Romans 9:14-24 - Grace and Reprobation

Romans 9:14-24

14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. 17 For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, "FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH." 18 So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires.

19 You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?” 20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

Message: Grace and Reprobation

Time:  Paul wrote Romans from Corinth as he prepared to leave for Palestine. Phoebe (16:1,2) was given the great responsibility of delivering the letter to the Romans believers. At this time, Rome had a population of 1 million, many of whom were slaves. The Romans church was doctrinally sound, but it still needed rich doctrine and practical application. Rome had massive buildings but also slums.

What the Lord is Saying:

God rescues us
Man is forever fooling himself to think that he can earn his own salvation. This again is the way of the world in which we live. We work hard, continually improving and along the way our hard work pays off. It merits dividends. Even when it comes to eating or taking care of our bodies, we are focused on the idea that what we eat and the exercise we do pays off by living in a healthier manner. Thus, we are trained over and over in life in this kind of living and this living resulting in good outcomes.

Yet, God's salvation does not work like this. Over and over in scripture is the reminder that we are saved by grace. This grace does not have anything to do with our performance. Man does make choices in life but is incapable of choosing righteousness as a sinner. He needs to be rescued by God.

Paul responds to a question
In this passage, Romans 9:14-24, Paul is addressing an objection that is not said but implied or he thinks the objection is coming. The objection is - "Is God acting in a righteous manner when He chooses one over another?" This sounds quite familiar to what we hear all to often from people in this world. They say, "God would not let that happen because God is love and God being love wants all people to have good outcomes." Those are not the exact words that are spoken by people but it is something that is mentioned over and over that a good God would not allow suffering; a good God would not allow a person to hurt or have pain. When we ask these questions, are we not asking the same question that Paul is responding to here? The question is: Is God acting in a righteous manner when He chooses one over another?

In essence, God is being God and we don't like it and because we don't like it, then there must not be a God.

God has mercy
Paul wants to make it very clear that God is always righteous. He starts with a quote from Exodus 33:19 - And He said, "I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion." Paul is speaking to the Jewish people and his responses or His arguments go back to the text of the Old Testament. God will be gracious to whom He will be gracious. As man, our role is to not be judge or jury of God. Yet, most of us have a God given compassion for others, and we hurt for others, for ourselves. We see some people living seemingly good lives while others don't and it saddens us that everyone can't be equal. Yet, we are the ones that have defined what is a good life. But, there is also injustice in this world because people are sinners and they act in a sinful manner. But, God is not the one who is acting in an injustice way. Paul says (verse 16) - it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. It does not depend on man's hard work. Paul is simply making a natural conclusion here. The Lord will have mercy on whom I have mercy....it does not depend on the man. 

If it depended on man, then man would get the glory. It is one or the other. It cannot be a two-way thing where man does a little, God does the rest. This goes back to the earlier discussion that man is incapable in his fallen state to do even a little.

Demonstrates His Power
Paul continues his response and once again goes back to Exodus with the following quote from Exodus 9:16 - But, indeed, for this reason I have allowed you to remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. Paul states - FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE I RAISED YOU UP, TO DEMONSTRATE MY POWER IN YOU, AND THAT MY NAME MIGHT BE PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EARTH. God is to be glorified. God acts the way He acts so His name might be proclaimed. We have a jealous God. Albert Barnes states - "The design is to show that God has a right to pass by those to whom he does not choose to show mercy; and to place them in circumstances where they shall develop their true character." God has this right. Again, it is the character of man to take care of only himself. It is the character of God to try to think man is the one that solves life's problems. This passage in Exodus is Paul taking his audience back to Pharaoh to show that even the most mighty and wicked monarchs are in God's control. The true character of man is selfishness, of seeking out his own self interests and God placed Pharaoh in circumstances where this character is further developed. While others he chooses for salvation.

Once again, this is an idea about God that I don't think we like. The reality is God does choose some for salvation, but most he does not. And the selfish way of man is pleased with this.

Don't Ask Why
Thus, what follows next is man's natural response to all of this - The Question: "Why?" But, the issue I think of the "why" question can be better understood in the idea that man lives in a fallen condition. This is the basis of man. This is the intent of man. This is the predominant way of man. I think in the United States and even throughout the world, for a time, leaders were Christians, and the notion of right and wrong prevailed in human thought. Many today think we need to return to the founding of our country. And it is true religious life was more predominant in leaders early in our history. But as time has gone by, this notion slowly evaporates. It is like a pot boiling. After a while the water leaves and there is no more water. There is just steam. And over time this is what we are seeing is the way of man is becoming more and more the way of man.

