Separating from the world isn't popular, but God has always commanded it for good reason. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 [Isaiah 52:11, Ezekiel 20:34, 41] 18  And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will

Hebrews 2:14–18 (ESV) 11  For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18

Hebrews 2:14–18 (ESV) 11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 18: The Incarnation So then we confess

Theology isn't just a trivial pursuit, it's the key to gaining the crown of life! Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary James is a favorite book for many Christians since it gives such good and practical advice that applies to everyday situations. But today's passage illustrates that even the most practical advice is rooted deeply in theology. James begins here by reminding you to keep your eye on the prize: "the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him (v12)." This crown will come to those who have "persevered under trial," and who've "stood the test." This perseverance is not just a matter of brute force or mental/spiritual toughness. It comes from a recognition of theological reality: knowing that the temptations enticing you do not come from God, rather that they're the product of your "own evil desire (v14)." Last week we were reminded of God's simplicity, in that God defines not just Himself, but the attributes that describe Him. He's not just good, rather He defines the very concept of goodness! James reinforces this doctrine, writing that "every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights (v17)." In other words, as our Confession puts it, "God is the overflowing source of all good." Every bit of goodness in this world - even the good things done by otherwise evil people - has its source in God our Father! Furthermore, you can count on what James wrote two millennia ago being just as true today because of another theological truth James reminds us of: our Father "does not change like the shifting shadows." Since God remains the same "yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8)," you can always count on God's overflowing goodness. Dig Deeper We sort of wandered away from the idea that James began this passage with, that you and I must "persevere under trial (v12)," but that's sort of what James intended! Since sin comes when you "are dragged away by your own evil desires," it makes sense that the more you focus on solid theology (knowing who and what God is), the less you'll be distracted by the enticing temptations of the world. Theology isn't just a trivial pursuit, it's the key to gaining the crown of life! This is James' point here: Every good and perfect gift originates with God, so by investing yourself fully in knowing Him, you're surrounding yourself with good things rather than enticing temptation. The best way for you to do this is by continually digging deeper into "the word of truth, that you might be a kind of firstfruits of all God created (v18)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the giver of every good and perfect gift, who does not change; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for "choosing to give birth to you through the word of truth, and pray that you would pursue it, and not the enticing temptations of the world; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 9

above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18

it is easy enough to find examples in the Old Testament of Moses writing about Jesus, particularly Deuteronomy 18:15: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it

any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18

spends so much time introducing in books that are often hard to wrap our head around like Leviticus and Deuteronomy

18  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ...

There's only two types of people: those condemned in Adam & those saved in Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 45 Q. How does Christ’s resurrection benefit us? A. First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, so that he might make us share in the righteousness he won for us by his death. Second, by his power we too are already now resurrected to a new life. Third, Christ’s resurrection is a guarantee of our glorious resurrection. Summary The first chapter of the Bible presents a play by play account of God speaking the world into existence, with each completed day punctuated by God concluding "it is good!" This second chapter adds more detail to the story, especially regarding the pinnacle of God's creation: man. God created man differently than the rest of the cosmos; whereas He had simply spoke everything else into creation, He formed the man from the dust and put His own breath into him. God had a job for His new image bearer: to work His beautiful garden and take care of it. In other words, Adam's purpose - and your purpose - is to ensure that all of creation continues to reflect the holiness of the one who created it. But Adam's existence was far from being all work and no play. God had already set a pattern of rest into His creation, and Adam was free to eat and enjoy the abundance of the garden and God Himself would come and enjoy the 'cool of the day' with Adam (Gen 3:8). Adam had but one rule to follow: he must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for he would die if he did so. Dig Deeper All through scripture, God refers to His chosen people as being His covenant people. A covenant is a solemn arrangement in which two parties contract with one another in a contingent format. For example, a covenant could be as simple as one person saying to another, "I will do this if you will do that." The simple covenantal formula that God enters into with His people in every generation is best expressed in Jeremiah 7:23: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. So it should come as no surprise that God immediately enters into the covenant relationship with His new image bearer, Adam that we read about in today's passage. God gave Adam life, and in return Adam must give God obedience. As long as Adam obeyed, God would give life, but if the covenant was broken, Adam would die. In theology we call this arrangement the Covenant of Works. The New Testament makes clear (Rom. 5 & 1 Cor. 15) that Adam wasn't just an independent contractor, but that he represent all of humanity. Even though Adam defaulted on his half of the covenant, God has not dropped His righteous requirement of perfect obedience. The implication is clear. If you want everlasting life & enjoyment, you must give God everlasting, perfect obedience. But you can't. That's why we celebrate a new representative. One who went all the way to death in order to pay Adam's penalty, and one who provided the perfect everlasting obedience that God requires so as to earn everlasting life. God made it immediately clear that Christ's obedience was sufficient to fulfill man's covenantal obligations in that He restored Jesus' dead and buried body to everlasting life. And since you share in Christ's righteousness, you can be confident that you to will live forever in peace with God. "In Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Cor. 15:22)." Praise God that in Christ you have fulfilled the Covenant of Works and will enjoy life with Him forever! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our covenant God, the creator of all that is who has called us to a life of righteousness. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that through Christ you've earned everlasting life, and pray for wisdom to fulfill your purpose of ensuring God's creation reflects His holiness. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 14