Biblical preaching is what fuels your faith in Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 65 Q. It is by faith alone that we share in Christ and all his blessings: where then does that faith come from? A. The Holy Spirit produces it in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel, and confirms it through our use of the holy sacraments. Summary This week, we're pivoting from the Apostles’ Creed to an introduction of the sacraments. The sacraments are an important part of our worship. Before we get into the sacraments, lets be reminded where our faith comes from. As someone who grew up in the Reformed tradition, I have heard Ephesians 2:8 preached on many times. Its simple message is one that cannot be overstated: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. We do not earn grace, we cannot buy grace, we are given God’s grace through faith. Heidelberg Question 65 asks the next logical question: where then does that faith come from? Our faith is a gift of God, through the work of the Holy Spirit. When we hear the word of God proclaimed, through preaching, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to draw us to the Lord. Our faith is dependent upon the preaching of the gospel. Dig Deeper Do you ever wonder why ministers preach on the Old Testament as well as the New Testament? The New Testament focuses on Jesus, so why do we need to hear from the Old Testament? The Bible is the arc of redemption. The climax of the Bible are the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, because they teach us about Jesus; His life, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. While the Gospels are the climax, the Old Testament teaches us God’s plan for salvation and how we got there. God worked through men and women like Abraham, Moses, Rahab, Ruth, and David to bring about his plan for salvation. He spoke through prophets like Isaiah and Haggai to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. Through the preaching of the Old Testament, we see how God was at work all the way back in Genesis, and as we move forward through the Bible we are led by God to his Son, Jesus Christ. From there, God lays out how He will complete His work when Jesus returns. The Holy Spirit works through all of scripture to turn your heart toward God. By the preaching of God’s Word, you hear who God is, who you are in relation to Him (a sinner in need of redemption), and what God did to save you from your sin. It is through the preaching of the Word that the Holy Spirit works on your heart to draw you to God by showing you that you are a sinner in need of grace. The only way to receive that grace is from God through faith that preaching produces. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Most Holy and Righteous God, your Word endures forever; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I seek out the preaching of your word; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philippians 3

You can't produce fruit if you're disconnected from Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 64 Q. But doesn’t this teaching (that our works do not contribute to our salvation) make people indifferent and wicked? A. No. It is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude. Summary There are two words the Bible uses to describe how to live a fruitful life. The word used most often to describe successful Christians is the word Jesus uses in the example of a grape plant which bears fruit. This word has a passive feel to it. Jesus explains that as long as a branch remains connected to the vine, it will bear fruit. In other words, the fruit is going to come as long as the connection is maintained, just like a grape branch, when given the proper inputs, can't help but bear fruit. Sadly this isn't the case for every branch. Some grow off as long, wild shoots with lots of stem but no leaves or flowers. Others bury themselves under other branches, hidden from the sunlight. Still others seem to be in just the right condition, getting plenty of water, nutrients and sunlight, but for whatever reason nothing comes out of them. In each of these cases the unfruitful branches are cut of and thrown into the burn pile. In the second half of this passage, Jesus puts 'flesh' on this metaphor so to speak. He is the vine, and you and I are the branches. As long as we remain connected to Him - that is, as long as His Word and Spirit are flowing into our lives - He assures us that we will bear fruit. But some people are not content with this relationship, and shoot off on their own. Many bury themselves in the busyness of life, and although connected to the nutrients, do not absorb them. Apart from me, Jesus says, these people can do nothing, and their unfruitful lives will be cut off and thrown away. Dig Deeper Our instinct is to prefer the other word the Bible uses in regards to fruitfulness. We want to be people who produce fruit in our lives. Produce is a much more active word, and conjures up images of hard work, resourcefulness, and downright determination. Those are all good things, but most of the time the Bible uses the word produce, it does so in a negative way. Pharisees are quite often the people the Bible speaks of in connection with trying to produce fruit. They work super hard to impress their neighbors and appease their own consciences, but their reliance is totally on themselves, disconnected from the nutrients of the the true vine. The result is often like a Red Delicious apple: it looks really good and shiny on the outside, but not very appealing when the skin is peeled back. You've been created to be fruitful - to do and make things that reflect and glorify the image of God that you've been created in. Most of this world, separated from the vine by sin, is either desperately expending energy trying to produce fruit on their own, or they've given up trying and consequentially have very little meaning in their lives. So stay connected to the Vine - Jesus Christ. As you immerse yourself in the nutrients that flow from His Word, your life will naturally bear fruit. NOTE: The English Bible translations often use 'bear' and 'produce' interchangeably (even the Catechism uses the word produce). The contrast is much more noticeable in the Greek. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the gardner, who cuts away unfruitful branches; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you remain connected to the vine so that your life bears the fruit it was designed for. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philippians 2

