you understand through faith. As we noted yesterday , our Confession describes faith as an "instrument by which we embrace Christ;" that is, it's the way that we come to understand who Christ is, what He did for us, and how we ought to now live. So couple these two ideas to give you confidence throughout your day. You don't need to float through a life of listless uncertainty. Quite the opposite! You've been given faith and are making every effort to strengthen it each day , so live with the assurance that the promises that God has made you in His Word are true, and know that you can understand both this natural world and the Savior who has made you a citizen of the world to come. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who formed the universe at His command; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the faith He's given you and pray that you will make every effort each day to strengthen it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 10

Grace is delivered to you through faith. How much grace would you like? Romans 3:25-28 (NIV) 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. 27  Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. 28  For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. And therefore we justly say with Paul that we are justified “by faith alone” or by faith “apart from works.” However, we do not mean, properly speaking, that it is faith itself that justifies us— for faith is only the instrument by which we embrace Christ, our righteousness. But Jesus Christ is our righteousness in making available to us all his merits and all the holy works he has done for us and in our place. And faith is the instrument that keeps us in communion with him and with all his benefits. When those benefits are made ours they are more than enough to absolve us of our sins. Summary We looked at a couple of these verses last month as we worked to understand how it is that Christ's atonement (payment), which came "through the shedding of His blood (v25)," makes us right with God. Today our focus is on the words that immediately follow: Christ's sacrifice of atonement is "to be received by faith." What Paul is getting at here is that salvation is a two step procedure. First, a payment for sin needed to be made, and as we've seen, this payment needed to satisfy God's perfect justice, and as we'll see in the coming week, the payment also needed to fulfill our covenantal obligation: perfect righteousness. Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the only one capable of making such a perfect payment. Christ's atonement is the substance, so to speak, that grace is made of. The second step in salvation is applying this grace to the sinner being saved. It's with this in mind that our confession speaks of faith as being an instrument . In the same way that a pipe delivers water to a specific spot, faith delivers grace - the saving blood of Christ - to you as a sinner. As Paul puts it, God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement , and you receive the benefits of atonement by faith (or more properly, through [ διὰ ] faith , as the NET Bible puts it). Dig Deeper Paul, especially in the book of Romans, has a writing style that sort of goads the reader on with rhetorical questions. Verse 27 is a perfect example. Since grace comes through faith, where then is boasting? In other words, which part of the salvation process can you stand back and exclaim to others, 'I did that'? Our sinful instinct, especially as Americans (and also you Canadians!), is to think we did something extraordinary to have gained salvation. Certainly we would never consciously claim that we don't need God's grace, but yet we often do nurse the idea that somehow we're somehow better, smarter, or more obedient because we've placed our faith in it. This isn't just an American (or Canadian) thing. Paul and these early Christians he wrote to struggled with the same temptation, which is why he so emphatically shoots down the rhetorical question he posed. Where then is boasting? It is excluded . Literally translated, it's shut out. There's absolutely no room for anyone to take credit for his own salvation. Salvation is by God's grace alone (which is made possible by Christ alone ) credited to you through faith alone , which is itself a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). So it stands to reason, that the bigger and stronger your faith is, the more grace you'll experience! God gives you faith, but He calls you to make every effort to grow and strengthen it. So the question for you to chew on is, how much grace would you like? AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the one who is both just and who justifies those who have faith in Christ Jesus (v26); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Give thanks for the gift of faith, and pray for the desire and ability to grow your faith to experience more and more grace; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 9

