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

You can discover your Spiritual gifts today and immediately use them tomorrow. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 55 Q. What do you understand by “the communion of saints”? A. First, that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts. Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and cheerfully for the service and enrichment of the other members. Summary Throughout his letters, Paul often uses the image of the body as an analogy for the Church. It's amazing just how many systems within your body need to be working well and in harmony with other internal systems in order for you to be healthy. So it is, Paul writes, with the Church. As Americans, we're a fiercely independent bunch, which in many realms of society is a good thing. We know that society as a whole does better when each individual looks out for his own interests rather than depending on more socialistic systems. But this passage commands us to shelve that individualistic attitude when it comes to the Church. In the Church, "each member belongs to all the others." This means that the particular gifts that the Holy Spirit has given you do not belong just to you. As we noted yesterday, these gifts you've been given come with strings attached. Not only are you obligated to utilize them to build up the church, but you must use them to benefit your fellow church members. The final two verses of today's passage form a comprehensive but not exhaustive catalog of gifts, as well as a repeated command to utilize what you've been given. Notice how the final few commands include an adverb to add emphasis that your gift sharing efforts must be more than mediocre. Give generously. Lead diligently. Show mercy cheerfully. Dig Deeper When we cleaned our truck repair shop out years ago before selling it, we found all sorts of things in the warehouse that we forgot we had. What made that especially painful was the realization that we had bought that same part several times over at tremendous cost when we had a dozen of them in storage. What a waste! As we've mentioned before, you can't use what you don't know you have. You've been given a gift that Christ not only expects you to use, but in a sense depends on you to use it to build His Church. Your fellow members are being shortchanged if you're not sharing your gift with them. And you can't do any of this if you don't know what your gifts are! What a waste! We have two resources available to help you identify your gifts and become the productive body part that God created you to be. One is a large catalog of different gifts, many of which you probably didn't even know were Spiritual gifts. That same page has a link to an assessment you can take online which will point out what kinds of gifts you likely have. Both resources can be found at wgtncrc.org/gifts. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is in heaven. His name is holy. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for the gifts He's given you, and pray that you'll know what they are, how to use them and that you'll use them cheerfully! ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 7

Psalm 100 gives seven simple commands for Biblical worship. Psalm 100 A Psalm for Thanksgiving. 1 Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Serve the LORD with Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 122 Q. What does the first request of the Lord's Prayer mean? A. Summary Psalm 100 wasn't just for ancient Israel. But this central claim of Psalm 100 issues a much needed corrective.

PSALM 96 1 Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His offering and come into His courts. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth. 10 Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; 12 Let the Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 103 Q.

You can find immense comfort in the fact that Jesus' dead body was buried. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 41 Q. Why was he “buried”? A. His burial testifies that he really died. Summary Following the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea was granted permission by Pilate to take the body of Jesus so that he may be put to rest. Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, provided the myrrh and aloes that would be used as part of the burial process. This amount of burial spices, 75 lbs of myrrh and aloes, far exceeded the typical amount used for the burial custom. Using this many burial spices would have been considered a showing of respect towards Jesus; one that came at a very high price, since these ingredients were very expensive. Dig Deeper Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took great personal risk in ensuring Jesus received a proper burial. And while their actions are commendable, the most important aspect of this passage was not their bravery, but the fact that Jesus indeed had died and was buried. Jesus' body created from dust seemed like it was well on the way to becoming dust again. The miracle of the resurrection is that Jesus, who had died and was buried, became alive again. The logical order of events dictates that indeed, if Jesus was going to rise from the dead, that He first be dead. This simple act of the burial of Jesus plays an important part in the Biblical accounts of the resurrection. This importance can be seen in how the burial account is included in all four of the Gospels. The reality of Jesus’ death and burial can also be seen in the chief priests’ response to the burial. Fearing that the disciples might try to steal away Jesus’ body, they asked Pilate to lend them soldiers to secure and guard the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66). Certainly, part of securing the tomb was to ensure that Jesus’ deceased body remained inside. Between the witnesses of Jesus’ death on the cross, those who prepared his body for burial, and those who secured his body in the tomb; there are more than enough witnesses to verify that Jesus really had died. Because Jesus had died and was buried, we rejoice in the miracle that on the third day he rose again from the dead. Today's catechism question, emphasizing the fact that Jesus was indeed buried, seems out of place in a year long study of what your only comfort in life and in death is. But this little question, with its seemingly simplistic answer - that Jesus' burial indicates that He was in fact actually dead - will give you immense comfort the next time you're looking at the casket of a loved one that's about to be lowered into the ground. Just as Jesus' lifeless body was made to live again after it had already been sealed in a tomb, so too will that loved one whose faith was in the resurrected Savior rise from the grave when Christ returns. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who seemed so distant and far away from Joseph and Nicodemus as they placed Jesus' body in the ground; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Both Joseph & Nicodemus had followed Jesus in secret. Pray that you will have the courage to follow Christ in a way that's visible to all. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 9

