The Morning Devotional for June 23, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 19.3
III. Beside this law, commonly called moral, God was pleased to give to the people of Israel, as a Church under age, ceremonial laws, containing several typical ordinances, partly of worship, prefiguring Christ, his graces, actions, sufferings, and benefits;a and partly holding forth divers instructions of moral duties.b All which ceremonial laws are now abrogated under the New Testament.c
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for June 22, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 19.2
II. This law, after his fall, continued to be a perfect rule of righteousness; and, as such, was delivered by God upon mount Sinai in ten commandments, and written in two tables;a the first four commandments containing our duty towards God, and the other six our duty to man.b
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for June 21, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 19.1
I. God gave to Adam a law, as a covenant of works, by which he bound him and all his posterity to personal, entire, exact, and perpetual obedience; promised life upon the fulfilling, and threatened death upon the breach of it; and endued him with power and ability to keep it.a
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for June 5, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 18.4 (Part Two)
IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light:a yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived,band by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.c
Read MoreRead: Matthew 20
The important section of this chapter is the parable Jesus tells at the opening (20:1-16). The parable is a reminder that God works salvation in the lives of his people, and it is his prerogative to give good gifts to his people how he sees fit. Therefore, we have no reason to be jealous of anything our brothers and sisters possess since those things come from God. That is his option, and he works in ways that require no affirmation on our part.
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for June 2, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 18.4 (Part One)
IV. True believers may have the assurance of their salvation divers ways shaken, diminished, and intermitted; as, by negligence in preserving of it; by falling into some special sin, which woundeth the conscience, and grieveth the Spirit; by some sudden or vehement temptation; by God’s withdrawing the light of his countenance, and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light:a yet are they never utterly destitute of that seed of God, and life of faith, that love of Christ and the brethren, that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty, out of which, by the operation of the Spirit, this assurance may in due time be revived,band by the which, in the meantime, they are supported from utter despair.c
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for June 1, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 18.3 (Part Two)
III. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it:a yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto.b And therefore it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence to make his calling and election sure;c that thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God, and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience,d the proper fruits of this assurance: so far is it from inclining men to looseness.e
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for May 31, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 18.3 (Part One)
III. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long, and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it:a yet, being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God, he may, without extraordinary revelation, in the right use of ordinary means, attain thereunto.b
Read MoreRead: Genesis 20
Chapter 20 highlights once again the failure of Abraham to trust God and instead resorts to deception to avoid harm. As you read through the Genesis narrative, you will observe this becoming a family trait (deception).
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for May 30, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 18.2
II. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible hope;a but an infallible assurance of faith, founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation,b the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made,c the testimony of the Spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God:d which Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption.e
Read MoreThe Morning Devotional for May 29, 2023
The Westminster Confession of Faith 18.1 (Part Two)
I. Although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favour of God and estate of salvation,a which hope of theirs shall perish:b yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him, may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace,c and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed.d
Read MoreRead: Matthew 19
One of the more critical teachings for our day and culture resides in this chapter as Jesus determines to teach on the subject of divorce. Though God will reveal more on this subject through the pen of the apostle Paul, Jesus highlights a singular truth: God loves marriage. Divorce occurs only due to the hardness of a man’s heart. In this discourse, Jesus permits divorce on the grounds of sexual immorality.
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