CALL TO WORSHIP (Tune: “Come Thou Almighty King” p.6)
Glory to God on high, Let praises fill the sky! Praise ye His Name; Angels His Name adore Who all our sorrows bore, And saints cry evermore, “Worthy the Lamb!”
All they around the throne, Cheerfully join in one, Praising His Name; We who have seen His blood, Sealing our peace with God, Spread His dear Name abroad, “Worthy the Lamb!”
To Him our hearts we raise, None else shall have our praise, Praise ye His Name; Him our exalted Lord By us below adored, We praise with one accord, “Worthy the Lamb!”
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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 – 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. – Sermon Audio web site
Had our own righteousness any part or share in clothing us in our justification, how could the righteousness of another be said to be imputed to us, or Christ be said to be the “Lord our righteousness,” or be “made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). As Christ was not made sin for us by any sin inherent in him, so neither are we made righteous by any righteousness inherent in us, but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us.
– Benjamin Keach
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ONE GOOD WAY
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)
As professing believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and as people who seek to know and follow the Word of God, we would never dream of calling the immorality that pervades our day “good” when we know God calls it “evil.” Even our natural conscience teaches us otherwise. But what man by nature does not know in his natural mind and conscience is the difference between “good” and “evil” when it comes to the way of salvation and approaching the one true holy God. Natural man thinks he knows the right way to God, remember, “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:12; 16:25).
God the Holy Spirit, however, has convinced us as true children of God of the reality of “good” and “evil” as it relates to Jesus Christ and God’s way of salvation by sovereign grace through the righteousness of Christ. In this there is only one good way – the way of Jesus Christ crucified and raised from the dead, the way of righteousness through His obedience unto death as our Surety and Substitute. Every other way is “evil” in God’s sight because any other way than HIS way in Christ fails to glorify Him as both a just God and a Savior and fails to exalt Jesus Christ as Lord and Redeemer. Therefore, the true people of God see only this one good way and will call every other way what it is – “evil.” To accept or acknowledge any other way as “good” is “evil” in and of itself. Consider this – For us as true children of God, Jesus Christ is our goodness, and all goodness is in Him and from Him alone. – Pastor Bill Parker
How shall a man know that his humbling has been produced by the Gospel and that his sorrow has been produced by God? He does not do as Cain did, who cried that his sins were greater than he could bear, and so departed from the presence of God; nor does he do as Judas did, who repented, and hanged himself, nor as Felix did, tremble for a while, and then return to his lusts; nor as the Jews did, according to the prophet, “Pine away under their iniquities,” because of vexation of heart, nor doth he divert his thoughts to other things in order to relieve his soul in his trouble; nor hang his hopes upon a righteousness of his own; nor slothfully lie down under his perplexity; but in the midst of it he goes to God in Christ pleading for pardon and perplexity. So, it is the soul’s application unto God for forgiveness, and not its sense of sin, that gives to God the glory of His grace. – John Owen
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LEARNING THE THREE "R’S
Every message should contain the three R’s: ruined by the fall, redeemed by the blood, and regenerated by the Spirit. If these three truths are properly learned we will be well-grounded in the doctrine of salvation by sovereign grace. There is good reason that redeemed by the blood is in the middle. "Redemption that is in Christ Jesus" is the only remedy for ruined by the fall. The cross-death of Christ is the answer to "How then can man be justified with God? Or, how can he be clean that is born of a woman? (Job 25:4). And, regenerated by the Spirit is the result of the redemptive work of Christ. Those bought "with the precious blood of Christ" will be quickened and effectually called to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." – Pastor Jim Byrd
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“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22). It is an awesome blessing and privilege of God’s grace in Christ Jesus that we who have been born again by the Holy Spirit can “draw near” to Holy God by blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-20).
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