Devotionals

Daily readings to encourage your heart and mind in the pursuit of God and his glory.

  • Law and Gospel

    Romans 3:21-31

    Our relativistic age does not like to hear that there is an eternal, unchangeable law that convicts all people. But the central message of the gospel is that we have broken this law and need to be reconciled to God, ...Read More

  • Civil Disobedience

    Acts 4:1–22

    Because of our fallen nature, it would be easy to twist the principle for Christian civil disobedience enumerated in today’s study into an excuse to avoid the Bible’s call that we submit to the government. Indeed, our fallen nature makes ...Read More

  • An Instrument of Evil

    Revelation 13:1–10

    Believers must be ever wary of mixing church and state under the guise of patriotism. Though there is a right and proper way to be proud of one’s country, no Christian is ever permitted to do wrong, even if in ...Read More

  • The Sword and the Keys

    Romans 13:3–7

    Chapter 23 of the Westminster Confession of Faith is an excellent summary of the biblical teaching on the relationship between the church and the state. According to the confession, Christians may lawfully engage the government and serve in its various ...Read More

  • Civil Obedience

    Romans 13:1–2

    Some of the laws and regulations in your country today may seem unnecessary. Nevertheless, in obedience to Scripture we must obey even these unless they lead us to sin. We should not be known as those who try to find ...Read More

  • Legal Force

    Genesis 1:28

    All human governments are corrupt to one degree or another because they are all made up of corrupt human beings. Yet this does not mean we are permitted to be anarchists or to have nothing to do with the government. ...Read More

  • The Pastor’s Progress

    1 Timothy 4:14-15

    John Calvin writes, “To neglect a gift is carelessly to keep it unemployed through slothfulness, so that, having contracted rust, it is worn away without yielding any profit.” Some of us know what our gifts are but are not using ...Read More

  • The Proper Use of Freedom

    Galatians 5:12–13

    Paul’s exposition of gospel freedom will largely be the focus of the rest of our study of Galatians. Today, simply note that 5:13 defines Christian obligations not in terms of the Law but in terms of loving service to one ...Read More

  • The Offense of the Cross

    Galatians 5:10–11

    Martin Luther says that “when the cross is abolished, and the rage of tyrants and heretics ceases on the one side, and all things are in peace, this is a sure token that the pure doctrine of God’s Word is ...Read More

  • What Really Counts

    Galatians 5:5–6

    “It is not our doctrine that the faith which justifies is alone; we maintain that it is invariably accompanied by good works; only we contend that faith alone is sufficient for justification” (John Calvin). If works of love are not ...Read More

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