Don't trust your feelings. Trust in what the Spirit testifies about you! Today's passage forms the basis for the classic hymn Blessed Assurance Romans 8:14-17 ( LSB ) 14 For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the  Spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, also heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him  so that we may also be glorified with Him . Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation Concerning this preservation of those chosen to salvation and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith, believers themselves can and do become assured in accordance with the measure of their faith, by which they firmly believe that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church, and that they have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Summary This is the fourth time now just this year that we've returned to the 8th chapter of Romans. And at this point, I can't promise you this will be our last time in what is arguably the greatest chapter in the whole Bible. This short portion we're considering today reminds you your true identity. Society is consumed with curating your identity: to them you're a conservative or liberal, boomer or generation X, Y or Z; you're an American, Canadian, Mexican, or some other kind of 'an'. The list of variants goes on endlessly. But the Bible here, as it does elsewhere, keeps your identity far more simple: if you are being led by the Spirit of God, you are a son of God! This sonship that you've been adopted into provides you with two key benefits. First of all, it changes your relationship with God. For you, He's not just the omnipotent ruler of all things, to whom you owe an unpayable debt. Rather, He's your Father - Paul here couples two languages to describe it: He's your Patēr, a Greek word designating Him as the sovereign head of household, but Paul also describes Him in much more intimate terms, using the Aramaic word Abba that Paul likely called his own father as a child. Secondly, your adopted sonship gives you new legal status. You are now also an heir; an heir of God and fellow heirs of Christ. Notice, though, that this aspect of sonship comes with a caveat: You are an heir IF indeed you suffer with Christ so that you may also be glorified with Him. What will you do today that will help cement your legal status as a son?   Dig Deeper   Daniel Doriani offers an excellent explanation of the assurance that today's passage, especially the promise that the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God , offers to you: Adoption is no tenuous gift. Paul suggests that believers agree with the Spirit that we are God’s children. We ask, “How can this be, since my feelings may deny this?” Our emotions are as flawed as any other faculty. The mind forgets names, the body aches for no reason, and in our emotional self-appraisal, we may feel nothing like a child of God. If we grew up in the faith, we may wonder whether that faith is genuine, or whether we merely conform to parental expectations. Sin can also prompt a downward spiral. Anxiety or depression can become unwanted companions during a winter of the soul. Yet the Father does not abandon us to our doubts. The Holy Spirit confirms that we are children of God. This happens in varied ways. In worship, he “tunes our heart to sing his praise.” In prayer, he answers in ways that surpass our petitions. He may stir our spirit and grant a visceral certainty that we belong to him. If we came to faith as adults, we may remember that we felt a nudging to ask spiritual questions and to give credit to biblical answers, even if we once dismissed them. Perhaps a feeling swept over us—a sense of healing and joy. Or perhaps faith brought calm or a conviction that this is the truth about the world and the right map for negotiating it. Yes, doubts intrude. Feelings fade and vacillate. We wonder, philosophically, how words can establish a relationship with the eternal God. Or we question our sincerity: “Am I different from anyone else? Am I stronger than I was two years ago?” We are impatient gardeners, waiting for seeds to sprout, and then tugging on those sprouts and judging them feeble. But if we wait, assurance comes as the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit. As Sinclair Ferguson remarks in Children of the Living God, we can make two mistakes here: to expect a mystical, transporting experience and to expect nothing. Assurance can be dramatic or calm, but either way, it is a “joint witness” of God’s Spirit and ours. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Abba / Father, whose Spirit testifies we are God's children A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would recognize and accept opportunities to suffer with Christ so that we may also be glorified with Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Peter 1

You can be absolutely certain of your salvation! Today's passage forms the basis for the classic hymn "I Know Whom I have Believed" 2 Timothy 1:9–12 (NIV) 9  God has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10  but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11  And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12  That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation Concerning this preservation of those chosen to salvation and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith, believers themselves can and do become assured in accordance with the measure of their faith, by which they firmly believe that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church, and that they have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Summary It's interesting how it is that Paul describes what it is that God has done for us as Paul writes to Pastor Timothy, his young protégé. We're quick to pick up on and celebrate the first aspect: God has saved us, but we tend to skip right over the second part: that God has called us to a holy life. We like the salvation God grants, but not the commitment He now expects! We focused on the comforting, yet mind bending, reality that this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time at the beginning year , but it's good to come back and be reminded of this once again as we wrap up our study of these wonderful doctrines of grace and focus on the certain assurance of salvation you can have because of these truths. As important as these truths are - that God called us to salvation and holiness before time began - Paul's emphasis here is that these blessings come to us not because of anything we have done, but because of God's own purpose and grace. Indeed, that's the core definition of grace: an undeserved gift. If you deserved salvation, you would not be saved by grace. But if you were somehow able to be able to both atone (pay) for your sins and live with the perfect righteousness you're covenantaly obligated to , you'd have to let go of this comforting doctrine of the perseverance of the saints . For if you had what it takes to earn salvation on your own to begin with, you'd have what you need to hang on to it yourself. But you don't have either of those abilities. So thank God for His grace, both that brought you into His salvation through Christ alone and that keeps you there!   