Salvation is found 'entirely in Christ.' Where else are you looking for it? Acts 13:26-41 (NIV) CONTEXT: Earlier this year we read about how "the whole city" showed up to hear Paul and Barnabas preach in Antioch. This passage is from the words they spoke in the same place a week earlier, containing the announcement that got everybody's attention. 26  “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27  The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28  Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29  When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30  But God raised him from the dead, 31  and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. ----- 38  “Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39  Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. 40  Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you: 41  “ ‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. Summary What's the most egregious, unbelievable claim you can think of being made by someone - a stranger visiting your town, no less - in church on a Sunday morning. Imagine some travelers show up one day, people that look and talk like you, but you're not quite sure what to think about them. Then they stand up and matter of factly state that a small time religious guru who was executed by the government years earlier had been raised from the dead by God Himself in fulfillment of everything the prophets had spoken of for thousands of years. And not only did this happen, they go on to say that because it did, the forgiveness of sins is now proclaimed in his name! In fact, these visitors boldly claim, everyone who believes this is set free from every sin. All the things you've religiously done in your life to justify yourself before God, the visitor goes on to say, all of the sacrifices, offerings, and rules you've carefully followed - none of those things matter. You just need to believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is exactly what happened on that otherwise quiet Sabbath morning in Antioch as Paul was invited to say a few words. How would have you reacted if you were there? What effect would this news have in your life? Dig Deeper Our Confession states that "he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God." The challenge for the Jewish people Paul spoke to here in Antioch and in other places was to let go of all of their religious rituals and cling to Christ only. The Reformers who wrote our Confession had the same challenge as they rediscovered the doctrines of grace and worked to wean people off of the rituals the Roman Catholic Church had introduced which actually pointed people away from Christ. Maybe you've come out of the RCC and know that struggle to let go first hand. But I'm left wondering what the "something else" is that most of the rest of us try to add as a necessary part of our salvation. What is it for you? Trust in yourself? A desire to conform Christ to our cultural norms? Expecting our obedience to be rewarded with temporal blessings? Our exhausting efforts to simultaneously seek the things of this world alongside the kingdom of God? Try and put yourselves in the position of the people in Antioch who heard the shocking claims of the gospel for the first time and who had to suddenly let go of so much since salvation is entirely found in faith in Christ. What else do you cling to that you need to let go of? AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who raised Christ from the dead to fulfill the promises He made to us, His people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will help you identify the things you're holding onto in place of, or even in addition to Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 8

Find true happiness in Christ's complete salvation. Psalm 32 (NIV) Of David. A maskil.  1  Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2  Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4  For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5  Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. 6  Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them. 7  You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 8  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. 9  Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. 10  Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. 11  Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. Summary The common and recurring misconception that so many people have about God's Law is that if something makes you happy, it must be sinful. But that's certainly not an idea you'll find in the Bible! Quite the opposite, actually. Over and over, the Psalms point us to a blessed life - quite literally, a happy life. The key to a happy life, David beautifully writes here, is the freedom that comes from forgiveness. The NIV we read says just that: Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven . This is certainly a good translation, but I've come to appreciate aspects of the Lexham English Bible (LEB), especially for Hebrew texts like the Psalms. It renders this opening line this way: Happy is he whose transgression is taken away... This is what our Confession is getting at when it says that "he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely." When we understand that through Christ our sins are forgiven, we don't just mean that God ignores them, or even worse that somehow our sins are made acceptable. It means that Christ became incarnate, and came to take our sins away, as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Jesus could do this because, as David writes here, He covered our sin. This doesn't mean He concealed or hid them from the Father's presence, but rather that He fully paid the penalty they had accrued, so that the LORD no longer counts this sin against us (v2). This nuance is captured in the New English Translation (NET): How blessed is the one whose rebellious acts are forgiven, whose sin is pardoned! Dig Deeper These first two verses of Psalm 32 make the claim that happiness (blessedness) comes as the result of salvation. So it stands to reason that those of us who have complete salvation in Christ ought to be the happiest people in the world! But if you've been a Christian for longer than a day or two, you know that our lives often don't seem any 'happier' than anyone else's; in fact, the people of the world often seem much happier than we do! There's lots of reasons for this, but a big one is that so often we keep trying (and