Jesus is coming to settle up. What does that mean for you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 63 Q. How can you say that the good we do doesn’t earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next? A. This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace. Summary It's always interesting looking at the famous last words of people throughout history. Often times people use such words to convey advice for those who continue to live. These words of Jesus that John records here could be classified as Jesus' last words, communicating key advice for how His followers ought to live as they wait for His return. We're just going to focus on v12 today as we continue looking at what it means that God promises to reward Christians for the good work we do, in addition to the saving grace that He gives to all who believe. The plain reading of the NIV’s translation could easily be misunderstood as presenting the returning, victorious Christ as some sort of a divine Santa Claus, coming back with a bag of rewards to give out for all of the good things that people have done in their lifetimes. Many people mistakenly place their hope for salvation in God by comparing the number of seemingly good deeds they have performed against their sinful deeds, and such a person might conclude after reading this passage that Christ’s words bear good news for them since, from their perspective at least, they have done more good things than bad. But this is a dangerous misunderstanding of the gospel. Your salvation is based on grace alone, through faith alone, so you must place all of your trust in Christ alone, since as we learned a few days ago, even your best efforts are tainted with sin and on their own are unacceptable to God. But as we learned yesterday, the work you for Christ's Church will not go unrecognized, and in His final words to us, Jesus promises that He will reward them! Dig Deeper When I was in seminary, I wrote a lengthy paper on how to best translate this verse. Here's where I landed: Look, I am coming soon. My settlement is with me to repay each one for what he has done. One thing that quickly becomes apparent with this translation is that Jesus has something for everyone: To those who have ignored Jesus' free offer of grace and have instead followed their own way, Jesus will settle up with them by giving them exactly what they want: an eternity devoid of grace (in which they'll face the full measure of God's unmitigated wrath for their sin); To those who trust in Christ for their righteousness, He will most certainly give to them the reward He's promised: peace with God; But to those who've not only trusted in Christ alone for their salvation, but who have also sacrificed their own wants and desires to work hard for Him in their lives, Jesus here promises to pay them with wages that will never fade away! Which of these three categories do you fall in? Be sure to heed Christ's famous last words. Trust in Him alone for salvation for sure, but also take full advantage to increase your reward by using the gifts He's given you to build up His body, the Church. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who accepts the sanctified work you do in Christ; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that when Christ returns with the settlement you deserve, you will not be ashamed of what you have done for Him. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philippians 1

