Chances are you're afflicted with a syndrome you didn't know you had! Romans 11:1-6 (NIV) CONTEXT: Paul is discussing why the Jewish people have rejected Christ at the end of the tenth chapter: 17  Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18  But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did... 19  Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? 21  ...concerning Israel Moses says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.” 11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2  God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3  “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4  And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”  5  So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6  And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary Paul begins chapter eleven with another of his famous rhetorical questions to help move his discussion forward. This one comes on the tail end of a series of inquiries as to why his own people - the Jews - were rejecting Christ. Faith comes through hearing, he surmised at the end of the previous chapter, so did they not hear? Paul doesn't wait long to supply the answer: of course they did! They'd been given God's law and the prophets! His final question of chapter ten identifies the issue. Paul asks, did they not understand what they'd heard ? This time the answer is a bit more drawn out. Ultimately, they didn't understand, and their lack of understanding came as a result of their disobedience and obstinance. So then, the big question at the beginning of chapter eleven is did God reject His people - the ones He foreknew? Could it be that although God had chosen them to belong to Him, He finally had enough of their stubborness and finally cut them loose? Once again Paul quickly makes the answer to his own rhetorical question firmly absolute: No! God did not reject His people!   Dig Deeper   It's called the Elijah syndrome, and people like us are especially prone to it. Most of our readers (not all!) come from solid Christian communities and remember back in the day when our pews were overflowing. Extra chairs were set up often. Potlucks and dinners dominated the calendar and enrollment in children's programs were busting at the seams. But now, decades later, many experience the opposite reality: empty pews, quiet fellowship halls and far fewer children. Like Elijah, we often silently pray Lord, are we the only ones left? Paul here reminds us that God answered Elijah's somewhat delusional prayer, telling Elijah that He had reserved for Himself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal. So too, writes Paul, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace! There was then and is now a portion of Jewish people preserved by God in the grace of Christ. You may think the Church is quickly disintegrating; your own congregation is likely smaller than it used to be and you're continually bombarded with bad news seemingly indicating the Church's demise all over North America. But come back to this passage often and revisit what both Elijah and Paul learned about God's grace, which is summarized in the Canons: God’s eternal love for the elect, from the beginning of the world to the present time, has been powerfully carried out and will also be carried out in the future... There is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who always has and always will keep His covenant people; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Even if your own church community is a fraction of what is was, praise God for preserving you and others as a remnant chosen by grace; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 4

Not even the gates of Hades can overcome the Church Christ is building! Matthew 16:13-20 (NIV) 13  When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17  Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18  And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it . 19  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 20  Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary This section is a repost from May 22, 2023 Put yourself in the place of the disciples. Everything you've heard Jesus teach on has been mind blowing and has shattered nearly every preconceived notion that they had prior to meeting Him. So every time Jesus asked a question, they probably sweat bullets hoping that Jesus wouldn't pick them to answer, because chances are they'd get it wrong. But here Jesus asks a question that's easy to answer: "who do others  say that I am?" It's always easy to report what others say, so the disciples are quick to give an answer to this first question. It's the second question that gets them. "Who do you  say that I am?" You can imagine the awkward silence that followed the question. Finally the boldest of the group spoke up, and I don't think it was with a wavering voice. Peter finally gets it: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus rewards Peter's bravery and correct answer with a new name: Petros - the Rock. What comes next has been the subject of oceans of ink: "on this rock - petra  - I will build my church." You can see the slight difference in the Greek words. Does this mean that Simon Peter is the rock that the church is built on, or is 'this rock' that Jesus refers to a different rock - perhaps Himself? But focusing on the slight variation in wording misses the point of this passage. Don't miss Jesus' huge promise here: " I will  build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it ." Peter plays an important role for sure in church history, but clearly the foundation, architect, builder and finisher of the Church is our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, the Son of the Living God.   