Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born jI consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” This passage has much to say to us theologically. First, that God formed Jeremiah in the womb affirms that human beings are made in the Lord’s image from the earliest stages of development and worthy of protection from conception onward. Jeremiah’s call also helps establish our doctrine of vocation. If the prophet’s calling was established before he was born, surely it is not a stretch to assume that our sovereign Lord has established a calling for all of His people before their births.
"You all have by you a large treasure of divine knowledge, in that you have the Bible in your hands; therefore be not contented in possessing but little of this treasure. God hath spoken much to you in the Scripture; labor to understand as much of what he saith as you can." —Jonathan Edwards
In his introduction to the July 2013 issue of Tabletalk magazine, editor Burk Parsons examines the power of words and explains why we abuse our God-given gift of speech: http://bit.ly/17PgQIB
"What is in the well of our hearts comes up in the bucket of our mouths. What we say is the overflow of what we believe. We need to watch our mouths, but more importantly we need to guard our hearts." —Burk Parsons
God said to Jeremiah, "They shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, declares the Lord, to deliver you" (Jer. 1:19). This promise was not just for Jeremiah, but it is for all the faithful servants of God. The enemies of the Lord can do their best, but the gates of hell will not prevail against His church (Matt. 16:18). Even if we dies as a result of faithfulness to the gospel, we will be vindicated at the last day, and God will save all His elect by His Word. The Lord will indeed deliver all His people.
If we depend on our own power and character in the midst of storms, we will by no means find lasting peace. But when we trust in Christ and seek to do everything in Him, we can serve Him faithfully. This does not mean that our concerns do — or even should — go away; rather, it means that our concerns no longer define our lives and bind us with worry. On the contrary, we rest satisfied in the Lord no matter what happens around us.
The happiest state of a Christian is the holiest state (Spurgeon).
All sin breaches our relationship with God, but we must never think that the Lord will refuse us if we humble ourselves and return to Him with true contrition. He longs to take us back, and His willingness to forgive His children is infinite. No matter where we are or what we have done, we can be confident that God will pardon us if we forsake our sin and turn to Christ alone for our pardon. That is the magnitude of His grace. That is the mercy of the God whom we serve in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God swore by Himself to bless the world through Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3; 15), imposing a self-obligation to save humanity that He cannot violate lest He be unfaithful to His covenant oath. In saving the world from sin, however, the Lord does not have to save every person. We know that He has sovereignly chosen to pass over some for salvation, and these show themselves by their failure to repent. But if we repent, we are part of the remnant whom the Lord saves by grace alone through faith alone.
"The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men." —John Owen
"As Spirit-filled new creations, we are to die to serving ourselves, and instead serve the Spirit. In the memorable words of John Owen, 'Be killing sin or it will be killing you.' Or, as Thomas Manton said, 'If you enter not into a war with sin, you enter into a war with God.' Whom do you serve? Self or the Spirit? As Spirit-filled new creations, we freely say, 'I serve the Spirit.'" —Daniel Hyde from his weekend Bible study "Servants of the Spirit" in the July 2013 issue of Tabletalk magazine
We do not rest in God's salvation because we signed a card of commitment to Christ or have a memory of going forward to receive Christ at an "altar call." Instead, our present possession of faith is what assures us that we belong to Jesus. The question we must ask ourselves is not whether we once professed faith but whether we trust Him today? Do you trust Christ alone this day?
God loves His elect so much that He will do whatever it takes to move them to repentance and faith. This includes speaking even in hyperbole to get our attention. We should never look at God’s warnings in Scripture and think, “that could never happen to me.” Instead, we must heed these warnings, knowing that they are the means by which the Spirit keeps us in faith. The Lord’s electing grace preserves us, but He does so through the warnings we find in the Bible.
