Today’s Speaker: Brother Jim Casey 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. 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
It is interesting to note that in the New Testament, the name "priest" is never attributed to any specific minister of the gospel. Rather, all of those chosen by the Father unto salvation, redeemed by the Son and regenerated and effectually called by the Holy Spirit to faith in the Savior are said to be "a royal priesthood," (1 Peter 2:9), that is, "kings and priests" (Revelation 1:6). We are a kingdom of priests. What was the duty of the Old Testament priest? The writer of Hebrews said, "Every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins" (Hebrews 10:11). We know that we have one Great High Priest of Whom it is written, "But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). Christ, our High Priest, offered the sacrifice of Himself which satisfied divine justice and put away the sins of His people forever. A full, free, unconditional pardon belongs to all those for whom Christ made satisfaction to the law of God by dying in their stead and rising again for their justification. However, though we as a kingdom of priests do not offer unto God sacrifices which are of an expiatory nature, nevertheless we do offer Him sacrifices. "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5). Here are six sacrifices which we offer to the Lord.
1. The sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit, Psalm 51:17.
2. The sacrifice of thanksgiving, Psalm 116:17; 107:22.
3. The sacrifice of praise, Hebrews 13:15.
4. The sacrifice of joy, Psalm 27:6.
5. The sacrifice of generosity, Philippians 4:18; Hebrews 13:16.
6. The sacrifice of ourselves, Romans 12:1.
As ransomed sinners, we offer sacrifices to God and when these are offered to Him through Christ, both the offerer and the offering are acceptable unto God.
--- Jim Byrd
Thoughts on the Suretyship of Christ
The covenant in which Christ engaged, and. was accepted of the Father, as the surety of his people, being ratified by the divine oath, he stood before the Father as the whole body of the elect, representing them in their characters as debtors, bound by the law, as creatures, to perform, as a condition of life and happiness, obedience to its precepts absolutely perfect; and, as transgressors, to suffer condign punishment for sin. In consequence of his voluntary engagement for them, their obligation to perform perfect obedience to the law, as a condition of life, and to suffer for non-performance, devolved entirely on him; and he stood bound to fulfill it in its full extent: indeed, it appears to me that he was no less bound to yield consummate obedience to all its precepts, on their account, than he would have been on his own, had he been a mere human creature; and, that he was as much liable to suffer the full weight of divine indignation due to their numerous and complicated crimes, as he could have been if he had perpetrated them all himself; just as the human surety, who has bound himself to discharge the debt of another, is as much liable to pay it, or suffer an arrest for it, as he could be, if he had really contracted it himself.
God the Father, as lawgiver and creditor, even from the early date of the covenant of his love, which is ordered in all things and sure, and is all our salvation and all our desire, really considered his Son as the fulfiller of his holy law, and the end of it for righteousness to all his people; as charged with every crime, which they commit, and truly responsible for all their guilt: the eyes of divine holiness and justice were always upon him, as the only person from whom they were to receive their due honour, resulting from the perfect fulfillment of the law and the punishment of sin.
--- Job Hupton
Of Christ, as the Covenant Head of the Elect
The promises of grace and glory, made to the elect of God in covenant, were made to them, as considered in Christ, their head and representative; for whereas these promises were made before the world began, (Titus 1:2) they could not be made to them in their own persons, but as represented by Christ, and therefore were made to him their Head, and to them in him; and hence the promise of life is said to be "in" him, (2 Tim. 1:1) and indeed, all the promises are Yea and Amen "in him" (2 Cor. 1:20). The apostle having said, that "to Abraham and his seed were the promises made", observes, "he saith not" and "to seeds, as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ"; who is the head and representative of all his spiritual offspring, and in whom they are all collected and considered; all the promises made, manifested, and applied to Abraham, and his spiritual seed, were originally made to Christ, the everlasting Father of his spiritual offspring, the common Head and Parent of them (Gal. 3:16).
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