Free Indeed

The preaching of the gospel sets men free. “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John. 8:32); free from the curse of the law; free from the power of Satan and the practice of sin; free from religious form, ceremony, and ritualism; free from the bondage of false priests and religious lords (for all believers are priests and kings); free from the fear of death and the dread of the tomb.

This is a glorious freedom purchased by our dear Redeemer through His obedient life and vicarious death. This is good and welcome news to the sons of Adam who mourn under the weight and burden of spiritual slavery.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1984)

The Fall and Salvation by a Representative Man

1). Man’s absolute ruin by the fall of our father Adam.

Man is not going to be lost, he is born lost, he is not going to be condemned, he was born condemned. The relationship between Adam and the whole race is one of union, of oneness, a representative union.

What the representative did, all whom he represented are regarded in God’s sight as having done what their representative did. Hence, by Adam’s sin being imputed to us, we become sinners, and having inherited Adam’s fallen nature, we become sinners by practice. (Rom.5: 12-19).

2). The Death of Christ, and the nature of His death, and the extent of His atonement.

The Lord Jesus Himself tells us both of these things. (John 10:11-18). “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.... And other sheep I have...them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice.” Our Lord here is telling us the nature of his death...it was not as a martyr for the truth...nor as a moral example of self-sacrifice.

His death was for a people! He died for them to live, we lost life in Adam, and Christ died to restore that life to his people. As we inherited death from Adam, we inherit LIFE from Christ, by our union with Him.

For whom did He lay down His life? Not for fallen angels...but sinful men...not for men in general, but His people in particular, “The Sheep.” The word of God is clear and plain on the extent of His death, of His atonement. “For the transgressions OF MY PEOPLE was he stricken...Thou shall call His name Jesus for he shall save HIS PEOPLE FROM their sin” (Isa.53: 8-Mt.1: 21).

May we as the people of God, as the people for whom Christ died always honor and glorify Him for such a wonderful, gracious, loving, voluntary act, for such as we. May we always be true to the Truth as it is in Christ Jesus. Pastor Donnie Bell

Righteousness, Peace and Joy

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17).

The Kingdom of God and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ; salvation that is accomplished by Christ and given totally by the grace of Christ has nothing to do with what you eat and drink; has nothing to do with your morality, clean living and observing certain days. We are justified by grace not by the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:24). Our salvation is totally based upon what Christ has done for us not what we do or have done for Him (Titus 3:5). Salvation that is all of grace has nothing to do with meats, drinks, and days (2Tim. 1:9); but rather upon righteousness established in Christ, upon the peace that Christ made for us with His own blood and the joy we have resting in Christ.

These three essential gospel truths always go together where you find one you find the others:

1). Righteousness…how are sinners made righteous before God? Christ alone is all our righteousness before God (Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30). That is the whole message of the book of Romans; justification by grace alone through Christ alone (Rom. 1:16-17; 3:20-22; Rom. 4:6; Rom. 10:1-4).

2). Peace…how are sinners reconciled to God? How is peace made with God? Certainly not by anything we have done but rather through the satisfying-blood sacrifice of Christ for us, for His church (Col. 1:18-20; Heb. 9:11-12; 1 Peter 1:18-20).

3). Joy…how are sinners made to rejoice before God? We rejoice in hope of the glory of God only in Christ (Rom. 5:1-3; Rom. 15:13; Phil. 3:3; Gal. 5:22).