Is God gracious to everyone or only to the saved? Suggested Daily Readings: Psalm 145:8-9; Luke 6:35-36 and Ephesians 2:1-10 God is gracious to all, but in different ways, with different types of grace. 1. We can speak of God’s grace (sometimes called “common grace”) to all people by graciously giving to all: Physical blessings – Physical life and health, food, shelter, clothing, etc. Moral blessings – Man’s conscience and the desire to live morally upright lives Societal blessings – Civil decency, law and order, health and welfare, etc. Restraining blessings – Restraining man’s sin from breaking out into actions of personal and societal sin, and God restraining His punishment of sin 2. Grace can also refer to God’s grace to church-going people, those brought up under the teachings of God’s Word. What a gracious blessing it is to hear and know of God’s law and gospel! 3. We also think of God’s grace in a regenerating way (termed God’s “saving grace”). This heart-renewing, live-changing grace is worked by God the Holy Spirit in the hearts of the saved only.  The fruits of saving grace include a person’s full salvation: saving call, regeneration, conversion, saving faith, union with Christ, justification, sanctification, assurance, perseverance and glorification. Which type of grace is referred to in the following scriptural references? Psalm 145:8-9? Romans 3: 1-2? Romans 3:23-26? Ephesians 1:7? Deuteronomy 7:6? Luke 6:35-36? If we disregard God’s common grace and despise the blessings of being raised under God’s Word, the results will be terrible.  Despising greater degrees of gracious blessings will result in greater depths of righteous punishment.  Therefore God’s blessings must direct us to Jesus, to repentance and faith, otherwise God’s temporal blessings will result in greater eternal punishment. Read Luke 12:48, Matthew 11:22 and Mark 6:11.  How do these verses clearly warn us not to despise any of God’s gracious blessings?  Why do you need God’s saving grace in your life in order to not despise God’s common grace blessings?

Why am I punished for Adam’s sin? Is this fair? Suggested Daily Reading: Romans 5:12-18 and I Corinthians 15:22 Adam is our Covenant Father and Natural Father.  As our Covenant Father, he represented all mankind.  When Adam chose sin against God instead of obedience to Him, Adam’s choice applied to all those whom he represented — to the whole human race.  For example, think of a King, President or Prime Minister of a country who declares war against another country.  This person’s decision impacts all the citizens and soldiers of that country.  Why?  Because this person represents the entire country.  So Adam represented the entire human race. A pastor once visited a person in his church who openly stated that he believed it was unfair that Adam’s sin would be applied to him.  He did not commit the sin of eating the forbidden fruit.  Adam did.  Why should he suffer the consequences?, he argued.  After carefully explaining how Adam served as the representative of all people and therefore Adam’s decision impacted all of us, the man was still not convinced. The pastor then approached the issue differently, and the following conversation took place. The pastor asked, “Why are some people saved and others not?” “Because Jesus died for them and paid the price of their sins,” the man promptly replied.”So no person who is saved earned his own righteousness?” “No, of course not.” “So the work that Jesus did is applied to all of His people, to those who believe in Him?” “Yes.” “Do believe this?” “Yes.” “Well then, if Adam served as representative of all his children (the human race) and his work (sin) is applied to all his children, and Jesus served as representative of all His children (believers) and His work (salvation) is applied to all His children, please explain to me how you can believe that one is fair and the other is not.” After considerable silence, the man replied, “I see,  it is the same principle, isn’t it?” Do you experience the painful truth that Adam’s sin affects you, that you are a guilty sinner?  Does this truth direct you to Jesus Christ?  Do you also experience the wonderful truth that Jesus’ salvation affects you, that you are delivered from the guilt of sin by His righteousness being applied to you?  Do you strive to live more and more righteously, out of thankfulness for Jesus’ righteousness being granted to you?  If so, how would this be seen in your life?