Paul speaks here that we are all simply lumps of clay. In my daily reading through the Bible that I began recently, I came across these words in Isaiah 29 that I now see Paul was quoting in this passage. The Lord speaks these words (Isaiah 29:16) - You turn things around! Shall the potter be considered as equal with the clay, that what is made would say to its maker, “He did not make me”;
Or what is formed say to him who formed it, “He has no understanding”? We are lumps of clay and we think we have the right to now speak to the potter. I think this language is used to show the absurdity of the situation. The makeup of man and God is completely different. And here we see it is difference by looking at a piece of clay that the potter has formed. Clay is an object. The potter is a man. Man and God have a similar relationship. Yet, we question God all the time. The clay speaks.

Paul echoes this sentiment in these words recording in Romans 9:20-21 - On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?

Thus, here is the conclusion. Don't ask why? It is foolishness for us to ask why. Clay does not speak. But we do ask and we ask over and over and though we don't hear answers, we make up our own answers to the questions. And suddenly the clay thinks it has arrived at the correct conclusion regarding life and everything in it. It is absurdity and yet we sit back and define it as reasonable. We are pots. We are clay. Let the potter be the potter. Let God be God.

Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
And now Paul will take us back to the chief problem and that is man is fallen. Man had what he wanted in the garden - nothing but good outcomes, but his problem was he wanted to be the potter and so he ignored the plan of God and took matters in his own hands. The result was a roadway to wrath. Paul makes this clear. What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known. Man has this insatiable desire to be in charge and he gets this from God. Think about some of the great dictators - Stalin, Hitler, Mao Zedong. We watch them carry out their wicked ways as they demonstrate their wrath and make their power known. What they exhibit is something we all have - a desire to be in control. Sure it is grotesque to see what they do with that control. And we would be appalled to see God act this way. Yet, our deeds are like filthy rags. These dictators carry out a wrath on people that don't deserve the wrath and yet God would be just in carrying out wrath on disobedient sinners. Would we not have a little understanding with these dictators if there adherents were in fact disobedient toward them?

The point Paul makes is that God, could demonstrate His wrath and could make His power known, but he doesn't, and instead He endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. God has mercy. He has patience. He does not want any to come to judgement, but all to repent. And could it be that His feeling toward sin is so appalling that most people will end up receiving that wrath, but a few will be saved. The irony of this all is God is actually acting in a manner that is reasonable and justified.

Rich in Mercy and indeed Good Outcomes
And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. God is rich in Glory. And this Glory has been his plan. And He has set us apart for this glory. He chose Jews and Gentiles. He chose from every group under the Sun. We are all included. If we would just focus on this. If we would just focus on His mercy and being included in His glory. If we would let Him be the potter - wouldn't it all just work out?

Promise: From TableTalk Magazine for this entry - Since we deserve only eternal death apart from God's intervention, we cannot complain if the Lord shows grace and mercy only to some of us. Reprobation is God leaving some in their sins and to the just consequences of those sins. We are in Christ only because God chooses to love undeserving sinners.

Prayer: O God the Father, you are indeed rich in mercy. You have saved me by your grace and your grace alone. There is no fiber in me that is worthy. I am no different from anyone. The only difference is you have lifted me up. Lord, I pray that I would surrender to you and let you be God. Help me to rise above all those voices that continue to question you. Your power is made known simply in saving anyone. And your glory is so great because of all who you have saved. Lord, you have reminded me that I am clay, a lump of clay and You are the potter and I have no place in ever questioning You because clay and a potter are entirely two different compositions. I only can surrender to You God. That is my only choice, my only way. You didn't have to but you did, you showed me Your mercy and then you somehow have promised me to share in Your Glory. How?



Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with the April devotional being about salvation by grace alone and how the Lord never fails to save the one whom He has purposed to save.

Ephesians 1:3-4a - The Grace of Predestination

Ephesians 1:3-4a
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world

Message: The Grace of Predestination

Time: At the end of his second missionary journey and 2 years into his third, Paul ministered at Ephesus. Many came to Christ during His time though Paul was not popular among the pagans. Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians sometime in AD 60–61, around the same time he wrote Colossians and Philemon, as he sent all three letters by the hand of Tychicus, accompanied by Onesimus. It was during this time that Paul sat in Rome undergoing his first Roman imprisonment, making Ephesians one of the four epistles commonly known as the Prison Epistles. The others are Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

What the Lord is Saying:

RC Sproul stated that the doctrine of predestination is difficult. It is complex and difficult to study and requires a lot of care in studying. But, it is still important to study. In my life, it has been difficult for me to understand. I go back to the study of it very often and at times, I never feel like I have it figured out. But rather, I approach it from the ground up over and over. I'm not sure I'm correct in thinking this, but the study of predestination to me is closely related to the understanding of human free will.

I take a moment here to look at the definition of predestination:

the divine foreordaining of all that will happen, especially with regard to the salvation of some and not others

I suppose the reason I see this link with predestination and human free will is there is at times a conflict within me as to whether the two can work together.

