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November 18, 2007
As winter prepares the earth for spring, our afflictions prepare our souls for glory.
Daily Readings for the Week of November 18-25Sunday Acts 25-26 Thursday Romans 6-8 Monday Acts 27-28 Friday Romans 9-11 Tuesday Romans 1-2 Saturday Romans 12-15 Wednesday Romans 3-5 Sunday Romans 16-1 Corinthians 3
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Cody Henson-25th
NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK Today: Jenny Bartley (AM) Emily Rice (PM) Tuesday: Ruth Wall
Behold the Christ for Sinners Slain ― Don Fortner (Tune: #90 ― It Came Upon A Midnight Clear ― CMD)
What crushed His holy soul with pain? From whence His agony? Let none who wear His blessed name forget what His death means. ― Our Savior died and suffered hell within because of sin!
Could never crush Immanuel’s heart, ― but our imputed sin! God’s holy sword atonement made, (Not all the strokes of men!) Which fell upon our Savior’s head for us made to be sin!
Rejoice, my soul, and praise His name, Christ put away my sin! A willing Sacrifice He died, in this poor sinner’s stead, Triumphant, “It is finished,” cried and calmly bowed His head.
Satan and sin and death and hell, winning our liberty! Behold the Savior on His throne, (Redemption fully wrought!) He reigns to give eternal life to sinners dearly bought!
Prevenient Grace
“Bring my sons from far” (Isa. 43:6). — This is God’s command in the execution of his providence. He says to all things, “Bring my sons from far” (Rom. 8:28-30); and creation obeys his command. Everything that happens in the mysterious movements of providence is under God's control and works by his sovereign power and purpose for the salvation of his people. Long before regenerating grace comes to the chosen, prevenient grace watches over them, orders their steps, and keeps them from going down to the pit, because God has found a ransom for them. This is beautifully illustrated in Hosea 2:6-8. Read Psalm 107 and see how that providence obeys God's command for the salvation of his elect. “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
7 “He was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” 1 John 3:5
This is an article I wrote more than thirty years ago. When I read it in a bulletin last week, I was compelled to give thanks to our God for that grace which has kept me from being “moved away from the hope of the gospel.”
Though he was made to be sin for us, when he bore our sins in his own body on the tree, our Lord Jesus Christ had no sin of his own. He had no original sin, because he was not represented by Adam in the garden of Eden. He had no Adamic sin nature, because he was not descended from Adam. He is the Seed of the woman. His human body and soul were created by the Holy Spirit in the virgin’s womb. And he had no actual sin. He never thought, felt, said, or did a sinful thing. “He knew no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” Our Savior “was holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners.” In order for him to be a suitable sacrifice for sin, it was necessary that our Substitute be without sin, innocent, righteous, and holy. Our Redeemer had to be God. Otherwise he could not satisfy the law and justice of God. He had to be a man. Otherwise he could not suffer for man. And he must be without sin. Otherwise he would be required to suffer for his own sin. “In him is no sin!”
Yet, in order to redeem us from our sins, the Son of God was made to be sin for us. By an act of divine imputation, the sins and guilt of God’s elect were transferred from us to Christ, our Substitute. Our sins became his sins (2 Cor. 5:21; 2 Pet. 2:24; Psa. 40:12; 69:4-5). Christ became responsible for our sins in the eyes of God’s law. And God exacted from his Son the full penalty of his law, which was due to us. The wrath and justice of God, which we deserved, was fully spent upon our Substitute.
By this divine substitution, the Lord Jesus Christ, by the sacrifice of himself, has put away our sins. Our glorious Mediator, who had no sin, but was made to be sin for us, once again has no sin. This is our assurance of eternal salvation. Christ, who took our sins off us and onto himself, dying under the just penalty of sin, has put away our sins forever! The proof that he has done so is the fact that he is risen from the dead, seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high in glorious exaltation, and makes intercession for us. And the intercession of our great Advocate cannot be denied by God, because our Advocate is “Jesus Christ the Righteous; and he is the (immutably effectual, justice satisfying) Propitiation for our sins!”
It is not WHAT we know that is of life giving efficacy, it is vital union with the Son of God, Who is our life - “I in them” (John 17:23)…If the Lord Jesus Christ dwells in me by His Spirit, I have eternal life, which is His life. If Christ does not live in me by His Spirit, I, as of yet, am still dead in trespasses and sins and do not know Him, no matter how much I know. Pastor Tommy Robbins
8 “In him is no sin.” 1 John 3:5
The Lord Jesus Christ was manifested to take away our sins and in Christ there is no sin. Though he was made to be sin for us, our Lord had no sin of his own. Yet in order to redeem us from our sins and to justify us before God, the Son of God was made sin for us. And having taken our sins upon himself, suffering for us the just penalty of our sins, our glorious Mediator in heaven once again has no sin. But this text is speaking of those who are in Christ. The Spirit of God is telling us here that in Christ we have no sin. In ourselves we are sinners, and nothing but sin. The old nature of sin is with us and will be with us so long as we are in this world. Yet, the all-seeing eye of God’s holy law sees no sin in the believer, because in Christ the believer has no sin (Num. 23:21).
Because Christ was made sin for us, because he bore our sins in his own body on the tree and bore them away, the Lord God almighty declares that all who trust him have no sin. (Psalm 103:12, Micah 7:18-19; Jeremiah 50:20; 1 John 3:5; Romans 4:8).
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. — Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. — And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. — Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
Because “He hath made him sin for us,” all who believe on the Son of God are made “the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:17-21).
Because the Lord Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s Righteous Servant, has fully obeyed his Father’s will in putting away our sins by the sacrifice of himself, because he was made sin for us, because he bore our sins in his own body on the tree, because he paid all the debt for our sins and put them away completely and forever, he now assures sinners everywhere of this glorious truth by the gospel. — “Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37-40).
Come to Christ, no matter who you are, no matter how vile your transgressions are, and he promises that he will receive you, just as you are, and that he will never cast you out, that he will give you eternal life, that you shall never perish. Come, then, to Christ without any preparations making you fit to come. Come to Christ without attempting to change yourself and make yourself qualified to come to him. Come to Christ without delay. Sinners, come and welcome! The Savior calls, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30).
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Grace Bulletin
November 18, 2007
Grace Baptist Church of Danville 2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438 Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Schedule of Regular Services
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service 6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service
Tuesday 7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service
Television Broadcasts in Danville
Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M. Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M. Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.
Web Pages http://www.donfortner.com http://www.freegraceradio.com http://www.sovereign-grace.com/gracechurch.htm
Don Fortner
Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com |
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