In Romans 4, vs. 8, the apostle Paul is led by the Spirit to speak wonderful words concerning God’s grace to His people in Christ: “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” This is the blessing of blessings! But he is only repeating what the Psalmist declared long before in Psalm 32:2, “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity…” To not impute a man’s sins to him is to not charge him or hold him personally accountable for his sins. This non-imputing of sins to a man brings into question many things. First, if He doesn’t impute the sins of some to them, who does He charge with them? This is answered quite clearly in scripture. He imputed them to the Surety, the Lord Jesus Christ, who then took upon Himself the full responsibility of them. Isaiah records, “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” and God declares through him, “for the transgression of my people was he stricken..” (Isa. 53:6,8) Then Paul says again in 2 Corinthians 5:19, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them;” He continues with those glorious words of how God reconciled us to Himself: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” These things being true, when did God determine not to impute the sins of His elect to them? Think about it, God’s entire purpose and will center around this. His purpose of grace and the accomplishment of it (which is His glory) hinge on this great thing. I have to conclude that since the entire purpose of God in this world and His glory flow from His determination not to impute the sins of His people to them, it had to take place before the world began! Thus Paul says that all God’s people were “blessed” with this among many “spiritual blessings” in Christ when He chose them in Christ before the world began. The unchanging God determined then not to lay my sin to my account but to make them meet on Christ. His determination to do so was the doing of it! To quote a “ready scribe” of long ago:

“This was what he resolved upon from all eternity, that inasmuch as Christ was become the surety and substitute of his people, he would not impute their sins to them, or look for satisfaction for them from them; but would reckon and place them to the account of their surety, and expect satisfaction from him; and accordingly he did, and accordingly he had it. And this will, not to impute sin to his people, or not to punish for it, which existed in God from everlasting, is no other than a justification of them; for to whom the Lord does not impute sin, he imputes righteousness, and such are properly justified.”

Believers in Christ have been blessed for a long time!

GS

Fear is, as it were, a ballast to faith; and thus, however high faith may mount, godly fear and holy reverence of God will mount up side by side with it; and though faith may penetrate into the very presence of God, it will not be deserted by this blessed companion; for reverence and godly fear will accompany it even to the throne room of the King of kings. The Apostle therefore says, "therefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire." {Heb 12:28-29}

J.C. Philpot

THE PATIENCE OF CHRIST OUR EXAMPLE

With perfect composure and confident expectation Christ looked for a happy issue from His sufferings: "My flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life" (Ps 16:9-11). What is perhaps yet more remarkable, the Lord Jesus is even now exercising waiting patience. That little-understood expression "the kingdom and patience of {the ascended} Jesus Christ" (Re 1:9) is explained by "after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool" (Heb 10:12-13). The suffering Savior has been invested with unlimited dominion, and nothing now remains but the accomplishment of those results which His sacrifice was designed to procure, namely, the saving of His elect and the subjugation of all revolters against God. Christ is now calmly waiting the fulfillment of His Father's promise, that day which God has "appointed" (Ac 17:31). Here too He sets us an example.

Arthur Pink

The blood of Jesus Christ being the blood of the everlasting covenant — that blood which was to reunite God with men, and men with God — it was necessary, after its being shed on the cross, that it should be thus sprinkled in heaven. ‘I go,’ says He to His disciples, ‘to prepare a place for you.’ It was necessary that this blood should be sprinkled there, and also upon them, before they could be admitted. But by its means they were prepared to enter into heaven, and heaven itself was prepared for their reception, which without that sprinkling would have been defiled by their presence. ‘Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption.’ Jesus Christ is not only seated at the right hand of God, but He is there for the very purpose of interceding for His (cont) people. By the perpetual efficacy of His blood their sins are removed, and consequently every ground of their condemnation. This never-ceasing intercession of Him who ever liveth to advocate their cause, not only procures the remission of their sins, but also all the graces of the Holy Spirit; and by the efficacy of the Holy Spirit an internal aspersion is made upon their hearts when they are actually converted to God, and when by faith they receive the sprinkling of the blood of their Redeemer. For them He died, He rose, He ascended to heaven, and there intercedes. How, then, can they be condemned? How can they come short of eternal glory?

Robert Haldane

WE GATHER TO PRAISE

We gather this morning to worship and praise,

The God of all glory, the Ancient of Days.

None other is worthy but Jesus alone

God’s Lamb once provided, His blood has atoned.

From sin and from darkness, He brings out His own

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.

11.11.11.11

Gary Shepard