When God the Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner, giving him faith in Christ, as that sinner looks to Christ alone as his Savior, the blessed Spirit sprinkles the blood of Christ upon the conscience and speaks like a bailiff reading the verdict in court – “Justified!” (Romans 4:25-5:1)
Be Still My Heart ― Don Fortner (Tune: Majestic Sweetness #52 — CM)
1. Be still my heart, my murm'ring heart. Complain no more, be still. Trust God's unerring wisdom and Bow to His sovereign will, bow to His sovereign will.
2. My God, Who saved me, rules the world. I cast on Him my care, Trust His unerring providence, And hope to cease from fear, and hope to cease from fear.
3. Let me remember, gracious Lord, When I start to complain, Compared with what my sins deserve, How easy is my pain! How easy is my pain!
4. Midst troubles, pains and sorrows, Lord, I know that You are kind. Give me the grace always to bow, To Your good will resigned, to Your good will resigned.
No matter how believers feel or what we do, the love of Christ toward us is just like the Savior Himself, "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever" (Hebrews 13:8). His love was not caused by our goodness, for we had none; and it will not be diminished by our sins, though we have many. His love existed before time began and when time shall be no more that love will still endure. Christ’s love for His church is more certain than the light of the sun, more lasting than the hills and the mountains, and more to be prized than all the wealth of this world. Pastor Jim Byrd
Six Facts
The gospel is the proclamation of good news, the good news of redemption obtained, salvation accomplished, and sins forgiven. The gospel is not the offer of good advice, but the publishing of good news. Here are six facts plainly revealed in the gospel.
1. All men and women by nature, since the fall of our father Adam, are sinners, alienated from God. — “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As sinners, we are alienated from the life of God and have become enemies unto God. The wages of our sin and enmity to God is death. Every transgression must receive its just recompense of reward (Hebrews 2:2). All sin must be punished, either in the sinner or in the sinner’s Substitute. The law, being broken, accuses of sin, condemns the sinner, and demands death. Unless satisfaction is made, the sentence of the law must be executed. The sanction of the law is death. It can never be abrogated, changed, altered, or abated. God will never relax his justice! “The soul that sinneth, it shall die!” (Ezekiel 18:2). — But…
2. It is the will of God to save sinners. — “He delighteth in mercy!” God has decreed the salvation of some. Christ came to save some. There are some people in this world who must and shall be saved because it is the will of God to save them; and God’s will cannot be frustrated (John 10:16). Every chosen sinner (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14), every predestined son (Romans 8:29-30), every heir of the covenant (Ephesians 1:3-7), everyone whose name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, from the foundation of the world, must be saved (Revelation 13:8). There is no possibility that even one of God’s elect will perish! — However…
3. It is impossible for a holy and just God to save any sinner apart from the satisfaction of justice (Hebrews 9:22). He declares, “I will by no means clear the guilty” (Exodus 34:7). I know that God is omnipotent, almighty and sovereign. He does what he will. But God cannot do that which is contrary to his nature and character. We do not rob God of his sovereignty when we repeat the declaration of Scripture and say, “God cannot lie.” He who is the Truth cannot lie. Neither do we rob God of his sovereignty when we assert this truth of Holy Scripture: — God cannot forgive sin without the satisfaction of justice. The just, holy, and true God must punish sin.
4. The only way the justice of God could ever be satisfied is by the substitutionary sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ (Job 34:23; Romans 3:24-26). God could not die, and man could not satisfy; but the God-man both died and satisfied. Two facts demonstrate clearly that there was no other way for justice to be satisfied. 1st, The love of God the Father for his Son proves it. Would God almighty slay his darling Son, if there were any other way to save his people consistent with his justice? And 2nd, the prayer of Christ in Gethsemane proves it (Matthew 26:39). If the salvation of his people could beaccomplished by any means other than his death upon the cross, would not God the Father have granted his tormented Son the desire of his soul, and let that bitter cup pass from him?
5. It is impossible for God, in his holiness, to punish any sinner for whose sins justice has been satisfied by the blood of Christ (Isaiah 53:11 Romans 7:14) - The law has no claim upon an executed felon!
Payment God cannot twice demand, First at my bleeding Surety’s hand, And then again at mine!
6. Every sinner who trusts the Lord Jesus Christ has been chosen, redeemed, and called, and must be forever saved. It is written in the Book of God, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). May God the Holy Spirit now enable you by his sovereign grace to trust the Lord Jesus Christ.
No Alliance With Arminians
The “things which are most surely believed among us” are the warp and woof of Scripture, and have been made precious to us by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. If we thus hold them, we cannot unite with those who deny them. John Hazelton
True Worship
Bill Clark
True worship is not primarily a cultural thing. It is not simply offering to God our sentiments and feelings expressed according to our culture. It is based on a knowledge of the majesty and holiness of God and what He requires in worship. It is not primarily cultural; it is spiritual. Those who know the true God will come into His presence with holy awe and reverence, whatever their cultural background.
Africans, it is true, like rhythm and music; but so does the rock-loving culture of the West, as evidenced by what takes place in discos or in other entertainment. Our worship should not be an expression of our culture, but of the holiness and majesty of God and of our gratitude for His grace towards us in Christ. A true knowledge of Christ will lead to worship, which is God-glorifying, whatever the cultural background. There will be more putting our hands over our mouths (Job 40:4) and covering our faces (Isa. 6:2) than there will be hands in the air and dancing in the aisles! When people know the true God, their worship is reverent and God-glorifying, whatever their cultural background.
GRACE BULLETIN
April 27, 2008
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE 2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438 Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Schedule of Regular Services
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service 6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service
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