Dig Deeper   Jesus makes two very resolute claims that grab our attention today. First, He establishes that not only is He the architect of His church ( ekklēsia , literally an assembly of people) but He's also the one actively building it. This is a good reminder for preachers like me. My ego puffs up as the pews fill up, and then wonders what I'm doing wrong when the numbers fall back down. But we're not the builders of Christ's church; it's neither our perceived brilliance nor obvious incompetencies at work. We must simply be faithful to how Christ has called us to care for it. Second, Jesus tells Peter, and by extension us, that not even the gates of Hades will overcome His Church. Once again, commentator NT France helps us understand what this means: The gates of Hades is a metaphor for death... The gates thus represent the imprisoning power of death: death will not be able to imprison and hold the church of the living God. The metaphor... does not encourage the suggestion of some interpreters that Hades represents not death but the demonic powers of the underworld, which are then pictured as making an eschatological [end times] assault on the church. Still less does it support the romantic imagery, sometimes derived from the traditional but incorrect translation gates of hell, of the church as a victorious army storming the citadel of the devil. The imagery is rather of death being unable to swallow up the new community which Jesus is building. It will never be destroyed. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the Living God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be a faithful member of the Church that Christ continues to build; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 2

Don't love your life so much that it distracts you from the spiritual war being fought around you. Revelation 12:7-17 (NIV) 7  Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8  But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9  The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10  Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11  They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12  Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 13  When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14  The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15  Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16  But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17  Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 8 Article 9: The Fulfillment of God’s Plan This plan,  arising out of God’s eternal love for the elect,  from the beginning of the world to the present time  has been powerfully carried out  and will also be carried out in the future,  the gates of hell seeking vainly to prevail against it.  As a result, the elect  are gathered into one, all in their own time,  and there is always a church of believers founded on Christ’s blood,  a church which steadfastly loves, persistently worships,  and here and in all eternity praises him as her Savior  who laid down his life for her on the cross,  as a bridegroom for his bride. Summary The next time you encounter someone who doesn't read the Bible much because they think it's boring and irrelevant, read through Revelation 12 with them! This chapter has all of the drama and action of an epic movie! The passage opens with war breaking out in heaven. We don't know what precipitated the war, but it features two distinct groups of angels fighting one another. One group fights with the dragon - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. The others fight on behalf of Michael, who we know from other passages of scripture is the archangel of God. This battle seems to take place either right before or soon after the creation of the earth, since the dragon and his angels lost their place in heaven, and ultimately were hurled to the earth. That's what makes this passage so relevant to you. You now live in the midst of this ongoing battle, and the dragon is all the more filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short! Having been hurled to the earth, he now sets his sights on a woman that's near and dear to you: she represents the Church . But the woman and her male child escape the serpent's reach, so the enraged dragon went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring - those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. This describes you. In fact, there's nothing more relevant for you to know than that you are the target of an infuriated dragon on the warpath.   Dig Deeper   Revelation 12 doesn’t just describe an ancient cosmic battle—it unveils the spiritual reality in which the Church still lives today. What we see here isn't fiction or future prophecy, but present reality . The war didn’t end when Satan was thrown down; it escalated. And you’re on the front lines. You're a member of what's often called the Church militant - that is, the Church at present and at war. But notice what Revelation 12 also emphasizes: the victory of Christ has already been secured. Verse 11 gives the strategy and the strength of the Church militant: They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, so you need not fear. But notice what the loud voice in heaven said next: these victorious members of Christ's Church are they who did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. In other words, as a member of this Church, you must fend off the distractions of this world - which are actually attacks from the devil - and keep your eye on the prize. You may feel weak. You may be worn down. But you're not fighting alone. You are part of a church that spans continents and centuries, and the Lamb who was slain is your shield and banner. So don’t lose heart. You’re not just surviving—you’re part of God's conquering army. Hold fast. The dragon's time is short. The militant Church will soon give way to the Church Victorious. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who protects His Church by the blood of the Lamb; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you don't love your life so much that it distracts you from the spiritual war being fought around you; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 3

