AUG 30

Romans 3:23
Memorise Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;”

Reformed Theology follows after the teachings of John Calvin. John Calvin was a sixteenth century Reformer who formulated the biblical theory of salvation. The teachings of Calvin, often called “Calvinism”, encapsulate the true Gospel of salvation and presents its elements in a very systematic manner. The five points of Calvinism are represented by the acronym TULIP. ‘T’ stands for Total depravity, ‘U’ for Unconditional election, ‘L’ for Limited atonement, ‘I’ for Irresistible grace and ‘P’ for Perseverance of the saints.

Total depravity teaches us about mankind’s depravity. The whole of mankind has fallen into sin. This is because of the guilt of Adam’s first sin, which is passed down to all his posterity; Adam being our representative for the human race. As a result, all of us are born with a corrupt and sinful nature (Romans 3:23). All of us are born sinners without any exception (Psalm 51:5). On our own, we will not seek after God (Romans 3:10-12). We are all dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1). Because of our sin and guilt, we are all deserving of God’s wrath and eternal punishment. If we die in our sins without accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we will end up in hell and the lake of fire.

Unconditional election means the salvation of man cannot be achieved by his own will or choice. The salvation of man is also not based on man’s merits. Salvation is not conditioned upon God’s prior knowledge of faith or repentance of a person, but upon His grace and love. The salvation of man is the prerogative of God; He chooses whom to save. Because of our depraved and sinful nature, we can never be saved by our own willful choice. Salvation can only come to us because God has graciously chosen us even before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9).

Dear Teen, do you think you are able to save yourself by good behaviour, by doing good deeds or attending church, etc.? Remember that if you have not accepted the Lord Jesus, you are still a depraved sinner. You will not be able to save yourself as any deeds that you do which you deem as good, are still “filthy rags” in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6). Are you thankful to God for sending the Lord Jesus Christ to die for your sins?

Thought: As an unbeliever, I was once totally depraved and unable to save myself.
Prayer: Lord, I thank Thee for saving a depraved sinner like myself and choosing me to be saved even before the foundation of the world.