If everything is determined in God’s decree and happens according to His providence, then what difference does it make how I live? I can’t change God’s decree or providence, can I? Suggested Daily Reading: Philippians 2:1-13 All things, even every detail of our lives, is determined in God’s decree and all takes place according to His providence.  God is the primary cause of everything.  But God chooses to work through secondary means.  We may not separate these two truths that God has joined together.  We are to pray and to work. For example, consider a farmer who reasons like this: “This year I am not going to cultivate, fertilize and irrigate my fields.  If it is in God’s plan to bless my harvest this year, then I will have a great harvest.  And if not, then I won’t.  Nothing I do, or don’t do, will change God’s plan.” What’s wrong with this farmer’s reasoning?  He is separating God’s primary and secondary causes.  God not only decrees the end of all events, but also the means to reach the end.  God teaches us that if one does not work he will not eat.  We need to understand both truths and keep them coupled together. We can make the same mistake regarding salvation.  Imagine someone reasoning like this: “I don’t read the Bible, pray or go to church.  If it is in God’s decree and plan to save me then He will.  And if not, then I will be lost.  Nothing I do, or don’t do, will change God’s plan.”  Such a person has disconnected the truth of God’s plan from His commands to actively use His means of grace. Read Romans 9: 15-16 and then Matthew 7:7-8.  If one only emphasizes the Romans text (God’s sovereignty) he will end in a fatalistic religion.  If one only emphasizes the Matthew text (man’s responsibility) he will end in a free-will (it depends upon me and my choice-type) religion.  We need to keep both truths coupled together. Read Philippians 2:12-13.  How do these two verses link both truths together, i.e. salvation is of God (God’s decree, plan and doing) in verse 13, but also that we are to be active, to work, seek, knock, ask, etc. in verse 12? Are you thinking about and acting upon these two truths in a correct, healthy, and balanced way?

Question Is corporate worship the most important form of worship? Answer Yes, consider the Psalmist’ confession in Psalm 84:1 How lovely are your tabernacles, O LORD of hosts! You could translate this as the KJV: How amicable – or how dear or how precious! To the author of this Psalm, the gathering place of the Lord’s people was lovely to his memory, to his mind, to his heart, to his eye, and to his whole soul. Why did he make this confession? What was so lovely about the tabernacle of the Lord? Here the Psalmist is not speaking of the physical structure of the tabernacle as such, but of the spiritualblessing enjoyed in the tabernacle. Several reasons could be given for the loveliness of the tabernacle: First, the Psalmist makes this confession because the tabernacle was a special place of the worship of the Lord. The Psalmist’s heart delighted in the worship of the Lord and therefore the place that was set apart for the corporate worship was of special delight to him! He had learned by his service in the tabernacle that there were blessings experienced in the worship of the LORD. In fact, it was because of his commitment to the LORD that he delighted in his worship! He wasn’t satisfied as some in our day who claim that that participation in private and family worship is sufficient. He loved to come to the tabernacle to worship the Lord. He valued and delighted in the corporate gathering of the people of God and serving the LORD with one voice, one heart, and one mind in one place! Our confession should include this same desire! There is a great deal of talk these days about how worship is not what we do on Sunday, but how we live our lives every day of the week. However, the worship service on the Lord’s Day is the climax of a week of worship! The Psalmist is not satisfied with his life of devotion independent of the gathering together in corporate worship of the LORD. Neither should we. In fact, there is no tension between our daily worship of the Lord and our service to him on the Lord’s Day. Proper daily worship will always lead one to attend the gathering of God’s people on the Lord’s Day. Second, the Psalmist makes this confession because the tabernacle was the place where sacrifices to the Lord were held. Now, at first it may seem rather odd that someone would delight in the sacrifices of God. There was nothing pretty about these sacrifices – the blood of animals was shed and their flesh was burned on the altar! But why would one delight in the sacrifices? Because it was a reminder that atonement can be made for sin against God! It answers the cry for pardon present in every human heart! The Psalmist knew of the reality of his sin. He understood that the only way in which he could live in communion with the Lord was if payment was made for his sin. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness! Seeing the shedding of the blood of the sacrificial animal assured him of his forgiveness. Now while the blood of the animals sacrificed in the OT could not be efficacious, yet it served as a type of the sacrifice of Christ. Today, we do not offer up sacrifices, yet it is the central theme of the preaching that Christ died as the Lamb of God for sinners! Each week, in some way, we reflect on the one perfect sacrifice of Christ for sinners. It is also the central theme of the sacraments. Each time baptism is administered we are reminded that our sins need to be washed away by the blood of Christ. Each time the Lord’s Supper is administered we are reminded that Christ’s blood was shed and his body was broken for me! In the preaching, it is God who is declaring that our sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ! That’s what we hear every week! That’s the good news of the gospel of Christ! Who does not want to hear this message? The Psalmist longed to see the shadows and types! We may hear of the reality that Christ has died for our sins! Every one of you that is deeply conscious of your guilt and sin, and who longs for continuous assurances of pardon, will passionately desire to enter into the courts of the Lord where you may hear of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World. Similarly, when the sacraments are administered you may see the elements which remind you of the one sacrifice of Christ! If you don’t need to hear that as often as possible, maybe you don’t really know of your need for cleansing! Don’t you need to be repeatedly reminded of the all-sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice for you? That’s why gathering together is so lovely, isn’t it? Third, and perhaps most importantly, the Psalmist makes this confession because the tabernacle was the place where the Lord dwelt in a particular sense. In the OT we read of the presence of God coming down upon the tabernacle in the wilderness! In Exodus 40 we read: Exodus 40: 34-35 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Then it was within the most holy place where the glory of God dwelt. The Psalmist knowing that the closest place to the Lord, in an earthly sense, was in the tabernacle of God. Now in the NT we know that the Lord Jesus has come and tabernacled with us! He made his dwelling with man! John tells us: John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt – tabernacled - among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth! Today, while it is true that the Lord is omnipresent – in a spiritual sense he is particularly with us when we are sitting under the preaching of the gospel. Here we hear not only about the Lord, but we hear from the LORD! Here in the worship service the Lord speaks in a unique way, which is not true of any other time (Romans 10:14-17)! That makes the gathering place of the people of God a lovely place! And so, the Psalmist confesses the loveliness; the beauty; the preciousness of being in God’s dwelling place – his holy tabernacle. He expresses his delight to be gathered together with the people of God in the worship of God! Let that be our confession as well. That is so important in our day and age. There are more and more who no longer have this desire to gather with the people of God for the worship of the Lord. Maybe that is true of you! In essence, when someone doesn’t delight in the gathering together in corporate worship it implies that they don’t see the value of the worship the Lord. Perhaps you are routinely absent from the Lord’s house. What does that show about your focus in life? What is most important in your life? What do you normally do instead of coming to the Lord’s house? Many say that they can worship God in other places just as well as they do among his people. That is doubtful – but let me just ask you who regularly absent yourself from the worship services: “How do you spend your time when you are not there? Do you spend it singing the Psalms with your family? Do you spend it instructing your children in the things of God? Do you spend it in prayer and Bible reading? Do you spend it in Bible study and meditation?” If you don’t isn’t it true that you simply spend it in service to yourself? Aren’t you involved in personal recreation or sports or sleep? Some may say: It’s a family day – which may sound so nice – but in reality, it is the Lord’s Day! Some may say: ‘But I worship God by enjoying his creation – by going to the mountains!’ But do we not confess that God reveals himself more clearly & fully in his Word? Why then would you choose a revelation of God that is not as clear? Don’t most of us already have one day per week to participate in recreation? Is it then necessary to have another day for ourselves – thereby robbing God of the day he has given to us to worship? Past generations had far less recreational time – most worked 6 days a week – every week of the year – but still attended the worship services twice every Sunday. We don’t have a temple to go to anymore – but we can worship, because God’s house is not a beautiful building built by Solomon in Jerusalem. God’s house is you. And wherever God’s people gather, whether we gather here in this place of worship or whether we gather in a parking lot or whether we gather in a gymnasium, when God’s people gather to worship the living God, you are God’s house. And the psalmist is confessing that the most beautiful place in the whole earth is in the temple of the Lord with the people of God, praising Him. And for the new covenant believer, what we say is that there is no place that we would rather be – not than in the temple in Jerusalem – but there’s no place that we would rather be than with the people of God, worshiping God. Ultimately, the loveliness of worshipping the Lord has an eschatological focus. It is pointing ahead to the time when our communion with God will no longer be intermittent, nor strained by our sin, but will be perfect in every way. When we are the presence of the Lord Jesus we will understand his loveliness in ways which we cannot understand now.

