HYMN – My Faith Has Found a Resting Place – p. 228
READING – Psalm 130—131
MESSAGE – Our Hope in Heaven – Colossians 1:1-5
CLOSING HYMN – Amazing Grace – p. 236
MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY – WEDNESDAY – 6:30 P.M.
Birthdays: Ralston Sparks – Apr. 25th
LORD’S SUPPER NEXT SUNDAY
The last Sunday of this month, April 29th, we will have the Lord’s Supper immediately following our morning worship service. We will gather in the fellowship room for lunch afterwards.
Had our own righteousness any part or share in clothing us in our justification, how could the righteousness of another be said to be imputed to us, or Christ be said to be the “Lord our righteousness,” or be “made of God unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption” (I Cor. 1:30). As Christ was not made sin for us by any sin inherent in him, so neither are we made righteous by any righteousness inherent in us, but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us. --Benjamin Keach
DON’T DRIFT ON BY!
“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Heb. 2:1).
Another way of translating this verse is – “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.” The idea is the same as a ship in a storm coming close to a safe harbor and rather than tying up to the harbor, the ship drifts away and is destroyed in the storm. We as fallen and sinful human beings are in a storm of sin and depravity. Like the dangerous winds of an ocean hurricane, Satan hurls his accusations and temptations at us, the world hates us, and our own sinful flesh has declared war against our spirits. In this downpour of sin without and within will surely destroy us unless God brings us to the safe harbor of His grace and mercy which we see in the light-house of the Gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ Jesus the Lord. Herein we see how Christ, as our Surety and Substitute, calmed the storm of sin, defeated all our enemies, and brought peace between God and ourselves by the blood of His cross. God is reconciled to us and we are reconciled to God by Christ’s righteousness imputed to us. In the preaching of the Gospel our Lord states with authority, “Peace, be still,” and upon His authority and power, the wind ceases and there is a great calm (Mark 4:39). Christ is our safe harbor. Keep your eyes and heart upon Him and His righteousness alone. Do not let this truth slip by you, and do not drift on by without tying to Him, the anchor of our souls (Heb. 6:19). – Pastor Bill Parker
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 24-25)
PRESERVED IN JESUS CHRIST
All of God’s elect will undoubtedly persevere unto the end. Yet when we say that, we are not talking about them improving, becoming more holy or more righteous. In Job we read those words which are used often to state this truth – “The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger” (Job 17:9). Those spoken of in this verse are not righteous in themselves. There is “none righteous… no not one.” These are called righteous because they have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. He is the Lord our Righteousness. But they “shall hold on his way.” Their way is Christ who is “the Way.” These sinners saved by grace will surely fail and sometimes fall. They will sin again and again. They will have fits of unbelief and seasons of unfaithfulness. But they will never become apostate and they will never finally fall away. They will never sin away the favor and blessing of God in Christ. They will persevere because He will keep them. They are “kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Pet. 1:5). None shall pluck them out of the Father’s hand. God has given them eternal life and they shall never perish. God gives them the gift of faith and more faith and they increase in that strength. They “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” and therefore all are brought to confess of Christ, “To him be glory both now and for ever” (2 Pet. 3:18). They glory not in their perseverance but in Christ’s preserving them by His unchanging power and grace. Nothing in God’s salvation depends on them, and the keeping of the sheep is the responsibility and glory of the Shepherd. It is His blood that cleanses us from all sin. Their continuing is not the condition of their salvation but the consequence of it! These sinners, reconciled through the body of Christ’s death, will be presented “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight.” Paul writes on, “if (seeing that) ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (Col. 1:22,23). Christ alone is the hope of the Gospel, and He alone is all their Hope! --Pastor Gary Shepar
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