Is the sin and evil found in our world a bug or a feature? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 6 Q. Did God create people so wicked and perverse? A. No. God created them good and in his own image, that is, in true righteousness and holiness, so that they might truly know God their creator, love him with all their heart, and live with him in eternal happiness for his praise and glory. Summary The first section of the Heidelberg Catechism deals with the misery of humankind caused by sin. Last week’s readings reminded us that humans cannot keep God’s law perfectly and are inclined by nature to hate God and our fellow human beings. So, Q&A 6 follows up with inquiring into the source of the problem by asking, “Did God create people so wicked and perverse?” In other words, is all the sin and suffering because God made humans that way? Can we blame the world’s problems on God? The first proof answer 6 points to is the beginning of the universe and the first chapter of the Bible: Genesis 1. We read of God creating all things in heaven and earth marked out across six days. At the end of each day, there is a phrase pattern repeated seven times in Genesis 1, “And God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, & 31). When God’s creation act of the universe is over, he looks it over and declares it is all—including human beings—very good (Gen. 1:31). Dig Deeper Considering the beginning state of creation, we can start to understand that sin and evil are a corruption of the good world God created. So, the wickedness we see around us and even in our own hearts is a bug that has invaded God’s good creation and is not an original feature, just as computers are made to work a certain way and help you do countless tasks, but if the computer is hacked or has a virus, it does not work the way it should anymore and is used for ill instead. Paul in the New Testament reminds us in 1 Timothy 4:4, “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.” Even though you know the misery sin and evil have brought into the world too well, you can still enjoy many of the good things God created and be thankful for them. Praise God for his goodness still present in giving another sunrise today or the beauty of the trees and rolling hills under a fresh blanket of snow. Thank him for the crops, produce, and animals that are the source of your meals today and all the people who work along the process to get it to your plate. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Almighty Creator, you made everything good. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Help me to think about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy— [may I] think about such things (Phil. 4:8) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 11

God's law is simple, but step one in salvation is confessing you can't keep it. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 5 Q. Can you live up to all this (God's Law) perfectly? A. No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor. Summary A sinful nature is part of the human condition, as part of our inheritance of original sin from the first human, Adam. To say that we are without sin is a falsehood. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, has granted us forgiveness, and made us a new creation; yet we are not without sin. God enables spiritual growth in the life of the believer, however none of us will reach a point of complete righteousness in this life. It is part of our condition to continually battle our fallen nature. Those who deny their sinful nature do more than fool themselves. Not only would such a claim betray the truth, but it would also suggest a belief that you were not in need of the grace of Jesus. The truth is that we have all fallen short and are in desperate need for the grace of Christ. To claim otherwise is to disregard, or at minimum misunderstand, the Gospel. Dig Deeper While Jesus calls us to love our God and our neighbor, our natural tendency is to do the exact opposite. Respect, manners, and sharing are all things that are taught to children either in the home or at school. None of us teaches a child to be selfish, hit when angry, or throw a fit when you don’t get your way; yet these behaviors are still commonplace. These tendencies are ingrained in our very being. Part of living as a Child of God is battling our fallen nature. While the Holy Spirit does empower believers to do good; the faithful remain locked in combat with our fallen nature. This battle will continue to rage on until the end of the age when our sanctification is complete. As you acknowledge your natural state of sinfulness, lean on the Holy Spirit for the strength to do what you cannot do on your own, which is to love God and love others. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father God, you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Help me to recognize and confess my own sin, and strengthen me with the Spirit to trust in the righteousness of my Savior. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 10

