Your life is a reflection. The question is, what are you reflecting? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Summary In several places in the New Testament Jesus is proclaimed to be the light of the world. This proclamation is now extended from Jesus to his Church. Jesus is the light of the world, but so too are those who follow him. And as the light of the world, followers of Jesus are not to hide away but share their light. This is the nature of what light is, it is meant to be shared. To hide away light, such as that which radiates from a lamp, is to take away its purpose. Dig Deeper If you place a dog in front of a mirror something incredible may happen. Some dogs, upon seeing their own reflection, will believe they are staring at another dog and start barking or growling. Since the other dog is only a reflection, it doesn't back down and this standoff can continue for quite some time. Despite what it looks like, a reflection is not a dog, its image is only borrowed from the original. In the same way, the light that we share as followers of Jesus is not our own but is borrowed light that comes from Jesus. When we share this light through our good works, it is to be done in such a way that others will give glory to God our Father. The proclamation to share your light might be considered in contrast with Jesus’ critique of the Pharisees practice of making their good deeds seen by others. The difference between sharing your light and the showmanship of the Pharisees is intent. The purpose of sharing your light through good works is to bring glory to God. The intent of the Pharisees’ display of good deeds was not to honor God but to draw attention to themselves. Take some time today to consider whether you are letting the love of Christ shine through your actions. Have you chased the satisfaction that comes from others noticing your good works instead of seeking to glorify God through your actions? Have you stopped doing good works altogether? Remember that you are the light of the world and as a follower of Jesus you are to share his light through your good works. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is in heaven; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your life will reflect the light of Christ in you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 6

How often do you give thanks for what God has given you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 86 Q. We have been delivered from our misery by God’s grace alone through Christ and not because we have earned it: why then must we still do good? A. To be sure, Christ has redeemed us by his blood. But we do good because Christ by his Spirit is also renewing us to be like himself, so that in all our living we may show that we are thankful to God for all he has done for us, and so that he may be praised through us. And we do good so that we may be assured of our faith by its fruits, and so that by our godly living our neighbors may be won over to Christ. Summary During Jesus’ travels between Samaria and Galilee he came across a group of ten lepers. The lepers mentioned in Luke 17 are individuals who had contracted leprosy, a rash like skin disease. In addition to the medical concerns affiliated with leprosy, according to the ceremonial law, this made one unclean. Included amongst the consequences of being considered unclean under the ceremonial law was being unable to enter God’s sanctuary and not being allowed around other people who were ceremonially clean, including one’s own family members. For this reason, groups of lepers were known to congregate together, forming a sense of community amongst those who had been cast out of society on account of their skin condition. The rules regarding distancing oneself from those considered ceremonially clean likely explains why the ten lepers yelled toward Jesus instead of approaching him with their request for healing. Fortunately for this group of lepers, the distance between them and Jesus was not an issue, as Jesus offers healing. The command to “go and show yourselves to the priests” carries the implication that by the time they reach the priests, the lepers would be healed. Among the other duties of a priest, it was also their responsibility to verify that those who had an ailment considered unclean, like leprosy, had indeed been healed before they could be declared ceremonially clean. Understanding Jesus’ instruction for what it was, each of the ten obeyed and were healed along the way. However, only one returned to Jesus to give his thanks. Dig Deeper Kate and I (Pastor Alan) have been married for 13 years, which hopefully makes it safe to admit that my least favorite part of the wedding was writing thank you notes afterwards. Part of my struggle was in trying to avoid having them all sound the same, that and the occasional hand cramp. Despite our family and friends knowing that we were grateful for them, we still made sure to write out thank you notes because actions matter. This can be seen in the parable of the ten lepers. While it is likely that all ten lepers felt thankful that Jesus had healed them, only one cared enough to return to Jesus to express his gratitude. Jesus’ rebuke of the other nine shows that he expected more than feelings of gratitude, he expected them to return and express their thankfulness as the Samaritan had done. When it comes to the grace of Jesus and other blessings bestowed upon us by God, his expectation is likewise more than feelings of gratitude. Our gratitude is meant to lead us to action. The good works that we do in the name of Jesus are not a means of earning God’s favor. Instead, these works are a way for us to express our thankfulness to God for what has already been done on our behalf. Which of these lepers’ example have you been following - the nine who were healed and went about their lives, or the one, who upon being healed, took action to show his gratitude to Jesus for what he had done for him? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who takes pity on His children and heals our diseases; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to help you make gratitude the primary motivation in your life; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 5

