Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain (Acts 2:23).

The Lord Jesus was given over to His enemies according to the omniscient appointment and purpose of God Almighty and all the while wicked men were said, by wicked hands, to be doing exactly what they wanted to do…have Him crucified! If one would see the effect of a man’s so-called free will, take another look at fallen man’s attitude toward the Lord Jesus Christ. This was not an isolated event of rebellion but was the absolute exclamation of the unregenerate’s action. Genesis 6:5 reveals every man’s heart apart from the regenerating grace of God…And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Pastor Marvin Stalnaker

PARDON FROM ALL SIN

The Lord our merciful and gracious God and Saviour has promised to fully pardon His elect. Not based upon their faith, repentance or works of faith or labors of love; but for one single and solitary reason; for Christ’s sake and the gospel’s sake (Eph. 4:32).

Consider these precious promises and rejoice in Christ:

Psalm 25:11; “For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.”

Neh. 9:17; “But thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness.”

Isaiah 55:7; “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

Jer. 50:20; “In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.”

Pastor Tom Harding

THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF OUR GOSPEL


“Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6)

This is the sum and substance of our gospel and is the great article of faith.

• Who died? Christ – the only begotten, well beloved Son of God in human nature (Romans 8:34; Matthew 3:16-17).

• Why did He die? He died for, in the stead of, and as a substitute for all God’s elect in order that God might be just and Justifier (Romans 3:24-26).

• For whom did He die? ‘For the ungodly’, not for righteous men, nor religious men, nor deserving men, but for those who are ungodly in nature and practice (Ephesians 2:1-5).

• When did He die for us? When we were without strength to obey Him or to keep His law, and without ability to help ourselves. We were in bondage to law and to sin and unable to change our condition (Jeremiah 13:23). He died for us “in due time”, at the time appointed by the Father (Galatians 4:2-5; 1 Timothy 2:5-6). This is the greatest single proof of love – to give one’s life for the object of that love (1 John 4:10; John 15:12-13).