Life may look way better for others, but you're being guided to glory by the LORD's counsel. Life on the wide road always seems more attractive as you walk the narrow road. Psalm 73 A psalm of Asaph. 1   Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2   But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3   For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity ( šā·lôm ) of the wicked. 4   They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. 5   They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. 6   Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. 7   From their callous hearts comes iniquity; their evil imaginations have no limits. 8   They scoff, and speak with malice; with arrogance they threaten oppression. 9  Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. 10  Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. 11  They say, “How would God know? Does the Most High know anything?” 12  This is what the wicked are like— always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. 13  Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence. 14  All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments. 15  If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. 16  When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply 17  till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18  Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19  How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! 20  They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. 21  When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, 22  I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. 23  Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. 24  You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. 25  Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. 26  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27  Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. 28  But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in them and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. Summary You've noticed what the psalmist Asaph notices here, probably more often than not. You've also envied the arrogant - those who on one hand have callous hearts, who scoff and speak with malice, and who ignore God altogether, yet who seem to have tremendous prosperity (literally: šā·lôm (shalom), the condition in which every thing is the way it's supposed to be). Their lives are always free of care, Asaph complains, and they go on amassing wealth. Worse yet, crowds of people turn to them and drink up everything they have to say. Asaph goes on to conclude he's been wasting his time working so hard to remain faithful to the LORD. Surely in vain, he writes, I have kept my heart pure. Yet all he seems to have gotten in return is affliction, and every morning brings new punishments. But then Asaph snaps back into reality as he entered the sanctuary of God. Do you see how important it is for you to recenter yourself each week by going to the Lord's house and hearing His Word proclaimed? It was there, Asaph reports, that he understood their final destiny. The wicked, whose lives appear so attractive, would be destroyed, completely swept away by God's justice.   Dig Deeper   In the final stanza (v18-28), Asaph confesses his embittered senseless ignorance, and it's then that he realizes God is always with him, holding him by his right hand and guiding him with His counsel. My flesh and my heart may fail, Asaph concludes, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. And so it is with you. Asaph's prayer of confession forms a beautiful foundation for these opening articles contained in this doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in you, the Canons confess, and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, you could not remain standing in this grace if left to your own resources. But that's the beauty of Asaph's gospel here in Psalm 73! You're not left to your own resources! Your Father will guide you with His counsel and afterwards He will take you into glory! Sunday's quickly coming once again. You have discretion as to how you'll spend your time this weekend, so make going to the Lord's house a priority, because it is good to be near God. As you make the sovereign LORD your refuge, you'll be all the more refreshed and equipped to tell of all His deeds in the week to come. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is good to the pure in heart; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the LORD will truly be the strength of your heart and your portion forever; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: John 3

God holds on to you by strengthening you. Bible.com 2 Thessalonians 3:1–5 (LSB) 3   Finally, brothers, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did  also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men, for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will strengthen and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will continue to  do what we command. 5 And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in them and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. Summary Paul had faithfully learned this lesson the hard way - that in all times and places there are perverse and evil men, for not all have faith. Spend a few minutes paging through the book of Acts and be reminded of all the persecution the Apostles faced. Paul tells the Corinthians of the troubles, hardships and distresses... beatings, imprisonments and riots... hard work, sleepless nights and hunger he endured at the hands of these evil men as he preached the good news (2 Corinthians 6:4-5). By God's grace, you're not likely to face those things. Although there are Christians throughout the world who do continue to suffer this way, most don't. Now our congregations meet in nice, climate controlled facilities and our members for the most part are well to do and friendly. There's likely a committee in our church that has a ten step plan for growth, so we have - or at least we think we have - everything under control. So it's so easy for us to forget to do what Paul begs the Thessalonians to do: to pray that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified . It's interesting how Paul frames this request. His prayer isn't that churches will grow numerically or even that the people in those churches will strengthen their faith or go deeper in their discipleship. Rather, Paul's concern is that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly (literally: run ) and that it will be glorified (given honor and respect) . Paul knows that when the gospel is unchained and boldly proclaimed, churches will grow in every sense of the word, and so this is what he wants people to pray for.   