Church discipline always works. Sometimes it also results in restoration. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 85 Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline? A. According to the command of Christ: Those who, though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and after repeated and loving counsel refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being reported to the church, that is, to its officers, fail to respond also to their admonition— such persons the officers exclude from the Christian fellowship by withholding the sacraments from them, and God himself excludes them from the kingdom of Christ. Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine reform, are received again as members of Christ and of his church. Summary Yesterday we read about the ugly account in which a man who had been proudly sinning in a way that made the pagans blush. Paul took the Corinthian church to task for tolerating such an ugly sin and instructed them to "expel the wicked man from among you (1 Cor. 5.13)." Church discipline, while necessary, can often seem cold and callous. But when done faithfully, it always works. Sometimes it works by simply ridding the church of a cancerous sin which might infect others. But in this particular case, and many others since then, church discipline achieves its primary goal: bringing the wayward sinner into repentance. The man we read about yesterday is quite likely the same man we read about today, only this time he's characterized by overwhelming sorrow rather than sinful pride. Being put out from the church had the exact intended effect upon him, which the Holy Spirit used to open the man's eyes to see his sin and come to repentance. Paul's instructions regarding this man are quite different than what we read yesterday. Instead of "handing him over to Satan," the church must comfort him. Rather than expulsion, he must be forgiven. Dig Deeper The Belgic Confession is part of the Three Forms of Unity, which, along with the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dordt, gives expression to what Reformed churches believe the Bible says. It gives the Church three key tasks that it must perform in order to be considered a true church: Preach the pure gospel; Maintain the pure administration of the sacraments; Exercise church discipline to punish sin. In general, we're pretty good at these first two marks. But faithfully exercising church discipline is never easy. It's awkward, embarrassing, and can easily and quickly go off the rails. Besides, as upper midwesterners, we abhor confrontation, so it's way easier to just pretend we don't see the obvious. Maybe if we just work harder at the first two marks, we think to ourselves, the need for the third will vanish. But yet we've been commanded to keep the church pure. We're not interested in chasing out repentant sinners; in fact, we need to attract more of them! But those who willfully, continually, and unrepentantly put their own wants and desires ahead of the Kingdom have no business being in it. For our own good, and possibly even theirs, we must - after repeated brotherly counsel and pleading for them to repent - show them the door. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who demands perfect obedience, but welcomes all those who repent of their sin; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your church would be welcoming to repentant sinners, but hostile to those who unrepentantly cling to sin. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 4

Church discipline is increasingly unpopular, but it's increasingly necessary. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 85 Q. How is the kingdom of heaven closed and opened by Christian discipline? A. According to the command of Christ: Those who, though called Christians, profess unchristian teachings or live unchristian lives, and after repeated and loving counsel refuse to abandon their errors and wickedness, and after being reported to the church, that is, to its officers, fail to respond also to their admonition— such persons the officers exclude from the Christian fellowship by withholding the sacraments from them, and God himself excludes them from the kingdom of Christ. Such persons, when promising and demonstrating genuine reform, are received again as members of Christ and of his church. Summary Paul's first letter to the Corinthians is not a happy one, but rather a stern letter of correction. In a way we ought to be thankful for the brash incompetence of this early church, because were it not for Paul's rebukes which have been handed down in scripture, we'd likely fall into the same traps they did. This particular incident that Paul is responding to is one that would make even the pagans blush: a man in the church