CALL TO WORSHIP
(Tune – “Take My Life” – 393)
(Words by Pastor Jim Byrd)

To the Savior, reigning King,
Honors to His Name we bring;
What a kind and gracious Friend,
May His praises never end. (R)

Not to us, to Jesus be,
Glory, strength and majesty;
Come ye people now arise,
Praise the Lord of earth and skies. (R)

With His blood our debt He paid,
Full atonement Jesus made;
For His death upon the cross,
Saved us from eternal loss. (R)

Evermore Christ reigns above,
Author of redeeming love;
There He sits upon His throne,
In a glory all His own. (R)

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Today: Bible Classes – 10:00 a.m.; Morning Worship – 11:00 a.m.
Messages by Pastor Bill Parker

Television Broadcast: Reign of Grace Television
Sunday morning on WALB-TV @ 9 AM.

Live Streaming – 11:00 a.m. service from Sermon Audio web site

Web Sites: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
Sermon Audio: www.Sermonaudio.com\reignofgrace

Birthdays: Kristen Fuller – Dec. 17^th

**Please join us for some holiday cheer and breakfast snacks again Sunday, Dec. 14^th and Dec. 21^st at 9:30 a.m. (before the 10 a.m. bible study)**

DRESSED ALIKE

I have seen a family of children all dressed alike, that none might boast over the others, all being equally fair. So it is with God’s family. They are all righteous in the obedience of One. One garment covers them all – the robe of their elder Brother. Believers differ in attainments, in gifts and graces, but all are equally justified before God. It is no work of their own that justifies them, it is the work of Christ alone. Ah, brethren! There is no boasting in Christ’s family. —Copied

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THE CHURCH IN THE WORLD

The true church exist in this fallen, evil world, but we, by the grace of Almighty God in Jesus Christ, have been called out of and separated from the world. We all by birth and nature were OF the world as fallen in Adam and born dead in trespasses and sins. But we, having been chosen of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit, are now not of the world even as our Lord is not of this world (John 17:16). We are, however, still in this world, and we must shine forth as the light of Christ with the Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace. We must hold forth “the word of life” (Php. 2:16). It is this very “word of life” that brings out the world’s hatred of Christ and His true church (John 3:19-20; 15:18—16:3; 17:14). As the witness of Christ in this world we stand against the world’s immorality and perversions, but we also stand against the world’s self-righteous, free-will, works religion. We preach Jesus Christ as the one and only way of salvation by God’s sovereign grace and mercy, including the forgiveness of sin, the way of righteousness before God, and the way of eternal life and glory. There is no other way, and every other way men create is a way of death and damnation. We do this not because we are mean, judgmental, or bigoted. We do this because we are disciples, followers, of Jesus Christ. This is what He Himself taught, and we belong to Him, not to the world. He said, “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15:18-19). – Pastor Bill Parker

THE SIN-BEARING CHRIST

The apostle Peter writes in his first epistle, chapter two and verse 23 that Christ “committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously.” As the Sub­stitute and therefore Sin-bearer of His people, He faced the judgment of God in their place and for their sins. Isaiah tells us that the Lord had laid on Him their iniquities. All responsibility for their sins was His and all the judgment for them fell on Him. Then Peter says of Christ, “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by Whose stripes ye were healed.” What did Christ bear in His own body? Obviously, it was the judgment due our sins. Since that judgment was death, this is why His “body” was required. The perfect body prepared for Him was necessary in order for Him to die as the sinless sin-bearer the death required. “The soul that sinneth shall surely die.” “The wages of sin is death.” He who knew no sin died as the “Just for the un­just.” He bears the penalty for their sin in His body and when He dies for their sins, they die to sin! Again, “by His stripes ye were healed.” Isaiah again in Isaiah 53:4-5: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” And again, Isaiah 53:8 – “He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of My people was He stricken.” Paul says that He was “made a curse” for us. What does this mean? He answers, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” What happened to Christ on the tree, the cross? He laid down His life for the sheep. He died for our sins the death no other could die, the death as the sinless Savior FOR sin, all the sins of all His people for all time. He bore them in own body and believers do not have to face or fear God’s judgment for them!

“My sins not in part but the whole,
Were nailed to His cross and I bear them no more,
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my soul”!