Grace Baptist Church of Danville December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas! — How sad it is that so many of God’s people are incapable of rejoicing in the remembrance of our Savior’s birth because they have been wrongly taught that the joyful remembrance of Christ’s incarnation is connected with the papal mass! Children of God, rejoice! — “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
When He came, our God and King — Don Fortner (Tune: #93 — Hark! The Herald Angels Sing — 77.77D)
When He came, our God and King, angels made the heavens ring With His praises in the sky, — “Glory to our God on high.” God the Son, from Glory bright, comes to men the Light of Life, David’s son and David’s God, Son of Man and Son of God!
JESUS is His matchless name, come to save (O Blessed Lamb!), Come to live and die for us, that in grace God might be just. Well may sinners now rejoice! Trusting Him, lift up your voice! God’s great Gift — (Unspeakable!), brings us grace unsearchable!
Sing the praises of our Lord, God the Son, incarnate Word. All the fulness of our God dwells in Him who shed His blood! Soon His ransomed all shall know all the glory God can show, And in bliss immortal sing, “Hallelujah!” to our King!
Pastor Fortner’s Scheduled Meetings for this Winter
January 24-25 San Diego Grace Fellowship — San Diego, CA
Contacts: Mark Iverson – Telephone 619-971-7343 Email: Itc702@aol.com Michael Smith — Telephone 619-770-7115 Email: mikarsmith@sbcglobal.net
January 27-29 Rescue Baptist Church — Rescue, CA
Gene Harmon, Pastor – Telephone 530-677-2486 Email: gharmon@hughes.net
February 10-12 Bible Baptist Church — Madisonville, KY Contact Bro. Paul Hibbs — (270) 821-1313
March 2-5 Grace Gospel Church — Orlando, FL
Greg Elmquist, Pastor – Telephone 407-332-6008 Email: gelmquist@earthlink.net
March 13-15 Sovereign Grace Fellowship — Wasilla, AK
Contact: Wayne Stuvick – Telephone 907-344-3822 Email: stuvick@gci.net
March 23-25 Fairmont Grace Church — Sylacauga, AL
Larry Criss, Pastor – Telephone 859-408-1627 Email: larrywcriss@mysylacauga.com
“This Day” — (Luke 2:11)
We recognize that this day (December 25th) has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. Our Lord certainly was not born on this day. He is the eternal God. And He did not come into the world in human flesh on this day. Our Savior’s birth as a man probably took place in the early spring, but certainly not in the dead of winter. We do not observe a “mass” or any kind of “holy ceremony” on this day, as the word “Christmas” might suggest. The fact is this day is just like any other day, with one exception: — By God’s providence, on this day, the whole world is compelled to acknowledge the fact that the Son of God came into this world more than two thousand years ago. We are not pagans, idolaters, or superstitious religionists. We observe no holy days, new moons, or sabbath days. We worship our God every day! Yet, God has given us “this day.” “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Here are some thoughts that fill my heart and mind on “this day.”
CHRIST Jesus, our Lord and Savior is perfectly God and perfectly man. As such, our Divine Mediator is an able, willing, all-sufficient, effectual Savior.
REDEMPTION — The reason for Christ’s coming into this world was redemption. He came to “save His people from their sins.” Imagine that! The whole purpose of the triune God in sending His Son into the world was the redemption of our souls by the sacrifice of His dear Son. Though they know it not, the whole world is celebrating the redemption of God’s elect “this day!” I like the thought of that. Don’t you?
FAMILY — “This day,” above all days, is a day for family. My thoughts today are with my family. My original family, my three sisters, along with their husbands and children, will be the objects of my thoughts and prayers “this day.” My natural family, my wife and daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, and I will spend this day in blessed conversation and fellowship. My everlasting family, you who are one with me in the Church and family of God, will have a place in all my thoughts and prayers “this day.”
“A Ransom for Many” Matthew 20:28
Here our Lord Jesus Christ tells us, in the plainest terms possible, that He did not die for everyone in general, but for many in particular. He says He gave His life a ransom “for many.” In other words, He tells us that His sin-atoning death was an effectual atonement for a limited, chosen number of people.
We believe and preach without apology the great, glorious, soul-cheering, Gospel doctrine of limited atonement. We declare, according to the Word of God, that our all glorious Christ, the Son of God, effectually accomplished the redemption of His people by the sacrifice of Himself at Calvary.
The fact is all who claim to be Christians believe in and teach limited atonement. The will-worship Arminian, the free-will, works-mongers, who assert that Christ died for all men, for those who perish in hell as well as those who are saved, limit the atonement of Christ contrary to Scripture. They limit the merit and efficacy of Christ’s blood and the atonement made by His blood, asserting that the blood of Christ must be supplemented by man’s decision, man’s faith, man’s obedience, man’s baptism, etc. They teach that it is man, by his obedience, who gives merit and efficacy to the blood of Christ. Such doctrine is utter blasphemy!
We assert, according to Holy Scripture, that there is absolutely no limit to the merit and efficacy of Christ’s precious blood and the atonement obtained and accomplished for God’s elect by it. However, according to the Word of God, the atonement of Christ is limited in intent, scope, design, and purpose to God’s elect. To suggest, imply, or teach, indeed, to believe that there are some in hell for whom the Lord Jesus Christ shed His blood and made atonement is to betray an idolater’s heart and blaspheme the Son of God, denying His very godhead!
Such blasphemy, the blasphemy of universal redemption makes the Son of God a failure. The doctrine of universal, ineffectual redemption, of universal, ineffectual atonement is just as damning to the souls of men as any other doctrine which necessarily denies our Savior’s divinity.
The Son of God very specifically tells us that he gave his life “a ransom for many." It is nowhere suggested or implied in the Word of God that Christ made atonement for, redeemed, or ransomed the entire human race, many of which were already in hell when he died. Those for whom Christ died are described as “many,” not all, because these many are a distinct and peculiar people. They are the "many" who are ordained unto eternal life (Acts 13:48), — The "many" the Father has given to the Son (John 6:37-39), — The “many” whose sins He bore on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), — The "many" for whom His blood was shed for the remission of their sins (Matthew 26:28), — The "many" who are made righteous by His obedience (Romans 5:19), — The "many" sons, He, the Captain of their salvation, brings to glory (Hebrews 2:10).
The Lord of Glory did not merely make redemption possible. He redeemed us with His blood! With His own blood, the Son of God actually obtained eternal redemption for all His people.
THE GRACE BULLETIN December 25, 2011
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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