Dig Deeper   Paul also requests the Thessalonians pray that he'll be rescued from these perverse and evil men, but for all of the trouble and hardship such men caused Paul throughout his missionary journeys, his words here can in no way be understood to be pessimistic and hopeless. Quite the opposite, in fact! Paul's confidence comes from knowing that the Lord is faithful and that He'll strengthen and guard you from the evil one. This is one of the core aspects of this final doctrine of the Canons of Dordt known as the Perseverance of the Saints . Even though your life remains plagued by problems, temptations and failures, you can be certain that God is faithful and will powerfully preserve you in His grace to the end. Paul offers a benediction (words of blessing) on your behalf in today's final verse, praying that the Lord would direct your heart into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. He's asking God to do what God has promised to do: hold you tightly with grace that's stronger than you are. God uses ordinary means (tools) to direct your heart: the preaching of His Word, your participation in the sacraments, and the discipline & discipleship of the Church. These are the commands you must continue to do. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is is faithful, and who will strengthen and guard you from the evil one; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: John 2

God's grace is the gift that keeps on giving! Bible.com 1 Corinthians 1:4–9 (NIV) 4   I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5   For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— 6   God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. 7   Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8   He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9   God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in them and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. Summary It's easy to have a limited understanding of grace which keeps it relegated to the realm of the undeserved forgiveness and justification we've been given in lieu of the wrath and punishment our sins deserve. This is the amazing grace we sing of, that saved a wretch like me. Certainly this is the primary aspect of grace, and even if it were the only aspect of grace we'd still owe our God an eternity of gratitude for giving it to us. But there's so much more to the grace given you in Christ Jesus that Paul always thanks God for. Not only has this grace forgiven your sins, but it has enriched you in every way. In other words, God's grace permeates into every part of your life, enabling you to glorify God in everything you do. Your worship, therefore, extends past the Lord's Day as you experience and live into God's gift of grace in your work, relationships and even your recreation. But Paul keys in on two particular ways God's grace has enriched you: with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge. Commentator David Prior notes , "The two words here are logos and gnōsis , both bundles of dynamite in the early church... On the speaking side he would have included... any use of the gift of speech which contributes to the building up of the church. As far as knowledge is concerned, the church as a body has access to all the wisdom, insight, discernment and truth which it needs: it needs no special gurus to bring it to them." So it is that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. Unfortunately, it's likely the case that, as much as you value God's grace in your life, you don't really think this verse applies to you. You probably think that somehow you got left out of the spiritual gift distribution. But you were not left out! Yet you do need to do the hard work (which we read about last Wednesday and Thursday ) of discovering and developing God's gracious gifts in your life.   Dig Deeper   The Canons make it clear that those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But, praise God, you haven't been left to stand on your own! Paul assures you that our Lord Jesus Christ will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is one of those words so rich in meaning that there's more than one way to translate into English. Christ will sustain you (ESV), strengthen you (NET) and confirm you to the end (LSB). The Canons go on to give you comfort and confidence by using language directly lifted from today's passage: God is faithful, mercifully strengthening you in the grace once conferred on you and powerfully preserving you in it to the end. Once again you're reminded that God's grace, which has enriched you in every way, is stronger than you are. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who will keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire to discover and develop all of the gifts our Father has graciously given to you; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Peter 5

Even the best you can do is like filthy rags. And that's good news! Logos.com Isaiah 64:1–8 (NIV) 64 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you! 2   As when fire sets twigs ablaze and causes water to boil, come down to make your name known to your enemies and cause the nations to quake before you! 3   For when you did awesome things that we did not expect, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you. 4  Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. 5  You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved? 6   All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. 7   No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and have given us over to our sins. 8  Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. 9  Do not be angry beyond measure, LORD; do not remember our sins forever. Oh, look on us, we pray, for we are all your people. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in them and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. Summary We've seen over and over as we've read the Bible together that one of the most fundamental components of our prayers is a cknowledging who God is. Doing so reminds us of God's glorious and powerful attributes as we come to Him in prayer, giving us a peace producing confidence that He has control over every situation. That's why a cknowledgement, the first 'A' of our triple A prayer pattern, so often comes at the beginning of prayers, as it sets the tone for everything that follows. In many ways the first seven verses of today's passage - this prayer Isaiah composed - comprise a giant lead in to the formal a cknowledgement of God that culminates in v8: Yet you, LORD, are our Father. A couple of things stand out about Isaiah's extended a cknowledgement. First, Isaiah flips the script on the way we so often pray. Our prayer - which Jesus taught us! - is often for God to deliver us from evil and from the situations which press us down. Isaiah, however, also inspired by the Holy Spirit, prays for the opposite. Rather than simply asking to be lifted out of life's misery, Isaiah begs God to rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble! Isaiah's short opening overture captures the entire message of scripture. Certainly our Father does deliver us from evil and from a host of pestilences, persecutions and problems, but the Bible doesn't end with God simply evacuating His children from this sin infested globe. Rather, it ends with the heavens rent open, the mountains trembling and the nations quaking as the Lord victoriously comes down to act on behalf of those who wait for Him.   Dig Deeper   It's the other aspect that stands out in Isaiah's a cknowledgement that draws our attention today. Indeed, one of the primary reasons the Bible teaches us to make a cknowledging God such a primary part of our prayer is that doing so causes us to see ourselves as we truly relate to God (which is the primary function of religion). As Isaiah contemplates the LORD's glory coming to the help of those who gladly do right, it becomes immediately apparent to him that on our own, we are not people who gladly do right. Rather, we continue to sin... all of us have become like one who is unclean. And it's not just our weak lapses that convict us, even our righteous acts are like filthy rags! All of this sounds so familiar from when we worked our way through the ugly doctrines of total depravity several months ago. Yet the Canons bring us back to our pathetic inability to follow God's simple commands here again today, not just to clobber us one more time, but to help lay the foundation for the massive comfort we call the perseverance of the saints. Isaiah had it figured out hundreds of years before Christ was even born. After seeing fallen humanity in the reflection of God's holiness, Isaiah cries out how then can we be saved?!? The Canons summarize the whole of scripture to answer his question. Even those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources . But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. In other words, a cknowledging our depravity in the light of God's holiness makes it clear that God's grace is far stronger than we are, and reminds us that we are preserved by His strength, not ours. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : You, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that through God's preserving grace you will strive to lay hold of Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Peter 4

Jesus has big plans for you as you remain in Him. Logos.com John 15:1–8 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus has just finished the Passover meal with His disciples in the upper room. Judas has just left to betray Him, and now they’ve headed out in the night for the Garden of Gethsemane, where He’ll be arrested. Jesus has been using these final moments to download a massive dose of theology onto the remaining disciples, who are tired, overwhelmed and terrified at this point. He gives them this metaphor to help them understand. 15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4   Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  5   “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6   If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8   This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 3: God’s Preservation of the Converted Because of these remnants of sin dwelling in them and also because of the temptations of the world and Satan, those who have been converted could not remain standing in this grace if left to their own resources. But God is faithful, mercifully strengthening them in the grace once conferred on them and powerfully preserving them in it to the end. Summary It's interesting the way that Jesus describes Himself here - not just that He calls Himself the Vine, for the Bible uses this metaphor to describe God's people often, but that He specifies that He's the true vine. Jesus knew that His disciples - and us - live in a world of false vines , all of which beckon for our attention and allegiance. Judas had just made His move, cutting himself away from Christ and grafting himself to the world in exchange for a bag of silver.  Today you will face all sorts of temptation to do the same. You likely won’t be tempted to sell out your Savior to the local goon squad like Judas did, but the false vine that threatens you the most is even more insidious. Whereas Judas needed to help Jesus' enemies find Him, your enemy follows you wherever you go: Sarx  - your old sinful nature.   Dig Deeper   Our strongest weakness has always been our deep desire for independence - we want to bear fruit by ourselves. It seems so limiting and constricting to remain in Jesus; and even more so to have Him remain in you!   Then there’s the perennial pruning that our Father, the gardener, subjects us to - it hurts! And so often He cuts away the things we want the most. There’s nothing that Sarx wants more than to break free from this perceived bondage and join itself to a less restrictive vine, or no vine at all. Jesus knows how strong this temptation is. Adam fell for it, and Satan had tried to get Jesus to give into it as well. Over the next few hours, all of his disciples will have succumbed to it. So He pleads with them - and you - to fight against it. No branch can bear fruit by itself, Jesus explains, it must remain in the vine. He goes on to warn them that apart from Me you can do nothing. Ultimately this quest for independence ends up withered, thrown into the fire and burned. The Canons echo Jesus' words of warning, reminding you that you could not remain standing in this grace if left to your own resources. So listen to Jesus' earnest call to remain in me! Although Jesus' metaphor about the vine and the branches gives strong warnings about the consequences of abandoning the true vine, His words of encouragement ring out even louder. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, Jesus promises, ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you! This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourself to be my disciple. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, the gardener growing the one true vine; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will mercifully strengthen you in the grace once conferred on you and powerfully preserve you in it to the end; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Peter 3