This particular lesson has the focus on salvation. As I have discussed in previous recent entries, there is at times the idea in history that each person is responsible for his salvation. In the Edenic covenant God bestowed his blessing completely on Adam and Eve. They were in the garden, with the tree of life and therefore in constant fellowship with God. They were given tasks to do and they did those task completely for there was no sin. In Genesis 1 and 2, in the garden of Eden, God provided man and woman everything needed to live. He commands them to be fruitful, to multiply. to fill the earth, to subdue it, to rule over the animals. They had a mission and God had a plan for them. There was no right and wrong, no good and evil. There was only a mission and they would be successful in this mission. Life was fluid.

Sin, however, broke that original Edenic covenant as man's mission and God's promise of salvation was broken or veered off from the plan when sin was not known. Thus, Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, from the perfect fellowship with God. [Note: Covenants are established but often man does not fulfill his part of the covenant, resulting in another covenant and eventually a new or final covenant that would never be broken because man had no responsibility in it.] Outside of the garden, Adam and Eve would receive the curse of painful living. They would now toil and experience pain and loss. And the tree of life, which was in the garden, was now not with man and woman.

Both in the pre-sin world and the post-sin world man had tasks to do. But, in the post-sin world man was working outside of the garden, away from the tree of life, and thus curses resulted, like working by the sweat of a brow and toiling. And maybe it is because man broke this fellowship with God, this union, by sinning, that man thinks then he or she must then be the one to bridge fellowship with God. Yet God makes it clear that man is incapable of bridging that fellowship because the sin makes him incapable, makes him imperfect. Thus, Grace follows for God is our provider for peace with Him.

Again, the point here is fellowship with God. The point here is to be in union with God. Union was broken because of sin. Without sin, union was present as man was in the garden, with the tree of life. Man goes from being perfect to now being imperfect, but perfection is what is needed to be in fellowship with God. There is no idea of being "good enough" or "all that we can do."

Paul says in I Corinthians 15:22 -In Christ all shall me made alive. This is the pinnacle statement, I believe, of the identification of eternal life for all who are in Christ. In Christ all... In Jesus man now has complete fellowship with God.

So even as we try to believe that God's grace brings us to salvation - which is a point of theology, Many people today still think that certain works bridge the gap. For many Jewish people, it was circumcision or being a holder of the Law and today for many it is being in the right church, following the correct directions or rules, or being of the right religious system. The deception is these things yield our salvation. But, as a sinner man is incapable of being perfect, being righteous, And therefore incapable of choosing for himself salvation.

As I have discussed previously, man naturally thinks that he is involved in this process of being made alive and if this was so, wouldn't Paul saying the words God chose us in Him hint of controversy? Or can God choose someone and yet when that person come to faith be decided by that person. On the contrary, He is not involved and here in Ephesians 1:3-4 is Paul making it clear that God chooses us in Christ before creation (the foundation of the world). That is a loaded thought and immediately it makes us wonder about prayer, about sharing our faith and other things that the Bible prescribes us to do. We are to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Paul tells me in I Thessalonians to pray about everything. Jesus continually told us to ask of Him. Yet, saying God chooses us does not nullify other commandments of God.

Throughout scripture God's promises are given first, followed by obedience (e.g. Covenants, Giving of the law, Ephesians 2:8-10). Works are never intertwined with salvation in our New Testament. But, I think this is normal for us as humans to think this. We gravitate towards what we can do and moving past what we have done. We learn from our mistakes. We are constantly changing and improving. We become more wise. Most of us are trying to make today better than yesterday. This is normal and this is good, but the danger lies in us equating this mission with the conclusion that we then earn our salvation.

In addition, some have that God foresaw our natural obedience and therefore knew our choice would one day be for Him. This again focuses only on foreknowledge. And it focuses on our ability to make a good choice towards righteousness. But, this verse in Ephesians says God chose us in Him not God knew our choice would be in Him.

Good works can be present at any time, but obedience to God follows faith. In the eyes of God, our entire lives are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Eternal life comes about by faith or believing (John 3:16). Then once we are in Christ, good works follow (Ephesians 2:10).

God chooses those to be in Christ. It is His work. Yet, the idea of God choosing and man making choices in life are still compatible. Thus these ideas seem opposed to one another, on the surface, and so I turn to a video by RC Sproul on Free Will.

RC Sproul discusses Free Will:

1. Humanist View - The ability to make choices is spontaneous. There is no prejudice, prior disposition, or prior inclination toward making a choice. A choice comes comes about on its own. But, if there is no prior disposition toward making a choice, then we can conclude that there is no reason or motivation for the choice - and thus no moral significance.

