GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE February 13, 2011 ___________________________________________________
Those things that appear to be most grievous in their experience are often most expedient in their end (John 16:7). ___________________________________________________
Of Israel’s Cov’nant God I Boast — Don Fortner
(Tune: #43 — All Hail the Power —CM)
Of Israel’s cov’nant God I boast, With Zion’s sons I walk, The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Our God, our Help, our Rock!
Of Him belov’d before the fall, Through Him salvation came, To Him I owe my life, my all, — All glory to His name.
Of Him I gain a right to heav’n, Through Him I’m justified, To Him my helpless soul is giv’n, And with Him glorified!
Of Him I love to speak and sing, Through Him I’ve joy and peace, To Him my guilt and shame I bring, And triumph in His grace.
Of Him I daily grace receive, Through Him my joys abound, To Him I bow, on Him believe, — With Him I shall be crown’d.
My Father’s everlasting love, My Savior’s precious name, My Teacher’s unction from above, — All praise and glory claim. ___________________________________________________
“I will give you…” Leviticus 26:1-13
The first thirteen verses of Leviticus 26 hang heavy with rich clusters of unimaginable temporal good. What a dazzling catalog of goodness the Holy Spirit sets before us in this passage! The Lord God promises to rid the land of His chosen of assailing armies, ravenous beasts, hunger, thirst, and uneasiness of any kind.
Faith in Christ
These bounties are spoken of in the language of external, carnal things; but earthly language is used here to convey spiritual blessedness, spiritual delights for our souls, bounties of grace scattered by God’s infinite hand. These bounties are promised to all who walk in His statues and keep His commandments. That is to say, to all who believe on His Son. That is not a fanciful stretch. That is exactly what God says obedience to His law is (Romans 3:31; 10:1-4; Galatians 3:19, 24; 1 John 3:23; 5:1-3).
The promise of God to all who trust His dear Son is, “For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you” (v. 9). He says I will look upon you with delight and pleasure. My eye will be upon you to care for you, watching over you to do you good and protect you from all evil. I will turn myself from all others to you, having a distinct and particular regard for you. Cast all you care on me and I will care for you.
Constant Grace
Then, in verse 10, He says, “And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.” With those words the God of all grace promises every believing sinner a constant supply of grace, an unbroken continuity of grace to our souls forever, grace sufficient to meet our souls needs without fail. His supplies of wisdom, love, joy, peace, and power to our souls are always enough and more than enough for our needs. Even when we complain of languishing in our hearts, of hunger and thirst in our souls, the flow of His grace is uninterrupted. Our great God and Father, the God of all grace, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is ever pouring forth grace for His elect, all grace and all-sufficient grace in Christ Jesus. He sometimes appears to withhold His grace. He sometimes appears to be angry. But, in so far as His chosen are concerned, that is never the case. Believing sinners are accepted in the Beloved, because of the Beloved, and as the Beloved, as one with Christ Himself. That means that the Niagara of God’s goodness in Christ, the infinite flood of His grace toward His chosen can never be stopped, paused, or even diminished. May God the Holy Spirit sweetly constrain us to keep our poor, empty vessels beneath the downpour of His goodness at the throne of grace. In our Father’s house there is bread enough and to spare (Psalm 31:19). The gift of Christ leaves no gift withheld. “He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.” __________________________________________________
“I will set my face against you.” Leviticus 26:14-20
Faith finds abundance in the Land of Grace. For every sin there is a Fountain opened. For all unrighteousness there is a white robe. “In the Lord have I righteousness and strength.” For every burden there is help at hand. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you.” Light to guide and peace to consol shine brightly in the Gospel of God. When Satan terrifies, the cross of Christ gives calm. When conscience trembles, the crucified Savior shows His hands and side. When the law thunders, Calvary spreads its sheltering wings. When heart corruptions vex, the Spirit comes with renewed grace.
How blessed is God’s Israel! Zion’s King, the Lord Jesus, floods His Land of Grace with His goodness. We live every day at heaven’s gate. All the past has been one wide flood of mercy. All the present is a stream of joy. — And all the future an ocean of glory! But when the end comes and our freed spirits wing their upward flight, what will that glory be? When our all-glorious Christ is revealed, if faith finds Him so dear, what will be the realizing sight! “We shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is!” Then, when the grave restores its prey, when this poor body puts on immortality’s attire and shines more brightly than a thousand suns, like Christ himself forever. What then? The Triune God, our almighty Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, shall be fully known and fully loved, fully adored and fully praised, while the endless ages reveal the splendor of His glory. Eternal love planned all this blessedness. The blood of Christ purchased it. The Holy Spirit seals it to us as ours and fits us for it, making us partakers of the Divine nature. Soon grace shall be crowned with glory! — But not for all! The first 13 verses of Leviticus 26 speak only of grace, promises of grace and God’s performance of grace. Then, the scene now changes. Beginning in verse 14, we have a scene of woe, nothing but woe! — Wrath, nothing but wrath! — Terror, nothing but terror to you who will not believe on the Son of God. God’s word is as fixed as heaven’s high throne. You have madly scorned His rule. You have rashly followed your own heart’s desire. Except you repent, nothing but judgment awaits you. The Gospel prized is all this everlasting joy. The Gospel scorned is all this everlasting woe (John 3:36).
“How will your heart endure The terrors of that day; When earth and heaven, before His face, Astonished shrink away?
Ye sinners, seek His grace, Whose wrath ye cannot bear, Fly to the shelter of His cross, And find salvation there!” ___________________________________________________
THE GRACE BULLETIN February 13, 2011
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE 2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438 Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Schedule of Regular Services
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service 6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service
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