Don't wait till you hit the depths to cry out to the LORD! Anne of Green Gables Psalm 130 A song of ascents. 1   Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; 2  Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 3   If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 4   But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 5  I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6   I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. 7   Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. 8  He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily  sins of weakness arise,  and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints,  giving them continual cause  to humble themselves before God,  to flee for refuge to Christ crucified,  to put the flesh to death more and more  by a spirit of supplication [prayer] and by holy exercises of godliness [piety / Spiritual Disciplines],  and to strain toward the goal of perfection,  until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Summary My wife and I raised four daughters, so with five women in the house, it meant we watched lots of movies like Anne of Green Gables. At one point where it seems like Anne will have to go back to the orphanage, she cries out "I'm in the depths of despair," to which her guardian Marilla, always with the stiff upper lip, replies, "To be in the depths of despair, is to turn your back against God." For all of Aunt Marilla's wisdom, the psalmist who penned Psalm 130 would have disagreed with her on this point. He realized that often it's only out of the depths that we cry to the LORD. Since we don't know who in particular wrote this psalm, we don't know the particular situation that gave rise to it. But not knowing what the depths looked like for the psalmist is actually a gift, for if we did we'd restrict our definition of the depths to only those situations that perfectly matched whatever the psalmist had experienced, when the reality is that the depths look different for everyone. But one thing seems clear: the psalmist’s depths have something to do with his record of sins , which he rejoices the LORD does not keep . Notice that this psalm of assent , which the Israelites sang together in small groups as they ascended up the hill to worship at the Jerusalem temple, only has one request of the LORD. Most of the prayer a cknowledges who God is and what it's like to wait for Him with our whole being, but the one thing the psalmist a sks the LORD for is that His ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.   Dig Deeper   Psalm 130 nicely unpacks what the Canons say your daily sins of weakness and blemishes should drive you towards. The should give you continual cause to: Humble yourself before God: 1 Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD; 3   If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? 6  I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning... Flee for refuge to Christ crucified: 4   But with you there is forgiveness... 5   I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. 7 ...for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. 8  He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins. Put your flesh to death more and more  by a spirit of supplication 2 Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. 5  I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits and by holy exercises of godliness 4  But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. 7  Israel, put your hope in the LORD AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, with whom there is forgiveness, unfailing love and full redemption; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that, having been forgiven of your sin, you would with reverence, serve the LORD; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Peter 2

The key to truly and fully experiencing peace is counterintuitive. Wouldn't it be great if the grandest buildings in our cities and campuses were dedicated to "training ourselves to be godly?" 1 Timothy 4:7–10 (NIV) 7  Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8   For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9   This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10  That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily  sins of weakness arise,  and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints,  giving them continual cause  to humble themselves before God,  to flee for refuge to Christ crucified,  to put the flesh to death more and more  by a spirit of supplication [prayer] and by holy exercises of godliness [piety / Spiritual Disciplines],  and to strain toward the goal of perfection,  until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Summary Paul's expression of it here certainly isn't politically correct, but the world we live in now is as filled with godless myths and old wives' tales as it was two millennia ago. You're continually bombarded with biased news (from both the left and the right). 'Influencers' dominate social media with their myths and tales . So much downright godless entertainment gets streamed directly into your living room. But your more discerning than the average Joe, right? You know to take what you hear and see with a massive grain of salt and filter out the filth as you consume your media. But that's not at all what the Bible commands here. Paul doesn't just encourage you to be a bit more discriminating or even critical with what you surround yourself with, he implores you to have nothing to do with it. Other translations better capture his aggressive insistence: reject ( NET ) / refuse ( LSB ) it.   