This passage tells of one of the most unlikely converts! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60 Q. How are you right with God? A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart. Summary A lot happens when Paul and Silas go to the city of Philippi in Acts 16:11–40. They were first encouraged by the conversion of Lydia but then pestered by a fortune-telling slave girl for days, attacked and beaten by a mob, and thrown into prison. Yet, in the middle of the night, in their cell, Paul and Silas pray and sing hymns despite their wounds and predicament. The other jailers and prison guards must have wondered about these imprisoned yet cheerful out-of-towners. Paul and Silas were men on a mission to call everyone everywhere to repent and be baptized (Acts 17:30). They also knew who was in control and that this must have been part of the plan. Sure enough, God sends an earthquake to open the prison doors and unfasten everyone’s chains. This turn of events frightened the Philippian jailer enough to consider taking his own life, since he knew the severe punishment he would receive for all the prisoners fleeing. Then he hears startling news from within the rubble. Paul shouts out that they have all remained. It would have been fair for Paul and Silas to run out and never look back since they were unjustly charged. But all of this was an act of God to prepare another convert. A hardened and skeptical jailer was brought to his knees and knew he needed help. And he is immediately overcome with his spiritual need, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they take the opportunity to tell him about Jesus and point him to trust in Him, for “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Dig Deeper Lydia was someone whose heart was opened to receive Paul’s words. In the Philippian Jailer, we read of someone who was not open to salvation until his life faced a crisis. They had different circumstances and roads to receiving the message of salvation, yet both accepted the gospel with a believing heart. In both instances, it leads them to show hospitality to Paul and Silas. Their faith leads them to love and good works. But in neither case did they earn God’s favor. They accepted God’s gift of grace through faith. Sometimes it is hard to get gifts we feel we do not deserve or have no way of repaying the favor. However, most people are okay if they win a prize drawing they did nothing for except submit a piece of paper with their name on it. Most of us will never win an all-expense paid vacation or a game show grand prize. The good news of salvation and a rightful entrance into everlasting life before the presence of God is the grandest prize ever imaginable. You couldn’t earn the right to it on your own, and neither do you have to rely on being “lucky” and having your name drawn. The good news is all you need to do is accept God's gift with a believing heart. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God works all things for the good of those called according to his purpose; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Confess your sins and sinfulness and put your trust in Christ and what He has completed for you in your salvation; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Ephesians 2

Abraham gives us a lesson on justification through faith alone. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60 Q. How are you right with God? A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart. Summary God first revealed some of the most incredible promises of His saving grace to Abraham. In Genesis 15, God assures Abram (before he is known as Abraham) that his reward will be greater than he can imagine, including becoming a great nation and possessing a great land. Abram struggles to believe at first. He wonders, ‘How can this be? I have no children, no heirs to give this great reward. I don’t see how this will work.’ So the Lord turns Abram’s gaze to the night sky and the vast array of stars. The blessings to come would be beyond Abram’s ability to count them, which leaves Abram speechless. All he could do was believe God’s word for it. This leads to one of the most profound theological statements in the Bible: “And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness (v6).” Abram had not done anything for the Lord to deserve these promises. These covenant promises were given before Abram was circumcised and before he and Sarai miraculously bore a son. He would have his times of faltering, but he was credited with righteousness that was not his own through faith alone. In Romans 4:2, Paul drives home that it was faith, not works, that declares one legally right before God (justified), “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.” Dig Deeper If you were to ask someone you pass on the sidewalk, “How are you right with God?” they may give you a puzzled look. For many, this is not a question that keeps them up at night, and it likely doesn't seem relevant. They may respond, “Well, God knows I try my best, and I try to do more good to outweigh any of the bad in my life.” This question becomes a concern only after realizing the devastating nature and condemnation of sin before a completely Holy God (see yesterday’s passage Eph. 2:1–10). There is no balancing of the scales between good and evil when perfection is required, which is why the good news is so surprising. God does not lower His standards or grade on a curve but grants and credits Christ’s perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness to those He saved. The only way to receive it is by faith, because you know it is not something you can achieve and claim for yourself. Abram could not achieve the promises that God gave to him. They were too great and lofty. Generations as many as the stars of the sky when he was already old, and his wife was barren? All he could do was believe God’s Word and trust the Lord would come through on His promises. Yes, faith includes knowledge, but as we see in Genesis 15, it also takes wholehearted trust that God has given you all you need to appear before Him blameless by receiving Christ’s perfect record in faith. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The God who keeps His promises made in His covenant of grace; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will believe the promise of forgiveness of sins and Christ’s righteousness is for you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Ephesians 1