mostly failing) to find happiness the same way the rest of the world does. But if the source of our happiness/blessedness is completely different than the world's source (self-fulfillment), than the way to experience this happiness will look quite different as well. David goes on in Psalm 32 to provide four practical steps to live in the blessedness Christ's salvation has provided: v3-5 - Stop trying to cover up your iniquity and instead confess your transgressions to the LORD; v6-7 - Pray to the LORD and making Him your hiding place; v8-10 - Instruct and teach others in the way they should go; The more you teach others about the LORD's unfailing love , the more you will be blessed by it yourself. v11 - Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who does not count sin against those who are in Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will confess, pray, instruct and rejoice; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 7

You no longer live. Rather, Christ lives in you. Galatians 2:15-21 (NIV) 15  We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16  know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. --- 19  “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20  I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21  I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. Summary One of the fundamental messages of the Bible is that people need perfect righteousness in order to be right with God. So it makes sense that the Devil twists this truth in order to deceive people. He wants you to come to one of two incorrect conclusions: That you can attain this righteousness on your own by keeping various commands (the commands themselves may be good in and of themselves; all the Devil cares about is tricking you into putting your hope into your ability to perfectly keep it); That you will be saved as long as you've done more 'good' things than 'bad.' What makes this idea really popular in our day and age is that you can define what's good or bad on your own! These lies - that a person gains salvation by keeping "the works of the law" had percolated deeply into the Galatian church, and so the primary purpose of Paul's letter to them is to lovingly rebuke them and call them back to the truth. No one, writes Paul, will be justified by the works of the law (v16). He goes on to write "for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" (v21). You do need perfect righteousness in order to be right with God, but the simple and wonderful truth of the gospel is that you are given what you need in Christ. "A person is not justified [made righteous] by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." (v16) Dig Deeper So then, the age old question goes, if keeping the law doesn't add anything to my salvation, then why keep it? Paul answers this question a number of different places in his epistles, but his answer in v20 speaks for them all: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. What he means here is that Christ died to sin on the cross, and you are in Christ, so consequently you've died to sin as well. And since Christ rose to new life after dying to sin, so you too must rise to this new life even here and now since Christ is living in you. This means your motivation to follow God's good and perfect law doesn't come from a desperate desire to justify yourself in God's eyes, but rather because living apart from it - living sinfully - seems disgusting and contrary to every instinct of your new life in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose law helps us identify our sin and guides us in how to live in Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to root out your sinful desires to justify yourself and to equip you to follow His law through Christ and for Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 6

Peter announces the one thing you've been looking for: salvation. Acts 4:7-12 (NIV) - CONTEXT: In the weeks after Pentecost, the church has already grown to about 5,000 people (4:4). The Jewish establishment "was greatly disturbed" (4:2) that resurrection of the dead in Jesus Christ is being proclaimed, so they detain Peter and John to question them after they had healed a lame man (chapter 3). 7  They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8  Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9  If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10  then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11  Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone. 12  Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. Summary One of the ordinary ways the Holy Spirit utilized to convert so many people so quickly in the early church was the powerful preaching of men like Peter and John. One of the hallmarks of this apostolic preaching is their ability to get right to the point. The good news comes in the first three words of v12: salvation is found . This is good news because God's people had been looking for salvation for millennia. Another marker of this early preaching is how it was rooted in the scripture. Notice in v11 that Peter quotes Psalm 118 which equates Jesus - the stone rejected by the builders - as becoming the cornerstone of the salvation they longed for. Peter uses bold language to show that Christ is the exclusive way to gain this salvation. Literally translated, Peter said "salvation is in no nobody else." In English, double negatives are a no-no (get it?), but in Greek, double negatives bring emphasis to the point. We might better say 'salvation is found in absolutely no one else.' Peter's claim is much more than just a gospel invitation for people to open their hearts to Jesus. Rather, it comes as a command: you " must be saved." Dig Deeper Peter's