God strengthens & establishes you through the gospel. Heartlight.org Romans 16:25–27 (NIV) CONTEXT: For this final week in our year long study of the Canons of Dordt, we will be reading some of the Bible's greatest doxologies - words of praise & glory given to our Sovereign God. 25  Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26  but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— 27  to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen. 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview 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 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it— a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers— is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that she will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. Summary Yesterday we read those amazing words from Ephesians 1 upon which the entirety of the doctrines of grace we've studied this year could be founded. Although today's opening line isn't as familiar, it too does a good job of summarizing everything we've learned this year: 25  Now to him who is able to establish you... ( strengthen you... ESV, LSB) This is exactly what God in His grace has done for you: He unconditionally elected you to salvation, atoned for your sin and depravity, regenerated your heart and mind so that His grace became irresistible, and preserves you in His grace forever by strengthening / establishing you in the gospel . This doxology that closes this magnificent book of Romans also praises the way God has made this good news known. Look at all of the words that get used to describe the gospel: The message proclaimed (NIV) / the preaching of Jesus Christ (ESV / LSB) - There are multiple ways in which people come to know of this grace - think of how Jesus overwhelmed Paul with a massively bright light on the road to Damascus; many others have come to know Christ as they silently read Scripture in a dark room. But the ordinary way God calls people to Him and continues to keep you established in it is through the ongoing proclamation and preaching of Jesus Christ. This gospel that was a mystery but is now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings - God works to strengthen / establish you through the full counsel of His Word, both the Old and New Testaments. God uses the gospel so that all the Gentiles (that's us) might come to the obedience that comes from faith. This faith is more than just a declaration of 'I do, God helping me.' Being strengthened / established leads to an entire lifestyle of obedience (literally: listening ).   Dig Deeper   We've come to this ancient Latin phrase often as we've read the Bible together , and you often see it inscribed on institutions you've come to respect: Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God alone These words are the only appropriate way for Paul to finish a letter like this one we call Romans, which explains the gospel in such wonderful detail. It's final words are simply: To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the eternal and only wise God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God would continue to strengthen / establish you through the gospel so that you remain rooted in the obedience that comes from faith; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 22

You were chosen before time began and given a supreme purpose in life. Photo: Unsplash Ephesians 1:3–10 (NIV) CONTEXT: For this final week in our year long study of the Canons of Dordt, we will be reading some of the Bible's greatest doxologies - words of praise & glory given to our Sovereign God. 3   Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5  he predestined us for adoption to sonship  through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6   to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7   In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8   that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9  he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10  to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview 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 15: Contrasting Reactions to the Teaching of Perseverance This teaching about the perseverance of true believers and saints, and about their assurance of it— a teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly and which he impresses on the hearts of believers— is something which the flesh does not understand, Satan hates, the world ridicules, the ignorant and the hypocrites abuse, and the spirits of error attack. The bride of Christ, on the other hand, has always loved this teaching very tenderly and defended it steadfastly as a priceless treasure; and God, against whom no plan can avail and no strength can prevail, will ensure that she will continue to do this. To this God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen. Summary This might be hard to believe, but on this first day of this 52nd week of the year, we are coming to these magnificent words in Ephesians for the first time in our study of these doctrines of grace . The wait has been very intentional. We could have found every single one of our proof texts for all five points in the Canons from these first two chapters of Ephesians alone! Part of the idea for holding this passage back (and only sort of dipping our toes in a few passages from Ephesians and Romans along the way) was to demonstrate that it's not just these Pauline books of the Bible that tell us that God's grace is stronger than we are; every bit of scripture - both the Old and New Testaments - testify to this wonder! But here we are - finally! - so let's jump right in! Notice that from the get-go, Paul presents God's sovereign grace doxologically; in other words, these doctrines drive us to praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Why do we praise Him? Because He has blessed us not just with material needs like food, housing and friends, but even more so with every spiritual blessing in Christ. In theology, we often call these spiritual blessings regeneration . This means that the fact that you can even praise God for His glorious grace is only because He has lavished us with all wisdom and understanding and has made known to us the mystery of His will. Had God not given us these spiritual blessings, we would heartily reject the redemption we now have through the blood of Christ and never would experience the forgiveness of sins. We would remain so stuck in our sin that we would never reach up to God with the praise He deserves. Rather than proclaim doxologies, we would, as the Canons put it, hate, ridicule, abuse and attack this teaching which God has very richly revealed in his Word for the glory of his name and for the comfort of the godly.   