“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Isaiah 52:7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blessed Jesus, Our Redeemer Words by Jim Byrd
Tune to “Come Thou Fount”
1. Blessed Jesus, our Redeemer, Saved us from eternal loss; For He bore our sins and sorrows, When He died upon the cross. Glad the tidings of salvation, All our sins on Him were laid; You who trust Him hear this message, Christ your debt has fully paid. * 2. Look my soul behold with wonder, See who hung upon the tree; ‘Twas the Lord, the righteous Servant, Put to death to set us free. Mark the sacrifice appointed, Lamb of God for sinners slain; God in human flesh enduring, Condemnation, grief and pain. * 3. Hear Him lift His voice in triumph, “It is finished,” praise His Name! Gone our guilt and our transgressions, He removed our sin and blame. Resurrected and ascended, Now He reigns upon His throne; Blessed Jesus, only Savior, Intercessor for His own. ------------------------------------------------------ Rise from Despair and Rejoice! “There is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.”Ecclesiastes 7:20 The word “just” means righteous. We know that the Lord’s people are righteous in Christ, and yet, the inspired writer says that not even a justified person “doeth good and sinneth not.” Every believer is aware of our sinfulness; we know that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), therefore we petition the Lord for fresh supplies of pardoning grace (I John 1:9). While the reality of our wretchedness is ever before us, let us rejoice in the deliverance from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, and ultimately the very presence of sin by the sacrificial obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the sole basis upon which God remains just and justifies the ungodly. It is true that, “in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18), consequently nothing good can come forth from me. However, it is also true that I am accepted in Christ and declared to be the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). He who put me in Christ before the world was formed, has made Him to be my “Wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, That according as it is written,He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (I Corinthians 1:30-31). As my sins were imputed to Him so His righteousness has been imputed to me. While I still mourn over my sins, yet I must not sink into deep depression as though there were no hope for me. Let me rise from the despair of remorse to rejoice in my Substitute and Savior for He paid my debt and satisfied all the requirements necessary for my salvation. He has not only given me salvation, but like Simeon of old, “Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” Christ is my salvation! I praise the One Who “loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). The Father is well pleased with Him and with me because of Him. --Pastor Jim Byrd
-------------------------------------------------------------- The Simplicity and Singularity of the Gospel There is a magnificent simplicity and singularity in the gospel. How merciful is our God to take such wondrous things and bring them to a succinct point, thereby making misunderstanding an impossibility. There is one way, one truth, one life, one faith, one Lord, one baptism. A person cannot claim he does not understand; he can only admit that he does not believe. --Pastor Tim James
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