God's expectations have been clear since day one: Obey Him and live. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 40 Q. Why did Christ have to go all the way to death? A. Because God’s justice and truth demand it: only the death of God’s Son could pay for our sin. Summary When Adam was placed into the Garden of Eden to work the land, God commanded him to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Of all the fruit of the trees in the garden, only the fruit of this one tree was forbidden. This was a choice God did not have to give Adam. God could have hidden the tree of the knowledge of good and evil away from Adam, or created Adam without an ability to choose. Yet God did neither of these. Instead, God gave this command and Adam was given a choice between obedience and rebellion. The cost of rebellion was steep, for Adam and all whom he represented, disobedience meant that he would surely die. This consequence would not be an immediate physical death for Adam, but that death would become a certainty. Dig Deeper In Genesis 3 we find the account of the fall, where Adam and Eve as the first humans “fell” from grace through the first act of human disobedience. Despite God’s clear command that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was off-limits and the warning of the consequences of rebellion, they chose to partake of it. With this act of disobedience death began its reign in mankind. The only remedy for the fallen state of mankind is the supervening grace of God. This is why Jesus was born into this world and suffered death, to intervene in the fate of a fallen humanity. With this first act of rebellion came the certainty of death. God’s justice and truth require payment for our debt of sin. And nothing else could pay for our sins except the death of the Son of God. Because of Jesus, the fall is more than the origin story of the misery of mankind and how we came to be in a state of rebellion against God. The fall is part of God’s larger plan of redemption. God certainly didn't want Adam to fail, yet He knew that Adam and Eve would disobey in the garden. This is why a means of grace was already part of God's plan of redemption. Jesus is God’s intervention for a fallen humanity. Only the Son of God could pay our debt of sin. Thank God that Jesus intervenes in humanity’s state of misery, rescuing us from the consequences of our rebellion of sin. 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 8

Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity

A psalm of David. 1   Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 117 Q. How does God want us to pray so that he will listen to us? A.

You're not just a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you've been given a title: Ambassador Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 38 Q. Why did he suffer “under Pontius Pilate” as judge? A. So that he, though innocent, might be condemned by a civil judge, and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us. Summary The focus of 2 Corinthians 5 is reconciliation. Our sin has separated us from God, but those who confess their sins are reconciled to God, they are forgiven in Jesus Christ. Once reconciled, we become ambassadors for Jesus, that is, we represent Jesus in this world that we live in as exiles. We tell the world that we were once dead in our sin, but Jesus has set us free. Jesus died on the cross so that we could live. This passage is a beautiful invitation to live into the freedom we have in Jesus. Our freedom is not for our own personal gain, but for Christ, our redeemer! After all, And Christ died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again (v15). Dig Deeper The passage ends this way a few verses later in v21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Yesterday we looked intently at Jesus’ innocence. Today we turn to our own guilt. Jesus was innocent, so He is the one person who has ever lived who did not deserve to die. So why was He crucified? Jesus was crucified due to our sin. God’s plan for salvation required satisfaction, and you cannot pay the price for your sin. No offering you sacrifice can atone for your sin. Just as your sin separates you from God, it condemns you to eternal punishment. Jesus took your sin on himself so that God’s wrath could be satisfied. He was the perfect sacrifice, offered once on the cross, for your sins and salvation. Through this amazing act of love, Jesus, who was unjustly condemned, became sin so that you might become the righteousness of God. This is why you are implored to be an ambassador for Christ. You should have been punished by God, but in Jesus, you've been given new life. This gift is available to all who call on the name of the Lord. It is your duty, as a child of God, to make him known to a sin filled world. You were condemned. In Jesus, you are given freedom. Let the world know what Christ has done! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and then gave us the ministry of reconciliation ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength, desire and opportunities to be the ambassador of reconciliation that you've been called to be. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 6

Jesus was unfairly convicted so that you could be considered innocent. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 38 Q. Why did he suffer “under Pontius Pilate” as judge? A. So that he, though innocent, might be condemned by a civil judge, and so free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us. Summary Anyone who has heard the crucifixion account before knows that Jesus was unjustly crucified. The chief priests conspired against Jesus because they believed he was blaspheming God. Jesus had been speaking boldly and performing miracles, which got their attention. What drew their anger was his refusal to deny the claim that he was the Son of God. The chief priests had Jesus arrested and ultimately brought before Pontius Pilate. When he was brought before Pontius Pilate, Pilate found no reason to crucify him. Three times Pilate tried to reason with the chief priests, even stating that Herod, a second Roman official, found no reason to punish Jesus by death. Pontius Pilate did not want to crucify Jesus, he wanted to release him. The chief priests, elders, and teachers of the law would not let that happen. They stirred up the crowd and eventually the shouts and demands of the crowd prevailed and Pilate decided to crucify Jesus for no reason, other than to appease the crowd. Jesus was innocent, but he was going to die. Dig Deeper The Heidelberg Catechism ensures that we know that Jesus was innocent. There is very good reason for that: there should be no doubt or question of his innocence. Jesus did not deserve to die; he committed no crime. Whenever a crime is reported on the news, oftentimes the suspect’s past behavior is shared. Has the suspect been arrested before? Does the suspect have past criminal behavior? Has the suspect been convicted of crimes before? This information may or may not help the audience in discerning the suspect’s guilt. If Jesus’ trial were to happen today, there would be no past criminal behavior to bring forth. There would be no evidence of malicious intent or conspiracy to overthrow the government. All the public would find is Jesus, the Son of God, preaching boldly to anyone who would listen that the kingdom of heaven is near. There would be thousands of witnesses to Jesus’ miracles who would corroborate the report that he has done amazing things. All that to say, Jesus did not deserve to die on that cross. There is no doubt whatsoever that he was wrongly sentenced to death. Jesus was innocently condemned to death by the early judge, Pontius Pilate, so that you would not experience the judgment from God you actually deserve for your sin. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father is a holy and just God who will judge all people righteously ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Confess the many times you've unfairly condemned others, and thank God Jesus endured unjust judgment so that you'd be freed from God's righteous judgment ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 5