Not only do we not merit salvation, but we deserve something else entirely. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60 Q. How are you right with God? A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ. Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God’s commandments and of never having kept any of them, and even though I am still inclined toward all evil, nevertheless, without my deserving it at all, out of sheer grace, God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me. All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart. Summary In Ephesians 2:1–10, Paul rehashes what we have covered so far in following the structure of the Heidelberg Catechism, which begins with humanity’s failure, caught up in sin and rebellion. In v4, Paul turns dramatically to the good news of God’s intervention, who saved His people through Jesus Christ. The passage then ends with doubling down that this is all a divine act of grace, and gives a clue to where the Heidelberg will later lead: a new life of obedience in Christ. This is the point where we want to flip things around. We understand earning fair wages and getting rewards for good behavior. We even appreciate giving gifts to friends and loved ones for special occasions or “just because.” Around Christmas time, you’ll also hear songs about how Santa Claus delivers his presents based on who’s naughty or nice. But Paul just explained how radical God’s grace is. Ephesians 2 speaks of grace as being more than God’s “undeserved favor,” stating that it is given to those who have done nothing but ear demerits. Children of wrath (v3) are not on the nice list! The outlook for sinful humanity is nothing but destructive patterns, death, and wrath. Then comes the sweetest turn in the Bible: But God. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (vs. 4–5). With the way Paul starts with humanity’s dire state and moves into God’s love in action, can you begin to see how amazing this grace is? Dig Deeper Many people today don't think they think they are all that sinful. The concept of sin is becoming foreign to many modern Americans. The good news will not sound like good news to those who do not know the initial bad news. It would be like telling someone you paid off all their loans, and they replied, “Oh, I didn’t know I had any debts.” But if you tell someone who is all too aware of their debts and struggles to make payments every month, wondering if they’ll ever see the end — their reaction might be slightly different since they know how much they owe and have been overwhelmed by it. The first sentence of answer 60 might seem too easy. Only faith? Isn’t there something left for me to do? Yes, you can thank God for doing it all for you. But what can you do to merit right standing before God? That's something a sinner could never do themselves. That is why it is a gift of grace to be received by faith. You can do nothing to earn salvation because it has already been accomplished for you. As Jesus himself said from the cross, “it is finished” (John 19:30). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: A gracious God rich in mercy and love; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will gladly do the good works that God prepared in advance for you to do. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 16

There are immense benefits to simply believing the good news of Jesus Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 59 Q. What good does it do you, however, to believe all this? A. In Christ I am right with God and heir to life everlasting. Summary For about a quarter of this year, we have considered what a Christian believes as summarized by the Apostles’ Creed. The question and answer about true faith (Q&A 21) prompted the series of questions and answers about what each statement means. These questions are all contained in the “salvation” section of the Heidelberg Catechism, and we have learned how our Triune God has delivered His people from the judgment and misery of sin. Today we get to the “so what?” question: “What good does it do you, however, to believe all this?” What difference does it make to believe these tenets of the Christian faith? And the Heidelberg’s answer delivers good news of eternal significance, “In Christ I am right with God and heir to life everlasting.” Paul provides his own response and summary of God’s work of redemption in Ephesians 1:3–14. This whole passage is dripping with praise for how our Triune God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing of salvation. The Father planned it, the Son accomplished it, and the Holy Spirit guaranteed it. God has completed all of redemption from beginning to end. Salvation signed, sealed, and delivered. The only action attributed to the recipients of this amazing grace