TODAY'S SPEAKER: Eager Avenue Grace Church extends a warm welcome to David Simpson. David is pastor of Providence Church, Powell, Tn. and once again we welcome him as our guest speaker. David will conduct both the 10:00 am and 11:00 am services today. Pray for him as he delivers God's Word.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM -WISK
Birthdays: Timothy Pannell- March 6th.
SAMSON- A TYPE OF CHRIST
Some are astounded when you tell them that Samson was a type of Christ. Their reasoning is, ‘How could a man who had so many shortcomings, and particularly with strange women, ever be a type of Christ?' The answer is, "Name one person in all of Scripture, who was a type of Christ, who was without sin." Can you? Clearly not! Types are just those...TYPES! One would never think of confusing the mold, from which a golden band is made, for the ring itself. You would never put the same value on the pattern as you would the suit or dress made from that pattern, but both have their place.
Moses and David were types of our Lord Jesus, and yet, were either of them perfect? All of the priests of the Old Testament typified the Lord Jesus in His person and work, and yet the Scriptures tell us that had they, or their sacrifices been perfect, Christ would not have needed to come. It was the fact that they were not perfect that it did require the Lord Jesus coming, doing and dying to satisfy God's law and justice and to save His people- Hebrews 9:9.
In Hebrews 11:32, Samson is identified as a man of faith. Does that mean that he had inherent righteousness? No! The faith with which he identified was that which declared the Christ to come to be ALL his righteousness, and he as other Old Testament sinners, like him, rejoiced in the forbearance of God until the day of their justification, when the righteous obedience of Christ would be fully and finally imputed to his account once for all, upon completion of His death at the cross. Along with Jephthah, David, and Samuel, he is said to have ‘through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, and stopped the mouths of lions.' Did not our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the object of ALL true faith, subdue kingdoms, work out righteousness, obtain (fulfill) all of the promises of God for sinners in His obedient life and sacrificial death, as well as stop the mouth of THE LION (Satan) who goes about seeking to devour sinners for whom Christ died, but cannot.
Could we not also reiterate numerous other ways that Samson typified of foreshadowed our Lord Jesus? Both had a miraculous birth- Judges 13:24; Luke 1:35. The Spirit of the Lord anointed both in their ministries- Judges 14:6; Isaiah 40:1-4 Samson's marriage to Delilah (a Philistine woman) was a type of Christ's union with His church and the sinners with whom He identified- Judges 16:4; Luke 7:39. Both were tried and tested throughout their lifetime by their enemies. However, none of the enemies' plots at putting them to death were successful. Both died at the hour appointed by God- Judges 16:2, 3; John 5:18. Both in their death won a victory over their enemies- Judges 16:30; John 10:18.
Samson's wife was ever unfaithful to him, but he remained faithful to her in love, Judges 16:6. Thankfully, Christ is ever faithful to His bride, and is ALL her salvation- Hebrews 3:4-6.
KEN WIMER - Pastor of Shreveport Grace Church
THE MATTER OF JUSTIFICATION
And as the complete obedience of Christ in both its parts is the matter of justification, or of the justifying righteousness of a sinner before God; so it stands alone, as such, in its own comprehensive glory, exclusive of all the creature's works, whether before or after in regeneration by the Spirit of God. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works (Romans. 4:6). This righteousness which is here said to be without works, is the obedience of Jesus Christ; which is the justifying righteousness of a sinner; and is so complete in itself that nothing can be added to it to make it more so. All the works of the creature since the Fall are imperfect; and therefore utterly unfit to be its justifying righteousness before God, either in whole or in part. It is impossible that an imperfect obedience can make the person that performs it perfectly righteous; and such is the infinite purity of God's nature and the strictness of His justice, that He can accept nothing for righteousness that is not perfectly conformed to the rule of it in His holy Law. And therefore our own obedience cannot be the whole of our righteousness before God. Nor can it be any part of it; because that which is wholly imperfect can be no part of perfection.
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