Why work for the minimum wage in life when you've been offered the maximum wage? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 63 Q. How can you say that the good we do doesn’t earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next? A. This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace. Summary We're jumping into a discussion here in 1 Corinthians 3 in which Paul is helping these early Christians and us understand that God uses all sorts of different ministers, churches and denominations to build Christians, and so far as they are faithfully proclaiming God's Word, God is using all of them to grow His Church. But in making this point, Paul writes something that catches our attention here today: even though there are many different roles to play and jobs to do in building the Church, each will receive his wages according to his labor (v8 - ESV). This seems to be in conflict with the gospel's primary message that salvation, and the rewards of eternal life in paradise with Christ, are a gift of grace alone! It appears from this verse that a person's eternal reward will be commensurate with the amount of work that person did for the Kingdom in life! Paul adds some clarification in v12-15. You have been called to build up Christ's church by using the Spiritual Gift that He's given to you. That work will be "shown for what it is," and half hearted efforts will not last, and although you will not receive an extra reward, you'll still get God's free gift of salvation, "even though only as one escaping through the flames." But if you make this work your top priority in life, and you make the effort to develop your gifts and become proficient with them, the Bible - here and multiple other places - makes clear that you will be rewarded. Dig Deeper It's important to understand that even though you will be paid for the work you've done for God's Kingdom, these wages are still completely a gift of grace. As we began our study of our only comfort in life and death, we were reminded that on our own, "we are so corrupt that we are totally unable to do any good (question 8)." But we are not on our own any more, are we! We have been regenerated - born again. Along with that grace, God gifted you with an ability to live for His glory by using your skills and talents to build up others. Your ability to do this work comes only because God in His grace gave you the necessary tools. As an extra grace, He will pay you for using the tools He's given you! This reward is something that Jesus talks about often, especially in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and as we'll see tomorrow, one of the last things Jesus says to us in the very last chapter of the Bible is that He's coming soon to make payment! So be sure to work hard for Him, so that the treasure you build up is waiting for you in heaven. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who makes His Church grow by using the talents & skills He's given to His children; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will know how you've been gifted, that you will see the opportunities to contribute, and that your work will stand the test and be eternally rewarded. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Ephesians 6

Even your best efforts are as filthy rags, so you need new clothes! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 62 Q. Why can’t the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with him? A. Because the righteousness which can pass God’s scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law. Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin. Summary Isaiah 64 captures both the transcendence and immanence of God. Normally those concepts are polar opposites: many religions feature a transcendent God like the greek god Zeus, who controls all things from on high; new age religions focus solely on the immanent aspects of their god, which is often reduced to a generic spirituality that pervades all things. The God of the Bible is both of these extremes all at once. The mountains tremble before Him and the nations quake as He makes His name known. Yet at the very same time, this powerful God is our Father who will not remember our sins forever. Though there's much we could drill into here in this beautiful passage, today we're going to focus in on the ugliness it communicates: that even our most righteous acts are like filthy rags. We were created as image bearers of God in all of the beauty that comes along with that, able to think and act just like our Father, but having fallen into sin, Isaiah writes that we've all shriveled up like a leaf, and like the wind we've been swept away by our sins. It's passages like this one that our Catechism is summarizing when it says that even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin. So along with Isaiah in v5, we cry out, "How then can we be saved?" Isaiah's prayer here in this 64th chapter is that God will reshape us, His broken shards of clay, completely bereft of any goodness, back into the work of His hand. Dig Deeper When I was a freshmen at Dordt College in NW Iowa 33 years ago, I worked on an egg farm. By the end of the year, my work clothes stunk so bad that even the guys who worked in hog barns plugged their noses when I came around. Although they still looked good from a distance, my clothes were nothing but filthy rags. There was no amount of laundering that could remove the stench. They needed to be thrown away. So it is with your actions before God. Even your best works, scrubbed and polished as much as possible, still stink. Jesus didn't come just to bring you a better version of detergent, He came to bring you a whole new set of clothes, so that as you stand before God, you God smells the sweet aroma of Christ's perfect righteousness given to you. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who causes nations to quake and mountains to tremble; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for removing your filthy rags and replacing it with the perfect righteousness of Christ, and pray that you will be as clay in the Potter's hand. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Ephesians 5

