TODAY’S SPEAKER: Eager Avenue Grace Church extends a warm welcome to Bill Parker. Bill is pastor of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Ky. He will conduct both the 10:00 am and 11:00 am services 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. Pray that God will use it for His glory.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK. To hear sermons on your computer click on www.americusradio.com
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28)
Consider the redemption price that was rendered at the cross of Calvary. As Ephesians 1:7 makes clear, God’s sheep have redemption “… through his blood,…”speaking of the blood of Christ who in His incarnation took on the same flesh and blood (humanity) of those for whom His blood was shed, only without sin. And yet, His wasn’t the blood of a mere creature but of One who is both God as well as man. It took the infinitely valuable blood of the God-man. Acts 20:28 speaks of this when it refers to, “…the church of God, which he<God> hath purchased with his<God’s> own blood.” This is speaking of the blood of God – God, who is Christ. The greatness of redemption is magnified by the greatness of the Redeemer as we gain some idea of the immensity of the eternal blessings in Christ, by the immensity of His nature, the One who alone could and did purchase the church – God and man in one glorious Person!
--- Randy Wages
Elect Sons in Grace and Glory
No sin there! No wrath there! No condemnation there! No misery there! No. Christ and His bride in the embraces of everlasting love. Look at that picture of the Lamb and His redeemed company on Mount Zion given in Rev. 14:1-5: "These are they which were not defiled with women." The words, "defiled with women," denote spiritual adultery. "For they are virgins." Who are virgins? Listen!
"There David shines without a stain; Uriah's blood can ne'er be known; For like a millstone in the main Are all his black transgressions thrown.
"Rahab, the harlot, loved by Thee, Shall never sink to Tophet's flame; When Jesus suffered on the tree, The Book of Life contained her name."
--- Thomas Bradbury – 1878
THE JUSTICE OF GRACE
Grace is amazing and therefore righteous grace in that the justice of God which once stood against us as sinners alienated from God, now stands for us as those who have been reconciled to God in Christ Jesus. The words of Augustus Toplady ring true to the scriptures: "JUSTICE CANNOT TWICE DEMAND PAYMENT AT MY BLEEDING SURETY'S HAND...AND THEN AGAIN AT MINE." It is the justice of the thrice Holy that stands to guarantee our continued security before the law and throne of God. John tells us that all confessing sinners are cleansed from all sin and that God is "faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins." God's justice demands the forgiveness of all the sins of those for whom Christ died. This is because His death for sin actually put away sin by satisfying all that the justice of God required, which was death. "It is Christ that died..." Can justice allow any for whom He died to be condemned? Can justice require payment at the hands of the Substitute and then require it again at the hands of those He represents? NO! This cannot be. Justice that must demand the death of every soul that sins must also demand the full justification of every soul whose sins are made an end of in the dying of Christ. Justice sees all who are in Christ as Christ Himself. Such is the true nature of imputation. All believers are seen by divine justice as being in Christ because they are in Christ! I suppose it could be said that justice is the backbone of grace, giving it strength, applying the full benefits of Christ's work to every object of God's grace. Justice upholds the integrity of God's sovereignty in grace. He will have mercy to whom He will have mercy and be gracious to whom He will be gracious. Someone may rise to say "that's not fair." To which justice immediately replies, "God can do with His own what He will and if He leaves some men to face the consequences of their sin, He is just in doing so. But He must set free every sinner redeemed by Christ's blood because I've been satisfied and honored." Justice found a sweet satisfaction for my sin in the bloody sacrifice of Christ by it also guarantees the liberation, blessing and keeping of my soul because of that blood. God's faithfulness and justice are ever the twin guards that secure forever God's elect.
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