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Grace Baptist Church of Danville

May 31, 2015

 

The Lord Jesus Christ takes hold of us by his grace before we take hold of him by faith.

 

Daily Readings for the Week of May 31-June 7, 2015

Sunday                Nehemiah 13-Esther 1                              Thursday       Job 3-7

      Monday                Esther 2-4                                                     Friday             Job 8-11

      Tuesday              Esther 5-8                                                     Saturday                    Job 12-15

      Wednesday        Esther 9-Job 2                                             Sunday                      Job 16-21

 

·      The Lord willing, we will have our Quarterly Fellowship Dinner next Sunday. No service here next Sunday night.

·      Bro. Peter Meney has accepted a call from New Covenant Baptist Church in Great Falls, Montana to be their pastor. As the Lord enables you, pray for Bro. Meney and the New Covenant church as they begin their labors together for the furtherance of the gospel.

 

Happy Birthday!

Audrey Grace Hacker-2nd  Nicole Abell-5th  Oscar Bailey-6th   Nathaniel Duff-6th

Happy Anniversary: Rex & Debbie Bartley-1st     Don & Shelby Fortner-1st

Nursery Duty Today: Nicole Abell

Church Cleaning in June: Sam & Ruth Wall

 

Blest Spirit, Own this Sacred Hour Don Fortner

(Tune: #52 — Majestic Sweetness — CM)

 

1.    Blest Spirit, own this sacred hour;

Enflame the preacher’s heart;

Let every hearer feel Your power,

Ere from Your house we part!

 o

2.    Direct Your arrows to the souls

Of unconverted men;

And, while Your servant truth unfolds,

May some be born again!

 

3.    O give Your saints a foretaste sweet

Of their eternal rest;

Each seeking soul be pleased to meet,

And make each mourner blest!

 

“O Thou Son of the Blessed! Grace stripped Thee of Thy glory; grace brought Thee down from heaven; grace made Thee bear such burdens of sin, such burdens of curse as are unspeakable; grace was in Thy heart; grace come bubbling up from Thy bleeding side; grace was in Thy tears; grace was in Thy prayers; grace streamed from Thy thorn-crowned brow! Grace came forth with the nails that pierced Thee, with the thorns that pricked Thee! Oh, here are unsearchable riches of grace! Grace to make sinners happy! Grace to make angels wonder! Grace to make devils astonished!”                                  — John Bunyan

 

Justified at Calvary

Romans 3:24-26

 

All God’s elect were justified by the death of God the Son at Calvary. Though Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, he was also slain in time for the redemption of our souls. And though God’s elect were justified by his sovereign decree in eternal predestination, we were also justified by the precious shed blood of God’s dear Son at Calvary.

 

Accomplished

The Bible does not teach that justification was provided, or made possible by the death of Christ. The Bible declares that justification was accomplished at Calvary. If it was merely provided or made possible for us, but is not accomplished until we believe, then our faith would be as much the cause of justification as the purpose of God and the sacrifice of Christ. But that is not the case. Here God the Holy Ghost tells us plainly that when Christ died, those for whom he died were justified. As C. H. Spurgeon put it…

 

“I must hold that, in the moment when Jesus Christ paid my debts, my debts were canceled; in the hour when he worked out for me a perfect righteousness it was imputed to me; and therefore, I may, as a believer, say I was complete in Christ before I was born, accepted in Jesus, even as Levi was blessed in the loins of Abraham.”

 

When the Scriptures declare that we are justified by faith in Christ, the meaning is not that our faith justifies us, but rather that Christ, the Object of our faith, justifies us. We are not justified by our act of faith in him, but by his faithful obedience to God for us, as our Representative. — We were justified by “the faith of Christ” and receive justification by “faith in Christ.