is hearing and believing it (1:13). Dig Deeper Reading through Paul’s letters in the New Testament, you might notice that one of his favorite phrases is “in Christ.” Ephesians is no different; he uses a variation of it almost forty times! It’s because the only key to salvation is in Christ. As a Christian, you are inseparably linked to Christ so that when God looks at you, He sees His perfect Son. In Christ, you are united to His obedience, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension to glory. In Christ, you have all you need for salvation from beginning to completion. If you have doubts, look at the language used for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given as a guarantee of your eternal inheritance to come. Like the earthly inheritances we know of, this one is not based on merit either. But to further prove God’s truth of salvation in Christ, He has given His Spirit as a down payment. When buying a house, it is typical that the seller will accept an initial offer from a buyer. Yet it is only when the buyer signs the final paperwork and deposits the down payment that the deal is finalized. When you believe the gospel, you receive the Holy Spirit as a seal; the inheritance of eternal life is promised, and God will see it through. So the next time you recite the Apostles’ Creed or hear the gospel of your salvation, remember that by believing it, you are in good standing before God and a rightful heir of his eternal inheritance because your life is hidden in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The One who has ordained, planned, accomplished, and promised salvation; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will respond to the gospel like Paul in Ephesians 1: full of praise that salvation is complete in Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 15

Jesus tells you exactly what you'll be doing for all eternity, and you can start today! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 58 Q. How does the article concerning “life everlasting” comfort you? A. Even as I already now experience in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, so after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God eternally. Summary John 17 is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prays right before being arrested and crucified. In it Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples, and also the believers that would trust in Him throughout the ages. What a massive statement that Jesus begins with: "the hour has come." All of history, from the very moment God spoke light into being, hinges on Jesus successfully enduring the hell He will face in the coming days. His prayer here at this apex moment is that He will be glorified by the Father in such a way that His glory reflects right back upon the Father. So it's not too much to extrapolate from this simple passage that all of history, and even the eternity that follows, must be focused on glorifying the triune God. Jesus, "who being in very nature God... made Himself nothing by taking on the nature of a servant and the likeness of man, humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death on a cross (paraphrase of Phil. 2:6-8)." He's brought His Father glory by completing this work, and His prayer is that the Father will accept His righteous work on our behalf, and restore Him to the glory He had with the Father before the world began. Dig Deeper This week we've read that heaven won't last forever, and that instead we will reign on earth with Christ for all eternity. That's a long time, and while the first millenia or two might be filled with all sorts of fun and interesting, it does seem like we might get a bit bored. Perhaps the verse that's been added to the famous hymn Amazing Grace should be modified a bit: When we've been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun; what will we do to fill the time that we have not yet done? The answer comes here, at the beginning of Jesus' prayer. Jesus tells us exactly what eternal life entails in v3: Now this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. This is exactly what you, as an image bearer of God, were created to do in the first place: know the only true God! One of the very first things God assigned Adam to do was to name the animals (Gen 2:19-20). Adam was to study each creature, admire their details, notice their unique characteristics, see what made one slightly different than some and completely the opposite of others, and then give each one an appropriate name. The Bible doesn't tell us how long this took, but I don't think he got all of that done in a day or two. What a massive task Adam was given: to come to know God by learning about His creation! Adam got the initial task done of assigning names, but learning all of the other details from the "only true God," all while working and taking care of all that God has made (Gen 2:15) will certainly take an eternity! This is exactly what we'll be doing! We've been following the Heidelberg Catechism this year, learning about our only comfort in life and in death. Another historic Reformed catechism also begins with a famous question & answer: Q: What is the chief end of man? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. (Westminster Shorter Catechism) The best way for you to fulfil the purpose you were created for is to come to know God. The more you get to know Him, the more you will glorify Him, and the more you will enjoy Him and His creation for all eternity. Remember, eternity has already begun for Christians. Make your goal in life right here and now to know God more and more. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father is the only true God. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your top goal in life would be to grasp eternal life: knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom He has sent. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 14