is in an incestuous relationship with his mother (or possibly step mother). What's worse is the reaction of the Corinthian church; there are no calls to repentance, rather they're proud of the situation (v2)! Paul doesn't recommend a bunch of books to help the rest of the congregation understand the man's peculiar attraction, or warn them of being overly judgmental, or set up a series of listening sessions to see how various members feel about this. Quite the opposite; he recognizes the imminent danger that tolerating such a gross, public sin creates in the church, comparing the situation to the way a tiny bit of yeast will work its way through an entire batch of dough. Paul's prescription for this ugly situation seems brutally harsh: the wicked man must be immediately expelled from the body (v13). Dig Deeper Church discipline is always painful, especially when it escalates to the point to where an unrepentant sinner is excommunicated - put out from the fellowship of believers and the sacrament that signifies and seals God's grace. But sin must not be allowed to fester in the body of Christ, and tolerating the sins of one in order to spare the pain of discipline will only result in more of the congregation becoming infected. Tomorrow we'll see that the goal of discipline is always that the person repent and be restored. That's why, in fact, Paul ordered the man's expulsion, so that Satan could destroy the man's Sarx (flesh / sinful nature) resulting in the salvation of the man's spirit (v5). In other words, sometimes the only thing that can wake a person up to repentance is hitting rock bottom after having lost everything else. These last few decades, the strongest arguments against church discipline have been coming from within the church itself - even from within our Reformed denominations. Don't let this popular swell sway you. Know that church discipline is one of the keys to the Kingdom of God. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who gives us His commands in His Word and expects our obedience, but who offers grace to sinners who come to Him through Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that your church cares about you enough to discipline you if you begin to wander from God's truth. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 3

God wields His double-edged sword with surgical precision. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 84 Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony. Summary Words don't get the credit they deserve in our hyper-pragmatic society. Most people prefer hands on instruction rather than a long manual full of words or a movie or video rather than an expansive novel. But our ability to form and utilize words is one of the key features that set us as human beings apart from the rest of God's created order, and it's precisely because we're created in His image that we have this unique ability. God's first recorded action was Him speaking words of creation into the nothingness. The Israelites met God as they cowered under His words of commandment that boomed down from the mountain, and their descendents would go on to harass, persecute, and generally ignore the word God sent via His prophets calling His wayward children back. John introduces our Savior as the Logos, which is often translated as word, but which refers to much more than just basic vocabulary (Logos also forms the basis for logic, and serves as the foundation for knowledge - biology, geology, theology, etc.). God's Word is so much more than ancient stories, prophecies and testimonies printed on dusty old pages. His Word is alive and active, able to penetrate the heart of man like nothing else. Furthermore, Isaiah adds that God's Word never fails; it always achieves the purpose for which He sent it. Dig Deeper But it sorta seems like God's Word has failed. Churches - even (maybe even especially) churches that have faithfully proclaimed God's Word - are emptier now than they've been in decades. Has our society finally achieved Adam's goal of separating ourselves so far from God that we're out of reach of the powerful sword His Word represents? Absolutely not. God's Word always achieves God's purposes. Praise God that through the proclamation of His Word you have come to clearly understand His grace. But it also clearly communicates God's anger and eternal condemnation for those who do not repent of sin. Unbelievers have heard and understood this Word, but they have failed to respond to it. Praise God that His Word goes out from your church, and know that whether your pews are full of those who've gladly accepted the gospel message, or empty because so many heard it and rejected it, that God is achieving His purposes through the preached Word. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father faithfully sends us His Word, just as He sends us rain from heaven; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God, by means of His double edged sword, will continue to penetrate the sin that always seeks to envelope your heart; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 2

