November 16, 2008
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
Of Princeton, New Jersey

Isaiah 6: 13: But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

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
www.sovereign-grace.us/
www.sermonaudio.com/sgbcpnj
www.freegraceradio.com
Clay Curtis, Pastor
7 Birch Street
Pennington, New Jersey, 08534
Phone: 615-513-4464
Email: clay@sovereign-grace.us

Unchangeable Justice, Unchangeable Grace (READ ISAIAH 5: 1-7): In this passage the LORD God declares that the sons of Abraham who rejected him and his word, after all that he had done in their midst, were now being turned over to judicial blindness. What a solemn word to consider!

Every child of Adam is a sinner and must die under the holy justice of God because all men are guilty before God. As the LORD declared his glory to Moses, in Exodus 34:7, we understand that our God keeps mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. He does keep mercy for thousands, he does forgive, but every iniquity, transgression and sin of every sinner shall by no means be cleared until justice is served. How then can God save a sinner if he will not clear the guilty? God is just and the Justifier of all who believe because he poured out justice on his dear Son in their place (Ro 3: 25, 26.) But those who despise God and the goodness he has shown in his well-beloved Son must suffer themselves for their rebellion against God. God's judgment toward those who harden their hearts against him is as unchangeable as his grace toward his vessels of mercy.

When the believer beholds Christ on the cross we behold that God will not turn from executing his justice. Likewise, we behold the same immutability concerning his grace toward those whom Christ represented on the cross. Put your trust in him for he alone is to be trusted. God is holy and just, we know that not one for whom Christ suffered holy justice, shall ever be left to suffer justice a second time. Therefore, the believer beholds the great, unchanging mercy of God toward him as he beholds the great unchanging justice of God toward all who reject him. In the last day of God's holy judgment, those saved by his free grace will not only rejoice in the grace and love of God, but in the judgment of God as well (Revelation 19: 1-7.)

Charles Spurgeon: We have known men who believed Calvinistic doctrines, but who preached Calvinism in the morning and Arminianism in the evening, because they were afraid God's gospel would not convert sinners, so they would manufacture one of their own. I hold that a man who does not believe his gospel to be able to save men's souls, does not believe at all. If God's truth will not save men's souls, man's lies cannot; if God's truth will not turn men to repentance, I am sure there is nothing in this world that can. When we believe the gospel to be powerful, then we shall see it is powerful. If I walk into this pulpit, and say, "I know what I preach is true," the world says I am an egotist. "The young man is dogmatical." Ay, and the young man means to be; he glories in it, he keeps it to himself as one of his peculiar titles, for he does most firmly believe what he preaches. God forbid that I should ever come tottering up the pulpit stairs to teach anything I was not quite sure of, something which I hoped might save sinners, but of which I was not exactly certain. When I have faith in my doctrines, those doctrines will prevail, for confidence is the winner of the palm. He who hath courage enough to grasp the standard, and hold it up, will be sure enough to find followers. He who says, "I know," and asserts it boldly in his Master's name, without disputing, will not be long before he will find men who will listen to what he says, and who will say, "This man speaks with authority, and not as the Scribes and Pharisees." That is one reason why we do not succeed: we have not faith in the gospel. We send educated men to India in order to confound the learned Brahmins. Nonsense! Let the Brahmins say what they like, have we any business to dispute with them? "Oh, but they are so intellectual and so clever." What have we to do with that? We are not to seek to be clever in order to meet them. Leave the men of the world to combat their metaphysical errors; we have merely to say, "This is truth: he that believeth it shall be saved, and he that denieth it shall be damned."

Note from the Pastor: I have received encouraging emails from members of various churches here in New Jersey and nearby. I have heard many comments on how their hearts were filled with joy at hearing that Christ crucified and risen is now reigning. On more than one occasion the comment has been made that they do not understand why their pastor seems uncomfortable to encourage fellowship with us. The reluctance may have to do with what we really believe concerning Christ Jesus the Lord.

I really believe that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe. I really believe that Christ is All; all the believer's righteousness, all the believer's sanctification and that Christ is the One who keeps his people separated from the evil of self-righteousness, self-sanctification, self-justification, and all other lusts of the flesh. Paul asked the Galatians, "Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

I really believe that when God writes his law on the heart that we behold the everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure in our Savior in whom we are made holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in God's sight. I really believe that God is able to give the believer a true understanding that the letter of the law killeth-convinces me that all I am and all I will ever be in my flesh is a sinner. I am convinced that the law of God written on our hearts declares that in Christ the believer has fully established God's law and Christ in the believer means newness of spiritual life, of spiritual worship, of spiritual communion. We look no longer at this flesh: at touch not, taste not, handle not but we follow Christ. I really believe that in Christ every obstacle is removed which once blocked our entrance into God's presence and now we can fellowship with our God.

Some have asked how, then, do you discipline or govern the church? I really believe that the government of God's church is on his Son's shoulder. I really believe that my living Redeemer is the Counselor who directs his people in the heart. I really believe that King Jesus is working in the midst of his church, in the hearts of his saints, and is able both to will and to do his good pleasure because all power is his in heaven and in earth.

Therefore, when I preach the law I do so to declare all flesh is grass. I do not use the law to unlawfully bolster the pride of sinners which already need no help looking away from Christ to the strength of their own hand. I do not use the law to keep believers in the church, or to motivate them to serve him as their rule of life. I preach every word of God with one purpose: endeavoring to set sinners squarely at the feet of Christ, who through his gospel causes us to look out of ourselves, away from this world, to him. I really believe that the gospel of Christ's faithfulness, of his love for God and his people, of his righteousness in declaring God just and the Justifier of the believer is the word I am sent to declare. I really believe that through the gospel God makes Christ Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption unto his people. I really believe that the gospel of Christ is the message through which Christ makes himself altogether lovely in the heart. In doing so, I really believe he is able to constrain us by his love. I once thought otherwise. But thanks to God he saved me out of those things which I now renounce as dung.

If you rejoice in the message of our Redeemer, find a place where Christ is declared. You will find a place where you are no longer taught to look to your obedience, where you no longer feel the need to compare yourself with brethren, where you no longer have to worry about what the preacher thinks of you, but you can delight yourself in Christ our Rest. There is great peace in knowing the love of Christ and the love of his brethren. True love does not uncover the brethren's sin, but covers you in love--that is what true Love did. May the Lord bless you.

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