The Bible, however, focuses not just on choices, but a predetermined reason for choices. In the Bible, it refers to our intention for the choice and the motivation from our heart. As an example, in the Bible, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Later, when there is restoration and Joseph speaks to his brothers he says to them that "you meant it for evil, but God meant it for good." Thus, what motivates often can be evil, but God's intent is for good. Here is this thought again I am seeing that man can only choose God is God is in Him.

The humanist view is that the will is neutral, thus there is an effect, but there is no cause to that effect. On the contrary, the Bible states that man's natural tendency is toward evil or away from the things of God - toward pleasing his/her own needs or desires.

2. Jonathon Edwards states that will is the mind choosing. Thus, the mind approves of our choices. The mind and the will work in conjunction; the mind is not independent of the will. Edwards states "Free moral agents always act according to the strongest inclination they have at the moment of choice." When we sin, our desire at that moment is greater than our desire to obey Christ.

Coercion is doing things that we really don't want to do. These are external forces that come into our lives and force us to do things that we don't want to do. Human desires fluctuate. In moments of coercion we can at times be presented with two options, but it is still our desires that help us to choose. Yet when Paul tells us that "I do what I don't want to do" this seems to conclude that Paul believes a person can choose against their desires. As a Christian I have a desire to please Christ, but that desire does not always play itself out when I am given choices in life.

3. RC Sproul says, "Every choice we make is free and every choice we make is determined." Determinism, on the contrary, says that we make choices based upon external forces.  Atheists hold to determinism and believe our choices are automatic based upon our traditions, upbringing, environments. But RC Sproul states that what determines our choices is me, thus this is self-determination. Thus, we always choose according to our desires.

Jonathan Edwards also speaks of moral ability and natural ability. I have the natural ability to think, speak, walk upright. I cannot fly or live underwater for lengths of time. Moral ability is the ability to be righteous as well as to be sinful. In his fallen state, man no longer has the ability in his moral state to be perfect because he is born in sin. He can still think and make choices. Augustine said that man has free will but man lost moral liberty in the fall. “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good,There is not even one.”
Overall, I think the difficulty of this text and this idea is this is contrary to the way in which we have been trained. It is rather self-defeating to realize that I have gained the greatest gift imaginable without doing anything to earn it. Ever since the curse from Adam and Eve's sin work has been a toil and that work that we do does merit results. Thus, in life, we are naturally conditioned to think that rewards follow good habits of work. But, God is saying in relation to salvation that rewards are not based upon the person receiving them, but rather the person giving them. This is hard because there is so little in our life that is based upon a gift rather than a work. Thus, this is why so many have a problem with substitution atonement.

Promise: God loves us. God knows us. God wants us to be in fellowship with Him. He provides the way and because of sin each of us is incapable of choosing God because there is none righteous.

Prayer: O Father, thank you for loving me with a love that is incomprehensible to me. Despite my failure -- past, present, and/or future -- you still love me and want me to be yours. It has everything to do with You and nothing to do with me. You take my fallen condition and make me acceptable Continue to help me to understand these doctrines. You are explaining more and more what it means.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with the April devotional being about salvation by grace alone and how the Lord never fails to save the one whom He has purposed to save.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 - The Covenant of Grace Fulfilled

Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,32 not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Message: The Covenant of Grace Fulfilled

Time: The son of a priest from the small town of Anathoth in Judah, the prophet Jeremiah dictated prophecies from the Lord to his secretary, Baruch. He spoke to a people, though, that would not listen and his words have much emotion to them. Jeremiah’s ministry began when he was 20 years old, in 627 BC and ended sometime around 582 BC. Jeremiah prophesied in the final years of Judah before God’s people were exiled to Babylon.

What the Lord is Saying:

As I now transition in this study of grace from the Old Testament to the New Testament of the Bible, I see here in Jeremiah a prophecy from the Lord. He speaks of a covenant which they broke (v. 32) though God did not leave and stayed attached to His people (I was a husband to them). The Israelites had broken the old covenant and God would bring about a new covenant, namely the arrival of Jesus and Grace completely fulfilled. Sins will be forgiven and the people would know this. All people would know that this message of Grace is for them. And Jesus would get to the heart of the matter. He would expose the problem with duty, with the feeling of the day that we are justified by our works. He would show people over and over that believing in Him, having faith is what matters most. Here is the promise from God. All will be fulfilled in Jesus. Man would need this. He would need to see this visible God to show them the way.

God was all about making covenants with His people. These were almost like contracts with His people that He would fulfill His promises to them. In these covenants, presented to us in the Old Testament were responsibilities as well of man. As He made covenants, as God, He would fulfill His promises, but the people - His called ones - did not. But all covenants would end and culminate with this new covenant where the Lord will put My law within them. In essence the Laws before had required righteousness on the part of the people. Yes, God had called His people to His own, but He also gave them a law to follow. He provided a way for them, but He also asked them to respond. Thus, the experiment of man being righteous was over. Now righteousness would be imparted to them - written on their hearts.

