James tells us that true God-given faith will be justified as genuine faith before men by the believer's works. But the Lord says to these fellows, "Ye are they which justify yourselves before men." So what is the difference between the work of the believer and the work of a Pharisee? The difference is in the heart...but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God."

The difference is the heart. Only God can reveal in a sinner that those works which the carnally religious world highly esteems are nothing more than abomination in the sight of God. When God creates a new heart in one whom Christ redeemed then that which the world highly esteems the believer hates; that which is abomination to God in the sight of God becomes abomination in the sight of the believer.

The difference that separates true religion from false is the difference God makes by creating a new heart. The difference is in who has filled our hearts and what they are filled with. Believer's are filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God (Phillipians 1:11.) So you will not see a believer make an effort for you to see their fruit, you will not hear a believer brag about their fruit because Christ produced their fruit in them and not they themselves. Believers are not covetous for man's glory or man's praise. The works the believer does desire, he never sees himself perform. All he sees himself doing is that which he abhors. Believers say with Paul-in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good thing.

Because God has made the believer's heart new, believers hold the Lord Jesus Christ who is unseen in the highest esteem. Carnally religious men highly esteem only that which they can see. They can see who is in the mirror, but not Christ who is in the heavens; they can see a mourner's bench but they can't see Christ the Altar of God; they can see an outward act of self-sacrifice, but they cannot see the sin of the heart which the sacrifice of Christ's one offering purged for his people. The heart is deceitful above all else and desperately wicked, who can know it?

http://www.sovereign-grace.us/

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH Of Princeton, New Jersey

LOCATION & TELEPHONE
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd floor
150 Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ, 08553
Pastor's Telephone: 615-513-4464

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, morning worship begins at 10am followed by observing the Lord's Table. Afterwards we have lunch together.)