Dig Deeper   Ephesians 1:4 is one of the Bible's most amazing and profound statements, and it forms the very basis for these doctrines of grace we've learned together this year: 4  For God chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. God chose you... You are not just a random collection of atoms that happened to biologically bond after billions of years of evolution. Nor are you just randomly cast into this world to fend for yourself. Rather, God in His grace unconditionally elected you to belong to Him! ... in Christ... Your only comfort in life and in death is that you are not your own, but belong, body and soul, in life and in death, to your faithful Savior Jesus Christ ( Heidelberg Catechism QA 1 ). ... before the creation of the world... God knew you before He created anything! Before He spoke those mighty words, Let there be light!, God knew you, chose you to be His own, and gave you purpose: ... to be holy and blameless in His sight. You were born in sin, unable to fulfill the very purpose for which you were ordained. But this is the gospel: your sins have been forgiven in accordance with the riches of God's grace! You've been adopted to sonship through Jesus Christ, and in Him God sees you as He always intended you to be: holy and blameless, able to - right here and now - live to the praise of His glorious grace! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your words, actions and decisions will reflect the purpose God chose you for before the creation of the world: to be holy and blameless; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 21

Tired of cheesy Christmas carols? Sing Psalm 8 instead! Psalm 8, Trinity Psalter Hymnal Psalm 8 (ESV) To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of David. 1    O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2   Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3    When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4    what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? 5    Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6   You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7   all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8    the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. 9   O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! 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 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary section is reposted from January 16, 2024 On one hand, people don't use the adjective 'majestic' very often, but on the other hand, it still gets overused! A stunning view of a sunset, a snow capped mountain, or the Grand Canyon might be described as 'majestic.' As awesome as these things are, the reason they can be designated 'majestic' has nothing to do with their beauty in and of themselves, but only because they're a reflection of the One who made them. The reason the word 'majestic' shouldn't be used as often as other adjectives is because in order for something to truly be 'majestic,' it must have a royal   aspect. That's why David bookends this psalm with the phrase, LORD, our Lord, how majestic   is your name in all the earth. Every aspect of creation, from the moon and stars in the heavens, to the praise of children and infants is a royal procession paying homage to its King, our Father, the LORD Almighty, who created, preserves and governs the universe. He made all of these things to make us mindful of, as the Belgic Confession states , the invisible things of God: his eternal power and his divinity. But the primary message of Psalm 8 is what God is mindful of. At the center of all that God created are you and me, having been given dominion over all the works of His hands. That's not at all an overstatement. After creating all that is, and setting His glory upon the heavens, God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over all the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground (Genesis 1:26)."   Dig Deeper   Psalm 8 covers multiple aspects of theology. It begins with what we call theology proper - that is, explaining who and what God is. He's majestic, stronger than His foes, and all of creation is the work of His fingers. The psalm also unpacks some anthropology as well, unpacking who and what we are: on one hand, we're humble, finite creatures, especially compared to the moon and stars, yet creatures that God is mindful of (this is a good example of theological tensegrity ). But as most of you read this the day after Christmas, it's the Christology of Psalm 8 that stands out. This is the branch of theology that describes our Savior - the One who is both fully God and fully man . It's not just mankind in general that David describes as having been made a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor . It's Christ, our Savior, whose birth we celebrate in earnest this week. You and I, along with all of our neighbors, have certainly been given dominion over the works of the LORD's hands. But ours is a limited dominion, and one which we so often sinfully abuse. It's only Christ our Savior for whom God will put all things under his feet, as Paul so beautifully sets forth in Philippians 2 . Your probably tired of Christmas carols at this point, so let the triumphant words of Psalm 8 fill your mind as you prepare for the coming Lord's Day: LORD our Lord, thy glorious name all thy wondrous works proclaim; in the heavens with radiant signs ever more thy glory shines. How great thy name! With dominion crowned He stands o'er the creatures of thy hands; all to Him subjection yield in the sea and air and field. How great thy name! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that crowned you with glory and honor, and that He's given you dominion of the works of His hands, but above all, that He's mindful of you and that He sent the Son of Man for your salvation; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 21