God sovereignly controls the universe, but He takes delight in you. Psalm 147 1  Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! 2  The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3  He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4  He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 6  The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. 7  Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. 8  He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9  He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. 10  His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; 11  the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. 12  Extol the Lord, Jerusalem; praise your God, Zion. 13  He strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you. 14  He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat. 15  He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 16  He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. 17  He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast? 18  He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow. 19  He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. 20  He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the Lord. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;   that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary Psalm 147 is the second in a set of five doxologies (words/songs of praise) that finish out the book of Psalms. The Psalm is divided into three strophes (poetic divisions) separated by calls to praise God. Each strophe unpacks various aspects of God's sovereignty - His control, authority and presence over all things. The unending scope of God's sovereignty becomes clear in this Psalm. He determines the number of stars and calls them each by name; His understanding has no limit and He sends His commands to the earth. But God's sovereignty is not just a control over the big and mighty, rather it is just as evident in the the fact that the LORD heals the broken hearted and sustains the humble. What a thought to know that the God whose mighty power directs the cosmos is the same God who gathers in the exiles of Israel and binds up their wounds! If you've ever made something - be it a work of art or a piece of furniture, or anything else that you see and use often - you know the delight your creation brings you. Think of all the amazing things God has sovereignly created and continues to sustain, and all of the beauty and majesty of His creation - how it all must bring Him delight ! Psalm 147 only mentions one thing in all of creation that the LORD delights in. It's not giant galaxies or complex molecular structures, rather it's simply those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing (covenant) love.   Dig Deeper   The LORD certainly sovereignly sustains and provides for all people and creatures (His sovereignty doesn't just govern the stars , but also provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call! ), but He goes above and beyond in what He supplies for His covenant people. For us, He has revealed His word to Jacob, His laws and decrees to Israel. It's a mystery as to why God's salvation is limited to those whom He's elected, but the Bible makes clear from start to finish the exclusive nature of those He's included in His covenant. He's done this for no other nation ; they do not know His law, the Psalmist concludes. So it is that we refer to the blood of Christ as a limited atonement , even though it is of infinite value and worth, more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world ( Point Two, Article Three ). Yet His atonement effectively redeems  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those who were chosen from eternity to salvation and given to him by the Father. Ours is not the task of determining why God chose to redeem some while leaving others in their wickedness and hardness of heart ( Point One, Article 6 ). Our obligation is to simply carry out Psalm 147's imperatives for revealing His saving Word to us: Praise the LORD... Sing to the LORD with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp... Extol the LORD... Praise the LORD! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who delights in those who put their fear in Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for including you in His covenant people, and pray that you would put your hope in His unfailing (covenant) love; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Ephesians 1

You've been redeemed with people from all over the world to serve God. Faithlife.com Revelation 5:9-14 (NIV) CONTEXT: John has been taken into the heavenly throne room where God is worshiped as Creator (Revelation 4). In chapter 5, a scroll appears in God’s hand. This scroll, as William Hendricksen writes, "represents God’s eternal plan, His decree which is all-comprehensive." Only the slain Lamb—Jesus—is found worthy to open it, prompting worship from all creation. 9  And they [the four living creatures and twenty-four elders before God's throne] sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. 10  You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” 11  Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12  In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” 13  Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” 14  The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary What a scene, in which John in a matter of moments goes from weeping in hopeless anguish that nobody can be found worthy enough to unseal the scroll containing God's comprehensive decree, which includes the salvation of His covenant people, to unbridled joy when the Lion-Lamb is found worthy. As God's throne room begins to swell with heavenly music, the words of the spirits and elders who eternally stand before the throne explain the Lamb's blood soaked worthiness. The infinite value of Christ's death, which we learned of a few weeks ago, purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. Upon this announcement, the heavenly choir grows infinitely greater. Many angels joined in, writes John, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand . The very first note they sounded must have rung out through the heavens; if they had sheet music, the first word would have been preceded with the subscript letters ff , meaning fortissimo , indicating to belt it out as loudly as possible. That word describing the Lamb can't be emphasized enough: WORTHY! Heaven celebrates as it does because finally mankind, represented here by the Lion-Lamb who is Christ, has fulfilled God's covenant requirements. This is why the slain Lamb is worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!   