God's power is best experienced as you hear His Word preached. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 84 Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all believers, each and every one, that, as often as they accept the gospel promise in true faith, God, because of what Christ has done, truly forgives all their sins. The kingdom of heaven is closed, however, by proclaiming and publicly declaring to unbelievers and hypocrites that, as long as they do not repent, the anger of God and eternal condemnation rest on them. God’s judgment, both in this life and in the life to come, is based on this gospel testimony. Summary Verses 9-10 are a great example of how simply the gospel can be presented, and they're well worth memorizing: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. But your heart and mouth do not operate independently... well, they often do, but that usually doesn't turn out well because your brain is supposed to be in control. Salvation requires that mental connection as well. The Israelites were lost in sin because they first got lost intellectually. Paul writes that "Since they did not know the righteousness of God, they sought to establish their own (v3)." It makes sense that before a person can accept the gospel (good news), he must have some understanding of what the gospel entails: that Jesus is Lord, and that God raised him from the dead. In the entire course of human history, nobody has ever come to this conclusion on their own. Everyone who has received salvation received it after they were informed about it. Sometimes (but not very often) a person comes to understand the gospel as a result of her own independent study of scripture. The ordinary way that God brings salvation to people is through the preached proclamation of His Word. This is why Paul finishes this passage as he does in v14-15: BELIEF IN CHRIST requires HEARING ABOUT CHRIST which requires PREACHING which requires PREACHERS BE SENT OUT. Dig Deeper It's really good that you're taking the time to read God's Word for yourself. You need this in a big way, and it's such a shame that most people - most Christians, even - do not take the time to benefit from this simply daily discipline. God's Word is certainly powerful and transforming as you read it, but there's something different that adds even more power as you hear it proclaimed on the Lord's Day. The great reformer, John Calvin, mentions three big reasons you must regularly be present to hear the preached Word, even (especially) after you've believed in the gospel message: The preached Word is the very voice of God. When the preacher reads and explains the Bible, it's as if God is speaking directly to you; God is present in the preached Word. You may feel God's presence fishing on a peaceful lake or in some other happy place, but to truly experience the fullness of God's presence, come and listen to His Word being proclaimed. Preaching is the sceptre with which Christ rules all things. "Preaching is not only the sceptre by which Christ rules within His Church but also the sword in the hand of the Church by which, secretly and unknown even to itself, the Church rules or brings judgment amongst the nations." Calvin goes on to list five more benefits of preaching, so be assured that if you truly desire to experience the peace of Christ in your life, you need to faithfully hear the Word preached every Lord's Day. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who reveals Himself to us through His Word, which is to be publicly proclaimed; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your zeal for God would be based on the true knowledge of the gospel; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 1

God uses the Church to enact His sovereign will. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 83 Q. What are the keys of the kingdom? A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers. Summary One of the key moments in the gospels is when Peter realizes that Jesus is no ordinary teacher. Matthew record of Peter's confession comes in chapter 16, and as soon as Peter exclaims that Jesus "is the Christ, the Son of the living God (v16)," Jesus responds by issuing Peter the 'keys of the kingdom.' Be lest we conclude that Jesus was giving this massive power to just one individual, Jesus uses nearly the same phrase over again a couple of chapters later that we read today, this time as a follow up regarding how to handle conflict in the Church, and this time using the word 'you' in plural: 'whatever y'all bind or loose.' When after going through the multiple steps Jesus prescribes, the Church - certainly not the whole church, but even as few as a couple of representatives of it - comes into agreement on a matter of discipline, the matter is as settled (bound) in heaven as it is in the Church. In giving the Church this responsibility, God doesn't provide unlimited power. He preserves His sovereignty over all things, including which individuals will be 'bound' and 'loosed.' R.T. France puts it well, “The fact that God has given his people the role of declaring his will on earth does not mean that he is bound to add his divine sanction to anything they may think up.” Dig Deeper It might seem like we should be taking much more advantage of the promise Jesus makes in v19, that if any two of us agree on anything they jointly ask for in prayer, our Father in heaven will do it for them. We certainly should be taking more advantage of the this promise, but we also better understand the parameters of the promise being made here. First of all, the promise is made in conjunction with the formal administration of the Church, but although this doesn't limit the promise's power just to large group meetings since Jesus applies it to groups as small as two or three, this promise is not meant to guarantee you that when you get together with two or three friends and ask God to grant the Twins or Vikings a championship that God is forced to comply. The key to this promise comes in the phrase "gathered in my name." This means that those who've come together on behalf of the church in prayer are fully aligned with God's will, and therefore will be asking for things that God eagerly desires to provide. What are some of the things that God eagerly desires for your church that you ought to be coming together to ask Him for, especially now that you've been reminded of the promise Jesus made to you? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly provides for His Church through His Church; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as you gather with others from the Church that you will be 'gathering in Jesus' name.' ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 24