Merry Christmas! Find out what Jesus 'eagerly desired' to do! Photo: mk. s via Unsplash Luke 22:14–20 (NIV) 14  When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15  And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16  For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”  17  After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. 18  For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  19  And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”  20  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. 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 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary & Dig Deeper section is reposted from July 10, 2023 It's easy to look at Jesus as a victim as He goes to the cross, but as we read of His final days we see that He remained fully in control throughout His life. In preparing to celebrate the final Passover - not just for Him, but for all, since He would Himself become the final Passover Lamb - Jesus gives the disciples specific instructions, even anticipating exactly what the owner of the house would be doing when the disciples arrived. Once gathered, Jesus tells His disciples that He's eagerly desired  to eat this meal with them. Does that describe your attitude in coming to the Lord's Table? If not, why not? It's at this point the story pivots from being the Last Supper  - that is, the last Passover celebration - to the Lord's  Supper , in which those who partake the physical elements of bread and wine participate in the body and blood of Jesus. Jesus makes this abundantly clear by declaring the cup to be representative of a new covenant in His blood. Participation in this sacred meal is not optional for Christ's followers. His command is simple and straightforward: Do this . It would have been enough for Christ to simply command, but He also explains the reason for the command. This meal serves as a reminder , not just of all that Christ did, but all that He said and continues to say as His Word is proclaimed.   Dig Deeper   There are very few hard and fast commands Christians must adhere to. Certainly there are gobs of ethical imperatives that flow out of God's Word that guide what we do, and more particularly, what we are not to do. There are very few must do's obligating Christians to perform certain religious tasks. So it should catch your attention when Jesus orders you to do this . Often the sanctuaries in Reformed churches, though beautiful, are by design rather plain. This is because our primary focus is on reading and listening to God's Word, since this is the primary way He communicates Himself to us. Even the most beautiful art is a mere distraction from the glory that bursts forth from the proclamation of the Word. But your Creator knows you. He's very aware that you have five senses, and so He's given you this meal in which all of your senses are reminded of who Jesus is and what He did for you. You see the bread broken and the wine poured out. You touch the bread and taste the wine, and you feel the presence of Christian brothers and sisters gathered around you. Participating in communion is not an optional 'extra' that you can take or leave. Your Savior has commanded you to do this. Like Him, eagerly anticipate this meal. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is coming with His Kingdom; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will eagerly desire the next time your church gathers around the Lord's table, and that you will heed Christ's command to do this in remembrance of Him. A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 19

The gospel is good news, but it's not always news you want to hear. Faithlife.com 2 Timothy 3:12–17 (NIV) 12   In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13   while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14   But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15   and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17   so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 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 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary section is reposted from January 26, 2024 You've likely been told dozens, if not hundreds or even thousands of times that you need to read your Bible and stay rooted in scripture. It's not unfair to ask why , though. Why is it that reading a bunch of ancient words, written by men who lived in vastly different cultures with really weird customs... why should this be a central part of your daily routine? Paul tells you exactly why in this short passage. The primary purpose of Scripture is to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus . Certainly God's self-revelation - both His book of creation, and the clearer and fuller revelation in His written Word  - teach us all sorts of things about Him and how to best navigate this world He's created, but the primary purpose of it all is so that you might understand how it is you are saved through Christ alone. These words that are to be the mainstay of your life are not ordinary words. Millions of pages have been written over the course of history, and of course, some of those pages are better than others. But the words of Scripture stand alone in that they are the very words of God, breathed out by the Holy Spirit through ordinary men comprised of vastly different cultures and personalities. Because its divine origin makes Scripture so much different than anything else ever written, it is the world's only source of authoritative, objective truth.   Dig Deeper   You probably know that the word gospel is shorthand for good news. So it makes sense that the four books of the Bible that narrate Jesus' ministry on earth are referred to as the gospels, for they tell the best news ever! But the word gospel often gets used in a more general sense to refer to all sixty-six of the books of the Bible, since each one of them were also breathed out by God. Certainly the gospel brings you grace, mercy and peace, but it also uncomfortably prods you at times. As the Canons put it, the proclamation of the gospel also gives exhortations and threats alongside its promises. Paul here explains that the gospel is designed to teach, rebuke and correct you. Most of us don't like experiencing rebuke and correction , or even being taught for that matter. But this training in righteousness is exactly what you need as the Spirit sanctifies you into the righteous servant of God that He has declared you to be. As the Canons put it, God not only begins this work of grace in you by the proclamation of the gospel , but He preserves, continues, and completes his work in you as you hear and read the gospel . In other words, you need the gospel just as much now as a believer as you did before you first heard about Jesus. And you'll continue to need it every day of your life until He returns or calls you home so that you'll be thoroughly equipped for every good work. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who breathed-out His Word to us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray the same prayer as yesterday: that you'll keep God's Word always on your lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you might be careful to do everything written in it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 18

