July 13, 2008
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey

Luke 4:17: And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19: To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

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.)

WEB ADDRESSES AND MAILING ADDRESS
http://www.sovereign-grace.us/
www.sermonaudio.com/sgbcpnj
http://www.freegraceradio.com/

114 Laning Avenue
Pennington, New Jersey, 08534
Clay Curtis, pastor
Phone: 609-818-1887
clay@sovereign-grace.us

A Dire Concern
Galatians 2: 3: But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 4: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
The apostle's objection toward adding this one work was not from a mere difference of opinion. Paul says that it was because these who "compelled" men to add to Christ's finished work are "false brethren." Such men have but one objective.

Paul knew that circumcision was just the beginning. Next these men would insist the believer must observe a particular day. Eventually, they would make rules about things the believer should not drink or handle. Paul knew the end of such nonsense would be to bring the Galatians out of the freedom which Christ purchased for his people back under the bondage of the law and into total self-righteousness.

For example, how often during the Lord's Supper, have you examined your obedience to a preacher's rules and regulations in order to assure yourself you were worthy to partake? Or how often have you deprived yourself of the Lord's Table because you broke one of the preacher's rules and were afraid he would scold you for taking the bread and the wine? Who were you looking to that whole time, Christ or yourself and the preacher?

Paul knew that such a yoke always turns the believer from Christ to the works of men's hands. Those who know nothing of the liberty wherewith Christ makes sinners free always defend and "compel" sinners to do and not do. But when Christ sets a sinner free that person will stand fast in Christ, protecting and urging believers to do the same, because that is the fruit only Christ produces in a believer.

The Holy Spirit is clear. Paul, and the brethren, refused to subject themselves to such wolves, not even for an hour, and that for one reason. Hear it! Understand it! Think upon it the rest of the week! The truth of the gospel will not continue when works are added. Did you get that? The truth of the gospel will not continue when rules and regulations are added. You can claim you were justified by the blood of Christ all you like, but add one thing which you must do or not do and you count Christ's blood absolute vanity! (Gal 2:21) That is the monumental reason why Paul took such a defiant stance against those who "compelled" men to do and not to do...that the truth of the gospel might continue with you (John 8:36; Isaiah 49: 24, 25; 61: 1; 2; Galatians 5: 1.)

A Simple Illustration
Matthew 23:4: For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Galatians 6:13: For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.
Believer, do not feel guilty about watching TV last Saturday or Sunday when no one was around. According to the Lord Jesus Christ, the preacher who put that heavy burden on you does not even attempt to observe it himself. In fact, it is not the observance of rules and regulations by which he expects to be accepted of God, but by what he made you do. Galatians 5:1: Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Bread or Poison?
Malachi 1:7: Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.
The next time you are baking a fresh loaf of homemade bread, mix in rat poison. Do you think you could obtain life by eating it? Why not, there will be good bread in each bite? The problem is that the whole loaf is contaminated by the poison. We would not even call such mixture bread, we would call it poison.

There is no doubt that the Pharisees used the good food of the scriptures. The Judaizers in Galatia even used that good name of Christ Jesus the Bread. They added many good ingredients of true doctrine. Yet, insisting that there is something a depraved sinner can do to make himself more holy than Christ does, they denied that God put away the sin of his people according to his holy justice; that he by himself justified and sanctified each child whom he saves in the person of his Son; they sprinkled in the poison of man's free will contaminating the whole. The apostle Paul called it, "another gospel." The Lord called it, "the leaven of the Pharisees." Believers call it poison.

According to his word, a sinner can as soon expect life from eating rat poison as from eating such polluted bread. The Lord Jesus Christ saves in power, in righteousness and in truth or he does not save at all.

Scriptures To Think Upon
Isaiah 49: 24: Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25: But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. 26: And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Romans 3:19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

I Timothy 1: 7: Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8: But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9: Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10: For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; 11: According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.