Dig Deeper   William Hendricksen goes on to describe the relationship between this doctrine of Limited Atonement and the reception the Lamb receives before God's throne. He writes, Here very definitely the Mediator’s present rule or dominion over the universe is described as being a reward for His suffering and death. Both the particular and universal aspects of the atonement are beautifully combined. The Lamb did not purchase the salvation of every single individual. No, He paid the price for His elect, that is, for men out of every tribe and tongue, etc. Yet, on the other hand, there is nothing narrow or national about this redemption. It is world-wide in its scope and embraces every group; ethnic (tribe), linguistic (tongue), political (people), and social (nation). Together all the redeemed constitute a kingdom and priests. (See 1:6.) By means of the incense of their prayers the saints even now reign upon the earth. Once again, we're reminded that our designation of Christ's atonement as being limited only refers to its application, not to its value or glory. Take time today to thank God that He has saved people from every corner of the earth, and pray that Christ soon returns so we can hear this heavenly choir for ourselves. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live in a manner worthy of one who's been made a kingdom and priests to serve our God ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 16

Live confidently knowing He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion. Philippians 1:1-6 (NIV) 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3  I thank my God every time I remember you. 4  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary I hope you didn't blow too fast through the opening benediction. If you experience the blessing of gathering each Lord's Day with God's people to worship Him, these are words you likely hear often, and as such maybe it seems a bit stale to read the familiar words grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. But those words are anything but stale; they come as the result of all that God has done for you in Christ. They are a life giving tonic you need to hear weekly as you're reminded that despite life's storms blowing all around you, that your God extends grace and peace to you rather what your sins deserve. It must have been so difficult for Paul. He'd come into a new city like Philippi, and if, by God's grace, the people there were open to the gospel, he'd plant a church. He'd then stay with it awhile, teaching them doctrine and theology, and getting to know them at a deeply personal level. He'd build up a team of local elders and deacons, and sometimes ordain a pastor like Timothy or Titus. But then the time would come when the Spirit would call him to the next city to start the cycle again. It still hard to move from one area to another in today's day and age, but at least the connection with the previous community stays strong due to social media and the fact that your phone number travels with you. All they had two millennia ago was written correspondence like this epistle we still treasure. But correspondence took weeks or months. It's hard for us to imagine not knowing what's going on with people we love. But for all the angst and loneliness such separation caused Paul to feel, He doesn't worry. He thanks my God every time he remembered them. He filled his days and nights praying with joy because of their partnership in the gospel. And on top of it all he felt confident . He knew these Philippian people he loved were held tightly by our God and Father, and that God's grace is much stronger than they were.   Dig Deeper   Paul's confidence isn't based in an assumption that because these people were now Christians that somehow everything would instantly work out in their lives. Paul had experienced enough of life's realities first hand to know that often reality is quite the opposite of that. But Paul realizes that the Christian life is a process, and that although preachers like Paul play a critical role in the process, he didn't need to worry that because he wasn't right there in Philippi guiding each and every step that the saints there would cease their spiritual development in his absence. Paul could have this confidence because he knew that He who began the good work in each of these Philippians would carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Paul knew it was the Holy Spirit of God that regenerated each of those hearts he'd come to love, and that the Spirit would be faithful to finish the work He'd begun. The Canons here captures how a portion of this process works. Christ redeemed - that is, He purchased - God's elect from every people, tribe, nation, and language through the blood of the cross. Then Christ granted each of these people who were chosen from eternity to salvation faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  This process that Paul has so much confidence in doesn't end there! He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion, as the Canons put it, as Christ faithfully preserves you to the very end; and that he should finally present you to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who along with His Son, offers you His grace and peace; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will live with the confidence of knowing that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 15