Dig Deeper   Unfortunately way too many Christians make a subtle error in how they understand what Paul writes here, thinking it to be that God has saved people and called them to a holy life. They know all about God's grace, but they lack the full assurance that it's been given to them personally. They know how ugly and awful their own sins not only have been, but still continue to be. They've ironically concluded that since they don't deserve God's grace, they don't have God's grace. This angst has been compounded by preachers and theologians - even those who call themselves Reformed - who now denounce what they call “the sin of certainty.” They insist it is wrong to claim that one’s understanding of anything could be exclusively correct. To do so necessarily implies that anyone who disagrees is wrong - and to call someone wrong has become, in their view, the height of arrogance and the antithesis of tolerance (ironically, though, they do seem certain that uncertainty is wrong). While it's good to humbly hold most of your opinions lightly, God wants you to be absolutely certain beyond even the shadow of doubt about the grace He gave you before the beginning of time and that He will preserve you in until all things have been made new and sin and death are completely destroyed. God wants you to have the same confidence that Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, imparts to Timothy and us. God wants you to know whom you have believed and to be persuaded that He is able to keep what you have entrusted to Him until that day! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who gave you grace in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would be absolutely certain of your salvation in this otherwise uncertain world; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Peter 1

God promises to keep you in perfect šhālôm. Today's passage forms the basis of the classic hymn Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken, Zion City of our God Isaiah 26:1–4 (NIV) 26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. 2  Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. 3   You will keep in perfect peace ( šhālôm šhālôm ) those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. 4  Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 9: The Assurance of This Preservation Concerning this preservation of those chosen to salvation and concerning the perseverance of true believers in faith, believers themselves can and do become assured in accordance with the measure of their faith, by which they firmly believe that they are and always will remain true and living members of the church, and that they have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Summary Isaiah doesn't look forward to just any ordinary city as this chapter begins. The strong city he sings of here isn't Jerusalem or even located in the land of Judah, or anywhere in this world for that matter. This is a city which has walls and ramparts - in other words, its full security - built from God's salvation. This is the city we often sing about yet today - Zion, City of our God (be sure to listen to the video posted above)! This city has an exclusive population - only the righteous nation may enter. Be careful when you read the word nation in the Bible; it doesn't mean country or state the way we often use the word, it simply refers to various ethnicities. The ethnicities welcome in Zion aren't based on skin color, language or any other physical trait, but whether or not its people keep faith. That word keep is an important word in the Bible: It was what God commanded of Adam in the Garden: to work it and keep it . But we know that Adam and all who are in him failed to keep God's world and their own lives holy. This means the only 'ethnicity' welcome in this City are those who are in Christ , who perfectly kept Adam's covenantal requirements for those who trust in Him. Make sure that you properly understand the citizenship requirements for Zion: the nations [people] that keep faith. Otherwise you'll quickly sink into despair and doubt, constantly wondering if you've done enough. Remember what you've been reminded of so often this last year as we've read the Bible together: that you can keep faith only because it's been given to you by God. So you can have full assurance that you are and always will remain a true and living member of the church, and that you have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.   Dig Deeper   It's the third verse that attracted our attention today: the absolute assurance that the residents of this city (that's you, by the way) can have: they will be kept in perfect peace. Isaiah poetically places an exclamation point on this statement by repeating the word peace ; the LORD will keep [us] in šhālôm šhālôm. Once again, the reminder comes of the importance your mind  has in how you experience this šhālôm: it comes when your mind is steadfast. Or, as the ESV translates it, šhālôm comes to those whose minds are stayed on you. In other words, stay focused on the LORD and His Word, and remember the world will do all it can to shatter this all important trust in the LORD. There's so much competition for your mind . Just as your body is what you eat, your mind is what you watch, listen to, read and think about. This is why it's so important for you to fill your mind with the Word of the LORD, each weekday as we read together, and especially on the Lord's Day as you meet with God's people and hear His Word proclaimed and applied. The better you understand the full theology of your salvation - that is, everything the Bible says about it in both the Old and New Testaments - the more šhālôm you will have! This is what it means to Trust in the LORD forever! Set your mind on knowing the personal nature of your salvation: The LORD, the LORD Himself - is your eternal Rock! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the eternal Rock of our salvation; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would keep your mind filled with the knowledge and assurance of your citizenship in Zion, the glorious city of our God; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Thessalonians 3

