SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Of Princeton, New Jersey
Psalm 27:10: When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. It is a testimony to a mother's love that the Lord would show how far exceeding his love is for his children by using a mother for the illustration.
LOCATION Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor 150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES Sunday 10 AM Bible Class 11 AM Morning Worship Thursday 7:00 PM Mid-week Service (The first Sunday of each month we meet at 10 AM for morning worship then observe the Lord's Table. After services we have lunch together.)
MAILING ADDRESS 114 Laning Avenue Pennington, New Jersey, 08534 Clay Curtis, pastor Phone: 609-818-1887 Email: clay@sovereign-grace.us
Note: If you would like to be placed on our email list to receive this weekly bulletin directly from us then please write to clay@sovereign-grace.us.
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Tom Harding is pastor of Zebulon Baptist Church in Pikeville, Kentucky. When he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged (John 16:8-11).
When God's preachers go forth with the Word of truth they go with great confidence that the Holy Spirit will bless and honor the gospel of Jesus Christ to the conversion and comfort of the elect (Isa. 55:11). Here are several things taught in the word about the Holy Spirit's ministry.
1). He will reprove (convict, convince) the world of sin! There is no way the preacher can convict the sinner. While he may be able to expose the truth to your head, he is unable to reach your heart. The Holy Spirit through the Word not only spells out our problem (sin), but also reveals and proves it to our heart and causes us to humbly own it before the Holy God. The fact of sin (Rom. 3:23), the filth of sin (Isa. 64:6), the fountain of sin (Matt. 5:19), the fruit of sin (Rom. 6:23). Then He centers in on the target of the problem "unbelief;" this is the great reigning and ruining sin that will condemn our soul (John 3:36). If God has taught and convinced you of what you are; rejoice, only sinners will come before God as mercy beggars (Luke 18:13-14;Heb. 4:16).
2). He will reprove the world of Righteousness! The Holy Spirit will also reveal unto the sinner the absolute righteousness and purity of Jesus Christ. He truly is "Jesus Christ the Righteous." Our Lord had no sin, did no sin and knew no sin (Heb. 7:26). Then He also reveals and teaches us our need of righteousness and shows us that this is freely imputed and fully provided in Jesus Christ. "Blessed is the man to whom God imputeth righteousness without works" (Rom. 4:6-8). He is the Lord our Righteousness, Who ever lives to intercede for us (1Cor. 1:30)!
3). He will reprove the world of judgement! The Holy Spirit will reveal unto the sinner what happened at Calvary. The prince of the world (Satan), all principalities and powers have been judged, spoiled, conquered and disarmed by Jesus Christ crucified (Col. 2:15). Christ Jesus also by His glorious sacrifice made an end of our sin (Heb. 9:26). In Christ there is no condemnation to those that are in Him. Because our sins have been eternally judged in our Substitute (2 Cor. 5:21), the believer has been fully acquitted and made righteous before God (Rom.8:1). Thank God for this vital and necessary work of the Holy Spirit!
Come, But You Can't Greg Elmquist is pastor of Grace Gospel Church in Apopka, Florida.
Is it contradictory to tell someone to come and drink from the River of Life freely, but then tell them they are unable? Should we just tell men to come to Christ and leave out the part about God's sovereign election and man's total inability? Many would say we are just confusing the message and restricting the free offer of salvation by telling men they can't come unless the Father makes them willing by His irresistible grace which is according to His will and good pleasure. Why is it necessary when commanding men to come to Christ to tell them they can't? Why are total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, and irresistible grace essential elements of the gospel? One simple reason. Without these truths, men will make a work out of coming. Without these truths men will be led to believe that God has done His part, now it is up to you to come. No, men must trust Christ for their coming also. If you bring anything to the table of salvation, even your coming, then grace is no longer grace and you are left in your sins. The Lord will do it all ... or He won't do it at all!
Octavius Winslow (1808-1878) "The children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in the land." Joshua 17:12.
You will recollect that when the children of Israel took possession of Canaan, although they conquered its inhabitants and took supreme possession and government of the country, yet they could not entirely dispossess the former occupants of the soil. Now, what these Canaanites, these heathenish idolaters, were to the children of Israel, the natural corruptions of the heart are to the called children of God. After all that divine and sovereign mercy has done for the soul, though the inhabitants of the land have been conquered, and the heart has yielded to the power of omnipotent grace, and the "strong man armed" has been deposed, and Jesus has taken the throne, yet the Canaanites still dwell in the land, and we cannot expel them thence. These are the natural corruptions of our fallen nature, the evils of a heart that is but partially renewed, the heathenish lusts and passions and infirmities that formerly were the sole occupants of the soil, and still dwell there, and which we shall never, in the present state, entirely dispossess. But what did the children of Israel do to these Canaanites, whom they could not get out of the cities, but who would dwell in the land? We read in the 13th verse: "Yet it came to pass when the children of Israel were waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute; but did not utterly drive them out." Now this is what the children of God must do with the spiritual Canaanites that yet dwell in the renewed heart: they cannot be driven out, but they may be put to tribute; they cannot be entirely extirpated, yet they may be brought into complete subjection, and even made to contribute to the spiritual advance of the soul, and to the glory of God. Yes, even these very indwelling and powerful Canaanites, these strong corruptions that war and fight in the renewed soul, may be made subservient to the spiritual benefit of a child of God. Will it not be so, if they lead him to put no confidence in himself, to draw largely from the fullness of grace in Jesus, to repair often to the throne of mercy, to deal much and closely with the atoning blood, to cultivate a watchful, prayerful, tender spirit, and daily and hourly to rejoice in Christ Jesus, having no confidence in the flesh? Thus may the renewed soul- often exclaim, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"- through a supply of the Spirit of Christ Jesus, and becoming more thoroughly versed in the art of the holy war, be able to turn the risings of his indwelling sins into occasions of more holy and humble walk with God.
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