Learn to chew your spiritual cud. Yes, you read that correctly. Photo: Pascal van de Vendel, via Unsplash Joshua 1:6–9 CONTEXT: After a decades long exodus through the wilderness, Israel is on the banks of the Jordan River, ready to enter Canaan. Moses has died, and God is calling Joshua to lead, and reminding him what the keys to true prosperity and success are. 5  No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6   Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their fathers to give them. 7  “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law ( tô·rāh ) my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. 8  Keep this Book of the Law ( tô·rāh ) always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. 9   Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 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 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary God makes two primary promises to the newly minted leader of His people - promises that extend to you as well. The first promise is one we've become very familiar with in this past year: God's grace is stronger than you are. God tells Joshua that no one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life . In other words, as the Apostle Paul would rhetorically put it - writing thousands of years later and in a different language, but inspired by the exact same Holy Spirit - if God is for us, who can be against us? ( Romans 8:31 ). The reason you can have such strong certainty and assurance is because of God's omnipresence . We often describe this word as meaning that God is everywhere all the time, which is true, but here God personalizes the concept, telling Joshua (and us) that I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. In other words, God will always be omnipresent in your life; therefore, be strong and very courageous (a command God repeats three times in today's short passage!). The second promise God makes here just sounds plain wrong. Maybe you also have a visceral reaction to what's often referred to as the prosperity gospel, in which a celebrity huckster 'preacher' twists Biblical truth into some contrived formula to make all your wildest dreams come true. Such heretics ought to make you sick and angry! But don't miss what God promises His people: He tells them, in no uncertain words, that they will be prosperous and successful! Generally speaking, when you do everything written in the Book of the Law, things will go well for you. But going well does not always equate to wealth and riches. Divine prosperity and success is defined by a disciple who does not turn from the tô·rāh to the right or to the left. In other words, true success is achieved when you look like Christ, who perfectly kept the tô·rāh on your behalf.   Dig Deeper   God doesn't just lay out the possibility of prosperity and success, He explains exactly how to achieve it. He instructs His people to keep this tô·rāh always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. In the Old Testament, words like laws, precepts, commandments, and several other synonyms don't just refer to the lists of rules that Moses handed down. Rather, they're shorthand for all of God's Words. Chances are you have the same visceral reaction to a word like meditation that you do for prosperity gospel. The practice has been hijacked by hippies and 'mindfulness' advocates, who promote it as a way to empty your mind in order to harmonize it with its surroundings. This is NOT AT ALL what God means! True Biblical meditation is just the opposite: it's about filling your mind with truth, not emptying it. And the best way - really the only way - to do so is through the continual consumption of scripture. Whereas most translations use the word meditate, the NET Bible renders God's command to memorize it [God's Word] day and night. The Hebrew word literally means to mutter. In other words, keep your mind filled with Scripture by keeping your mouth filled with it. Read it, recite it, sing it, pray it and memorize it. Most of our readers live in a rural setting, so you'll get this illustration a bit quicker than your urban brethren. Do what cows do. They eat - voraciously. Then they lie down and chew their cud. You can't actively read the Bible every minute of the day. But you can - and must - learn to chew your spiritual cud. Recall what you've read and heard, and then chew on it through all of your other activities. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will never leave or forsake us; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll keep God's Word always on your lips, meditate on it day and night, so that you might be careful to do everything written in it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 17