You will certainly stumble, but the LORD keeps you from falling. Photo: Jake Mills, via Unsplash CONTEXT: Psalm 37 is a collection of proverbs, each set in two line couplets that form an acrostic, in which each set of couplets begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alefbet . Although each couplet stands on its own, the overall theme of Psalm 37 is clear: to answer the age old question of how it is that the wicked prosper, while the righteous so often seem to languish. Today we'll just be reading a few couplets that capture the gist of this long psalm. Psalm 37 Of David. 1   Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; 2   for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. 3   Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4  Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5   Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. 7   Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. -- 12  The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; 13  but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming. 14  The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose ways are upright. 15  But their swords will pierce their own hearts, and their bows will be broken. -- 23  The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24  though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. -- 27  Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever. 28  For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. -- 39  The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. 40  The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 8: The Certainty of This Preservation It is not by our own merits or strength but by God’s undeserved mercy that we neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in our downfalls to the end and are lost. With respect to ourselves this not only easily could happen, but also undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen, since his plan cannot be changed, his promise cannot fail, the calling according to his purpose cannot be revoked, the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and preserving cannot be nullified, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be invalidated nor wiped out. Summary One of the most frustrating aspects of the Christian life is the fact that so many people who have little to no regard for the way of the LORD seem to be doing so much better than those who earnestly desire to live a godly life. Seeing people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes can cause one to wonder if the sacrifices the LORD calls us to make to follow His law are really worth it. Notice that throughout this psalm, David doesn't call you to deny the reality that you see around you. He doesn't try to convince his readers that the prosperity we see godless people enjoying is just an illusion or something other that what it seems to be, or that the suffering God's people endure isn't real. Rather, David - inspired by the Holy Spirit - calls you to reorient your perspective. Don't be so preoccupied with the way things are now. Instead, see things from the vantage point of eternity. The success the wicked enjoy now will not last: it will soon die away. David reminds you that even as they revel in their prosperity, the LORD laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming. So do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong. Instead, cling to the rock solid promises that Psalm 37 reminds you of: The LORD will give you the desires of your heart; He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn; The LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD ; he is their stronghold in time of trouble.   Dig Deeper   In Hebrew poetry, the primary meaning of a poem or narrative often comes right in the middle, rather than in the end as we would often expect it to. Verses 23-24 come right smack in the middle, and therefore the primary point of Psalm 37: 23  The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; 24  though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. It's passages like this that form the foundation for the doctrines of the Canons of Dordt. If you needed to rely upon your own stumbling strength to get you across the heavenly finish line, not only could you fall, forfeiting faith and grace totally, but you undoubtedly would. David here reminds you that you will stumble through life. But he also reminds you that, like a loving Father, the LORD upholds you with His hand so that you will not fall. So put your hope in the LORD, who helps and delivers you as you take refuge in Him. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who upholds us with His hand even as we stumble; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; and that you would not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Thessalonians 2