God's expectations for you can be summarized in four short words. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 4 Q. What does God’s law require of us? A. Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew 22— Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Summary On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week we looked to Jesus’ command to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, followed by a similar command to love your neighbor as yourself. After listing these two commands in response to the question of which is the great commandment of the law, Jesus rightly proclaims that on these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. This description of the Law and the Prophets is often considered as a way to refer to the Old Testament as a whole. Simply put, anyone who loves God and their neighbor the way Jesus teaches will not be lacking in matters of the law and how to treat others. Dig Deeper As a parent I have learned the importance of rules. Growing up, your family’s rules may have seemed arbitrary, but those who've become parents (or given other sorts of authority) can see that they are formed with a purpose. In my case, the rules are there to ensure my boys don’t hurt one another or wreck the house. Much of what we have for rules at my house is focused on how we treat one another (and not getting hurt by being reckless). Much like how loving your God and loving your neighbor summarizes the law and the prophets; our household rules could be fulfilled if everyone went out of their way to treat one another well. Simply put, if everyone in your house always treated one another with the utmost love and respect; you would have little need for family rules. Rules are there to set a standard for what is acceptable; but when love is at the center of the equation, that standard will be met. The Bible is full of various commands for God’s people. While you may struggle to recall all that Jesus asks of his followers, you can go far towards living these out simply by loving God and loving your neighbor. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose very being defines what love is ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for sending His Son, who has perfectly kept God's laws on your behalf. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 9

One of the primary ways to show your love for God is by loving others. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 4 Q. What does God’s law require of us? A. Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew 22— Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Summary Yesterday we read how Jesus responded to a question on which is a great commandment by teaching us to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Jesus follows this up with a second commandment, which he says is like the first, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” While the love of God is a central aspect of our faith, this love also extends to our fellow man. While we love God with all that we have, our call is to love our neighbor as ourselves. As it was with yesterday’s text, we find these words are also not unique to the New Testament. In fact, Jesus' words in Matthew 22:39 appear to come as a direct quote of Leviticus 19:18. This section of Leviticus deals with how God’s people are to treat one another. This expression of loving your neighbor as yourself has little to do with feelings towards your neighbor and is more so directed at how you treat your neighbor. This can be seen in the provisions found in this section of Leviticus, which include leaving fallen grapes for the poor, not stealing or withholding wages, and generally treating others well. Dig Deeper While not raised to the same regard as loving the Lord your God, the command to love your neighbor comes in what may have been Jesus’ very next breath. Just as Jesus displayed a great love for others, so must his followers. As followers of Christ, our gratitude for the grace of Jesus is displayed not only in our devotion to God, but also in our love for our fellow man. When considering what it means to love your neighbor, much of what is described in Leviticus 19 falls under the category of “don’t be a jerk." That might sound like a harsh way to phrase it, but it does fit the bill of what we find there. When you have time, read Leviticus 19:9-19 again, it essentially contains a list of what NOT to do if you are living out the command to love your neighbor as yourself. How you treat people matters. Even if you are not a “people person," it is still important to treat others well because of the importance Jesus placed on loving your neighbor. Loving your neighbor as yourself is a clear example of faith leading to action. Jesus called his followers to action: to go and do. This is what we see in this call to love your neighbor, it is the action that stems from a sincere faith. Follow the example of Jesus by treating others well, for that is what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is the LORD, the God of all justice. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to help you see opportunities to tangibly love your neighbors and to give you conviction to do so. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 8

God expects ALL of your love, not SOME or even MOST of it. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 4 Q. What does God’s law require of us? A. Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew 22— Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. Summary You are probably familiar with “gotcha journalism”. This is where the interviewer asks questions specifically designed to lead the interviewee to make a statement that is damaging to them or their cause. While prevalent today, this is far from a new tactic. From Matthew 22 we learn that this type of question was around during the time of Jesus. This passage on the question of the great commandment in the Law comes within a series of questions meant to entrap Jesus. In their attempt to discredit Jesus’ authority as a teacher, the religious leaders brought before him questions that were designed to be unanswerable dilemmas. While those present were likely expecting a quote from one of the 10 Commandments, Jesus instead answers the question by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 “5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Jesus does make one change, saying “with all your mind” instead of “all your might." Despite the change, this passage would have been familiar to those listening for it is part of the Shema, which would have been recited every day by devout Jews. Dig Deeper Details matter. Sometimes, however, we can get so lost in the details that we miss what is right in front of us. It is like looking everywhere around the house for your phone, only to realize that it is still in your pocket. By focusing on one thing, we can lose sight of everything else. That appears to be the trap the religious leaders sprung on Jesus. They posed a question hoping he would pick one of the 10 Commandments as greatest, but instead Jesus chose to quote a different passage, citing the necessity of loving the Lord our God. Instead of picking one commandment, Jesus picks what could be considered a summary of the first 5 commandments. The Rabbinic scholars of Jesus’ day recognized the overarching importance of loving God. This necessity has not changed; your relationship with God is not an exchange of goods where you offer your devotion in exchange for salvation. The depth of God’s love for you is beyond your ability to comprehend. God loves you, that is without question. The question Jesus asks you today is, do you fully love God? AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Open your prayer today the way God's people have for thousands of years, by reciting the Shema: Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And as for you, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for an increasing ability to keep this greatest commandment. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 7

