Proverbs 28:13-14

THE BLANKET OF GRACE!

“And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman” (Ruth 3:9).

The skirt of God’s grace is a blanket of goodness and mercy to a sinner in need. Job said: “Naked came I into this world and naked shall I return.” Every sinner will stand before God! All those outside of his grace will stand there naked, destitute, and rejected! But every sinner who receives the blanket of grace (and that blanket is the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ himself) will stand there covered, secure, and accepted! Pastor Gabe Stalnaker

Six Stubborn Statements

I realize, as much as any of you, that we are out of step with the great parade of religion today. I realize we are putting a question mark on some very successful religious organizations and in conflict with all the major denominations. I realize that we are charging some popular, recognized, powerful, and hard-working preachers and religious leaders with failure to preach the true gospel of God’s glory and grace. We are charging them with the crime of preaching “another gospel.” This is serious; for Paul said, “If any man preach any other gospel, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8). I realize that we are a very small minority compared with the vast religious movement of this day. But, to me, the issues are as clear as the sun!

1). God is infinitely sovereign in all things, including salvation; or He isn’t sovereign at all.

2). Man, in the fall, was rendered spiritually dead, without hope, without God, without Christ, and is shut up to the power of God to give him life; or he is not dead at all.

3). God either elected a people to eternal salvation according to the good pleasure of His sovereign will; or He did not choose anyone and has left the success of His purpose to save totally in the hands of the creature.

4). Christ either sufficiently, effectually, and eternally saved those for whom He died, by His obedience and death; or He actually saved no one! The ransom was no ransom at all, only an offer.

5). The eternal Spirit of God either effectually and powerfully quickens, regenerates, and calls the elect to repentance toward God and to faith in Christ; or extends an offer to all sinners to regenerate themselves. We must go back to the question, “Is man dead?”

6). All the elect of God will be preserved by His grace and will persevere in the faith of Christ; or none will. For, if left to ourselves, we shall eventually fall as all creatures have.

Pastor Henry T. Mahan (1983 Bulletin)

THE JUDGMENT THRONE OF CHRIST

“He shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:33-34).

In this great and notable day of judgment, the Great Shepherd of the sheep shall make a just distinction between His elect, chosen and blessed in Christ and those left to justly perish in their sins (Matt. 25:41). As the sovereign Lord of all He has the supreme knowledge and divine right to make these exact distinctions between the sheep (believers) and the goats (unbelievers) (2Tim. 2:19). I want you to notice carefully the words of commendations and grace given to His church, “The King shall say unto them…”

1). “Come.” The great Shepherd calls His sheep unto Himself, ten thousand welcomes (John 17:24). Come to Me, come unto my dearest embraces, come into my sweet and eternal communion, come into my spiritual kingdom take possession of all covenant mercies ( Rom. 8:32; Matt. 25:21). Come unto my throne of glory (Rev. 5:10).

2). “Come, ye blessed of my Father.” The reason of our coming and blessing is found in the eternal covenant of grace (Jer. 31:3; Psa. 65:4; John 6:44-45). As the Spirit glorifies the Son (John 16:14), so the Son glorifies the Father by referring the salvation of His sheep to the eternal purpose of God (Rom. 11:36), He is the first cause and last end in justifying His elect ( Acts 13:39; Eph. 1:3-14; Eph. 3:10-11).

3). “Inherit the kingdom prepared for you.” This is the eternal inheritance of God’s grace (1Peter 1:3-5), bought with the precious blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:5-6; John 14:1-6); not acquired by our merit, but rather by His free grace (Rom. 3:24). This inheritance is freely given to all those made heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:17; Rev. 21:6-7).

4). “Prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” All of God’s preparations for the sheep on His right hand are by His eternal decrees (Acts 15:11; Rev. 13:8). These preparations are not only eternal but also particular, “for you” (2Thes. 2:13). The Lord Jesus Christ lived as Mediator (1Tim. 2:5) and died as Substitute for the sheep on His right hand (John 10:15; Matt 1:21). “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (1Thes. 5:9).