Ephesians 6. Not the armor and spirit-battle stuff.

utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.  -Ephesians 6

Ah, the mystery of the Gospel, that God's will is so far more perfect than human mind can comprehend.  Remember too, the seed of the Gospel, some would fall on weak earth, and other on utterly stony, infertile earth, and in either case, it would be rootless and weak, destitute of belief.

But God's will as being above man, think of the Calvinistic proofs, how those seeking to disprove tie themselves up in knots to knock down Calvin's doctrine.  It seems to always come down that Calvin limits God, and limits the redemptive work of the Cross, but nowhere in Calvin's doctrine does it say the blood is not capable of redeeming all, simply that God doesn't plan to redeem all.

Think of Christ, speaking of the stony soil of some hearts, where faith would not live.  Even Christ knew some would not believe, and during his day, there were hard real sins, people risen from the dead, among other miracles, and still, some would not believe.

Fast forward to our day, in which "some would not believe", and conquest made against love and peace, the lack of miracles, and the Bible had lamented that people only wanted signs, but blessed moreso are those that have not seen, yet believed.

The Gospel is thusly a mystery because it is not readily apparent to all, but probably to most of the hearers, most of the readers, that redemptive work of the cross lays its shadow across the hearts of the faithful and spurns them to pick up their own crosses and give.

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Weekly Psalm: Psalm 90. Teach us to number our days, Father.

A Psalm of Moses: the work has Calvinistic proofs, that God is unfathomable to man, which is appliqued to the doctrines of Election and Irresistible Grace.   We timult and kerfluffle as subjects to the King, the Creator;  we wish to know yhe unsearchable mind of God.

This week's Psalm reading comes from the selection of Bible Gateway, which has quite a few classical resources for studying this selection to its very marrow.

The key is humility, and it would be cheeky of me to point out that Humility doesn't exist in the TULIP Calvinist doctrine, but everything instead clearly points to humility: not by our will, but by His will alone.

Our key verse is Psalm 90:12, the very thesis of the entire piece, how we stand before the majesty of nature, God's creation, how we deign to stand under the night sky and look at the panorama of stars.

 

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.

6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.

8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.

10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

 

Spurgeon from todays Morning and Evening.

How are they his? By his own sovereign choice. He chose them, and set his love upon them. This he did altogether apart from any goodness in them at the time, or any goodness which he foresaw in them. He had mercy on whom he would have mercy, and ordained a chosen company unto eternal life; thus, therefore, are they his by his unconstrained election.

They are not only his by choice, but by purchase. He has bought and paid for them to the utmost farthing, hence about his title there can be no dispute. Not with corruptible things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord's portion has been fully redeemed. There is no mortgage on his estate; no suits can be raised by opposing claimants, the price was paid in open court, and the Church is the Lord's freehold forever.  Spurgeon referencing "election", see also Ephesians 1.

It is our wisdom, as well as our necessity, to beseech God continually to strengthen that which he has wrought in us.  Spurgeon referencing "sanctification".