Jesus came to save His people from their sins. Bible.com Matthew 1:18-21 (NIV) 18  This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19  Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20  But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,  because he will save his people from their sins.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article 8: The Saving Effectiveness of Christ’s Death For it was the entirely free plan and very gracious will and intention of God the Father  that the enlivening and saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death  should work itself out in all the elect,  in order that God might grant justifying faith to them only  and thereby lead them without fail to salvation.  In other words, it was God’s will that Christ  through the blood of the cross  (by which he confirmed the new covenant)  should effectively redeem  from every people, tribe, nation, and language  all those and only those  who were chosen from eternity to salvation  and given to him by the Father;  that Christ should grant them faith (which, like the Holy Spirit’s other saving gifts, he acquired for them by his death).  It was also God’s will  that Christ should cleanse them by his blood from all their sins,  both original and actual,  whether committed before or after their coming to faith;  that he should faithfully preserve them to the very end;  and that he should finally present them to himself, a glorious people, without spot or wrinkle. Summary This isn't a Bible passage we read often in June, but one of the benefits of reading parts of the Christmas stories at other times of the year is that it can make some of the otherwise unnoticed elements a bit clearer. One of the most important aspects of Joseph's angelic dream is very evident no matter when this passage gets read: His Son would be no ordinary baby. The angel explained to him that what is conceived in Mary is from the Holy Spirit. We have the benefit of reading those words some two thousand years after that fateful night, and though the announcement doesn't hit us with the same level of shock it hit Joseph, we still can't wrap our heads around it - so imagine what it must have been like for Joseph to process it! All of us have a particular weakness the enemy targets from time to time, hoping to stir up doubt about the truth of Scripture. Maybe for you it’s the sense that the universe appears much older than Genesis suggests. Others wrestle with the account of the flood or God’s seemingly genocidal command to wipe out the Canaanites. Deep down, you know these objections don’t hold up — but they still succeed in clouding the mind now and then. But one of the steepest hills for people to climb is the idea that Jesus was born of a virgin, as the angel here describes, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit . Yet it's this very strange nature - fully God, yet fully a man born of a woman - that would be required to both pay the penalty for your sin and present on your behalf the perfect righteousness the covenant requires for you to be at peace with God.   Dig Deeper   It's the otherwise ordinary name the angel commands Joseph to give to his son that grabs our attention today. The name Yehô·šûaʿ (Joshua - transliterated into Greek as Iēsous and English as Jesus ) was every bit as common two millennia ago as the names Mike or Bob are today. So it must of really struck Joseph as odd that this one of a kind baby boy was to be given such an ordinary name! But it's the straightforward meaning of this name that has become the most familiar in all of history that made it the most appropriate name possible: He saves. Although this baby would grow up to say and do all sorts of wonderful things, His primary mission would be to accomplish salvation from sin. But there's one little pronoun in the angel's proclamation that brings us back to this morsel of the Christmas story in the first week of June. The angel of the Lord makes it clear from the very beginning that this boy who would save did not come to save everyone. He would save His people from their sins. We've been studying this doctrine of Limited Atonement for over a month now, and so far we've seen no aspect of limitation at all; quite the opposite, in fact! We've been reminded that Jesus' death is of infinite value and that it was more than sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world . Yet we refer to atonement as limited because it does not apply to all people. As we will see this week, the saving effectiveness of his Son’s costly death is limited to His people. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who by the power of the Holy Spirit, caused the divine to take the form a child in Mary's womb; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would have the faith Joseph demonstrated in accepting the angel's difficult to understand message; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 13

