1. Unto the Lord this sinner owed A debt I could not pay; My sins were such an awful load, But Christ put them away.
2. His blood has washed away my shame, And satisfaction made; O bless the dear Redeemer’s name, My ransom price is paid.
3. Salvation unto Christ I owe, O what a gracious Friend; He washed and made me white as snow, On Him my hopes depend.
4. Someday in heav’n I’ll sing His praise, With all the ransomed throng; And joyfully my voice I’ll raise, To sing redemption’s song.
TODAY’S SPEAKER: Eager Avenue Grace Church extends a warm welcome to Jim Byrd and his wife Nancy. Jim is pastor of First Baptist Church in Almont, Mi. He will conduct both the 10:00 am and 11:00 am services today. Pray for him as he delivers God's Word.
Fellowship Meal: There will be a fellowship meal immediately following the 11am service. All are invited to attend.
Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast on WFXL Fox 31, Channel 4. The program will air every Sunday morning at 11 AM.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 9:30am on 98.7 FM –WISK. To hear sermons on your computer click on www.americusradio.com
Web Sites: Visit our newly designed web site at: www.rofgrace.com
Behold the perfect life-obedience of Jesus Christ to the law of God. He who made the law, "was made under the law to redeem them that were under the law" (Galatians 4:4-5). The God-Man willingly and joyfully humbled Himself and, as the perfect Servant, complied with every command of God. But His life of perfection, though necessary, was insufficient to satisfy the justice of God which demanded death for our transgressions. The culminating point of His obedience, therefore, was for the good Shepherd to lay down His life in the stead of the guilty, by which He satisfied divine justice, put away the sins of His people and brought in everlasting righteousness. We sing of His death; we read Scriptures concerning His substitutionary sacrifice; we preach of redemption by His blood; and yet, the more we dwell upon this glorious person and His wondrous work of reconciliation for His people, the more in awe we are of Who He is and what He endured. It is written that the Son of God "was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed...It pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief...Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin" (Isaiah 53:5, 10). In this truth of "Jesus Christ and Him crucified," we see God’s glory, Satan’s demise, the preacher’s message and the believer’s hope.The Savior and His cross-death and resurrection, remain the subject we never get weary of revisiting. Doesn’t this still remain a great and marvelous mystery to you? God Almighty took the sins of His chosen people, laid them upon His
darling Son, made Him the object of His wrath and vengeance -- that blessed One who had never sinned -- and He was legally answerable and accountable to God for our sinfulness. Divine justice sought and found full satisfaction in pouring out the fury of its vengeance upon Christ when all the sins of His sheep were made to meet upon Him (Isaiah 53:6). And consider for whom the Lamb of God suffered these things – His people – men and women who are by nature vile, deceitful rebels against God. It was for unworthy sinners that Christ agonized upon the cross, being forsaken by the Father. It was for us that He "poured out His soul unto death" (Isaiah 53:12), so that God could be both "a Just God and a Savior" (Isaiah 45:21). Does this not continually astound you, fill your heart with joy and motivate you to live for the glory of Him Who not only canceled your debt of sin but also imputed to you His impeccable righteousness? We were saved from sin and all of its effects, we were redeemed from the curse of the law and made the very righteousness of God through the person and work of Christ. This is an old truth that never gets old to sinners saved by grace.
--- PastorJim Byrd
The Covenant of Grace
Sin, in the whole compass of it, in its blackest colors, was foreseen, and yet no bar to the admission of these persons into the everlasting covenant of grace. All the impurity of their nature, and the whole course of sin, during a state of unregeneracy, did not hinder covenant grace taking place in effectual vocation. Notwithstanding all that impurity of nature, in which the Lord’s people are brought forth into the world, and in which they continue; and notwithstanding they go on fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; they being, by nature, children of wrath, even as others; yet such is the great love wherewith the Lord has loved them, that he quickened them when dead in trespasses and sins. Though they are like the wretched infant cast out into the open field, to the loathing of their persons in the day they were born, lying in all the impurity of nature, and act agreeable to their nature; yet this did not prevent the Lord from looking upon them with a look of love; or hinder him from casting his skirt over them, and entering into covenant with them that is, manifesting his covenant to them, and they openly becoming his. Notwithstanding all their trespasses, original and actual, through the blood of this covenant, (so the blood of Jesus is called; Heb. 13:20), they are delivered out of the pit wherein is no water: and are encouraged to turn to the strong hold, as prisoners of hope. And they are, by this blood, cleansed from all sin. So covenant interest continues. "Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure."
2. Though it may be with the people of God, as it was with David; that they are guilty of many backslidings after conversion, after they are called by divine grace; nevertheless covenant interest continues. David was sensible he had been guilty of many backslidings; particularly in the case of Bathsheba and Uriah; and he continued a long time without a sense of the evil he had fallen into; but covenant interest still remained. In virtue of this, Nathan the prophet was sent to him, to convince him of his evil, bring him to a sense of it, to own and acknowledge it before God; and at the same time to inform him that he should not die, because his iniquity was put away: though at the same time, he is also told, that evil should spring out of his house; God would chastise him for the evil he had been guilty of; nevertheless his loving-kindness he would not utterly take from him, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail. So it is with the people of God, more or less. What is said of literal Israel, may be said of spiritual Israel, My people are bent on backsliding from me (Hos. 11:7): and, as the same prophet says, "Israel slideth back, as a backsliding heifer" (Hos. 4:16). As an heifer that cares not to be under the yoke; so the Lord’s spiritual Israel are guilty of great departures from the Lord. O what sad departures do they sometimes make from the living God, through the power of unbelief in their hearts, therefore they are called upon to "remember from whence they are fallen, and repent, and do their first works (Rev.2:5)." Yet, notwithstanding all, this covenant of grace still continues: covenant love is still the same. I will heal all their backslidings, and will love them freely. Notwithstanding their backslidings I will make it appear that I still love them, that my love is a free love: not depending upon any conditions in them. And I will make it known by forgiving their iniquities, for that is meant; or by making fresh applications of pardoning grace. In what a light is this set, in the forty-third chapter of the Prophecy of Isaiah:they made him to serve with their sins, they wearied him with their iniquities:by which is to be understood, that they were guilty of sins of omission and commission. Yet, says the Lord,I,even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own name’s sake, and will not remember thy sins(Isa. 43:25).Covenant grace was still the same.
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