mini-sermon here does have one little flaw. The meaning and application of his claim hinge on how the word salvation is understood. If you understand that word in a temporal sense to mean that Jesus is going to save you from all of your problems and issues here and now, you're going to be sorely disappointed with Jesus. Perhaps this is why the Jewish establishment questioning Peter continued to reject Jesus, because He did nothing to save them from their immediate concern: Roman occupation of Israel. This misunderstanding holds people out of the Kingdom even today. So many - maybe even you - have turned to Jesus looking for relief from pain and dissatisfaction with your situation in this broken world, but really nothing seemed to change. You still feel pinned down by the crushing weight of the world, and maybe you're beginning to doubt the 'salvation' Jesus offers. You need to understand salvation in the way the Bible means it: that the sin that estranged you from your heavenly Father has been atoned (paid for) by Christ so that you now have peace with God and are assured of eternal life with Him. Life here on earth may or may not improve (it got lots worse for Peter and John!). But this heavenly perspective will strengthen you no matter what situations you face as you continue to pilgrim through this barren land . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has provided us salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will keep your eyes focused on the prize even through the present difficulties; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 5

The primary purpose of the Spirit is: to guide / tell / make known the truth to you. John 16:12-15 (NIV) 12  “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13  But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14  He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15  All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 22 - Our Justification Through Faith in Christ We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits, and makes him its own, and no longer looks for anything apart from him. For it must necessarily follow that either all that is required for our salvation is not in Christ or, if all is in him, then he who has Christ by faith has his salvation entirely. Therefore, to say that Christ is not enough but that something else is needed as well is a most enormous blasphemy against God— for it then would follow that Jesus Christ is only half a Savior. Summary Today we return to that tension filled last night Jesus spent with His disciples before facing the cross. So much of John's gospel - from chapter 14-17 - is dedicated to what Jesus taught that night. These words are heavily laden with theology, so much so that we can only really chew on a couple of them at a time without being overwhelmed. So you can imagine what is was like for these disciples to hear this all for the first time, late at night, with all of the fear and trepidation caused by the plotting going on around them. Jesus could sense this in them. He had more to tell them, but it was "much more than they could now bear." But taking a break wouldn't be a problem, Jesus said, even though this was the last opportunity He'd have to teach them with His own words. It wasn't a problem because the "Spirit of truth" was coming to "guide them into all truth." We've looked before at the word that Jesus used to describe the Spirit that's so nuanced it's hard to translate: Paraklētos . Some translations go with Advocate , others use Comforter or Helper , and they're all right! The Holy Spirit is all of those things! But today's passage helps us see what the primary purpose of the Spirit is: to guide / tell / make known the truth to you. A literal translation of the Greek word means one who comes alongside and calls out. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit - the Paraklētos - does as He kindles faith in your heart. Dig Deeper One of the things we'll see this week as we work through Article 22 of our Confession is that the primary reason you have faith and have come to know and understand the truth about the justification you've gained from Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension is because the Holy Spirit has made it known to you. It's not that you're smarter or more observant than other people; the reason you have faith is because it's been given to you. But how does the Spirit do this, and how can you increase and grow this faith that you've been given? Certainly, our omnipotent God can do this any way He likes, and many people have been brought to believe suddenly and miraculously when the Holy Spirit unexpectedly showed up in their life. But these sort of 'Damascus road experiences,' like what happened to the Apostle Paul (Acts 9), don't happen often. So even though the Spirit isn't limited in His abilities to make these truths known, most of the time He uses what have come to be called the ordinary means of grace : the preaching of the Word, the participation of the sacraments, and the discipline that comes from living in the fellowship of believers. So this means that if you want to build and increase this faith you've been given (which the Bible often commands you to make every effort to do ), you need to expose yourself to these elements often. Keep reading the Word every day, as you're doing right now, and regularly gather with the saints on the Lord's Day to hear these truths proclaimed. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent us the Spirit of truth; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will make it your habit to participate in the ordinary means of grace that the Spirit uses to build up your faith; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 4