Be sure you match the description of those who will inhabit the new earth. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 58 Q. How does the article concerning “life everlasting” comfort you? A. Even as I already now experience in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, so after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God eternally. Summary The other day we focused on the fact that Heaven's not forever, which seems shocking and disappointing, especially since one of the Bible's primary messages is that those who are in Christ will live eternally. Today's reading confirms that not only will we not be there forever, but heaven itself, just like earth, will "pass away." But the fact that Heaven has a limited life span is actually good news, because both heaven and earth will be made new. While there will still be a delineation between the two (spiritual / physical), there will no longer be a distinction, in that the sin that's corrupted the earth will no longer be present. John describes that here when he writes, "there was no longer any sea." The sea to ancient people represented chaos and disorder. It's not the beauty of the ocean that will be gone, but the chaotic and disordered effects of sin that will no longer plague the world. Earth will be so much like heaven that John writes of heaven - the dwelling place of God - being on earth. Things will finally be the way they're supposed to be: God in perfect fellowship and communion with His image bearers, bringing with Him true comfort and blessing. What a picture John communicates as he describes the almighty creator of the universe tenderly wiping away the tears of His people! The promise that God makes throughout scripture will finally come to pass: He will be our God, and we will be His children. With sin being gone, and God's omnipresence clear to all, the concepts of death, mourning, crying and pain will simply cease to exist. There will be no need for those tools of despair, since the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Dig Deeper It's clear that not all people will get to experience the joys of the new heavens and earth. We were just reminded what kind of people won't be there. John describes those who will be there using two broad strokes: The thirsty (v6): Those who long for the living water that Jesus offers. Does this describe you? Do you long to be quenched with God's Word every day the same way you may crave a cup of coffee (or maybe in some case a Red Bull)? Are you left feeling parched on those weeks that something kept you from being able to assemble with God's people on the Lord's Day to hear His Word? Since you can quench your spiritual thirst now in the same way it will be quenched in the new earth - without cost from the spring of the water of life - you can already begin to experience heaven on earth. Be a thirsty person! The victorious (v7): This certainly doesn't mean that only the 'winners' in life will go on to the new earth, rather it means those who are in Christ, who has overcome the world. John uses the same word here in Revelation 21:7 to describe God's people that he used to recount Jesus words in John 16:33 ("take heart, because I have overcome the world.") AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father is our God, and we are His people. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the Holy Spirit will cause you to thirst more and more to drink in Christ's victory over the world. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 13

You don't need to wait until heaven to experience authentic joy & peace, you can have that right now. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 58 Q. How does the article concerning “life everlasting” comfort you? A. Even as I already now experience in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, so after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God eternally. Summary We don't often focus on just one verse at a time, but today's passage packs the punch of an entire chapter into one sentence. This verse is often used as a benediction, which is a blessing given to God's people upon the completion of their gathered worship. This benediction is actually a prayer, and like so many prayers in the Bible, it is short and it follows the Triple-A prayer pattern: 1) It begins by Acknowledging who God is: The God of hope: Keep in mind here that the Bible uses the word 'hope' differently than what we're used to using it. We say that we hope the Twins do well or that we hope the weather will be nice next week, but in saying those things we understand that there's a big chance that what we hope for won't actually transpire. Biblical hope is much more than just a wish, it's a certainty that God will fulfill all that He has promised. 