Though you continue to fall, Christ continues to lift you back up. All throughout history, God's people have followed a rhythm of sin that led to suffering. But God ALWAYS preserved a remnant, just as He preserves you in your salvation. Micah 7:8–9 (NIV) CONTEXT: Today's passage comes at the end of a book full of judgment and lament. Micah ends with a forward look of hope. The current cataclysmic circumstances do not encompass reality in its entirety. Nations that opposed God’s kingdom will come undone. Walls torn down will be rebuilt. God’s mighty acts of salvation accomplished at the exodus will happen again. How can Micah be so confident? Because there is no God like Yahweh. Micah’s very name means “Who is like Yahweh?” The implied answer is no one. God’s character is revealed in his name ( Lexham Context Commentary ) . 8   Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. 9   Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord’s wrath, until he pleads my case and upholds my cause. He will bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 8: The Certainty of This Preservation It is not by our own merits or strength but by God’s undeserved mercy that we neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in our downfalls to the end and are lost. With respect to ourselves this not only easily could happen, but also undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen, since his plan cannot be changed, his promise cannot fail, the calling according to his purpose cannot be revoked, the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and preserving cannot be nullified, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be invalidated nor wiped out. Summary It would be difficult to summarize all of God's people all throughout all times using just one word, but a good candidate might be the word remnant. After all, the history of God's people shows a continual cycle that's almost as consistent as a healthy heart rhythm on an EKG monitor. God saves His people, they rejoice and obey Him for a time, but after a generation or so, most people fall back into sin and its consequences. But there's always a remnant. There's always a small number of people God preserves and restores. Think of Noah and his family, Joseph, the judges God raised up to save His people every other generation as they settled Canaan, the exiles that God brought back from Babylon, and the faithful Jews who put their hope in Jesus. God has always preserved a remnant in this new age as well throughout all the ebbs and flows of Church history. Technically speaking, the prophet Micah wasn't formally part of a remnant group. He was part of the sinful generation that lived before Israel would fall to Babylon. As a prophet (one who represents God to the people), Micah called out the sins of his people, warning of judgment for their social injustice and false religion. A chapter before today's passage, Micah famously proclaimed the LORD's requirements for His people: that they would act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). Yet the people continued to miss God's simple mark. But Micah knows the LORD will be faithful, despite the ongoing and cyclical sins of His people. So even as he warns Israel of the LORD's coming wrath and the dark days to come, Micah has hope. He knows that the LORD will be his light , and will ultimately bring me (God's remnant people) out of the darkness and into the light.   Dig Deeper   This remnant theme forms a significant basis for this doctrine of the perseverance of the saints that we've been studying. The cycle of sin / suffering / salvation / sin / suffering / salvation keeps repeating like a heartbeat... not just generationally, but personally in each of our lives... sometimes on a daily basis! Like Micah, you can look at yourself and see how you have fallen and sinned against Him, so you deservedly bear the LORD's wrath as you so often sit in darkness as your enemy gloats over you. And this doesn't just describe your life before you've come to realize your salvation in Christ, but even after! But just as the LORD has always preserved a remnant of His people, you can be certain that He will preserve you. As the Canons put it, by God’s undeserved mercy, you can be certain that you will neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in your downfalls to the end and be lost. Micah knew that the LORD's grace is stronger than His wayward people. He knew that although he had fallen, he would rise, and that even though he sat in the darkness, the LORD would be his light. Living a millennia before Christ, Micah didn't know how, but he knew His God would plead his case, uphold his cause, and bring him out into the light. You know that Christ's interceding and preserving cannot be nullified , so you have even more reason for optimism and confidence than Micah did! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who always preserves His people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you live in Micah's confidence, that you would act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Thessalonians 1

Your salvation is secure because your Savior always lives to intercede for you! Bible.com Hebrews 7:23-25 (NIV) CONTEXT: One of the key themes of Hebrews is 'Jesus is better than...'. He's better than the angels, better than Moses, and in this particular section of the book demonstrates how He's better than any earthly priest. 23  Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; 24  but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25  Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 8: The Certainty of This Preservation It is not by our own merits or strength but by God’s undeserved mercy that we neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in our downfalls to the end and are lost. With respect to ourselves this not only easily could happen, but also undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen, since his plan cannot be changed, his promise cannot fail, the calling according to his purpose cannot be revoked, the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and preserving cannot be nullified, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be invalidated nor wiped out. Summary If the final verse of our short passage today were the only explanation we had about who Jesus is and what He's accomplished and continues to do, it would be enough! Hebrews 7:25 makes three hugely significant claims about who Jesus is and what He's done and will always do for your salvation. First, you can know that Jesus is able to save you completely. This is one of those fascinating words that gets rendered differently across various Bible translations. The ESV says that Jesus is able to save you to the uttermost. Both of these translations explain that Jesus has done everything necessary to redeem and restore you - nothing else is required! It's from phrases like this that the phrase Solus Christus (Christ Alone) was added to the Reformation motto. But the LSB adds an interesting twist to the word in its translation: Jesus is able to save forever! This is the case as well, for it only makes sense that if you've been completely saved to the uttermost, then such a salvation should last for all eternity. It's verses like this one that form the foundation of this comforting doctrine that we call the perseverance of the saints. Secondly, this verse adds a bit of tensegrity (the good tension that maintains integrity) to our theology of salvation by Christ alone: Although Christ saves completely, He doesn't just dole it out from afar. Rather, He gives it to those who come to God through Him. We've already been reminded this year that the reason you're able to come is because God has sovereignly called and equipped you to do so , but the fact remains that salvation is not passively received. You must come!   