"I exhort you and beseech you in the bowels of Christ, faint not, weary not. There is a great necessity of heaven; you must have it... Think it not easy; for it is a steep ascent to eternal glory; many are lying dead by the way, that were slain with security." —Samuel Rutherford
John Calvin comments, “God renders his glory conspicuous everywhere, so that it ought to engage and occupy the thoughts of all men; and it would do so were they not led away by their own vanity.” Idolatry does not exist because the Lord is unclear about His existence but because of our own vain imaginations. Sin makes us prone to trust gods other than the one true Lord of all, but when we do that we become captive to fear and the destructive results of putting our final hope in any but God.
In our lives, things often get worse before they get better. At such times, we can be perplexed at why God allows us to suffer while allowing the wicked to succeed. Such confusion can be an expression of faith as long as we remember that God does not owe us an answer and we do not doubt His sovereignty and goodness. We walk by faith and not by sight, and we should not expect or demand an answer to all that confuses us on this side of glory.
God made us in His image, so He knows how best to instruct us. That is why we should pay careful attention when we see the visible words He has given us performed. Baptism tells us that those who have faith will be washed clean of sin while those who do not trust Christ will be drowned or destroyed. The Lord’s Supper tells us that we are nourished by Christ through faith and that His judgment will fall on those who partake unworthily, that is, not in faith.
God will not give a people His revelation of salvation forever. If we will not love the truth, He will give us over to a lie (2 Thess. 2:9-11). Let this be a sobering truth to us all and an encouragement not only to know but also to love the truth of God. It is not enough to know what Scripture says, for if we do not love it, we will be consumed by falsehood. It is not enough to intellectually know and affirm what the Lord says, but we must also love His Word, entrusting ourselves to His promises and grace.
When the Lord first called Israel out of Egypt, He had not yet given them His law and their sin, however gross, could not measure up to the sins of later generations who knew and wantonly flouted God’s law. To save a people who knew and openly violated the Lord’s commandments would take a greater mercy and display more power than salvation from Egypt. If this was true of the restoration from exile, how much more true is it of the abundant salvation we have been shown in Christ Jesus.
"Truth when it is in the plainest dress is the most comely. The star shines brightest in its native lustre. Who goes to embroider a pearl? Or paint over gold? It is a sign of a wanton Chrsitian to look most at the fringing and garnishing of a truth. Many like the dressing but loathe the food. When men preach rather words than matter, they catch people's ears, not their souls; they do but court, not convert." —Thomas Watson
There is only one man in whom we can trust absolutely for reconciliation to God, and that is the God-man Christ Jesus. No matter how pious other servants of the Lord may be, following them simply for the sake of following them is never enough to be restored to our Creator. We can obey church leaders, show up every Sunday for worship, and otherwise appear pious, but none of these things are any advantage without a true and abiding trust in the Lord God Almighty.
"The pursuit of idols is a relentless and endless pursuit of acceptance whereas the gospel gives us a position of acceptance in Christ Jesus. We already have in Christ Jesus all the acceptance, security, and hope that every idol promises, but can never deliver. The gospel frees us to work from a position of acceptance versus in pursuit of acceptance. The first leads to rest, the latter to restlessness." —Chan Kilgore from his article "Rest and the Gospel" from this month's issue of Tabletalk magazine
There are differing views in the Reformed tradition of what new covenant Sabbath-keeping entails. Yet all agree that honoring the Lord’s Day is not about impersonal ritual but sustaining and strengthening the vital personal relationship we have with our Creator in Christ Jesus. Jeremiah’s focus on the heart (Jer. 4:4; 17:10; 31:33) indicates that when we follow a liturgy and seek to obey the Lord, putting our heart into such things separates God-honoring formality from disobedient formalism.
There are differing views in the Reformed tradition of what new covenant Sabbath-keeping entails. Yet all agree that honouring the Lord’s Day is not about impersonal ritual but sustaining and strengthening the vital personal relationship we have with our Creator in Christ Jesus. Jeremiah’s focus on the heart (Jer. 4:4; 17:10; 31:33) indicates that when we follow a liturgy and seek to obey the Lord, putting our heart into such things separates God-honouring formality from disobedient formalism.