History is one of the ways God passes on faith from one generation to the next. Psalm 78:4 - We will not hide God's wonders from the our descendants; we will tell the next generation of the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD. Psalm 78:1–8 A maskil of Asaph. 1  My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. 2  I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— 3  things we have heard and known, things our fathers have told us. 4  We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done. 5  He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach their children, 6  so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. 7  Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands. 8  They would not be like their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose hearts were not loyal to God, whose spirits were not faithful to him. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 5 Article 6: Unbelief, a Human Responsibility However, that many who have been called through the gospel  do not repent or believe in Christ  but perish in unbelief  is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross  is deficient or insufficient,  but because they themselves are at fault. Article 7: Faith God’s Gift But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved  by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction  receive this favor solely from God’s grace— which God owes to no one— given to them in Christ from eternity. Summary We only read the introduction to Psalm 78, as in total it is 72 verses long. It chronicles the history of the first few generations of Israelites who were freed from their slavery in Egypt, and brought by God through the wilderness and into the Promised Land. But, being a psalm, it does so in a poetic way that emphasizes themes more than details. Anybody who's been to Sunday School knows that this history isn't a glowing picture of Israel's faithfulness to God; as v8 summarizes it, these people were stubborn and rebellious... their hearts were not loyal to God and their spirits were not faithful to him. But such characteristics certainly are not limited to these particular people - those are traits that apart from God's grace we all share! What's striking about Psalm 78's introduction is that as ugly as this history was, subsequent generations were not to hide this history from their descendents; they must tell the next generation. As the psalmist Asaph wrote these words, Israel was at its zenith. The kingdom was strong and wealthy. It would have been easy and attractive to whitewash its history and only tell the stories that magnified their ancestors' courage and faith. But that's the opposite of what Asaph, inspired by the Holy Spirit, encourages the Israelites to do. As it's been said, those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.   Dig Deeper   Psalm 78 gives insight as to how we ought to learn from history. First of all, God is at the center of history, not us. Often, we view periods of history as being a good or bad time based on what things were like for those who lived through it. If they were prosperous, it was good, but not if they were poor. Faithfulness precipitated good times, while rebelliousness ushered in bad times. But our history lessons must be centered on telling the next generations the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD. How people reacted to or experienced the LORD's deeds is of secondary concern. Viewing history from this perspective results in a much steadier trajectory! Second, Psalm 78 magnifies the importance of fathers teaching their children about how God works in and through history. Fathers are to teach the children of the statutes God has decreed in addition to His power, and the wonders He has done. When our children are taught such truths they will ordinarily put their trust in God and will not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. Finally, not only must fathers teach their children such things, but they must live according to that which they are teaching. Mark Futato notes that the final verse of this introduction makes it "clear that the fathers told their children the right things but then failed to do the right things themselves. Thus while knowledge does not guarantee faithfulness, knowing the story is the foundation for faith and hope and life.” AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has done praiseworthy deeds; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will actively be engaged to teach the next generations of the wonders the LORD has done and that your heart would be loyal to God and your spirit faithful to Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 12

Your faith is a gift, but building it up takes hard work! Bible.com Colossians 2:6-15 (NIV) 6  So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7  rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. 9  For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10  and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11  In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12  having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13  When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14  having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15  And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 5 Article 6: Unbelief, a Human Responsibility However, that many who have been called through the gospel  do not repent or believe in Christ  but perish in unbelief  is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross  is deficient or insufficient,  but because they themselves are at fault. Article 7: Faith God’s Gift But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved  by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction  receive this favor solely from God’s grace— which God owes to no one— given to them in Christ from eternity. Summary There are times where life outside of Christ and apart from His Church seem free and easy; you just do what you want to do when you want to do it. But as Paul explains to the Colossians, things aren't always as they seem. Look at how he describes those detached from Christ: they're captives of hollow and deceptive philosophy; they're ruled by the flesh (Sarx); ultimately, they're completely dead in their sins. In other words, life apart from Christ is anything but free. Contrast that ugliness with those who have received Christ Jesus as Lord: Our lives are described as rooted, built up, strengthened, and overflowing with thankfulness. We've been made alive with Christ, forgiven and have had our legal indebtedness - that insurmountable bill which stood against us and condemned us for breaching God's covenant - that charge has been cancelled by God since it was taken away by Christ and nailed to the cross. Christ's victory over sin and death was full and final. In His life, death, resurrection and ascension, He disarmed the very powers and authorities that seek to take you captive. He didn't just quietly defeat them, rather He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.   