 

Righteousness and Satisfaction

The life obedience of Christ was as necessary as his obedience in death. In his life of obedience to the law and will of God, the Lord Jesus Christ worked out a perfect righteousness for us. In him we have obeyed God’s holy law (Daniel 9:24; Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16; 1 Corinthians 1:30). In his death at Calvary, I died, fully satisfying the demands of God’s law and justice against me for sin (Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Romans 6:6-7; 8:1). — In Christ I lived in righteousness and died a death that made complete satisfaction to God’s justice for all my sin.

 

Infinite Merit

Since our Redeemer is both God and man in one glorious Person, all that he has done is of infinite value for all who trust him. He has effectually accomplished the eternal justification of his people. He has obtained eternal redemption for us (Hebrews 9:12). He has put away the sins of his people (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 9:26). He has perfected forever those who were set apart as the objects of his grace (Hebrews 10:14). This is complete, perfect justification. The law can require no more of us than perfect righteousness and infinite satisfaction (Ephesians 2:4-6).

 

Just and Justifier

Do you see this? We were eternally justified by the decree of God the Father before the world began. And we were justified by the death of God the Son at Calvary. By virtue of, and upon the merits of the life and death of Christ as our Substitute, God is both just and the Justifier of all who believe on his Son. Now, in perfect consistency with his justice, God forgives all the sins of all his people. — “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” In Christ, God both punishes and saves the sinner.

 

Justified by Faith in Christ

Romans 4:25-5:2

Every true believer is justified by faith in Christ by the declaration of God the Holy Spirit in conversion. When God the Holy Ghost regenerates the sinner, giving him faith in Christ, as that sinner looks to Christ alone as his Savior and Redeemer, the blessed Spirit of God sprinkles the blood of Christ upon the conscience and speaks like a bailiff reading the verdict in court — “JUSTIFIED!” Thus every believing sinner receives justification by faith in Christ. Christ has justified us by his great sin-atoning sacrifice; and all who believe on him as Lord and Savior receive the many benefits of his finished work. One of those many benefits which we receive by faith is justification.

Faith in Christ does not cause God to justify us. The obedience of Christ has done that. But faith, resting upon Christ alone as Savior, obtains peace with God, the peace of perfect, complete justification. Faith does not merit justification with God; but faith receives justification. Faith is not the basis upon which we are justified; but faith is the instrument by which justification is received. Faith is essential; but it is not meritorious. Faith receives Christ; but it does not merit Christ. Faith receives the forgiveness of sin; but it does not merit forgiveness. Faith receives grace; but it does not merit grace. Faith receives justification; but it does not merit justification. — We were justified in the court of heaven by the decree of God the Father and by the death of God the Son. Then, in the experience of grace, we are justified in the court of conscience by the declaration of God the Holy Spirit.

            Like Enoch of old (Hebrews 11:5-6), all who trust Christ have God’s own testimony in their consciences by the witness of the Spirit that they please God. It is faith in Christ that pleases God (John 6:28-29). And it is faith in Christ that receives testimony from God that like Christ himself, because we are in him, the Father says of us, “I am well-pleased!

      Like Enoch, God’s people in this world please him, satisfy him, and are accepted by him, only by faith in Christ. Enoch did not please God by his own works of obedience, but by faith in Christ. “Without faith it is impossible to please him.” Every true believer pleases God, just like Enoch did.

      Like Enoch, all who trust Christ, being partakers of the first resurrection, the new birth (Revelation 20:6), shall “not see death.” Then, on that great day of judgment, it shall be declared that we please God, perfectly, completely, without flaw, because we have fully obeyed him and satisfied him in the obedience and death of Christ, our Substitute (Revelation 21:27; Ephesians 5:25-27).

 

The Grace Bulletin

 

May 31, 2015

 

Grace Baptist Church of Danville

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 576-3400 — 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 7:45 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

 

Television Broadcasts in Harrodsburg

Channel 6 - Sunday Afternoon 3:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 6:00 P.M.

 

Web Pages

http://www.DonFortner.com

http://www.FreegraceRadio.com

http://www.Grace-eBooks.com

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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