August 31, 2008
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey

Romans 6: 8: Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10: For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13: Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14: For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

MEETING 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
www.freegraceradio.com

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

In What Sense Is The Believer Dead To Sin?
Romans 6: 1: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2: God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
We are not dead to its influence (Rom. 7: 15, 19), nor to its presence (Rom. 7: 21), nor to its effects (Rom 7:24; Ps. 51:3). Our Lord taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins" (I John 1:9). We are dead to its penalty and guilt; sin cannot condemn us (Rom. 8: 33, 34). We are dead to sin as a master who rules over us; Christ is our Lord. We are dead to sin as a course of life; it is not looked upon as a friend but as an enemy.

How shall we who have this attitude toward sin actually live in sin? Persons are said to live in sin when they give themselves up to it, when they are bent upon it, when sin is their pleasure and delight, and when they offer no real resistance to it. Living in sin and justifying sin are contrary to the Spirit of Christ and the experience of regeneration. The believer's joy is to be like Christ, not like the world (I John 2: 15, 16.)
From the Bible Class Commentary by Henry Mahan

Hold Fast Christ the Truth
Galatians 2: 6: But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: 7: But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; 8: (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) 9: And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 10: Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.

The apostle Paul went to Jerusalem in order to preserve the true gospel for the Galatian churches and for all the churches of the Gentiles. When Paul would not subject himself to the false brethren who insisted that in addition to faith in Christ, the believer must also be circumcised, the lover's of works did what the proponents of falsehood always do. When they could not avail against the Lord and his gospel, they then attempted to slander God's messenger personally in any and every way they could.

Just as their false gospel began and ended with man so their scheme to discredit Paul began and ended with man. They pointed their hearers to men, to the fact that the other apostles, namely, James, Peter, and John had lived with Christ for three years; they heard the Lord's sermons; they witnessed Christ perform miracles; they themselves preached and performed miracles while Christ was on earth. But what of this Paul? They pointed out that he never saw Jesus in the flesh. Their argument being, "So then whom ought you to believe: Paul, who stands alone, a mere disciple of the apostles, one of the last and least; or will you believe those grand apostles who were sent and confirmed by Christ Himself long before Paul?"

As the proponents of gospel truth always do, Paul's rebuttal did not begin with man nor end with man, but was the word of God. He said, "whatsoever [the apostles] were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person (Lev. 19:15.) Paul said, "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Gal. 1: 8.)

Instead, of entangling himself in the trap of self-defense as his enemies hoped he would, Paul kept the issue of Christ's person and finished work as the focus of everything that he said. For the issue was not the honor of the apostles, or of Paul's honor, the issue was the truth of the gospel of Christ.

Paul asserts that the apostles added nothing to him. That is, when Paul communicated to the apostles that he preached salvation by faith in Christ apart from the works of the law, they found no fault with his gospel. Neither did the apostles correct him in any point or make any addition to the gospel Paul preached. His message of free grace was so complete and perfect, containing the whole counsel of God, that they had nothing to add unto it. This showed that by the Spirit of Christ who revealed the truth in Paul, as well as his brethren the apostles, he was not behind them in knowledge and gifts in the least degree.

So the very argument that his accusers used to slander his name backfired. Paul says, on the contrary, instead of rejecting him, the very apostles which these false brethren pretentiously highly esteemed not only agreed with him in every point but also confirmed their agreement by giving Paul and Barnabas the rights hands of fellowship.

Brethren, learn from the apostle Paul. When the enemies of God's free grace in Christ attempt to slander you or lead you on a rabbit trail always bring them back to the feet of Christ Jesus the Lord. Any other response will only turn your eyes, and all those involved, from your Redeemer to man. That is the chief endeavor of the enemies of Christ. As we see here, every argument waged against us will turn out to be an argument against the accusers themselves if we but hold fast to Christ Jesus the Way, the Truth and the Life.

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