Jesus is the true Son of David who keeps the law of God perfectly and thereby has earned the right to rule and reign over His people forever. Unlike many of the kings and authorities of this world, Jesus never ignores the needs of His people in order to satisfy Himself. Instead, He did not consider equality with God something to be used at the expense of others but rather humbled Himself to serve His people. This self-sacrifice is the model for all godly leaders.
Many pastors ministering in cultures openly hostile to the gospel hold back hard truths of the Bible in an attempt to be sensitive to other beliefs. In his article "The Gospel in a Hostile Culture" in this month's issue of Tabletalk magazine, Dave Furman explains how such preaching can be "arrogant and unloving." http://bit.ly/1237Vkg
"The Bible is very clear about pride and its consequences. It is the precursor of the fall. Whenever people begin to think too highly of themselves, it is usually only a matter of time before they are humbled. Their very strength becomes their Achilles' heel." —Conrad Mbewe from his weekend Bible study "Your Strength is Your Weakness" in this month's Tabletalk magazine
Our ultimate goal is to be pleasing to God in all of life. Certainly for the believer, a critical part of life is our handling and understanding of the Bible. As you read and study your Bible, commit yourself to the long-term goal of being found faithful to the task of presenting yourself as a workman who correctly handles the word of truth. Though a lifetime goal, it is achieved through patient daily practice.
Whether we are formally ordained to teach God's Word or simply pass it on to our children at home, we must take care that we understand it properly and apply it graciously and correctly. —From today's daily Bible study in Tabletalk magazine
"Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jer. 23:29) Fire and hammers destroy and demolish—so we should expect the Word of God to afflict our consciences and bring us to the end of ourselves. Yet fire and hammers also refine and shape—so we should expect Scripture also to purify us and build us up in godliness.
All people, in some way, serve the Lord's sovereign will. But only those who do so because they love God will be rewarded. Let us pray that we will always be those who follow the Lord willingly and eagerly.
The ability to listen to many sides of an issue before adding one’s own opinion manifests self-control and a teachable spirit. Those who are quick to speak are selfishly concerned with their point of view—they like to be heard. The church needs believers who will be quick to listen with discernment and slow to speak words of true wisdom.
First Peter 2:11 speaks of Christians as exiles in this world, for though we are citizens of the heavenly kingdom, we are right now living in a foreign land. Thus, until Jesus returns, we are to seek the welfare of the land in which we live. This means that we should pray for our leaders, become informed voters, and even, if we are so called, work within the halls of government for the good of our country.
There is much to be discouraged about when we look at the unjust laws that our ruling authorities have put on the books. However, we must also understand that even the most corrupt governments are signs of God's grace. Anarchy is much worse because the lack of civil order makes it absolutely impossible for human beings to live and thrive. We should be aware of the faults of our rulers, but we should also thank the Lord that He uses them to restrain evil.
Each believer has a call to service. Many have been gifted to labor in the world. Others have been gifted to work with men and women, perhaps in the church. God’s call is a call to serve Him. See that the call of God influences how you live and work at your calling. —From a Tabletalk magazine Bible study on Romans 1:1-7.
Read the full devotional here: http://bit.ly/16iksgR
It is easy to obey God's command to submit to our earthly rulers when they rule wisely. It is much harder, on the other hand, to submit when we think our rulers are corrupt. The Lord often calls us to do hard things, however, and this includes obeying the rulers with whom we disagree. They are not to be followed absolutely, that is, we cannot justify sin by saying "the government told me to do it." But the civil magistrate is to receive our deference and honour.
Based on the distinct vocations of the church and the state, the principle of the separation of church and state, rightly administered, is biblical. Unfortunately, the separation of church and state in our day is often distorted into the separation of the state and God. The state has no right to establish a state church, but it is still responsible to our Creator, and it must carry out its authority lawfully. It is never wrong for the church to rebuke the state for not doing its job.
"It is easy for me to advise you to be humble, and for you to acknowledge the propriety of the advice; but while human nature remains in its present state, there will be almost the same connection between popularity and pride, as between fire and gunpowder: they cannot meet without an explosion, at least not unless the gunpowder is kept very damp." —John Newton
