CALL TO WORSHIP

(Tune: “Come Thou Fount”)

Christ is made the sure Foundation,

Christ the Head and Cornerstone,

Chosen of the Lord and precious,

Binding all the church in one;

Holy Zion’s help forever,

And her confidence alone

Is in Christ the blessed Savior,

In His righteousness alone.

Laud and honor to the Father,

Laud and honor to the Son,

Laud and honor to the Spirit,

Ever Three and ever One;

All engaged in our salvation,

By His grace alone are we

Safe and sure for heaven’s glory,

In His presence we will be.

Today’s Speaker: Brother Winston 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 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK. To hear sermons click here

Web Sites: Visit our newly designed web site at: www.rofgrace.com

Also visit us at: www.Sermonaudio.com\reignofgrace

Birthdays: Leigh Ann Flynn – July 27^th , Jackie Renfroe – July 28^th

The Precious “Earnest” of the Holy Spirit

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

The “earnest” mentioned here bears some similarity to our usage today of the phrase “earnest money” – referring to the money that is often required as a deposit when one enters into a sales contract to buy real estate. It is money that is given to express our sincere, earnest intention to fulfill the terms we’ve agreed upon, guaranteed by the fact that legally one must forfeit their “earnest” money if they fail to follow through with the deal. And so, here too it speaks of a guarantee – but this guarantee is from the faithful, almighty God who cannot fail. So the saved are convinced by God the Holy Spirit of God’s gospel wherein they see all of the requirements for their salvation having been fully met by the doing and dying of their Substitute, with no contribution remaining due from their hand. In other words, their salvation is truly to “the praise of His glory.” And having been so convinced – having this mystery of the gospel made known unto them by the miraculous application of it to their hearts and minds by God the Holy Spirit – they have an earnest from God – a guarantee that cannot fail.

To have received the earnest of the Holy Spirit is indeed precious to these objects of God’s mercy and grace. This work of the Spirit is one in which they are altogether passive. And yet by God-given faith they confirm the certainty of their being sealed (of being certain for heaven’s glory), when, from the same almighty power that raised Christ from the dead, they are enabled to trust solely in Christ for the salvation of their souls, in repentance turning from the way that before seemed right to them to God’s Gospel – the gospel of their salvation.

Randy Wages

Psalm 125:1 “They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever.”

The righteous (they that trust in the Lord) cannot be removed. They abide forever because they are shut up in Christ. He has rendered all the obedience they owed Gods broken law, he has satisfied all the law they transgressed, he has suffered all the wrath they earned, he has died the death they deserved, he has paid the ransom they could not and he provided for them a robe of righteousness that, imputed to them, secures them in an unchangeable standing of justification before God.

Psalms 102:25 “Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”Sinner, is this the God you trust? These alone abide forever.

--- Winston Pannell

“And of HIS fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.”

John 1:16

O say with a melting heart that I have a full Christ, and He is filled for me. I have His pure and perfect righteousness to justify me, His holiness to sanctify me, His wisdom to guide me, His comforts to refresh me, His power to protect me, and His all-sufficiency to supply me. O be cheerful, be thankful; you have all your hearts can wish. And yet be humble; it is all from free grace to empty and unworthy creatures.