This idea is summarized by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:3-6:

3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The law would move from stone to hearts. We went from being adequate to God making us adequate. Joseph Benson writes - "the law shows man his duty, the gospel brings the grace of regeneration, by which the heart of man is changed, and he is enabled to do his duty."

Tabletalk for this particular day and for this devotion records it like this:

the final aim of grace is not to set aside God’s law in every way. God’s saving grace is opposed to the law in the matter of justification—we are declared righteous by grace through the faith-imputation of Christ’s righteousness. But grace is not opposed to law in our sanctification. For by grace, God writes His law on our hearts, giving us the will to obey Him in order to thank Him for our great salvation, not to merit eternal life (Jer. 31:33).

The Law was really never meant to justify us. It was to remind us that we were incapable of never breaking a Law. In essence we should all be continually reminded that we are sinners. I find that those that are stuck on law abiding can also be stuck on the idea that they don't make mistakes. They are pleased with their law keeping, it would seem to me. But, when I go to worship at my church, I see a love towards God and Jesus' sacrifice that reminds me of how much we need a savior because our sins have been washed. I must remove duty from my thinking, from our thinking. And instead completely rely on Him. At times in church I wonder if I have that same exuberance for God. I've started holding my hands out just a little during the songs in order to sort of make myself somewhat prostrate before Him as I sing. It is small, but I don't want to raise my hands simply to be noticed, but I want it to be from my heart.

My life is often about duty and obedience. At times I need that to keep me on track, but I want to be more about Love and Devotion and dependence on God.

Promise: From Tabletalk - The process of God’s writing His law on our hearts begins in this life but is not completed until our glorification. Christians grow slowly but surely in their willingness to obey and to repent for even the smallest sins, and at Christ’s return, the covenant of grace will be consummated in a new heaven and earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13). Until then we pursue holiness, anticipating that great day to come.

Prayer: O Lord, wake me up. I want these truths to penetrate my entire being. I want to know and see the Law on my heart. Lord, I want to walk by your strength each day. Lord, I'm concerned for my work mates. I'm concerned that they don't know you - really know You. I can't help but stare at their lives, their reactions, their words. I'm concerned that their faith is about duty, about works, about showing up at church - and not being really changed by the resurrection, by Jesus. Lord, you are leading me right now to write out more clearly what I think the bridge needs to be. I'm thinking about that book the person at church introduced me to many years ago. Help me God to have the wherewithal to really commit to this. I don't want my days to be shallow.
\

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with the April devotional being about salvation by grace alone and how the Lord never fails to save the one whom He has purposed to save.

2 Samuel 7:1-17 - The Kingly Covenant

2 Samuel 7:1-17
Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying,5 “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle.7 Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’
8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 12 When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15 but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17 In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

Message: The Kingly or Davidic Covenant

Time: Although the book does not name a specific author, the material was compiled from documents written and collected by the prophets Nathan, Gad, and Samuel. Second Samuel is set in the land of Israel during the reign of David and follows the course of his forty years as king of Israel (1011–971 BC).2 Samuel chronicles the establishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of Israel under God’s chosen leader.

What the Lord is Saying:

As a read through this passage in 2 Samuel 7, I took time to look at words in this passage that speak of God providing. God makes the way or is our provider in our lives. He is active. He is working and the passage talks of Him taking over, being with us, making our name great, appointing a place for His people, giving judges over them, giving them rest, raising up descendants, establishing the throne of His kingdom, being a father, correcting him, establishing them always. Over and over I think it is noteworthy to see this type of language and be reminded of the activity of God in our lives. God provides all that we need.

This idea of God's provision I think is the essence of grace which I am currently studying and seeing first through the covenants that God has given us. Yes they often have a command from God, but first and foremost they address God's providence toward us. Grace is necessary because we have broken the law of God, transgressed, eaten from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, been removed from the garden, from the tree of life - and so this grace is needed by God. It is not that good works replaces transgression. Grace replaces transgression.

In this Davidic covenant is another example of God taking David, God providing for David, in making him king. 2 Samuel 7:8 says, Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. Samuel would anoint David to succeed Saul as Israel's King. The anointing is what we see, but the Lord was active in carrying this out. I need to be reminded in my life that accomplishment is provided by the Lord. A simple example of this is when a sports figure wins a championship or even a game or an artist wins an award, the first thing they do is thank God. They may not realize what they are doing, but I think in this achievement they are acknowledging that God is the provider, is the one that first gets the credit.

Do I even do this when someone tells me that I have done a good job? How often does this not even enter my mind. I need to thank God more for His hand of providence in granting me my heart's desire, in doing more than I need.