Sometimes the truth hurts, but God's truth hurts in order to heal. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 3 Q. How do you come to know your misery? A. The law of God tells me. Summary One of our human tendencies is to lay blame on others while claiming yourself as blameless. These actions are common in children, yet adults are not immune to this either. It is this type of situation to which Paul steps in to give clarification. In these passages Paul argues that the Jewish believers were not in a superior position to the non-Jewish followers of Christ. The crux of his argument is the fact that both are under sin. Paul quotes a series of Old Testament passages from the Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah which together show the sinfulness of all mankind. Following this reminder of the sinfulness of all people, Paul points out in v19 that the law, in what we today call the Old Testament, was written to the Jewish people. The words so that every mouth may be stopped come as a reference to court customs of the Jewish people. When someone was done with their defense, they would put their hand over their mouth to signify they were finished speaking in their own defense. Since the law was given to the Jewish people, their mouths are silenced, for there is nothing else they can say in their defense. They were given the law, and Paul was certain to point out that they did not keep the law. In v20, Paul gives the clarification the Jewish people needed to hear: no one can be justified by upkeeping the law. Yes, they had the law, but they were unable to keep it. Instead, the function of the law is the agent through which we come to know our sin. Dig Deeper Learning is a life-long process. Regardless of what kind of diploma one might go on to earn, there is always more to know. Some of this is based upon our own limitations to learn, our inclination to forget, or more information being discovered. There are different ways that we learn, through life experience, a class, or reading a book. When it comes to our sin, which is the source of our misery, the Bible is where we learn the depth of our sinfulness. While it is unpleasant to be confronted with your own sinfulness, this serves an important role in your life. It is through this confrontation with our sin that we come to know the depth of our misery and our need for a savior. Truly, if you had no awareness of your debt of sin, how then could you come to know your need for the grace of Jesus? Praise God for all that He does on our behalf, including giving us the Word of God which makes us aware of our sinful state and need for redemption. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, your name is holy, and your law demands perfect righteousness. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Keep me close to your law, so that I continually recognize my own sinfulness and cling even tighter to the cross of Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 6

The message of the Bible is complex, but it's not complicated. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 2 Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? A. Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary The Bible certainly has implications for every facet of life, and over the millenia, tens of thousands of pages of deep and complicated theology have been written unpacking the rich truth contained in scripture. But the primary message of the Bible is elegant in its simplicity. You only need to know three things. Paul explains this to young Pastor Timothy in today's passage. First, know that God has saved you... not because of anything you have done, but because of his own purpose and grace (v9a). The fact that you need salvation in the first place presupposes that you have something that you need salvation from. This is why the Bible goes to such great lengths to show you 'how great [massive] your sin & misery are.' Second, having recognized your need for salvation, you can trust in Christ alone, who who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (v10). Finally, knowing that you have been saved from your overwhelming sin problem must result in gratitude that changes the way you live. Not only did Jesus save you, but He called you to a holy life (v9a). Dig Deeper Notice the aggressive language Paul exhorts you with in this passage: fan into flame the gift of God (v6) Christians aren't timid, rather they're full of power, love & self discipline (v7) Don't be ashamed... suffer for the gospel by the power of God (v8) Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you (v14) As you begin a new year, pray that you will understand these three basic facts: that you'll come to recognize the depth of your sin (your Guilt), the magnitude of what Christ did to save you (Grace), and that in response you'll aggressively demonstrate your Gratitude by living a holy life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who by His power saved you and called you to a holy life (v9) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Repent of your sin, thank God for His salvation through Christ, and ask for strength to live a holy life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 5