Your top priority must be hearing & reading God's Word. Photo: Logos Bible Software Deuteronomy 6:1–9 (LSB) 1   “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments, which Yahweh your God has commanded me  to teach you, that you might do it  in the land where you are going over to possess it, 2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3 “O Israel, you shall listen and be careful to do it , that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in  a land flowing with milk and honey. 4   “Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! 5 “You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as phylacteries between your eyes. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 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 14: God’s Use of Means in Perseverance And, just as it has pleased God to begin this work of grace in us by the proclamation of the gospel, so he preserves, continues, and completes his work by the hearing and reading of the gospel, by meditation on it, by its exhortations, threats, and promises, and also by the use of the sacraments. Summary Today's Summary and Dig Deeper posts are a modified re-post from January 1, 2024 . What a perfect passage to read as a another year of reading through the Bible draws to a close! Moses spoke these words to Israel at the end of their exodus through the wilderness, just as they were about to cross the Jordan river to possess the Promised Land. In these words, God, speaking through Moses, gives His people (both Israel and us) the key to enjoying long life: that you and your son and your grandson might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I am commanding you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. These promises of enjoying a long life in which things may be well and in which things may multiply greatly, clearly are made in general terms. Normally, blessings will follow obedience, but not in every specific situation. Sometimes faithful saints will experience long periods of frustration or even early death, while other times those who have no fear for God will seem to prosper. What's really interesting about these words is that the key to enjoying the good life doesn't just involve blindly following commands, but rather the good life is rooted in theology.  Truly successful people must fear God; that is, they must know both who and what God is, as well as how we as people relate to Him. As we near the end of our year long study of how God's grace is stronger than we are, we're reminded of the basic truth that God's people have been reciting since they stood on the banks of the Jordan. It's called the Shema: Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one!   Dig Deeper   You may not be on the cusp of settling into a new land, but we are close to beginning a new year, so it's a good time to take stock and reset your course where needed. Notice here that as Moses prepares Israel to move in that he mentions nothing about the hard work or logistics that will be needed to feed and house all of the people. Certainly these things are important and necessary - in fact, if you keep reading this passage, God promises to provide these things (v10-12) - but housing and food production are not the top priorities. The priority God gives us, His people, is to first of all know Him (which is a lifelong endeavor). This priority is the one which must be on your hearts. The second priority then is to teach this theology to the subsequent generations. How will your new year reflect these top priorities? The Canons of Dordt draw to a close with a very similar reminder for God's people today. Israelite children were not born with a comprehensive theological understanding; their fathers were commanded to impress this upon them. Israel's sad history show the dire implications that stem from their repeated failure to do this. As God's covenant people, you've been given this same mandate. Teach God's commandments diligently to your sons and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up . This week's penultimate article of the Canons of Dordt catalog the best ways for you to fulfill this obligation through which God preserves, continues, and completes His work in you and your children. At the top of the list is the hearing and reading of the gospel . As you finish out 2025 and prepare for 2026, make sure placing yourself in a Bible preaching church is at the top of your list as well. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Start your prayer with the Hebrew Shema - Hear, O Israel! Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you'll hear God's Word often and subsequently love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 16

You can cling to God because He's clinging to you. Beware of building your theology from bumper stickers. Psalm 63 A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. 1   You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2   I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3   Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4   I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. 5  I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6  On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7  Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8   I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. 9   Those who want to kill me will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10  They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. 11  But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God will glory in him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced. 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 13 - Assurance No Inducement to Carelessness The renewed confidence of perseverance does not produce immorality or lack of concern for godliness in those put back on their feet after a fall, but it produces a much greater concern to observe carefully the ways of the Lord which he prepared in advance. They observe these ways in order that by walking in them they may maintain the assurance of their perseverance, lest, by their abuse of his fatherly goodness, the face of the gracious God (for the godly, looking upon his face is sweeter than life, but its withdrawal is more bitter than death) turn away from them again, with the result that they fall into greater anguish of spirit. Summary We're probably reading Psalm 63 at the wrong time of the year. Most of you see nothing but snow as you look out right now; and for those who find themselves reading this in more tropical climes, please don't describe your current weather conditions in the comment box below; we don't want to hear it. David comes to us this morning from the a place far different than our current upper midwest winter snowscapes; he's in a dry and parched land where there is no water . Psalm 63's inscription - the italic header seen so often throughout the psalter that explains the author, the setting, and sometimes the tune the psalm should be sung to - informs that David wrote it in the Desert of Judah. But it wasn't his physical lack of water that drove him to poetry. It was his spiritual thirst for God - my God - that David earnestly sought. David knows exactly what he's missing because of all the times he's seen God in the sanctuary and beheld His power and glory. While it's true that our sanctuaries look far different than tabernacle in which David worshipped God, it's not the physical place David longs for. It's being in God's holy presence and experiencing His love which is better than life. We’ve noticed often these last weeks that life can feel like a long walk through a valley darkened by death’s shadow , as David so famously described it in Psalm 23:4. But in Psalm 63, David sings of a far more pleasant shadow - the shadow of God’s wings.   