As a Christian, there are times when you're commanded be intolerant. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 82 Q. Are those to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly? A. No, that would dishonor God’s covenant and bring down God’s anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives. Summary Paul opened chapter three with the words "always be peaceable and gentle to everyone (v2)," so it seems shocking to read what we just did in v10, that there will be times that we must "have nothing to do" with a person. It might be less surprising if Paul was warning Christians to keep their distance from pagan people outside of the church, but he's not! He's referring to people within the church, who constantly and divisively stir the pot with controversies, arguments and quarrels. Paul adds in 'genealogies' too, referring to men who demanded more authority in the church because they could trace their lineage way back into Old Testament times. One of the big benefits of being part of a local congregation is being surrounded with fellow Christians who keep one another accountable. It often seems awkward to call out sins in others, especially when we know we have our own weaknesses, but it not only is a command we've been given to do, but a comfort to know we can trust our fellow members to call us back when we step too far out of line. "Warn a divisive person once," Paul instructs. That first 'warning' will likely be a gentle, yet firm encouragement. The person may not realize that their actions are hurting others, and may even be grateful for the advice. But if the divisive behavior continues, Paul says, "warn them the second time." In Matthew 18:15-18, Jesus illustrates how this process is to work. Whereas the first warning may be personal and informal, the second warning involves more people, such as the elders from the church. If both warnings go unheeded, both Jesus and Paul agree. Be done with them. Put them out. Jesus says, "treat them as you would a pagan or tax collector (Mt 18:17)." Paul writes, "have nothing to do with them." Dig Deeper These words seem harsh, and even un-Christian to our ears which have been conditioned by our hyper-tolerant society. Certainly we must distinguish between 'divisive' people and those who are just saying things that we might not want to hear but need to, and even those who are just plain annoying. But people who are "warped and sinful" are like a contagious disease that if left unabated will soon infect the entire church (2 Tim 2:16-17). They must be put out, for their own good (see and 1 Cor. 5:4-5 and 1 Tim 1:18-20), but especially for the good of the church. One of the primary marks of the true church is the practice of church discipline. This is a slow, deliberate process involving the processes we read about here in Titus 3. The goal of church discipline is always to bring the sinner to repentance and restoration, but the ultimate conclusion for those who stubbornly remain in their sin is excommunication, which literally means to be put out from communion, both in terms of the fellowship of the church and away from the Lord's Table. We'll end our discussion of the sacraments in the same way we began it over a month and a half ago: sacraments are signs and seals of what Christ has done for us. Those who will not submit themselves to Christ's Church have no business being sealed in the benefits He's won for it. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly disciplines His children to save them from eternal condemnation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you take all of the Bible's warnings against sin seriously; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 23

Frivolous warning signs are easy to ignore, but not all warnings are frivolous. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 82 Q. Are those to be admitted to the Lord’s Supper who show by what they say and do that they are unbelieving and ungodly? A. No, that would dishonor God’s covenant and bring down God’s anger upon the entire congregation. Therefore, according to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, the Christian church is duty-bound to exclude such people, by the official use of the keys of the kingdom, until they reform their lives. Summary The celebration of the Lord's Supper in Corinth had become a farce. Earlier in this chapter, Paul writes of how some would go hungry while another would over indulge until he was drunk. After reiterating the instructions Jesus gave for participating in His body and blood, Paul lays down a stern warning: those who come to the table in an unworthy manner are guilty of sinning against the body and blood of Jesus! So serious is this sin that it