July 10, 2005
“Judicial and moral cleansing was what
man needed. We have both the imputed and imparted righteousness; the former the
root or foundation of the latter. Not the one without the other; both together,
inseparable; but each in its own order.” Horatius
Bonar
Daily Readings for the Week of July 10-17
Sunday Ecclesiastes
1-4 Thursday Isaiah 2-5
Monday Ecclesiastes
5-9 Friday
Isaiah 6-9
Tuesday Eccles. 10-Song of Solomon 4 Saturday Isaiah 10-13
Wednesday Song of Solomon
5-Isaiah 1 Sunday Isaiah 14-18
NURSERY DUTY
THIS WEEK
Today: Shante’ Birchum (AM) Diane Campbell (PM) Tuesday: Jenny Bartley
O Trembling Saints, Cast Off Your Fears — Don Fortner
(Tune: #497— When I Can Read My Title Clear — CM)
His goodness, like a river flows, a never failing stream!
His arm shall Satan’s darts repel and make their efforts vain.
He gives his child sufficient food, with grace and glory, too!
The soul for whom He undertakes He will bring safely home.
Eternal life in Christ we have — With Him in heav’n we’ll reign!
Henry Mahan
“Wherefore receive ye one another,
as Christ also received us to the glory of God” (Rom. 15:7). — When I have
forgiven and forgotten every offense or wrong that I have experienced or
imagined — When I have borne every hard word, act or thought — When I have
overlooked, excused, and disregarded every weakness and fall or infirmity I see
in others — When I have tried to understand and sympathize with those who are
weak — IF IT WERE possible, I would still not have borne, endured, nor forgiven
one fraction of what the Redeemer has borne, endured, and forgiven IN ME!
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Imputed Righteousness and Imparted Righteousness
“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made
sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” (Rom.
5:19).
Imputed righteousness is an act of
God's grace in redemption. Because the Lord Jesus Christ lived in righteousness
upon this earth as our Representative and died under the penalty of God's law
as our Substitute, the law and justice of God declare that we are righteous.
The very righteousness of Christ, his perfect obedience to God as a man, has been
imputed to us. That is to say, righteousness has been laid to our account.
In exactly the same manner as our sins
were imputed to Christ, his righteousness has been imputed to us. When the holy
Lord God made his darling Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, sin for us, he charged
him with our sin. The Son of God became responsible to the law of God for the
sins of his elect. And the penalty of sin was exacted from him. He died under
the wrath of God. Even so, God having imputed the righteousness of Christ to us
who believe, we have become responsible for righteousness in the sight of God's
law. And we shall receive the just reward of the law for righteousness, eternal
life, and everlasting glory.
As our works of sin were made to be
our Redeemer’s, so his works of righteousness have been made ours. As he
received the reward of our sin, we must receive the reward of his
righteousness. That is substitution. Our righteousness before God is perfect,
unalterable righteousness. It is the righteousness of Christ, our Substitute.
Child of God, can you realize this? Your standing, your acceptance with God
never varies. God is always well pleased with you in his Son!
Imparted righteousness is an act of
God's grace in regeneration. In the new birth God gives his people a new heart,
a new will, a new nature created in righteousness and true holiness. Your
standing before God is not improved at all by imparted righteousness in the new
birth. Imparted righteousness is God giving you a heart, nature, and will of
righteousness so that you now love the things you once hated and hate the
things you once loved. By this act of divine grace in regeneration the
righteous nature of Christ is imparted to God's elect.
We rejoice in the righteousness of Christ imputed in justification and in the righteousness of Christ imparted in regeneration. Both are precious boons of God’s free grace in salvation; and both are necessary. They should be maintained and fully preached side by side. The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed. The righteousness by which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for heaven.
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“According as his divine power hath given unto us
all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him
that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by
these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption
that is in the world through lust.” (2 Pet. 1:3-4)
Just as the fallen, unrighteous nature of Adam was imparted to all men by natural birth, the holy, righteous nature of Christ is imparted to all God's elect in the new birth. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to us for justification. And the righteousness of Christ is imparted to us in regeneration, by the irresistible power and effectual grace of God the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 3:10-12; 1 John 3:7-9).
I Am Not Saying
I am not saying that the believer is without sin! He is not. Sin is what we are by nature. Sin is mixed with all we do. Sin mars our best thoughts, blackens our best deeds, corrupts our best words, and defiles our noblest aspirations.
I am not saying that the old nature is changed in regeneration; it is not. Flesh is always flesh. It never improves. It never becomes spirit. It only corrupts, rots and, thank God, in time dies.
I am not saying that the believer's works can ever be accepted before God upon their own merit! They are not. We offer up our prayers and sacrifices to God, which are accepted by him, only upon the merits of Christ's righteousness and blood atonement (1 Pet. 2:5).
But I am saying that the person who is born of God is a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). He has a new nature, which is Christ in him the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). All who are born of God walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16-23). We love the law and truth of God. We love holiness. But, oh, the evil of our hearts!
There is a constant warfare within! (See Rom. 7:14-25). All who are born of God mind the things of God (Rom. 8:5). This is imparted righteousness. Believers love Christ and one another. They identify themselves with Christ, his gospel, and his church. Believers are men and women of honesty and integrity. They live honestly, pay their bills, and speak the truth. Believers hate their sin and long to be free of it. They are generous, kind, and merciful. In a word, all who are born of God are committed to Christ, sold out to him. And they will continue in the faith, clinging to Christ alone unto the end.
Those who do not have this imparted righteousness are no more born of God than those who do not have Christ's imputed righteousness are justified before God.
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Grace Bulletin
July
10, 2005
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
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
Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.
Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.
Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.
http://www.donfortner.com
http://www.sovereign-grace/gracechurch.htm
http://www.freegrace.net/danville/default.asp