David is now known as a man after God's own heart and yet his heart was very often deceitful. God made him to be one that would be intimate with Him. Again, to God be the glory.

As the Lord explains further what He will do in David's life - I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, he also stops and in a crescendo says - but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him. God's covenant with David is permanent. His love toward David is permanent. He will be a father. He will correct him. His love will never depart from Him. This is such a significant statement. God's love for us is not based upon our doing. It is based upon His grace and mercy.

The Father disciplines us. The Lord says that David and his sons will receive correction. But the discipline from God is not aligned with God's love for us. So is this love the same as our salvation? It would seem that salvation is the recognition that God is the provider of all.

This providence of grace is clearly seen in the life of Jesus. Jesus was our visible representation of God on this earth and it is through Him and His life that we clearly see our sins wiped away. Yet, this message of providence is a continuous message throughout the Bible.

Promise: God provides for His people from beginning to end, from the days of David to Christ to today.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for this scripture and showing me so clearly the message of Grace that is central throughout the entire Bible. Thank you for this clear message that explains Your hand of providence in the life of David. I need this message and I pray that people would recognize the truth of Your ways, that you save us by Your grace and we never are meant to save ourselves. You cleanse sin. We acknowledge we are sinners and then You make us righteous. Thank you Lord.

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with the April devotional being about salvation by grace alone and how the Lord never fails to save the one whom He has purposed to save.

Deuteronomy 5:6 - The Law Covenant

Deuteronomy 5:6
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Message: The Law Covenant

Time: This book chronicles farewell messages by Moses, the 120 year old leader of the Israelite, primarily intended for the lay person. It covers about one month, at the end of the forty-year period in the wilderness - 1405 BC. It is a renewal of the old covenant given at Mount Sinai to the plains of Moab.

What the Lord is Saying:

I am now in a series of lessons on grace and God's overall providence. God sets forth his message to save mankind. This is what we know as salvation. Inside the garden, man had everything he needed and yet man chose to disobey God, opting for something God said was off limits. Without that sin, man would live in perfect obedience, but once Adam and Eve sinned, they were thrown out of the garden and away from the tree of life. Yet, God would continue to provide for them -- all that they would need to live, but also provide them all they need for salvation. There are many covenants  - the Edenic, Adamic, Noahic, Abraham -- and all of these covenants speak of God providing. Man has been given responsibilities by God, but earning God's favor is not one of them. Instead, we are declared righteous by faith. Responsibilities or the work we do is for a wage or a result on this earth, but it is not for God's acceptance. Righteousness from God comes through faith.

In this world we now live the ruler of this world is Satan. God pledges to redeem us from this enemy - the prince of this world - Satan. On one hand, it was our choice to align ourselves with this enemy, when we ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil -- but God will continue to provide the way back to Him, as He provided His creation, our coverings, our responsibilities, all that we have. We must stay clear or the propensity we all have to think that adhering to rules or responsibilities results in acceptance. As I think of my parents' love for me, it is based upon nothing else but their desire for me. It is not based upon my works.

Today's passage - Deuteronomy 5:6 - I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery - precedes the giving of the Law which begins in verse 7 with You shall have no other gods before Me. The message should be clear. First comes the providence of God (brought you out), next comes the command (You shall...). God rescues then God asks for obedience. Thus, obedience follows grace. God does not declare that a rescue will occur upon obedience or after all that we can do, but rather his rescue is complete prior to the giving of the Law. One could say we are complete before the Law is given.

Yet, this passage addresses the Israelites as the ones he brought out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. He addresses here specifically the chosen ones - the Jews - but God makes it clear that his salvation message of rescue is open to all.

Granted, the law comes with it everlasting life, when it is lived to the full. Leviticus 18:5 - you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if He does them. Yet, the Law will be broken. We cannot do all that it says. Thus, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). Jesus Christ ends the law. Keeping the law, the entire law yields righteousness. And only one has kept it - Jesus. Thus, He is our Savior. He is our Redeemer. He is our Salvation. He succeeds where we can not.

Promise: We trust the redeemer who has brought us out of slavery to the prince of the world. Jesus is our visible propitiation for the fulfillment of the Law. We are made righteous by faith.

Prayer: O God, you are rich in mercy and love. You have provided to me all that I need in brining me out of slavery to the king of this world. O God, the world is distracted, I am distracted all too often by this worldly king who takes us residence in this world and drives us away from you. I want to turn my eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face so that the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Help me to be watchful as to how I can so easily get sidetracked. Thank you for the Law and the clarity of it in helping me to see what I can do to have a fulfilling life. You show me clearly how I can trust You and do what You have said. Help me to be a light to this world I live in and to my family and everyone in my path. Be glorified.