Because you are my help, he writes, I sing in the shadow  of your wings. In God, David finds shade from death's dark shadow, and so can you.   Dig Deeper   David describes a beautiful tensegrity in the verse that drew our attention to Psalm 63 today: 8   I cling to you; your right hand upholds me. You've probably heard the trite bumper sticker phrase "Let go and let God." Ostensibly, the cliche is meant to remind that God's right hand upholds me, which of course is true! Those are David's - and so many other Biblical writers' - exact words! But nowhere does the Bible tell you that's it's alright for you to just 'let go' and passively let God's right hand roll you through life! Quite the opposite, in fact! A tensegrity is the integrity that's achieved when tension is applied - think of how a rope becomes firm and strong when it's pulled from opposite directions. David's verse here definitely has tension - does his integrity come from the fact that he's clinging to God, or does it come from the fact that God's right hand is upholding him? Of course the answer is both! Derek Kidner explains this well : "The two halves of verse 8 make one of the most vivid statements of the two facets of perseverance." David certainly clings with all his might, "But it is God himself who makes this possible, and the firmness of his upholding grasp is implied in the allusion to the right hand, the stronger of the two." So cling to God. Earnestly seek Him. Long for Him with your whole being, the same way you'd long for a drink of water in a dry and parched land. But do so with the comfort of knowing that your eternal security does not come from your strength or ability to cling. Rather it comes from the almighty power of God's right hand. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father who upholds you with His right hand; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for calling you to His sanctuary on the Lord's Day to be empowered to cling to Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 15

You're an employee of the one you obey. You better examine your compensation package. Biblia.com Romans 6:1–23 (NIV) This week we've been working our way through this entire chapter. We read vss. 1-4 Monday and vss. 5-10 Tuesday , vss. 11-14 yesterday . We'll finish the chapter today. 6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2   By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3   Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4   We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7  because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10  The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13  Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14  For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 15  What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! 16  Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17  But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. 18  You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19  I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. 20  When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21  What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 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 13 - Assurance No Inducement to Carelessness The renewed confidence of perseverance does not produce immorality or lack of concern for godliness in those put back on their feet after a fall, but it produces a much greater concern to observe carefully the ways of the Lord which he prepared in advance. They observe these ways in order that by walking in them they may maintain the assurance of their perseverance, lest, by their abuse of his fatherly goodness, the face of the gracious God (for the godly, looking upon his face is sweeter than life, but its withdrawal is more bitter than death) turn away from them again, with the result that they fall into greater anguish of spirit. Summary Paul returns to the literary device he began this chapter with as he now begins to wrap it up - the diatribe. That's where he baits the reader by asking a rhetorical question that echoes their own thoughts. Paul ended yesterday's passage with the revelation that you are not under the law, but under grace! What's your first inclination when you're told that you're not under the law? It's probably not far from Paul's rhetorical question. If there's no law telling you 'no,' then why not just do what you want to do? Why not answer every salacious temptation with a resounding 'yes?' Or, as Paul puts it, shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? But just as this second rhetorical question is very similar to the first, the answer is exactly the same: by no means! No way. Absolutely not. Literally, may such a thought never exist! Remember the primary point here in Romans 6 is that since you have been united with Christ in a death like His, you certainly also will be united with Him in a resurrection like His. You are united to Christ in every way. This certainly gives you all the benefits of Christ - His atonement and perfect righteousness - but it does not make you an equal with Christ. You and I remain subordinate; He's the Master, we're the slaves. Slavery doesn't sound very appealing. But you need to understand it's your only choice. Pure, independent freedom isn't possible (for lots of good reasons which we don't have time for today). The only choice you do have is who/what you're enslaved to: either sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness. Your actions make the choice for you: you are a slave of the one you obey . The good news is that although you used to be a slave to sin, you have been set free and have become a slave to righteousness! So obey your Lord!   