“Christ is the end of the law for RIGHTEOUSNESS” in every possible sense of the word “righteousness:” justifying righteousness, sanctifying righteousness, evidentiary righteousness and assuring righteousness.
• We are delighted to have Pastor Bruce Crabtree and his wife, Jo, with us today. Bro. Crabtree is pastor of SOVEREIGN GRACE CHURCH in New Castle, Indiana. Our pastor is preaching today for GRACE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH in Hertfordshire, England, where Bro. Allan Jellet is pastor. • Bro. Larry Criss will bring the message here on Tuesday evening.
Christ Crucified — Don Fortner (Tune: #355 From Every Stormy Wind That Blows)
1. All glory to the bleeding Lamb, Who bore our guilt, and sin, and shame; For us He lived; for us He died, — All praise to Jesus crucified!
2. Mercy and justice in Him meet, Salvation is in Him complete; The law is fully satisfied By Jesus Christ the crucified.
3. A sight of Jesus crucified Exalts free grace, and humbles pride; In this we see eternal love, And gain all blessings from above!
4. Here, then, my trembling soul shall rest; And hope to be forever blest, Forever saved and glorified, With Jesus Christ the crucified!
“The only thing that can contain all fulness is absolute emptiness. If the vessel is not emptied the fullness will be wasted. God put all His fulness in Christ to fill empty vessels with His glory. There is no room for our ideas, traditions and self-righteousness. ‘For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in Him’ (Colossians 2:9).” — Pastor Darvin Pruitt
“Free From the Law — O Happy Condition!”
Romans 8:2
In Christ every believer is totally free from the law. — “We are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:15). We are not justified (Romans 3:19-24), sanctified (Galatians 3:1-3), motivated (2 Corinthians 5:14), ruled (Titus 2:11-12), or glorified (Jude 24-25) by the law, but by grace.
The End of the Law
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10: 4). — Do you ask what that means? It means that Christ is the fulfillment of the law, the satisfaction of the law and the termination of the law to all who believe on him unto life everlasting. It means that there is no righteousness to be had, of any kind, to any degree, by our own works of obedience to the law. The only way anyone can have righteousness before God is by faith in Christ. He is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6); and we are the righteousness of God in him (Jeremiah 33:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Dead to the Law
“Ye are become dead to the law by the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4). — Do you ask what that means? It means that if you are a believer, if Christ died for you, insofar as the law of God is concerned you are dead. It can make no demands upon you. It can require nothing from you. It can do nothing to you. If you and I are in Christ by faith, we have no covenant with the law, no curse from the law, and no commitment to the law.
Not Against the Law
Because we repeat Paul’s frequently stated, inspired declaration that God’s people are “not under the law,” we are often denounced by prating legalists as people who are against the law; but those who make that accusation know that it is not true. God forbid! Every saved sinner delights in the law of God (Romans 7:22). It is the legalist, who pretends to keep the law, who is against the law. He lowers the standard of the law to the measure of his own obedience. Otherwise, he could find no comfort in his obedience. It is the legalist who is antinomian.
Necessary Dogmatism
Why are we so dogmatic in declaring the believer’s freedom from the law, as it is set forth in the Scriptures? Let me give you three reasons for our dogmatism: First, the legalist would rob Christ of the glory of his grace, making some part of salvation dependent upon the works of the law. — Second, the legalist would rob the believer of the joy of faith; the joy of assurance and the joy of service to Christ, making assurance to be based upon obedience and service to Christ mercenary service. — Third, the legalist would rob the world of the hope of salvation, for if salvation requires any good work from sinners, then there is no hope.
Law or Grace — You Cannot Have Both!
Galatians 5:4
Most religious people attempt to mix man’s works of obedience to the law with God’s works of grace for sinners, making salvation a mixture of works and grace. Fallen men have been attempting to mix law and grace since the days of Cain and Abel. Very few are the blasphemers who openly assert, “Salvation is by works;” but almost everyone believes it. When salvation by God’s free grace alone is plainly declared, lost religionists cling to and defend their works, denouncing the one who dares to affirm that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone as a promoter of licentiousness and a vile antinomian, Yet, the truth must be declared in plain, unmistakable terms.
Mutually Exclusive
Grace and works are mutually exclusive. They annihilate one another. If we are saved by our own works in any way, to any degree, in whole or in part, then we are not saved by the grace of God. If we are saved by the grace of God alone, then we are not saved by our own works of obedience to the law of God (Romans 11:6). The doctrine of Holy Scripture is unmistakable. — The whole work of salvation (election, redemption, regeneration, sanctification, preservation and glorification) is by the grace of God alone (Romans 8:28-30; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8-9}.
Heretical Doctrine
All churches, religions and systems of doctrine which teach salvation by the works of the law are heretical. I mean to be understood. I am saying that any teaching that says sinners are justified, given favor with God, sanctified, preserved, or shall inherit the reward of heavenly glory upon the basis of their own personal obedience to the law of God is legalism, anti-christ and damning to all who receive it (Galatians 5:1-4).
Sanctification Too
This gospel doctrine of salvation by grace alone does, most certainly, extend even to the believer’s sanctification in Christ. To be sanctified is to be set apart by God for holy service, declared to be holy and actually made holy. If, as all agree, sanctification is that without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14), then sanctification can no more be a matter of works than justification. That is precisely what the Word of God declares. The Bible nowhere presents sanctification as a conditional thing, depending upon the believer’s works. Like every other aspect of salvation, sanctification is an unconditional work of grace, performed for us and in us by the triune God (Jude 1, Hebrews 10:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). — “By grace ye are saved!” — “Salvation is of the LORD!”
GRACE BULLETIN
April 26, 2009
GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH of DANVILLE 2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438 Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Schedule of Regular Services
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service 6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service
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