Genesis 15 - The Covenant of Faith-Righteousness

Genesis 12:1-3
1 Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Message: The Covenant of Faith-Righteousness

Time: Genesis is the first book and Moses is credited as authoring. The book spans 2400 years of time. It was originally written in Hebrew.

What the Lord is Saying:

Thus far in this study of God's grace and saving mankind through the substitution of another, I have learned that God's original plan, offered through the Covenant of Eden, was that man would through works be accepted by God. But at the time this covenant was made there was not any knowledge of good and evil and so doing works—walking with God daily, listening to His commands, doing what He said—was everything. Once sin came into the picture everything changed. This covenant was now impossible and so it was a broken covenant and we could never go back there. Even as the original plan changed, the Word told us that God would continue to provide the answer. It wasn’t then that there was a shift to man being responsible for earning God’s acceptance. God originally provided and He would continue to provide.

Right now is a lesson of God providing. God declared a plan for man. He set up creation and man was put in charge of it (Genesis 1:28-31). He created them male and female. He defined their responsibilities. Thus he still defines life today. He orders creation. He orders my life.

God’s continued provision for man is spelled out after this first sin is committed. The Lord God speaks to the serpent and states how their will be enmity between Satan and woman. But it would be through the seed of the woman that God would provide restitution for mankind. Genesis 3:15 states that through the seed of woman, the birth, and specifically the birth of this seed Jesus he would bruise the head of the serpent. Our head represents our power and bruising the head means the power of Satan would be bruised or rather crushed. Thus, Jesus would overthrow everything Satan wanted to do. Thus, once again, God provides the answer man needs. Thus, He redeems mankind.

Throughout this early history of mankind, God was delivering to mankind promises that have been termed covenants. These covenants are to remind us of His promise to us, and then our responsibility. When sin came on the scene the Lord sent Adam out from the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23). In the garden everything was very good (1:31). The tree of life is in the garden. Man does not have access to the tree of life and the Lord says that man must eat from the tree of life to live forever (1:22) because by eating from it he will die (2:17). God would provide the way for us to have eternal life as life is in His Son.

We are never made right with God through our own efforts or merit but we are redeemed by God's provision. But in the world - hard work pays off and this message often then is equated to the idea that God is also looking for good deeds in order to merit heaven. But, just as our love for our earthly children does not change based upon their behavior, so also God's love does not change. Following the flood God gave us promises to never flood the land again and gave us a rainbow as a sign. We are still responsible for this creation of ours and for this he gives us directions to follow. Again, like a child, those directions are meant to guide us and protect us.

As I turn to this lesson about the covenant of Abraham, I see once again that this covenant depends solely on God. The Lord says in Genesis 12 I will show you the land and I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and I will bless those who bless you. Over and over in these verses is the simple promise from God that He will: I will...I will...I will...I will.  God chose Abraham not based upon works of righteousness. He chose him.

Genesis 12 is a broad brush stroke of what God will do, but in subsequent texts he more clearly points out his promise to Abram in other verses:

• Genesis 13:15-16 - for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered. 
• Genesis 15:2 - Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you. Your reward shall be very great. 
• Genesis 15:5 - Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them. 
• Genesis 15:13 - Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs. 

Over and over and over the message was from God is that He will do the work, He will provide, He will redeem. He makes promises to us not based upon performance but based upon His Good Name and His Good Ways. Then after this promise is a declaration of faith by Abraham. Genesis 15:6 says,  Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. And then in Genesis 17 God says Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant. Commands follow promises from God. They don't precede them.

The response of the person is faith. Paul confirmed this in Romans 4:5 - the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. Evidently this is too simple and yes, this is somewhat contrary to the system we have in our world, namely 'hard work pays off.' Paul states in Romans 4:4 - Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. Thus, work for a wage is correct. One works for a wage and receives what is due. Faith is the mechanism for the ungodly to receive righteousness. Working is not the means for righteousness.

I was speaking to a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and he quoted this verse from the Book of Mormon - 2 Nephi 25:23 - "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." It says we labor, we labor to persuade children and fellow brothers so that they may believe, after all that we can do. This bridges these two concepts of faith righteousness and working to receive what is due. The problem is the means of being saved is not through working. God, in the garden gave access to the tree of life, not on the condition of man doing anything, but out of his provision. He provides eternal life. To say that it is after all we can do undermines the Bible, undermines the New Testament and undermines Jesus. It confuses two different subjects: works and faith; earnings and righteousness.

After the parable of the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10, verse 26 and 27 states - They were even more astonished and said to Him, “Then who can be saved?” Looking at them, Jesus *said, “With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” I commented in my study of this that God makes things happen. Man can't get to God for it is impossible Jesus states. Salvation is only possible with God. Again, never was a relationship with God based upon earning. Jesus also said that we can only come to the Father through Himself (John 14:6).