Is it OK or wrong to think or talk about sex? Suggested Daily Reading: Genesis 1:26-31 and Genesis 2:21-25 God created us male or female (Gen. 1:27).  God brought Eve to Adam to be his wife (Gen. 2:22).  God instituted marriage and stated that a husband and wife should be one (Gen. 2:24-25).  God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and to multiply (Gen.1:28).  Human sexuality and marriage are gifts from God. Sexual intimacy within the safe and God-given, loving boundary of marriage is God ordained.  Marriage is an institution of God established in Paradise, even before sin entered into the world. The Bible speaks a great deal about human sexuality and marriage. Therefore, it is not wrong to think or talk about human sexuality in God-honoring and appropriate ways. When we misuse God’s gift of human sexuality, however, and think and talk about, or engage in sex outside of marriage, then it is wrong.  Sexual jokes and lewd comments, sexual advertising and pornography, provocative dress and flirting, in short, all sexual stimulation and activity outside of marriage is clearly forbidden by God.  When we think and/or talk about sex in these ungodly ways, then we sin. Many young women have been deceived and seriously hurt by thinking that a young man was attracted to them and loved them, but the truth was he was interested in her for his own pleasure.  Many young men have been deceived and seriously harmed by pornography.  They thought that pornography was fun and exciting, but painful memories and destructive habits plaque their future lives and marriages. God knows that we have sinful minds and hearts.  To protect us, God Who created us male and female, placed all expressions of sexual intimacies within the loving bounds of life-long commitment in marriage.  God’s plan is that the gift of sexual intimacy be reserved for the one, special wife or husband God has provided for me, who has vowed before God, family and community to love me through all of live, through health and sickness, until death separates us.  Sex is beautiful and special within marriage. But, sexual intimacy outside the life-long, loving bonds of marriage is sinful, harmful and destructive. Trans-gendering contradicts God’s work and is sin. God has created us male or female.  One’s gender is not a person’s choice.  Same-gender sexual relationships contradict God’s Word, as well, and such acts are also sinful.  God instituted marriage as a special union of one man and one woman and stated that therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave unto his wife and these two shall be one flesh. Do you know the story about the goldfish who thought he wanted to enjoy the “freedom” of swimming outside of the fish tank that his owner had prepared for him?   He tried to jump out many times, and finally one day he succeeded, but died on the floor. Good laws and biblical truths can protect freedom and keep us from harm and chaos.  Imagine what would happen to our freedom to drive safely if no one obeyed speed limits and everyone could choose whether they wanted to stop for stop lights or not? How does this and the goldfish example relate to sexual intimacy?  Why is this very important for each of us?

How are you to keep Sunday holy? What is unholy or wrong to do? Suggested Daily Reading: Isaiah 58:13-14 Holy means set apart for or dedicated to God.   The following are six helps or guidelines regarding how to keep your Sunday’s holy: Prepare for Sunday’s approach – Regard Sunday as a special day.  Do not get to bed too late Saturday night so that you are tired and dull Sunday morning. Get up on time Sunday morning – Allow time for personal Scripture reading, meditation and prayer. Faithfully attend church worship services – Strive to pay attention to the preaching of God’s Word, remembering that God is speaking to you.  Participate thoughtfully and prayerfully in all parts of the worship service. Heartily participate in family worship – Do your best to encourage and show interest in family singing, reading, prayer, discussions and other religious activities. Actively engage in personal worship – Schedule time for personal reading, meditation and prayer. Plan other God-honoring activities – Plan such things as studying parts of Scripture with others, young people’s discussion and singing opportunities, preparing a topic for your youth group, reaching out to visit the sick or lonely, plan how you could help others during the week, etc. Do all this with a holy joy and delight – Love to love God and others.  Love it when you can devote a whole day to doing this! Are you looking forward to Sunday each week?  Are you planning your Sunday well?  Are you doing all with holy joy?  Do you love to love God and others?

