Today’s Speaker: Brother Jim Casey will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God’s word.
Sermon Title: The Necessity of Hearing the Gospel – Romans 10:12-15
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.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 10:30 am on Mix 107.7 FM
Web Sites: Visit our web sites at: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). Go on and hold tightly to your self-righteous rags if that’s what you want to do. Build all of your hopes of acceptance with a holy God upon your prayers, tears, good works, repentance, church attendance and faith. Revisit your religious experience and try to find some comfort, if you foolishly look to that as the basis of your assurance. Make plans for your heavenly mansion based upon your faithfulness if you dare. But as for this sinner, my only plea now and evermore is that when Christ died, He died for me. Substitution is the very heart and soul of the gospel. Jesus Christ, the holy Son of God, bore my sin, took my place, satisfied on my behalf the demands of a broken law, suffered, bled, died and arose in my stead and by His perfect obedience brought in everlasting righteousness for this sinful man. When I face the Lord, should the question be raised, “Why should a sinner like you be allowed into My holy presence,” my only response will be, Lord, let me in for Christ’s sake! My debt of sin I could not pay, But God a ransom found; Since Jesus put my sin away, My soul is heaven bound! --- Pastor Jim Byrd
Redemption
If you are at a loss about the extent of Christ’s Death, and know not what part to take in the controversy about general and particular Redemption, look to your way-marks, the scriptures, and take your direction from thence; and there you will observe, that those whom Christ saves from their sins are his own people, for whose transgressions he was stricken; that he gave his life a ransom for many, for all sorts of persons, for all his elect, Jews and Gentiles; that they were his sheep he laid down his life for; that he loved the church, and gave himself for it; and that he tasted death for every one of his brethren, and of the children the Father gave him; that those that are redeemed by him, are redeemed out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation. {Mt 1:21; 20:28; John 10:25; Eph 5:25; Heb 2:9-12; Re 5:9}
--- John Gill
CALLING AND ELECTION SURE IN CHRIST
“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” (2 Peter 1:10)
As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are commanded to be diligent in making our calling and election sure. This does not mean that we in any way can make our salvation sure and certain. This is the work of Christ alone in His obedience unto death for us. CHRIST IS OUR ONE AND ONLY SURETY. He fulfilled all the conditions of our salvation, and His righteousness alone (the merit of His death for us) makes our salvation sure (2 Cor. 1:10). We, however, are to be sure in our minds as God’s Word confirms us to be His chosen, redeemed, and called children. God’s Word tells us that His children are chosen IN CHRIST (Eph. 1:4), redeemed by the blood OF CHRIST (Eph. 1:7), and that we are given spiritual life and called by the Holy Spirit in the preaching of the Gospel TO CHRIST (2 Thess. 2:13-14). The assurance of our calling and election then is to know that Christ died for our sins, that we are made the righteousness of God in Him. God’s Word tells us for whom Christ died – “For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him THE SEED OF ABRAHAM. Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Heb 2:16-17). Who are “the seed of Abraham”? God’s Word gives us the clear answer -- “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, THEN ARE YE ABRAHAM’S SEED, and heirs according to the promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29).
---Bill Parker
FAITH
Faith looks neither to works, nor worthiness in self, but considers what Christ is to the soul, and what the soul is in Him – righteous, perfectly and everlastingly righteous. Then joy, GREAT JOY, springs up. See the claim of faith is “My God” (Isaiah 61:10). Faith does not cause the Lord to become our God, nor adopt us into His family, but it claims that peculiar and precious interest in Him, which the word of His grace reveals. The Father draws us by His Spirit to His Son as our righteousness. The Spirit bears witness that we are righteous in His Son. Then faith makes the claim, boasts of it, and glories in it. Then Jesus has our hearts and our hopes. Our affections are placed on Him, our hopes center in Him.
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