Dig Deeper   It's the same on nearly every educational campus anymore - from elementary schools to major universities. The biggest and most impressive buildings are the athletic complexes and gymnasiums. Obviously their massive sizes are necessary to facilitate the space required to throw and kick balls hundreds of feet through the air with enough space for tens of thousands to watch it happen. But the size and scope of these buildings says something about what our society values as well. It's been a bit since theology departments commanded the grandest buildings on campuses (although they used to! Theology is what put the uni in university !). But this phenomenon is nothing new. In Paul & Timothy's day, the gymnásion was also the biggest building in the city and drew the most attention. Paul draws on the universally popular appeal of athletics to make his point: Reject the world's drivel and instead, train ( gymnázō ) yourself to be godly. In other words, take the habits and methods gained from the physical training we impress upon ourselves and our children, which is of some value , and apply them, as the Canons put it, to holy exercises of godliness [piety / Spiritual Disciplines],  and to strain toward the goal of perfection. We often market the gospel as the key to peace and fulfilment, which it absolutely provides (this is what we promote on the front page of our church's website !). But the key to truly and fully experiencing this peace is counterintuitive: you're not just to peacefully and passively wait until you are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven . Rather, you must labor and strive, because you have put your hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who gives us a righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith in Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the burning desire to press on and strive toward the goal of perfection by coming to know & participate in Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Peter

Christianity isn't about how you're feeling, it's about what you're pursuing. Bible.com Philippians 3:7–14 (NIV) 7  But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9  and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10  I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12  Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily  sins of weakness arise,  and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints,  giving them continual cause  to humble themselves before God,  to flee for refuge to Christ crucified,  to put the flesh to death more and more  by a spirit of supplication [prayer] and by holy exercises of godliness [piety / Spiritual Disciplines],  and to strain toward the goal of perfection,  until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Summary So often Christianity is described in terms of how it makes people feel. It gives peace during trouble, a steady certainty in the midst of chaos, a divine friend when we need one. Christian faith fills our God sized holes, provides fulfillment and is the one thing you can count on when the rest of the world has rejected you. As wonderful and true as all of that is, the apostle Paul wanted much more than a feeling. He considered everything as a loss - garbage , even - compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Christianity for Paul was both an intellectual and experiential pursuit. The knowledge Paul was after was far more than just a few bits of trivia about Jesus. He didn't just want to know about Christ's resurrection, he wanted to know the power of His resurrection. In other words, he wanted to know all of the theological implications the flow out of it and how its historical reality made peace possible between God and man. Nor was he interested in the knowledge just to, as he writes elsewhere, puff him up. He wanted to participate in it in such a way that every bit of knowledge he gained would make him more and more like Christ in his death.   Dig Deeper   This final doctrine of the Canons of Dordt has come to be known as the Perseverance of the Saints, but maybe if Paul had been on the naming committee he would have tweaked it a bit. It's not that he'd argue against perseverance, but that he might better prefer the phrase Persistence of the Saints. Certainly Paul understood the sovereign work of God necessary for our salvation - after all, it's Paul's epistles that form the backbone of our understanding of it. But neither does he promote passivity - just listlessly waiting for God to impart the knowledge and participation he craved. Paul notes twice in today's passage that he pressed on in pursuit of it. These are aggressive words that Paul used to describe his efforts. They mean to strive after something - to go after it with every ounce of energy possible. It often gets translated as persecute to describe the way people chased down Christians. Ironically, Paul heard this word directly from Jesus on the road to Damascus: Paul, Paul, why do you persecute me - why do you chase after & pursue me? The Christian life, then, is a rigorous pursuit of knowing Christ and participating in His sufferings. This is exactly what the Canons call you to: to strain toward the goal of perfection, until you are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who gives us a righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith in Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the burning desire to press on and strive toward the goal of perfection by coming to know & participate in Christ; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 1 Peter

It's not just about making better decisions, it's about changing your mindset. Logos.com Colossians 3:1–10 (NIV) 3 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2   Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3   For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5   Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature [ Sarx ]: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6   Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7   You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8   But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9   Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10  and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily  sins of weakness arise,  and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints,  giving them continual cause  to humble themselves before God,  to flee for refuge to Christ crucified,  to put the flesh to death more and more  by a spirit of supplication [prayer] and by holy exercises of godliness [piety / Spiritual Disciplines],  and to strain toward the goal of perfection,  until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Summary I wonder how many billions of decisions we each make over the course of a lifetime. There's a few big decisions along the way, like who to marry or what career path to follow. But those major choices are easily eclipsed by the countless mass of decisions we make, often without even thinking about them. The problem comes when we begin to consider our Christianity just another decision we've made. After all, as the old song goes, I have decided to follow Jesus. It's a big decision for sure, even the most important, but still it's one decision amongst the billions you continually make. And we're really good at compartmentalizing our decisions. After all, we make big decisions at the ballot box, but most of us keep those decisions stuffed away with our other political opinions (most of the time, at least). You make big decisions at work, but don't drag them home with you, and vice versa . So it's so easy to keep our decision to trust Christ stuffed in our church box. Paul here applies some corrective theology to this situation. It's not just that you've decided to be a Christian, rather you have been raised with Christ. In other words, your entire reality got transformed, not by a decision you made, but by the One seated at the right hand of God! So you can't just compartmentalize it; you must set all of your heart and all of your mind on things above, not on earthly things.   