Faith is not the Savior. It was not faith that was born at Bethlehem and died on Golgotha for us. It was not faith that loved us and gave itself for us, that bore our sin in its own body on the tree, that died and rose again for our sins. Faith is one thing, the Saviour is another. Faith is one thing, and the cross is another. Let us not confound them nor ascribe to a poor, imperfect act of man that which belongs exclusively to the Son of the living God. –Horatius Bonar
SALVATION
Concerning salvation, take into consideration the almighty and all-loving Author of it, and by Whom it was accomplished. What He is in Himself, in the glories of His person, His greatness, fitness, suitability, and all-sufficiency; what He is in His work, and what He hath done for His redeemed, the salvation He hath wrought beyond all conception of value in its completeness, and beyond all reach of extent in its efficacy, being like Himself, everlasting and eternal; and what He is in His relations to His people, being their everlasting Father, Brother, Husband, Friend all these things, included as they all are in salvation, give the happy partakers of it “a joy unspeakable and full of glory;” so that every individual finds cause to join in the hymn of the church, and say: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation ... He is the Rock, His work is perfect ... just and right is He” (Isaiah 61:10; Deuteronomy 32:4). —Robert Hawker
The comfort of a believer's heart lies not in a mere "feeling" that "everything will be all right." It lies in the Spirit of God's application of truth to our hearts and minds. It is comfort based on the promises of God who cannot lie, die, change or fail in any way. Oh it does produce wonderful feelings. But these feelings are the product of the assurance of faith, faith based upon that which is given us by God's grace through the merits of Christ's righteous blood. –Pastor Gary Shepard
Copies of the annual business meeting held on November 19, 2017, are available upon request. See Kristen Fuller.
CHRIST’S DEATH – AN ACCOMPLISHMENT
It is vitally important that we who profess to be Christians know and understand exactly what the death of Christ on the cross accomplished for us to secure our complete salvation. It is all by God’s grace based on what Christ did to pay our sin-debt to God’s law and justice and establish righteousness by which God could be just to justify us. He died as our Surety, having our sins imputed to Him, and He died as our Substitute going under the wrath of God to take our punishment unto death. His death is a propitiation – a sin-bearing sacrifice that brought satisfaction to God’s justice. His death is the guarantee that all for whom He died, was buried, and arose again shall be saved – “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). He as the Lord our Righteousness demands that all for whom He died be saved and given the gift of eternal life.
Most professing Christians today believe that Christ died for everyone without exception upon condition that they believe in Him. Such professors believe there are multitudes who perish for whom Christ died because they refuse to believe in Him. The truth is this – If the Lord Jesus Christ died for any sinner who perishes in eternal damnation (and this is what most professing Christians today believe), then that leaves us with no hope of salvation but in ourselves. Christ, therefore, is not our savior. Our savior is our faith, our repentance, our perseverance, in essence, our savior is ourselves. Christ’s death on the cross is the establishment of righteousness, and righteousness demands eternal and spiritual life for His people. This includes the gifts of knowledge, faith, repentance, and perseverance. This gives Christ all the glory in our salvation and leaves us with no room to boast – “But 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).