Dig Deeper   It's the third aspect of this short verse that brings us to it today: Jesus always lives to intercede for you. Commentator RT France unpacks what this means and why it's so important: The primary sense in which we come to God through Jesus is that he has offered on our behalf the perfect sacrifice. But the priests in the OT had also another function, not so often mentioned—the role of intercession for the people before God ( perhaps best exemplified by Moses , but also symbolized in the high priest’s “bearing the names of the sons of Israel over his heart … as a continuing memorial before the LORD,” Ex 28:29), and that role too is fulfilled by our high priest. Whereas his sacrifice was offered once for all, his intercession continues, and that is why we need a high priest who always lives. While he was on earth, Jesus prayed for his people , and Paul speaks in Romans 8 not only of the Spirit pleading on our behalf but also of Jesus interceding for us at God’s right hand . The theme may not be frequently mentioned, but it is a vital source of pastoral assurance and one without which the process of our salvation would be incomplete ( Hebrews 9:24 ). Remember that Jesus' title of Christ means that He's anointed to be our Prophet, Priest and King. Whereas a prophet represents God to the people, a priest represents the people to God. Know that your salvation is secure because your Savior, who has a perfect and permanent priesthood, always lives to intercede for you! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who welcomes all who come to Him through Jesus; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would trust Christ completely, to the uttermost and forever for your salvation since He intercedes for you; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Thessalonians 5

Whether you feel close to God or far away, know your Savior is interceding for you. FaithLife.com Romans 8:31–34 (NIV) 31  What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33  Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34  Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life —is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 8: The Certainty of This Preservation It is not by our own merits or strength but by God’s undeserved mercy that we neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in our downfalls to the end and are lost. With respect to ourselves this not only easily could happen, but also undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen, since his plan cannot be changed, his promise cannot fail, the calling according to his purpose cannot be revoked, the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and preserving cannot be nullified, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be invalidated nor wiped out. Summary Today's summary is re-posted from August 21, 2024 Romans 8 never fails to disappoint. I've always taught students that when (not if) they come to the end of their rope and don't know where else to turn, open a Bible to Romans chapter 8. Every verse in it is pure comforting truth, and today's short passage is no exception. Today's opening line announced that God is for us. Just let that sink in. Maybe that phrase seems sort of cheesy to you, like an overly saccharin sweet greeting card given to cheer you out of a low moment in life. Maybe it triggers your cynical side, as you wonder how different the world would look if God were actually 'for' everyone. But that's not what it says. God isn't for everyone, He's for us! This statement comes on the heels of a passage  called the 'golden chain of our salvation,' which unpacks how God bends history for the good of those He chose for Himself before creation. God is for you!   Dig Deeper   Yesterday we noted that your salvation is secure because you're protected by His Name - that is, you're covered by God's attributes. As the Canons put it, you cannot possibly lose your salvation, since God's plan cannot be changed, God's promise cannot fail, and God's calling according to His purpose cannot be revoked. But that's not all that's holding you securely in God's hands! Today's passage adds two more layers of eternal security. First, it reminds you that nobody can truly be against you since as we've already noted, God is for you. Certainly this doesn't mean you won't face any opposition in your life, but rather that whatever opposition you do face will ultimately fail. Nobody - not even the devil himself - can bring any charge against those whom God has chosen! Secondly, you're not just held secure by what God has done and the merit of Christ - although that would be more than enough! - but also by what your Savior continues to do for you! At this very moment, He i s at the right hand of God and is also interceding for you. Know that at every moment of every day - on days that you feel close to God, and especially on days where you feel far removed - Christ Jesus is appealing on your behalf to His Father, the Sovereign God who omnipotently controls all that is. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, who will also graciously give us all things; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would live in the confidence and assurance being so totally secured in your salvation; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Thessalonians 4

