Today’s Speaker: Brother Mark Pannell will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God’s word.
Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast on WFXL Fox 31, Channel 4. The program will air every Sunday morning at 11 AM.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 10:30 am on Mix 107.7 FM
Web Sites: Visit our web sites at: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
"By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament" (Hebrews 7:22). When one undertakes to be surety for another, then the debt is reckoned unto him, and he accepts it. Thus our dear Savior, our blessed Surety stood up for us, engaged in our behalf. Our debts, all our iniquities were imputed to Him and laid upon Him, charged upon His person. He fully satisfied, perfectly atoned justice for them. By the one sacrifice of Himself He hath taken them all away, made an end of sin, so that justice itself proclaims its own faithfulness to forgive sin, 1 John 1:9. Grace reigns, mercy triumphs, sinners are pardoned, believers rejoice. Oh believer, thou art blessed of thy God Who is just, therefore doth not, cannot, impute sin to thee. True, thou hast committed sins innumerable; but it as true, they were all laid upon Jesus. True, thou dost commit sin, it is equally true, Christ hath bore them. Thou wilt commit sin, it is perfectly true thy Savior hath atoned for them all. Thou hast nothing to plead but guilty in thyself, but perfectly righteous in Christ. Every charge the enemy brings from the righteous law against thee is just: own it; but ever plead in thine own conscience, and before the throne, Jesus hath satisfied for all; there is now no condemnation. Oh believer, this is a most precious truth of God.
--- William Mason
WHAT IS IT TO DO RIGHTEOUSNESS?
Read 1 John 2:29 – “If ye know that HE is righteous,” i.e. if you have an intimate knowledge of Christ Who is Himself righteous and Who is, by His obedience unto death, the Lord our Righteousness (Rom. 10:4), then “ye know that every one that DOETH RIGHTEOUSNESS is born of HIM.” Whatever it is to DO righteousness, one must be born again by the Holy Spirit in order to do it. Men can be moral, religious, sincere, and charitable and still not DO righteousness. And consider this – True believers, those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit, would not and cannot say that their works, their “doing” as it were, equals the perfect righteousness of the law of God as manifested in Christ, the only One Who kept that law perfectly. Every truly born again person knows that his best works still fall short of righteousness and cannot make him righteous before God. Every truly born again person has one boast, and that is, “CHRIST IS MY ONLY RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE GOD.” What is it to DO ighteousness, then? It is to live by the grace of Almighty God in total dependence upon and submission to Christ Who is our one true and only righteousness before God. It is to confess with joy and humility that Christ alone is the end of the law for righteousness to every one who believes in Him. It is to live and walk by this rule – “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
--- Pastor Bill Parker
DIVINE PROVIDENCE
Providence is used once in Scripture. Tertullus was hired by the enemies of Paul to accuse the apostle before Felix. The famous orator began his speech by flattering the Roman governor of Judea. "Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence, we accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness" (Acts 24:2). By providence Tertullus was referring to the government and authority of Felix. He said the people were thankful for such a good ruler. His words of praise to Felix were insincere of course. The Jews despised all Roman authorities.
By divine providence we mean God’s unlimited dominion and active management of all creation by which He carries out that which He decreed, for the honor of His Name and the benefit of His people chosen in Christ unto grace and glory. God governs the world to accomplish His eternal designs; He is bringing His sovereign will to fruition, directing all things to the end He ordained. The providence of God and the purpose of God are, therefore, closely related: the one fulfills the other. "Surely, as I have thought, saith the LORD, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand" (Isaiah 14:24). "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Whatever happens in time was purposed in eternity. Occasionally we say of a particular event, "that was providential," but actually all things are providential. This truth is a great comfort to the children of God. We know that everything that happens contributes in some way to the completion of the purpose of God pertaining to us. There is no such thing as chance. "The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord" (Proverbs 16:33). God determined the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and governs the world to bring His purpose to pass. The divine authority and government of the elect, non-elect, angels, demons and all the things that ever happen reveal the infinite wisdom and irresistible power of Him Who "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Ephesians 1:11).
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