Dig Deeper   Yesterday we noted the importance of spiritual accounting, in that you must count yourself dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Paul picks up on this business metaphor to close the chapter out by asking another rhetorical question: what benefit did you reap from the things you are now ashamed of? What was the profit (literally: fruit )? Once again Paul provides another reminder of your change in status. Since this time he describes it using economic language, we'll paraphrase using terms a bit more familiar to our day and age: You have been released from sin's employment and you now work for God. The profit you now reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. That's an unbeatable profit margin! The final verse - one of the most famous in the whole Bible - continues with the economic imagery. The wages of sin is death. This demonstrates the absolute justice and fairness of God. If you keep working for sin, you will be paid exactly what you deserve. But our economic paradigms are blown apart by the second half of the formula. Eternal life is not the wage of righteousness. You don't earn it. It's a gift . It can only be achieved in Christ Jesus our Lord. In other words, eternal life is only given to those who've been united with Christ. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father who has set us free from sin and made us slaves to righteousness; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live and work hard in every regard for your Master; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 14

You need to take a spiritual accounting of your life. Photo credit: Carlos Muza, via Unsplash Romans 6:1–14 (NIV) This week we'll be working our way through this entire chapter. We read vss. 1-4 Monday and vss. 5-10 yesterday . 6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2   By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3   Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4   We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6  For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7  because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. 8  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9  For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10  The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13  Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14  For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. 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 13 - Assurance No Inducement to Carelessness The renewed confidence of perseverance does not produce immorality or lack of concern for godliness in those put back on their feet after a fall, but it produces a much greater concern to observe carefully the ways of the Lord which he prepared in advance. They observe these ways in order that by walking in them they may maintain the assurance of their perseverance, lest, by their abuse of his fatherly goodness, the face of the gracious God (for the godly, looking upon his face is sweeter than life, but its withdrawal is more bitter than death) turn away from them again, with the result that they fall into greater anguish of spirit. Summary We've spent the last two days reading through Romans 6, which tells us a shocking truth: Christians are dead! You were baptized into Christ's death (v3), and buried with Him through baptism into death (v4). Paul even moves on past the metaphorical, indicating that a part of you - your old self - was actually crucified with Jesus. It's so easy to quickly move past this reality of our inclusion in Christ's death in order to get to the rich benefit it brings: since you were united with Him in a death like His, you will certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His (v5) . And that's definitely worth celebrating! It makes sense that so many of the songs we sing together praise God for this new and eternal life that He's given us in Christ! But Paul slows you down in today's opening verse. Don't lose sight of your new life, but you also need to continually remind yourself that you're dead . Paul uses an accounting term in telling you to count yourself dead to sin. A good businessman emotionally detaches himself from his business in order to make sound decisions that will benefit his company. He may really like a particular product, service, or employee, but be willing to cut it if the accountant says it's detrimental to his bottom line. This is what you're commanded to do here: to often take a step back, dispassionately take an accounting of your life and cut out the parts that pull you away from Christ and towards sin, even if you really like those parts of your life. Counting yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus changes the way you think about and evaluate everything you do.   Dig Deeper   Your English teacher likely taught you not to mix your metaphors. That's good advice, but Paul doesn't follow it. He only sticks with the accounting metaphor for one sentence before moving on to another: the relationship between a king and his subjects. Don't let sin reign in your mortal body; don't be an instrument (literally: weapon ) of wickedness; sin shall no longer be your master (literally: have dominion or be your lord / ruler ). The enemy's most successful temptation is to offer you freedom. That's what he successfully tempted Adam with in the garden and what he continues to tempt you with: don't let anyone else tell you what to do... just do whatever feels right to you. This is an insidious lie. The reality is that you will always be subject to something, either to God or wickedness (literally: unrighteousness - notice this word is negative, in that it can't be fully defined; anything that's not righteous is wicked). Every one of the imperatives in today's passage is in the active tense. What this means is that you must take these actions, because if you remain passive, sin will reign, you will obey its evil desires, and you will be used as a weapon of wickedness. Do not let this happen. Instead, actively offer yourself to God as one who has been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness . AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father who has brought us from death to life ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the insight and clarity to often take an accounting of your life, and that you'll count yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 13