Jesus looks at two extremes when it comes to keeping God's law and says 'Nope.' Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 62 Q. Why can’t the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with him? A. Because the righteousness which can pass God’s scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law. Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin. Summary The Sermon on the Mount comes near the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, and right out of the gate He seeks to squelch the two biggest misunderstandings that people would have about Him. He begins by stating that He in no way, shape or form will be an excuse for sinners who seek to abolish God's Law. The latest incarnation of this in our own society comes from those who seek to pit Jesus' love against God's law by claiming that it's unloving, and therefore un-Christlike, to uphold Biblical standards that come into conflict with people's personal choices. Jesus lays out a stern warning to those who set aside even the least of God's commands, stating that they will be "called least in the Kingdom of Heaven." Next Jesus calls out those on the opposite end of the spectrum: those who think they're so high and mighty and righteous that they can ride their own awesome law keeping efforts right into the Kingdom of Heaven. Not so fast, warns Jesus. If this is your plan, your righteousness better far exceed the pseudo-righteousness of the Pharisees. But these super-duper rule followers were so hung up in dotting the i's and crossing the t's that Jesus mentioned in v18 that they missed the righteousness of God standing right in front of them. Trying to make yourself right with God on your own is hopeless. If this were the extent of Jesus' ministry, the gospel would be hopeless! Thank God it's not! Dig Deeper Last week we focused on one of the pillars of Reformed theology known as Sola Fide, a Latin phrase that simply means Faith Alone. By this we mean that you are made right with God solely because your faith in Christ and not because of works or rule keeping. But this understanding, while good, needs to be nuanced a bit. You actually are saved by works. God will not set aside His holy, righteous and perfect standards. The nuance comes in that you are not saved by your own works, rather you are saved by Christ's perfect obedience which has been credited to you. God's law must be kept - down to the smallest letter and the least stroke of a pen. Nobody born in Adam had the ability to keep this law since we were all conceived and born in sin, but Jesus Christ, born of a virgin, could and did. We'll spend most of the second half of 2023 looking at how you, as one who "can pass God's scrutiny" because you've been included in Christ, now relate to God's law. But suffice it to say for now, that although you are certainly saved by faith alone, you are not saved by a faith that is alone. As we'll see on Friday, true faith and trust in Christ produces a strong desire to live according to all of God's good and perfect law. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who defines goodness, holiness and righteousness and communicates them in His law; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as your faith in Christ alone increases, that so will your desire to live according to God's law; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Ephesians 4

It’s not the value of your faith that matters, but the object of your faith Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 61 Q. Why do you say that by faith alone you are right with God? A. It is not because of any value my faith has that God is pleased with me. Only Christ’s satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me right with God. And I can receive this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than by faith alone. Summary If you find yourself in the market for a new job, you’ll likely create or update your résumé. You’ll want to put your best foot forward and include all of your top skills, projects you’ve been a part of, and any degrees or certifications verifying your competence for the open position. During the interview, you’ll want to play up your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and mention any connections that might help you stand out. In the opening chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he reminds them that their standing before God has nothing to do with their résumé, background, or connections. In fact, he tells them that they are not a group that will win any debates with their wisdom nor impress their fellow citizens with their lack of nobility or influence. After this teardown, they may have been ready to shout, “Who does this Paul think he is, anyway?” Except Paul showed them, their poor résumé was part of the good news. They were just the kind of group God would choose to display His glory. Using the weak, the foolish, and the lowly are His specialty. The beginning of 1 Corinthians shows us how much the cross of Christ turns the world upside down. God does what he pleases and shows his power by adopting a people—not based on their own merits or their standing in this world—but solely on his love and good pleasure. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (1:18). Dig Deeper Knowing Christ also means we know ourselves and who we truly are. John Calvin begins his Institutes of the Christian Religion with, “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” Correctly understanding ourselves will lead us to understand God and ourselves properly. If we examine ourselves, we begin to see our shortcomings, failures, and dissatisfaction and know what we need God for. His power to save us is not based on the strength of our biography and what we think we can impress others with. The weaker our résumé, the more it reveals God’s power! And using weakness, God displays all the more His strength. The only resume that matters is that of Jesus Christ and if we claim His satisfaction, holiness, and righteousness as our own by faith alone. So Christians should be humble and grateful, resting in the power of God. It is not the value of your faith that makes the difference, but the one whom you put your faith in, the perfect Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The God whose power to save is found in Christ crucified; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Boast in what the Lord has done for you in Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Ephesians 3

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