I am in Ashland, KY, today and this week making the final preparations for our move to Albany. Elder Mark Pannell is preaching here in my absence. Please pray for him as he preaches God’s Word, and pray for Debbie and me as we prepare to move and travel this week back to Albany.
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“ACCEPTABLE TO GOD BY JESUS CHRIST”
“Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up
The psalmist prayed, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) As you sit in the pew this morning to enter into sincere worship of the living and true God through the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, ask yourself this question – “Is what I am doing accepted with God, or is it totally rejected?” We know that nothing coming from or through us is sinlessly perfect. Because of the remaining corruptions and influences of sinful flesh, we contaminate all our best efforts to do that which is perfectly holy and righteous before God. We know God the Holy Spirit has created within us a new heart with new motives, desires, affections, and goals. But we also know that we still must contend with the old sinful motives, desires, affections, and goals of the flesh. It is a great struggle within us even in our efforts to worship the Lord. How, then, can any of our “spiritual sacrifices” (prayers, praises, works) be accepted with a holy and just God Who cannot bear, commune with, tolerate, or accept sin? The answer is very clear – “ACCEPTABLE TO GOD BY JESUS CHRIST.” There is no other way for a sinner or his works to be accepted with God. All other ways men by nature seek to be accepted are false ways and a denial of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His precious blood to cover all our sins. We stand and we live in Christ and based upon His shed blood, His righteousness imputed, as our only ground of acceptance before God. We rely upon His continual intercession for us.
– Pastor Bill Parker
THE BELIEVER’S RIGHTEOUSNESS
We must have a righteousness in which Jehovah Himself cannot find a flaw, a righteousness which Jehovah cannot mend, a righteousness which neither sin nor Satan can mar; and unless we have on a righteousness of this nature, we can never enter into the blessedness of the world to come. Where then are we to find it? Eternal praises to the matchless mercy of a covenant God, we have it in the blessed Person, glorious work, and spotless obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ! And, therefore, as it was essential for Him to fulfill all righteousness for His people, He loved the Lord His God with all His heart, with all His mind, and with all His strength, He began at the beginning, and went through holily, righteously, and steadily every step of the law of God and all in justice and righteousness. He fulfilled every iota of it and gave it immortal glory and honor. The law could only require the perfect obedience of a perfect man, but He gave it the perfect obedience of the God-Man, and stamped forever a holy dignity and majesty on it, in order to manifest that this glorious righteousness is suited to every sinner’s case, to all their needs, and to honor and glorify all the perfections of God; and thus He has “forever perfected them that are sanctified,” (Heb. 10:14), all those who were set apart for Himself. They are perfected for-ever in His blessed obedience and spotless righteousness; and this righteousness which God gives shall endure forever.
– Copied
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There is no believing on Christ apart from the work of God’s Spirit in the soul. “Except you be born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God.” But where there is new birth, there will be faith in Christ as He is revealed in scripture, love for Him and trust in Him alone.
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