2) It Asks God for what we need: Granted, we often make this our third 'A', not our second, but it doesn't always need to be that way. This prayer asks that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you will be filled with so much joy and peace, that it causes you to overflow with hope. Can you think of anything better to ask God for? 3) It Aligns you with God's will: You will be filled with this joy and peace only as you trust in Him - the God of hope. This ought to be obvious, that the more we trust the world to fill us, the less joy, peace and hope we'll actually have. Trusting in the God of hope is the heart of what it means to live in a way that's aligned with God's will. Dig Deeper It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you will not fully experience true joy and peace until the moment God calls you home, and you instantly step into the paradise that Jesus promised to the thief on the cross. While it's certainly true that you'll never be fully freed from the effects of sin until that day, be reminded that you can experience authentic joy and peace here and now. The way to do this, as this benediction demonstrates, is to put all of your trust into the God of hope, and the way that you trust in God is to do even more of what you're doing right now: immersing yourself in God's Word. As we've seen before, this is a very logical concept: God fills you with joy and peace so that you overflow with hope as you trust in Him; Your trust in Him increases by filling yourself with His Word; Therefore, the more you fill yourself with God's Word the more joy, peace and hope you will have. So take advantage of every opportunity you have: continue reading the Bible each week day, as you look forward to meeting with God's people every morning and evening on the Lord's Day. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The God of hope; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask that God will increase your trust in Him as you fill yourself with His Word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Ask that you will experience true joy and peace that results in overflowing hope as you trust in Him Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 12

When you die with faith in Christ, you will immediately be with Him in heaven. But not forever. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 57 Q. How does “the resurrection of the body” comfort you? A. Not only my soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head, but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ, will be reunited with my soul and made like Christ’s glorious body. Summary Yesterday we were reminded of the tremendous faith of the criminal who hung on the cross beside Jesus, and the tremendous assurance that Jesus responded with, saying "Today, you will be with me in paradise." This is a beautiful comfort that we cling to in the loss of a loved one, that immediately upon taking their last breath they've gone to heaven to be with Jesus. But passages like today's help us understand that our stay in heaven will only be temporary, because there's something much better in store. When Christ returns, He will not return alone, rather "God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him (v14)." As the Lord himself comes down from heaven, He will command His archangel to sound the trumpet of God, and those who "have fallen asleep," which is a New Testament euphemism for having died in Christ, will "rise first." That is, their souls, which have been in heaven with Jesus, will be rejoined to their newly resurrected bodies. After that, Christians who are still living at the time, having witnessed this awesome second coming of Christ, will be "caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air (v17)." It's at this point that the final judgment will take place, and the new heavens and new earth will be inaugurated. Dig Deeper This Biblical teaching is surprising to most Christians. While the Bible tells us everything we need to know about how to attain salvation by grace alone, in Christ alone, through faith alone, it tells us very little about what eternal life with Him will be like. We do know that it will be eternal, however, so it's quite easy for us to assume that when we die and go immediately to heaven as Jesus promised that we will be there with Him forever and ever. But that's not at all what you've been designed for. You were planned for and created with two distinct aspects: both a soul and a body. This is one of the things that makes you unique and different from any other embodied creature. So many other religions have looked at this dichotomy and concluded that true peace is not possible until a person has completely freed his soul from the physical prison of this world. Thus anything that's physical is bad, and anything that's spiritual is good. But since God created you with both a spiritual and physical aspect, it only makes sense that true perfection can not be fully attained until both parts are once again joined. Certainly heaven will be wonderful, and we can find true peace knowing that our loved ones who trusted in Christ are enjoying it, having been freed from sin, sickness and suffering. But they, like you, are waiting for something even better. This is confusing and hard to understand for sure, but as it says in v18, these words are given to you for encouragement. Christ is coming to make all things new again: both your body and a new earth for you to live on with Him forever. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who will bring Jesus back, along with all who have fallen asleep in Him. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask that God will encourage you with these words so that you can live optimistically in a very pessimistic world. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 11