Dig Deeper   Setting your heart and mind on things above has earthly ramifications. Your behavior needs to reflect the reality you have been raised to. This means more than just making better decisions; much more... much more violent! You're called to put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature. You're called to continually kill Sarx (the Greek word for your sinful earthly nature) . The Canons provide the two primary weapons you've been given for this mission. First of all, you kill off Sarx with a spirit of supplication. That is, you're continually in a posture of prayer. Certainly this doesn't mean your hands are always folded and eyes tightly shut. Rather, it means that your heart and mind are continually set on things above. You're to live in an ongoing conversation with your Father through His Spirit who is in you. Your second weapon is described as holy exercises of godliness. To recover a long lost word that's fallen into disuse / misuse, you must be pious. A newer phrase has taken its place: you need solid Spiritual Disciplines, like the ongoing prayer just mentioned, daily Bible reading, gathering with God's people on the Lord's Day, and a myriad of other Biblical habits. Sarx is a formidable enemy who will ruthlessly battle against you until you're freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. You'll lose many of these battles, so thankfully your life is now hidden with Christ in God. But you can - you must - take up your weapons in a spirit of supplication and keep straining toward the goal of perfection. Then, when Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory and Sarx will finally be put to death for the last time. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose wrath is coming because of the wickedness of sinful earthly nature; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for a spirit of supplication and for the resolve to daily strengthen your holy exercises of godliness (piety / Spiritual Disciplines).; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 3 John

It's Monday. Sunday's in the rearview mirror, and continual battles lie ahead. Find hope for the battles you lose. You will come to this junction often this week. Galatians 5:16–17 (NIV) 16   So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh ( Sarx ). 17  For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction to Sins of Weakness Hence daily  sins of weakness arise,  and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints,  giving them continual cause  to humble themselves before God,  to flee for refuge to Christ crucified,  to put the flesh to death more and more  by the Spirit of supplication  and by holy exercises of godliness,  and to strain toward the goal of perfection,  until they are freed from this body of death and reign with the Lamb of God in heaven. Summary It's so simple. If you just walk by the Spirit - that is, if each and every moment you just keep your heart and mind focused on things above ( Col. 3:1-2 ) - then you won't even think about indulging the desires of Sarx (or as it's often translated, your sinful nature ). Then you will live a life defined by the fruit of the Spirit, which Paul describes a few verses after today's text. Most of you will be reading this on a Monday morning, after you've had the privilege yesterday of gathering with fellow believers in the Lord's house and hearing His Word proclaimed. You were reminded of similar principles as you listened to, read and sang scripture: principles calling you to flee from sin and pursue righteousness. These Words strengthened you for the week to come and built up your resolve. But now it's Monday. Your church clothes are hung up, the bulletin is somewhere in the back seat of your car with a dozen others, and the pepermunt jar is put away for the week. And already your resolve to walk exclusively with the Spirit has been challenged, or even completely abandoned. What's wrong with you? Why can't you stay on course? It's because, whether you realize it or not, you're at war. At war with yourself - with Sarx . These dueling natures are in conflict with each other. Paul puts it more bluntly in Romans 7 ... they're not just in conflict with one another, they're at war with each other!   Dig Deeper   As we begin this final and most comforting of the five Doctrines of Grace contained in the Canons of Dordt, you're reminded that you haven't crossed life's finish line yet. As the Canons put it, although you're straining toward the goal of perfection,  you have not yet been freed from this body of death. This means that although each and every Monday you're a little bit older and wiser than the week before, daily sins of weakness will continue to arise, and blemishes cling to even the best works of saints no matter how many bulletins accumulate in the back seat. But notice also how the Canons frame this bad news. It's not presented as a hopeless reminder you that you'll never really be a Christian; it's not put forth in such a way to clobber you over the head for your continual failure. Rather, it's given as an encouragement; a motivator, even. This reality gives you continual cause . In other words, it gives you a mantra to live by, a purpose you can attain. Your continual cause is not somehow attaining perfection on your own, but rather daily humbling yourself before God, fleeing to Christ crucified for refuge, so that more and more, by the Spirit's power, you can put Sarx to death. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who has bestowed His Spirit on all who are in Christ; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the continual resolve you need to walk by the Spirit; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 John