Dig Deeper   The two articles of the Canons of Dordt we've been working through this week once again showcase the tension present in our theology. On the one hand, those who do not repent or believe in Christ have nobody to blame but themselves. One of the key aspects of the doctrine of Limited Atonement is that people perish in their unbelief not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross is deficient or insufficient, but because they themselves are at fault. On the other hand, those of us who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved cannot take the credit for lifting ourselves out of the sin and misery we'd plunged ourselves into. Rather, we received this favor solely from God’s grace—which God owes to no one . Nobody is forced to reject Christ - it's they're own fault for doing so, yet those who've been delivered and saved by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction can take no credit. In other words, those who actively remain dead in their sins do so voluntarily, while those who have received Christ Jesus as Lord do so because we've passively been made alive by God with Christ. Yet even though you owe your life to God's gift of grace which you've passively received, Paul gives you some very active steps to follow each day: live your life in Christ, rooted, built up and strengthened in the faith you've been taught. Live in a way that overflows with thanksgiving. Finally, aggressively see to it that no one takes you captive and drags you back into the sin you've been rescued from. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, in whom all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will actively build yourself up in the faith that you've passively received; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 11

You've been reconciled with the One in whose image you've been created! Bible.com 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NIV) 17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1- 5 Article 6: Unbelief, a Human Responsibility However, that many who have been called through the gospel  do not repent or believe in Christ  but perish in unbelief  is not because the sacrifice of Christ offered on the cross  is deficient or insufficient,  but because they themselves are at fault. Article 7: Faith God’s Gift But all who genuinely believe and are delivered and saved  by Christ’s death from their sins and from destruction  receive this favor solely from God’s grace— which God owes to no one— given to them in Christ from eternity. Summary Becoming a Christian involves so much more than just an emotional epiphany or even a living a completely different lifestyle. Since you are in Christ - Paul's favorite designation for what it means to be a Christian - you are an entirely new creation. The old (literally: archaic ) you has gone away and the new you has come (literally: been generated ). Paul's statement here is profound; you have already become the perfect person you will be for all of eternity! It certainly doesn't always seem that way, does it. Especially physically. Your body is racked with aches and pains, won't perform simple athletic skills the way it used to, and likely doesn't look the way it ought - and that's if you're fortunate. So many are afflicted with disease or conditions that result in true suffering on top of the normal age related decay. So no... physically you're not a new person, and thankfully you can look forward to your sin infested flesh ( sarx ) being completely rejuvenated when you step into the Kingdom in which sorrows, tears and pain do not exist. But the fact that you can't (yet) see or touch your new re-created self doesn't diminish the reality of what's been accomplished. Spiritually (remember, although it's so hard to think this way, your spiritual aspect is even more 'real' than your physical) your re-creation is already complete because God reconciled you to Himself through Christ. In other words, the sin that kept you separated from God just as opposing magnet ends repel each other has been completely atoned (paid for) by Christ, so you've been reunited / reconciled with the One in whose image you've been created!   Dig Deeper   Our focus today is the opening clause of v18 - All this is from God... . The fact that you've been reconciled to God has nothing to do with your own effort, but rather because in Christ God no longer counts your sins against you. This is why one of the key marks of Reformed theology is that your salvation comes by grace alone ( sola gratia ). The Canons today remind you that God owes this grace to no one— rather, it's been given to you in Christ from eternity (!!) . Isn't that amazing - God had reconciled you to Himself in Christ before you ever sinned (or even existed, for that matter!). Yet notice that today's passage is more than just a recitation of indicatives detailing what God has graciously accomplished for you. It contains a big 'ol imperative at the end of v20 - Be reconciled to God! On the one hand, this comes as a command to keep: be reconciled by often publicly professing your faith in Christ, actively participating in the ordinary means of grace and eliminating the recurring vestiges of your old physical/sinful self. But yet notice that this imperative is set in a passive voice - be reconciled. Stop trying to force it. Let the reality of God's undeserved grace flow over and around you as you read and listen to God's Word each day, and especially on the Lord's Day. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you would fulfill the simple imperative you've been given in every sense by being reconciled; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Romans 10