Thus, this is another example of God's grace or God providing.

Promise: The means to salvation is not through man's works as this is impossible, but only with God as the provider.

Prayer: God, you are provider. You are creator and you are a God of order. You created me and you provide life and my mission. I am directed by you. Lord, forgive me of my short-sighted thinking often. You promise that you will be there always for me and yet the moment a problem becomes too big for me, I wonder. Lord, even in my time at work lately I have wrestled with doing things I don't like doing. I have time but I don't manage that time wisely. There are questions that rise up. There are challenges and Lord I don't think I run to You for the answers, but instead try to muster up in me the strength to keep going.

Genesis 8:20-22 - The Covenant of Preservation

Genesis 8:20-22

20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. 21 The Lord smelled the soothing aroma; and the Lord said to Himself, “I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man’s heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

22 “While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
And cold and heat,
And summer and winter,
And day and night
Shall not cease.”

Message: The Covenant of Preservation

Time: Genesis is the first book and Moses is credited as authoring. The book spans 2400 years of time. It was originally written in Hebrew.

What the Lord is Saying:

The Adamic covenant of works was instituted before Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Thus, works were possible to earn eternal life because sin was not yet evident and perfect obedience was possible. Once man sinned though, perfect obedience was not possible. Thus, God instituted the grace principle of redemption which means that blessings are obtained not by our own good works but by inheriting those good works from someone else through faith alone. Man on his own is incapable of being redeemed because sin always darkens even our best intentions.

Yet, the covenant of works remains. God still expects man to keep those works and he repeats commands of obedience. But, we cannot keep God's law. We will always fail.

I am still enamored by the principle here that is so elementary. It is so simply, almost too simple. And in seeing this early entry of grace in Genesis 3:15 I see how this idea is then weaved throughout all of scripture and life - God is the rescuer. And those that end up getting rescued are a small subset of people.

It is an interesting idea that the Bible provides us with laws that we are not actually expected to keep, but asked to keep. What I learn is only Jesus can really keep these laws. Yet, they are laws given to man throughout the ages to follow. And then God knows who will follow them and who will not. He is sovereign in working them all out. Each of us has free will to choose yet God will take all of those choices and work them out to his glory. Yet he asks us to pray. It remains that the Bible speaks of this predetermined state almost by God throughout history and yet man lives like this is not so. Most of religious thought is honed in on the idea that man works his future out himself through adhering to laws. Man works. In the same way that man works to get a paycheck, man works to get heaven or God's acceptance. Yet, the principle in the Bible stands contrary to this type of thinking - namely that their is substitution atonement. Man may be able to work to get a paycheck, but man can't work to get God's acceptance. What is expected at work is to do our best, but God expects us to be perfect.

Thus, the answer in the Bible is Jesus. It has always been Jesus. The Bible shows us how serious sin is to God because we see how we acts when laws are broken, when he is not revered or feared. God is jealous and doesn't want to share Himself with anything in life. God knew Jesus would be needed. But he didn't come on the scene immediately. Instead he gave man other men that would do things similar to Jesus. These men were prophets. They saw a problem, but they had an allegiance to God because the problem was man was not listening to God - listening to God's plan. Man selfishly gets off track. Jesus saw this with the Jewish leaders. There was never any intention for only Jews to receive the message from God. Even the temple had a place for non-Jews to be welcomed in. Thus, the idea of the gospel is it is open to all.

Today I examine the Noahic Covenant. Noah became the first one to be called to store away a small remnant of people from a world that had simply gone astray. Sin ushered in a "every man for himself" mentality in which there was no need for God. There were 10 generations from Adam to Noah and each of those men lived 1,000 years with one new generation being every 100 years. After the flood the life span changed from 1,000 years to 120. The Covenant that came about with Adam in the garden was the Edenic Covenant, but it was terminated by man's sin. At the time of this covenant there are 8 people which constitute the world's population. Our reminder of this covenant is the rainbow which is a promise by God to never destroy the earth by flood. Beyond that it reaffirms provisions from the Adamic Covenant and its provisions are:

1. Populate the earth
2. The animal kingdom is subjected to man
3. Man can eat animals, but must refrain from eating blood.
4. Human life is sacred
5. This covenant is to every living creature
6. God will next destroy the earth by fire
7. The rainbow is given as a sign that he will not destroy the earth by a flood. 

These are all doable provisions. Man can do these without sin. This covenant reminds us that God is the active agent. God preserves a stable order in life and He will provide salvation at the appropriate time through Jesus.

Promise: God ordains life; he creates and he can take it away.

Prayer: God, I thank you for the natural order that You have created. There is stability in what you have established. You are to get all the glory God.


Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines with April being about salvation by grace alone and how the Lord never fails to save the one whom He has purposed to save.