Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps. Psalm 85:10-13
There will be a memorial service for our missionary, Walter Groover on Sunday, June 13 at 6:00 (central time) at the Lincoln Wood Church, Houston, Texas. The service will be live streamed on Sermon Audio so you will be able to join the service. Here is their website address:
1). We glory in Christ incarnate as the only hope for guilty sinners (John 1:14-16; 1 Timothy 3:16).
2). We glory in Christ crucified as the only sure remedy to put away our sin ( 2Cor.5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18).
3). We glory in Christ Jesus who is all our sufficient and effectual righteousness and acceptance before a thrice holy God (Romans 4:4-8; Ephesians 1:6-7).
4). We glory in Christ Jesus exalted and seated at God’s right hand as all our justification before God (Romans 4:25; Heb. 1:3).
5). We glory in Christ Jesus coming again as all our hope throughout eternity (Psalm 17:15; 1 John 3:1-2).
Confessing Christ
Our Lord said, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32). What is it to confess Christ?
1.) It is to have an understanding in the mind of WHO Christ is, WHAT Christ did, and WHERE Christ is. “The Son of God has come and given us an understanding…”
2.) It is to believe Christ in the heart (Rom. 10:9-10), to receive Christ with a sincere and genuine heart love, and committal as Lord and Saviour as our Prophet, Priest, and King.
3.) It is to confess Christ openly and publicly in believer’s baptism. “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Baptism does not save nor add anything to the Saviour’s work; but it is a confession of, identification with, and testimony of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, and our own death to sin and resurrection to walk with Him.
4.) It is identification with the church of our Lord Jesus, the people who love Him, and the preachers who preach His gospel of free and sovereign grace. Paul said to Timothy, “Be not ashamed of the testimony (gospel) of our God, nor of me His servant, but be ready yourself to partake (be identified) of the afflictions of the gospel.” Where the gospel is preached, where the true people of God meet to worship, where the name of Christ is worshipped and exalted, there I want to be! And if I truly love Christ and confess Christ, there I WILL BE!
5.) It is to speak of Christ daily in conversation, prayer, and as a faithful witness.
Pastor Henry T. Mahan (bulletin 1987)
GOD USES ORDAINED MEANS
Man is so utterly insignificant in comparison with the Almighty God, that men individually (Psa. 39:5) and even all men collectively (Isa. 40:15-17) are considered to be vanity and less than nothing. David said, "What is man that God would be mindful of him" (Psa. 8:4).
Yet, despite our sinful condition and great gulf that is fixed between God and the sinner, our merciful Lord has devised means to reconcile us together and bring His chosen people to Himself (2 Cor. 5:18-21). God's end is justified by His righteousness and ordained means. God has predestinated the glorious end of His elect to be just like His blessed Son, holy and without blame before Him in love (Eph. 1:3-6). But always remember, He has also predestinated the glorious means to accomplish that righteous end (Rom. 8:28-30).
Because God is infinitely holy, He must devise means that will enable Him to be a just God and Saviour (Isa. 45:21) and to be just and the Justifier (Rom. 3:26). The grand means that God has devised to bring His banished children home to Himself is substitution. The Lord Jesus Christ is the believer’s substitute who made perfect satisfaction to God's holy justice. Our Saviour took our humanity to Himself (Phil. 2:5-8), obeyed the holy law in every infinite detail, thereby working out a perfect righteousness for His sheep (Rom. 4:6). Our blessed Redeemer also took our sin to Himself and suffered the infinite wrath of a holy God in judgment against sin (I Pet. 2:24; 3:18). Christ our Lord has set us free from the curse of the law being made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13; Gal. 5:1).
This is the only method God has ordained and it is most effectual to accomplish His eternal purpose and to render all the glory unto Himself (I Cor. 1:30-31). We give thanks unto our Sovereign King who devised such glorious and wise means to make our salvation certain, sure and everlasting (Rom. 4:16; Heb. 9:11-12).
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