Through preaching the gospel to them He makes known,
The riches of glory and grace by His cross:
Eternal possessions which cannot be lost.
Praise be to the Father who chose us in grace.
Praise be to the Son who has died in our place.
Praise be to the Spirit who gave us new birth.
Praise be to the One God of heaven and earth.
With all of our hearts does the Lord bid us sing
Come humbly before Him , thanksgiving to bring.
All others are idols, He lives, God alone
By grace He has saved us and made us His own.
Today’s Speaker: Brother Randy Wages 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 10:30 am on Mix 107.7 FM
Web Sites: Visit our web sites at: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
Question - But doth not the Scripture say, that we are justified by faith? What is faith? And how are we justified by the same?
Answer - There be in Scripture divers kinds of faith mentioned, by reason whereof, many think, that they believe to justification, and are deceived; {Mt.7:22;} for justification is free on God’s part, and without any condition at all on our part, for if faith were a condition of our justification, then it were not free, justification being an act of God in his eternal counsel and purpose, before the world began; {Rom.8:29;} if faith were a condition thereof, then are we justified for some fore-seen grace in us, and not freely by his grace. Now faith is neither a means, nor yet any condition of justification, but rather an evidence, or demonstration thereof; {Rom.11:5,6;} for true faith is that, whereby we close with God in the promise of life and salvation, in and by Jesus Christ. {Rom.4:19,20, Jn.6:44-47} Now this faith is not in us by nature, but is wrought in the heart, by the manifestation of God in the soul. When the Lord is pleased to reveal Christ in the soul, and to discover to the same, that he is well pleased with him in Christ, and that he hath freely forgiven all his sins, merely for the merit and righteousness of his Son, and that now he accepts of him as righteous, in his beloved Son; and that in Christ he hath adopted him to himself, to be his Son; now when the soul apprehends this, then it is thereby enabled to believe it, {Rom.4:21,} and rests upon it. And thus true faith doth not act in the works of justification, but only believes it when it is revealed in the soul; and then believing, hath peace with God, and can look upon him with comfort, and can joy in him in all tribulations. {Rom.5:1,2} Now no man can believe in Jesus Christ, until he be revealed unto him by the Father; {Jn.6:44;} and according to the measure or degrees whereby God is pleased to discover Himself to any man, so he can believe or confide in him more or less; so that it is plain, that faith is no means or condition of our justification; but by faith we believe it, and rest confidently assured of it when it is revealed, and so have joy and peace in believing.
--- William Mason {A Little Star – Giving Some Light into the Counsels and Purposes of God Revealed in the Scriptures, 1653}
WISDOM FOR THE FOOLISH
The apostle Paul tells us that God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. All the world's wisdom is but foolishness if it doesn't answer the question or resolve the problem of how an infinitely holy and just God can justify sinners such as we are. All wisdom is foolishness that does not consider this the most important question of eternity. All wisdom is folly that does not consider this matter immediately and urgently! I was traveling in another state to preach in a meeting once when I saw a sign by the road that said, "Jesus Is The Answer." I thought, "How true...but the problem is that very few even know the question." You see, Christ is only glorious as the Answer if you know the question. What is the question? How can God as He is, justify sinners such as we are? How can He maintain His honor, satisfy the claims of His justice, keep His law, magnify Himself in all His attributes, display His full glory and at the same time justify an innumerable company of sinners? The answer to this question is the good news of the gospel! The answer is the Answer, the Lord Jesus Christ. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, {I say}, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom. 3:24-26) If God is only just, all must perish because of sin. If God is only Justifier and seeks to justify at the expense of His justice, He ceases to be God. Only in Christ can He be and do both. That is why Christ is the Wisdom of God! The preaching of how God can be just and yet justify sinners in Christ is "foolishness" to some and a "stumblingblock" to others; but "unto them that are called...Christ the wisdom of God." The Spirit of God reveals the glory of this wisdom in the face of Christ. "Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the LORD." (I Cor.1:30,31) Thank God for His wisdom in Christ!