What do people mean when they ask if someone is a “child of God”? Suggested Daily Reading: John 1:12-13; Romans 8:14-17 and Galatians 4:5-7 In one sense, everyone is a child of God because everyone is a marvellous work of God’s creating wisdom and power (Ps. 139:14).  In a second sense, all people who are born into or attend church and are outward members of the church are children of God, they are set apart from all others on earth to be brought up in an outward or external covenant relationship with God (Deut. 14:1-2; I Cor. 7:13-14).  When people ask, however, if someone is a “child of God” they generally mean, is this person saved?  Does he or she have saving faith?  Does this person genuinely love and serve God wholeheartedly? When a person is saved by God’s wonderful grace, he or she becomes a child of God in a two ways — in a: 1. Spiritual sense – The person is born again. A new spiritual birth takes place.  The Holy Spirit plants new spiritual life in a spiritually dead sinner’s heart.  He or she is regenerated. 2. Legal sense – By legal adoption. The person is adopted into the family of God as one of His children.  All the person’s former debts are paid.  He or she is justified. To picture legal adoption, imagine the following episode.  There is a poor orphan boy with no home living off the street in a large city.  He steals food from outside vendors on a regular basis to stay alive.  He was quick and the vendors could not catch him, but one day one of the vendors did and yelled to the others, “I got him, this little thief!”  The others gathered around this squirming boy, held tightly in the vendor’s strong arms.  A loud commotion ensued as the vendors gathered around, one yelling over the top of the other. In the commotion, no one noticed that the king was riding by, and he stopped to see what was causing the commotion.  When the vendors saw the king, it suddenly became very quiet.  After asking one of the vendors some questions and speaking intently with the boy, the king understood the situation.  He asked the vendors how much this boy owed them for that which he had previously stolen, and then generously paid every vendor all the boy’s debts.  He turned to the amazed orphan boy and gently told him, “Come with me.  I want you to live with me.  I want to adopt you as one of my sons!” When a person becomes a child of God, this type of amazing exchange happens!  A debt-ridden, sin-dirtied, lost and hopeless sinner experiences a miracle, something that seems too good to be true!  All his or her debts are paid and he or she is adopted as a child of God. Are you, by God’s adopting grace, a child of God?  If so, why would you love God in return?  What results of adoption will be witnessed in your life?  How are these fruits in your life the result of the spiritual sense of adoption?

What are “Passion Weeks”? Suggested Daily Reading: Isaiah 53 The word “passion” has two meanings: Intense feelings or emotions. If a person expresses an opinion with strong feelings, we say that he spoke with passion. To endure deep suffering. Both meanings apply when we speak of Passion Weeks.  Many churches observe the six weeks prior to Good Friday (Jesus’ crucifixion) as passion weeks.  Sermons on these Sundays focus on aspects of Jesus’ suffering leading up to His crucifixion.  We think of the intense emotions and depths of suffering that Jesus’ willingly endured to be the Savior of His people. “Passion” is also a fitting word in another way.  Remembering Jesus’ passion should also stir passion in our hearts.  We should passionately meditate upon Jesus’ suffering and death to save sinners such as we are, and passionately love and serve Him in return. A pastor was visiting a member of his church who loved and walked with the Lord for many years.  But this person was feeling down and depressed.  He was in the hospital and nearing death.  When the pastor visited and asked him how he was doing, the man replied honestly that it was spiritually dark for him and he could not even remember one promise to encourage himself. The pastor responded, “You may forget; but do you think God will forget?  Do you remember how much Jesus suffered?  How He died?  Can you think of the great price Jesus paid to earn your salvation?  Do you think God the Father would cause the Son He loved to suffer all He did to forget?  Do you think Jesus would go through all this to save His children and then forget them?  Do think that God the Holy Spirit would work salvation and live in the hearts of believers , butforget them in the end? A smile broke out on the man’s face.  “No, this would make no sense,” he answered. “God will never forget me.” Have you ever experienced a rich comfort that comes from trusting in the suffering and death of Jesus for sinners?  Is God’s plan of salvation the foundation of your faith, hope and love?  Do you passionately love and trust the Savior that God provided, and the gospel plan of salvation He designed and revealed?