To fully enjoy the comfort & assurance of your fully accomplished salvation, you must make every effort! Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary Maybe you've heard the trite little Christian saying that "Jesus + nothing = everything." Peter would have loved it! It nicely summarizes the opening statement of his second letter: Christ's power: has given us everything we need; through our knowledge of Him; since: He called us by His own glory and goodness and He has given us His promises. It's truths like this that provide you with the 'assurance of eternal life' that the Catechism mentions. Your certainty comes from the fact that Christ has fully accomplished your salvation, and there's nothing you need to add to it. Yet Peter prescribes more addition! In v5 he writes, make every effort to add... not to your salvation, because that's complete in Christ, but add to your faith. He repeats this command to make every effort again in v10, and this time he explains why: to confirm your calling and election. So certainly be assured of your salvation, but at the same time make every effort to live a godly life. The good works that result from these efforts will bolster the assurance and confidence you've already been given. Dig Deeper This famous first question and answer of the Catechism is like a warm blanket in a cold world, reminding you that your future is fully secured in Christ. But notice that even these words of comfort end with a call to action to 'wholeheartedly live for Him.' This is one of the great tensions of Christianity. Certainly rest in the thought that Christ is 'your only comfort in life and in death,' but in order to fully enjoy this rest you must continually make every effort to gratefully respond to the gift you've been given. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who has set His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ over His eternal kingdom (v11); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the strength to make every effort to live wholeheartedly for Christ. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 4

Most people are drowning in stress & worries. Trade them for the peace of Christ. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary In this passage Jesus doesn't just suggest that you not worry about things, He commands you not to worry about things! The key to being able to follow Jesus' command comes in the verse that precedes this passage: Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. In other words, the more you run after the [shallow] things the pagans go after (v32) , the less you're going to be able to trust in God's providence, and the more you're going to worry. Jesus points to the simple trust in their creator that the birds and wildflowers have. They don't worry or stress, yet they exhibit a beauty that far exceeds anything our efforts can produce. Jesus reminds you that since you're worth so much more than sparrows and grass, you can be certain that your Father will provide. Today Jesus' reminds you that your Father knows what you need (v32). Align yourself with His kingdom and righteousness and he will give you immeasurably more than all you ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). Dig Deeper Remember that the primary source of your comfort is that you are not your own, but belong to your faithful Savior. If you want to experience this comfort, then you need to live in this truth. The more you realize that you belong to your Savior, and seek His Kingdom and righteousness rather than stubbornly chasing material desires, the more anxiety and worry will be replaced with the comfort and peace of God. Give your life a quick check up: during the few quiet times you get each day (by the way, you need more of those) what are you thinking about? Things of this world or things of God? Chances are there's a direct correlation between these thoughts and the amount of worry in your life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, you know what I need and you will provide for me. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: I pray that I will seek first the Kingdom and righteousness of God. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 3

You've been set free, but that freedom comes at a high price. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A. That I am not my own, but belong— body and soul, in life and in death— to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven: in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary Yesterday we were reminded of the tremendous comfort that comes from belonging in life & death to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. Today it becomes clear that we belong to Christ because a price was paid. New Testament theology is really hard to understand without the context that the Old Testament provides. So often it can be difficult to keep reading through books like Leviticus because all of the rules, regulations and temple ceremonies seem irrelevant for those of us who know our salvation comes from grace alone because of Christ alone. But passages like Hebrews 9 help connect the dots and demonstrate that all of the bloody rituals and sacrifices present in Old Testament worship painted a picture of the price that needed to be paid for your sin. As v22 says, Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Dig Deeper Once a year, the Hebrew high priest would enter into God's presence and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial lamb to make atonement (payment) for the sins of the people, but this only visualized the shedding of blood that's necessary to forgive sins. For you to be actually forgiven and made right with God, a far higher price needed to be paid. That's why v12 say that Jesus entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. It's because you've been eternally redeemed that you've been "set free from the tyranny of the devil." You know how carefully you handle super expensive things. Make sure the way you live reflects the infinitely high price Christ paid for your redemption. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father in heaven, your name is and must always remain holy. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: I pray that I will live for the one who paid such a high price for me ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 2