You're protected by God's most powerful attribute: His Name. Knowing-Jesus.com John 17:6-10 (NIV) CONTEXT: This is part of what's often referred to as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prayed on our behalf in the moments before His arrest and crucifixion. 6  “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7  Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8  For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9  I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10  All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11  I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12  While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13  “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15  My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17  Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18  As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19  For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 8: The Certainty of This Preservation It is not by our own merits or strength but by God’s undeserved mercy that we neither forfeit faith and grace totally nor remain in our downfalls to the end and are lost. With respect to ourselves this not only easily could happen, but also undoubtedly would happen; but with respect to God it cannot possibly happen, since his plan cannot be changed, his promise cannot fail, the calling according to his purpose cannot be revoked, the merit of Christ as well as his interceding and preserving cannot be nullified, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit can neither be invalidated nor wiped out. Summary This is one of those passages of Scripture that we could focus on for several weeks straight and still not uncover all of the treasure present in it. Isn't it just amazing to realize that in this moment of agony, where Jesus in His human nature felt the full measure of fear and despair as He faced the cross, remained focused on us, His disciples! Notice how Jesus differentiates you as His disciple. He thinks of you as being holy - that is, one who is set apart. He prays, I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. This is one of the key reasons you need to constantly be reminded that your life must look different from the world around you, for you are not your own. You've been given to Christ by our Father. So today we'll limit ourselves to one of the key things Jesus asked for you of His Father: that He would protect you by the power of His name. Think of all the ways that God had protected His people in the past: He opened the Red Sea for them to pass through; He surrounded His people with His innumerable angel army; He tamed the lions and kept them from devouring Daniel; the list goes on and on. But here Jesus asks our Father for something much more powerful: to keep you clothed in His Name, protected not only from the evils of this world, but from the temptations of Sarx you face from within so that nothing in all creation can ever separate you from belonging to Him.   Dig Deeper   The Canons root your preservation - that is, your ability to remain faithful to Christ until He returns or calls you home - in God's attributes. In other words, you're not holding on by your own merits or strength, but through the power of God's Name, which Jesus prayed that you would be kept in. You cannot possibly be lost, the Canons point out, since: God's plan cannot be changed, God's promise cannot fail, and God's calling according to his purpose cannot be revoked. Jesus went on to implore His Father on your behalf: My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one . This aspect of Jesus' prayer often gets watered down into the trite phrase that we are in this world, but not of this world. Perhaps a better way to phrase that would be to say that you are very much in this world , by God's will, but you are protected from both it and the evil one because you bear the name of the Triune, living God. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who protects us in the power of His Name; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your life would reflect the Name you've been given; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Thessalonians 3

You won't do anything as valuable today as reading God's Word! Photo: Alice Rouse, via Unsplash Psalm 119:65–72 (NIV) ט  Teth (Psalm 119 is an acrostic poem, with each of its 22 sections beginning with a successive letter in the Hebrew alefbet (alphabet). In this section where each line begins with the letter ט , five of the eight lines begin with the word ṭôb, which means 'good.' 65  Do good to your servant according to your word, Lord. 66  Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I trust your commands. 67  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 68  You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. 69  Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart. 70   Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. 71  It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. 72  The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 7: Renewal to Repentance God preserves in His saints when they fall his imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged. Also, by His Word and Spirit he certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; they seek and obtain, through faith and with a contrite heart, forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator; they experience again the grace of a reconciled God; they through faith adore his mercies; and that they from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Summary Did you notice all of the words highlighted in blue as you read through the psalm? The entire psalter uses synonyms like commands, decrees, precepts and laws as poetic stand ins to represent scripture, the very words of God. The 119th Psalm, this grand poetic masterpiece, goes all in as it sings the benefits and blessings of the Bible. But this particular strophe of Psalm 119 isn't about God's Word per se, rather it describes the effects that God's Word has. The Bible: reminds of God's faithfulness; teaches knowledge and good judgement; keeps us from going astray; demonstrates how we can be ṭôb ( good ) as God is ṭôb; brings the reader delight; is more precious than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. As we close another week out, the ט  Teth section of Psalm 119 reminds us once again of why it is that it's so important for you to read scripture every day. It's not just some arbitrary religious rule you need to comply with, rather it's very much for your benefit! What else will you do today that will bring you true delight and be worth more than thousands of pieces of silver and gold?   