may even cause the entire congregation to get sick and even die (v30)! This seems really harsh, but we're reminded that the Lord disciplines us now so that we will not be condemned with the rest of the world. The Lord's discipline, though sometimes painful, is actually an act of His grace! One important key to coming to the Lord's table in a worthy manner is given in v28: you must examine yourself beforehand. That means, as one lexicon put it, "to try to learn the genuineness" of your faith. This is why most Reformed churches announce their communion celebration well in advance, and then spend time corporately as also individually preparing, so that each member of the congregation can examine their faith, hope and love to make sure it's firmly rooted in Christ alone. Dig Deeper We get so used to warning signs being slapped on to everything due to the overabundant caution manufacturers exercise as the result of often frivolous lawsuits stemming from people who hurt themselves by abusing the company's product. We see WARNING, DANGER & CAUTION placards so often now that we rarely take the time to read them or understand the dangers they communicate. It's easy to convey that lackadaisical attitude toward scripture. Certainly there are all sorts of warnings, especially in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament, about the repercussions God's covenant people can expect if they transgress God's commands. But as Christians we're so accustomed to downplaying and flat out disregarding these warnings because we know in the end our sins have been atoned for and forgiven in Christ, and that somehow that makes us exempt from God's discipline. Don't make that mistake. Take the Bible's warnings against sin, and especially this warning regarding unworthy participation in the Supper seriously. Don't let it scare you away, but as you prepare for it, examine your life for indwelling sin and root it out as you ensure your faith is placed squarely in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lovingly disciplines His children to save them from eternal condemnation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you take all of the Bible's warnings against sin seriously; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 22

God invites you to His table despite your sins to remind you of His cleansing grace. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 81 Q. Who are to come to the Lord’s table? A. Those who are displeased with themselves because of their sins, but who nevertheless trust that their sins are pardoned and that their continuing weakness is covered by the suffering and death of Christ, and who also desire more and more to strengthen their faith and to lead a better life. Hypocrites and those who are unrepentant, however, eat and drink judgment on themselves. Summary David's sin with Bathsheba, and the murder that it led to, is perhaps one of the ugliest sins recorded in scripture. But this ugly, terrible sin gave way to the most beautiful example in the Bible of what it means to confess and repent from sin as David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote the 51st Psalm. This psalm is a model of the attitude that you must have as you prepare for participation in the Lord's Supper. First of all, you must be displeased with the sin in your own life. Like David, recognize that not only have you hurt other people with your sins, but that you've especially offended God; it's against Him, and Him only that you've sinned. Realize how filthy your sins have made you, and that God is justified in His anger against you (v4). But also trust that God will forgive your sins. Confidently ask for God's mercy, which is based on God's covenant (unfailing) love for you. He can and will blot out your transgression and cleanse you from your sin. You have the added benefit of knowing how God can forgive, because you know that your weakness is covered by Christ's suffering and death. Finally, like David you must desire more and more to strengthen your faith and lead a better life. Pray that God creates a new heart in you, that He restores you to a spirit of joy and re-aligns your life with His will so that your tongue will sing of God's righteousness. Dig Deeper All of us were born into sin - not just born into it, but conceived in it! The corresponding guilt crushes our bones. Notice in v8 that it's God who is causing and using that bone crushing guilt in order to break our spirit (v17). So don't let guilt keep you from grace. So many people stay away from church and away from the Lord's Table because they think they're not good enough. That much is true: none of us have the righteousness required to come into communion with a God who is perfectly holy and who will not tolerate sin! But if God could forgive and restore David, who's terrible sin quite likely had far worse consequences than any wrong you've ever committed, God, through Christ, can and will certainly deliver you from the guilt He's put upon you to bring you to contrition. So make David's prayer of repentance in Psalm 51 your own and accept His gracious invitation to remember and celebrate that your sins have been pardoned by the suffering and death of Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God our Father is completely holy, completely just, and completely merciful; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will use His ordinary means of grace to renew a steadfast spirit within you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 21