What is meant by the word “sanctification”? Suggested Daily Reading: Romans 12:2 and Colossians 3:9-10 The root word in sanctification is sanctify.  To sanctify is to make holy, to dedicate to God, to live according to God’s will and Word. Sanctification flows out from regeneration.  When the Holy Spirit plants new spiritual life in a spiritually dead sinner’s heart (regeneration), He also works conversion and sanctification. Sanctification is produced by conversion.  To convert is to change from one thing to another.  It refers to changing one’s heart desire to live for self and sin to live for God.  The results of conversion are seen a person’s life.  Sanctification refers to these changes, the results from, or the fruits of conversion. Sanctification is produced by a turning away from living for self (placing my will, my demands, my desires, my honor, etc. as first and most important in my life) and a turning toward God (placing God’s will, God’s demands, God’s desires, God’s honor, etc. as first and most important in my life). Picture holding a basketball in your hand and turning it.  When the ball turns, in the same turning it turns away from something on one side and turns toward something else on the opposite side.  The results from turning away from selfishness, sin, worldliness and Satan and turning toward God is sanctification.  Growing in sanctification is to live more out of love to God and others, and less out of love for self and sin. As sinful people, we need both justification (to have our debt of sin paid, to be forgiven and pardoned) and sanctification (to be washed and cleansed from the pollution of sin; to live more holy).  These truths are pictured for us in the Old Testament tabernacle and temple by the brass altar of burnt offerings and brass laver in the courtyard and in the New Testament by that which flowed from Jesus’ pierced side.  How does the blood picture the price being paid for the guilt and pardon of sin, and the water the washing from the pollution and filth of sin? If a person claims to be saved by Jesus and to love Him, and yet is not interested in resisting sin and following Jesus’ loving commands, why is this a contradiction?  What would you think of a guy who claimed he loved a girl but he was clearly and continually not interested in pleasing her, and it did not bother him to do that which displeased her? How do we know what pleases and displeases Jesus?  What does Jesus teach about this in John 14:21?  Do you love Jesus?

Why did God allow Adam and Eve to sin? Suggested Daily Reading: Romans 9:1-23 God is God.  No created person can fully understand the mind of God.  There may be many reasons why God allowed sin to enter this world that we do not understand.  But the Lord has revealed some reasons in His Word.  These include the following: Mankind was created to voluntarily love God. This was a higher form of love, reserved especially for man on earth.  Birds, insects, mountains and oceans praise God.  But mankind was created rational, at a higher level.  We could love God from a choice of heart.  To provide real love by choice, the option of sinful disobedience had to also be real. Mankind’s free choice to love and obey God would lead to a higher state. God promised that man’s wilful obedience would earn a reward of eternal life. God already had a remedy for mankind’s fall into sin – a Savior, Jesus Christ. This glorious and gracious plan of salvation would place man in a plan of salvation based upon God’s grace and the perfect and infallible work of Jesus God’s glorious being and His attributes would be revealed more deeply and richly. Through mankind’s sin the depth of God’s love was more richly revealed.  God’s one-sided, gracious love is displayed more gloriously in giving His Son to die for sinners, and in Jesus agreeing to suffer and die to earn salvation for rebels, and in the Holy Spirit indwelling sinners hearts to graciously work repentance and faith.  God’s holiness and justice are also more clearly displayed and glorified in righteously punishing unrepentant sinners for their sins. Have you ever been amazed by God’s plan of redemption?  Fallen angels never received a plan of salvation, but man did.  Why?  The only answer is God’s sovereign grace.  No human being could ever have devised such a gracious plan of salvation, i.e. that an offended sovereign God, would become human in His Son, and this Son would suffer and die to pay the full price for rebels’ sins, and then offer free pardons to all on the value of His Son’s death, and actually work salvation in the hearts of the saved by His Spirit!  How is Christianity’s salvation method and message different from all other religions? Have you repented and believed the gospel, have you embraced this plan of salvation in Jesus Christ?