Dig Deeper   It's the psalmist's admission in v67 that grabs our attention today: 67  Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. We don't know what this affliction was or what sin the psalmist committed to incur it, but that really doesn't matter. What's important here is the connection the psalmist makes between sin, suffering and sanctification. In other words, we are often subjected to divinely ordained suffering because of our sin, suffering that God uses to sanctify us - that is, to teach us His decrees (it's important to note that not all suffering comes as a direct result of a particular sin). This is the good grief that God uses to pull you back when you go astray . The Canons describe it as a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins you have committed . Through it, the Spirit causes you to seek and obtain forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator . Or as the Psalmist puts it here in the 119th, 71  It was good (ṭôb) for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is good ( ṭôb) and what He does is good (ṭôb); A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would learn from your afflictions so that you would cling to your Mediator, learn from God's decrees, and go on to obey His Word; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Thessalonians 2

Live in fear, but don't be afraid. Credit: Mike Measley, Evangelical Free Bible Church 1 Peter 1:13–21 (NET) CONTEXT: We read the passage that follows this one, which told us of the spiritual teflon that protects your soul from being stained by your ongoing sin, earlier this week. Our focus today is what it means to, as Paul writes in Philippians 2:12 , work out your salvation with fear and trembling . 13  Therefore, get your minds ready for action by being fully sober, and set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14  Like obedient children, do not comply with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance, 15  but, like the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in all of your conduct, 16  for it is written, “ You shall be holy, because I am holy .” 17  And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence [Literally: phobos (fear)]. 18  You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, 19  but by precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ. 20  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. 21  Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 7: Renewal to Repentance God preserves in His saints when they fall his imperishable seed from which they have been born again, lest it perish or be dislodged. Also, by His Word and Spirit he certainly and effectively renews them to repentance so that they have a heartfelt and godly sorrow for the sins they have committed; they seek and obtain, through faith and with a contrite heart, forgiveness in the blood of the Mediator; they experience again the grace of a reconciled God; they through faith adore his mercies; and that they from then on more eagerly work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Summary It seems like we always feel the need to explain that when the Bible calls God's people to live in fear , which it so often does, that it doesn't really mean what it says. After all, the whole idea of living in fear seems contrary to the Bible's message of confidence that comes from having peace with our Sovereign God and Father. So the Greek word phobos , which clearly means fear , often gets watered down in to words like awe, respect or reverence, as the editors of the NET Bible did here. But today's passage from Peter's first letter really explains well how it is that you're to, as the Canons put it echoing Philippians 2, more eagerly work out your own salvation with fear and trembling . And in general, the NET Bible translated the passage really well. This godly fear  certainly isn't a terror or dread, but rather an attitude of total focus and single minded devotion to God. It begins, as we've seen so often as we read the Bible together each day, with how you think. Peter implores you to get your mind ready for action! Christianity is not a passive, sit back and relax type of lifestyle! You're called to action by becoming holy in all of your conduct. And this action begins by dialing your mind in. To do this, writes Peter, set your hope completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. In other words, keep your eye on the prize. Stop complying with the evil urges you used to follow in your ignorance , and instead live out the time of your temporary residence here in fear!   Dig Deeper   Comfort breeds complacency. Most car wrecks occur very close to where the driver lives because the familiarity of the area makes it so much easier to be distracted. But when you're driving through an unfamiliar or more difficult area, you're driving with an increased sense of fear. This sort of fear doesn't paralyze you with a feeling of doom (if it does, maybe you better let somebody else drive!), but it heightens all of your senses and makes you a better driver. Think of the times where life seemed to be crashing in on you. Maybe it was an illness, injury or financial crisis. Remember how much more you prayed and relied on the Lord during that time of trial? And now that the Lord has delivered you from that season, you can see how He strengthened you through it as you fearfully relied on Him. That's what Peter has in mind here; live with this fear -filled intensity every day! But that's so hard to do so when life is, for the most part, so comfortable. This comfort so easily blinds you to the reality of this world, which Peter describes as ignorant; a temporary residence, an empty way of life, filled with perishable things. Remember that you were ransomed - bought at a tremendously high price - by the precious blood like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb, namely Christ . Battle those evil urges you used to follow when you lived in ignorance - those comfortable urges that lull you sleep and put you in grave danger - and live out the time of your temporary residence here in a healthy, godly fear . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire to get your minds ready for action so that you live each day in godly fear; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Thessalonians 1