TODAY'S SPEAKER: Eager Avenue Grace Church extends a warm welcome to Bill Parker. Bill is pastor of Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Ky. He will conduct both the 10:00 am and 11:00 am services today. Pray for him as he delivers God's Word.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM -WISK. You can also hear the sermons on your computer. Just click on http://www.americusradio.com/
HOW CAN CHRIST CLAIM OUR SINS TO BE HIS OWN?
"O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee." (Psalm 69:5) This Psalm is a messianic psalm, one that sets forth the glory of Christ as Messiah in prophecy, type, and revelation. These words not only apply to King David and, in essence, to all believers, sinners saved by grace, but they are also the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as our substitute, sin-bearer, and surety. He stood in our place and bore our sins on the cross. All the sins of God's elect were made to meet on HIM (2 Cor. 5:21). He bore our sins "in His own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24). He actually had a human body and soul in which as Godman, He bore our sins on the cross and died in our place to satisfy God's justice for us. Some modern-day, self-appointed pundits actually go so far as to say Christ was "made a sinner Himself" on the cross. They speak of the sins of God's elect "imparted" or "infused" to Him. This is nothing short of heresy and not supported by the clear testimony of Scripture which speaks of the sinless Christ whose blood is incorruptible. The question is raised, however, "If Christ were not made a sinner Himself, if He remained sinlessly perfect within Himself on the cross (and He did), how then could He personally say, ‘MY sins are not hid from Thee'?" How could our sins be HIS sins? The answer is found in the blessed and glorious truth of IMPUTATION. All the sins of God's elect were imputed (charged, accounted) to Christ so that as He became legally responsible and accountable for all these sins, they actually became HIS sins. Pastor Henry Mahan in commenting on Psalm 69:5 in his book, "With New Testament Eyes, Vol. 2," wrote, "David might truly say this but not our Lord, UNLESS he refers to our sins imputed and laid to His charge. He was made to be sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21)." How could Christ claim our sins as His own? It was not by being made a sinner Himself. It was by being "made sin" for us.
--- Pastor Bill Parker
"THOU ART WORTHY..."
In ourselves, we are "worthy of death" as the scriptures say. Death is our natural portion as the earned and deserved "wages" of our sin. This is not so of the Lord Jesus Christ! He alone is worthy of all glory, honor and praise. Christ is worthy to receive the praise of all His creatures and shall have it, even of those who will acknowledge it as they perish. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." But He shall have special glory, honor and praise and it shall come from unworthy sinners who are the objects of His great grace and mercy. These justified sinners, saved by His sacrifice of blood, shall both now and forever sing that new song that John spoke of:: "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev 5:9,10) The worthiness of which the redeemed particularly sing is worthiness above the essential worthiness of Christ which He has as the Creator God. It is His glory as the Savior, Mediator and Redeemer of those given Him by the Father. He is "worthy" because He alone can "open the book." The book of God's purpose and decrees, especially in His covenant of grace, are carried out and fulfilled through the Person and the doing of Christ Jesus! He alone, by "his own blood... obtained eternal redemption for us." All believers are "justified freely through that redemption which is in Christ Jesus." That redemption is particular and successful for the song goes, "thou has redeemed (not tried to, or made redemption possible) us (not every son of Adam) to God!" It is a sovereign work of God who has mercy and is gracious to whom He will for these are redeemed "OUT OF every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." Christ is to be praised because, by His redemptive work, all He died for are "made kings and priests" unto "our God." They shall "reign" with Christ and even now are "seated with Him in the heavenlies." His worthiness makes them worthy! It is in His redemptive character as the Lamb of God that has taken away their sin that they praise Him, "Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Is this YOUR song?
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