Is it true that only saved Christians can do good works? Suggested Daily Reading: Matthew 7:15-20 and I Corinthians 13:1-3 To answer this question properly, we must distinguish between civil good works and scriptural good works. Civil good works are good actions performed by all kinds of people.  These are good works as viewed and defined by people.  Under God’s common grace, most people do good things for others.  One person prepares a meal for a family whose mom is in the hospital, another stops to help a stranger having car trouble, and a third contributes food to feed the homeless.  All of these are good works, which are important and meaningful and “good.”  They are examples of civil good works, but might not be scriptural good works. Scriptural good works are good actions performed by saved Christian people.  These are good works as viewed and defined by God.  Scriptural good works arise from God’s saving grace in the hearts of His children by His Holy Spirit.  Scriptural good works contain the following three elements: It’s source (or root) is saving faith (Heb. 11:6) It’s standard (or rule) is God’s law (I John 5:3) It’s motive (and goal) is God’s glory (I Cor. 10:31) Therefore the answer to the question “Is it true that only saved Christians can do good works?” is both yes and no.  No, in the sense of civil good works, as all types of people do many good works every day.  But “yes” in the sense of scriptural good works.  Only saved Christians can perform scriptural good works as unregenerate persons do not possess saving faith, miss the spirit of God’s law in their hearts, and do not aim to promote God’s glory. We need to be careful that we do not under-value God’s gifts of common grace.  Many people perform acts of meaningful kindness to others in daily life that are very helpful.  On the other hand, we may not over-value common grace, and view civil good works of God’s common grace as if they are scriptural good works arising from God’s saving grace. How is God’s instructing Samuel in I Samuel 16:7 fitting for this meditation on distinguishing civil from scriptural good works?  Are you actively looking for opportunities and performing daily good works?  By God’s saving grace, are you performing scriptural good works?

What does “spiritual death” or “being born spiritually dead” mean? Suggested Daily Reading: Psalm 14:2-3; Isaiah 64:6-7 and Jeremiah 13:23 The Bible speaks of three types of death: corporal (or physical), eternal and spiritual death.  What does each mean? 1. Corporal death refers to a person’s physical death; when a person’s soul departs and his or her body dies. 2. Eternal death means hell; when a person’s soul enters hell, and after the resurrection, when soul and body are in hell. 3. What is spiritual death?  Spiritual death is the condition of being separated from God’s saving grace and from a loving relation with Him.  Since our deep fall in Adam, the representative of the entire human race, we are born separated from God.  Our sinful nature wants to be its own “god.”  We do not love and live for the true God, but for ourselves.  Because spiritual life can only be found in God our Creator and in a living connection with Him, we are spiritually dead without a living and loving relationship with God. Being spiritually dead, however, does not mean, that a person’s will is dead or his freedom to choose and act is lost.  No, every day we all make choices.  The problem is that so long as we are spiritually dead, we will not make choices to love and serve the true God.  We only choose to serve ourselves.  We therefore need a “new heart.”  We need new spiritual life to be implanted in our hearts, a new principle that loves the true God above all and others as ourselves.  We need to be ‘born again” and to show the fruits of this new spiritual life in us. Spiritual life fights against the old previous life.  It fights against living life selfishly for myself.  It tries to kill the desires to put self above God and before others.  Instead, spiritual life prays and works to love God above all and to genuinely care for others.  It strives to deny self to love God and others more and more. Do you know and experience that you once were spiritually dead, and now by God’s wonderful grace, you are spiritually alive?  Once you lived to serve yourself, please yourself and honor yourself.  These things were most important.  But now, you hate what you once loved.  You hate it when you live for self as number 1.  Your love now is that God and His Word are number 1.  You love it, when you love God above all and others as yourself.  Can you identify with this?  Does this describe your life?  This describes a person who is no longer spiritually dead,  but by God’s grace, who is spiritually alive.