The final promise Jesus made before dying is the most comforting of all. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 57 Q. How does “the resurrection of the body” comfort you? A. Not only my soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head, but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ, will be reunited with my soul and made like Christ’s glorious body. Summary This is a story of two criminals, one hanging on either side of Jesus, but both looking at their present situation from vastly different perspectives. To call them 'criminals,' or even 'thieves' as the older translations put it, is an understatement. In modern parlance, these guys would be classified as terrorists or insurrectionists guilty of murdering multiple people and fomenting violence wherever they went. Regardless of how they're referred to, they represent two different types of people in this world. The one insults and belittles the Son of God hanging next to him, since God is not giving him exactly what he wants. The other better understands the reality of the situation: God is giving the both of them exactly what they deserve. It's this ability to look past the lies that come from within - an ability given by the Holy Spirit - that results in the proper attitude as he approaches his maker: This second, humbled criminal fears God. But notice this properly grounded fear of God doesn't result in terror and dread, rather it brings about one simple request to the Savior innocently suffering the same punishment as him: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus' reply, likely coming between gasps for air as he hung, forms the foundation for one of the most comforting doctrines in the Bible. He says to this sinner turned saint, "Today you shall be with me in paradise." Dig Deeper Although this criminal's theology was spot on in his dying moments, it certainly wasn't well developed or comprehensively applied to life. He'd likely never read the Bible, and the only thing he knew about God's law was how to break it. But he obviously wasn't saved because of his lifetime of faithful service or good deeds, nor because of what he knew about the man hanging in the middle. Rather, his salvation came because of what Christ remembered of him, that he was a child of the God he ultimately came to fear, chosen before the creation of the universe to be a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Today we're focusing on the immediacy of the criminal's salvation. Because of this short conversation between two dying men, you can have absolute certainty that those you've known who placed their faith in Jesus Christ instantly were welcomed into paradise upon drawing their final breath. In addition, you can live the life of gratitude that this criminal would have most certainly lived had he been given the chance, knowing that you're last day in this life will instantly give way to your first day in eternity. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who judges justly and calls all sinners to account. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live with the assurance of and gratitude for your sure salvation. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 10

If you're wondering why life is so hard, it's because there's a war that's being waged inside of you. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 56 Q. What do you believe concerning “the forgiveness of sins”? A. I believe that God, because of Christ’s atonement, will never hold against me any of my sins nor my sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life. Rather, in his grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment. Summary Once you recognize the point of this passage, you will begin to recognize it's literary beauty as well, but it can be really confusing at first. Let's strip away some of the literary beauty and figure out what Paul means here: v13 - The law helps you recognize sin in your life v14 - The law is godly, but you are sinful. The result is like oil and water. v15 - You love God for sure, but yet you still sin against Him, so you often feel awful. v16 - Even though the law makes you feel guilty, you understand that's a good thing. v17-18 - You're a new creation in Christ, which causes you to want to do good things, but at the same time, your sinful nature will haunt you and try to keep you from doing what you truly want to do. v19 - You want to do good but don't, you don't want to sin but do. v20-23 - Your old sinful nature does everything it can to sabotage you. You have a war constantly being fought inside of you trying to take you a prisoner of sin. v24 - This war will crush you until you finally are reminded that your salvation does not depend upon your strength, but upon Christ Jesus your Lord. Dig Deeper The difficult thing about the Christian life is that the victory has already been won by Christ, but the battle is not yet over. You have a war that's being fought within you each day, between Sarx (the personification of evil that's always whispering temptations in your ear), and your desire to do what is right that comes from having a regenerated heart that loves God. While this battle is brutal and unceasing, Romans 7 gives you peace for two reasons. First, know that you're not the only Christian fighting this battle, and even being occasionally knocked down by it. Even Paul succumbed to Sarx on a daily basis, and so does every other Christian in the world. Secondly, and most importantly, be reminded that even when you lose the daily battle, the war has already been won by your Savior, who is Jesus Christ our Lord (v25). AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father God, who gave us His law as a picture of what His holiness; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God for continuing strength to win the ongoing battle within you so that you might bear fruit for Him (v5, 23). ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 9