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: Brother Jim Casey will conduct the 11:00 am service today. Pray for him as he delivers God’s word.
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 10:30 am on Mix 107.7 FM
Web Sites: Visit our web sites at: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. 23And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. 24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
John 12:21, 23-24
It is telling that when these certain Greeks had expressed their desire to “see Jesus,” that His answer was to speak of His approaching death on the cross. And notice in so doing, He spoke of its glory, it’s necessity, and its certain efficacy to do that which “Jesus” came to do – to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21). All who will see Jesus in heaven’s eternal glory will see Him in this lifetime – given the blood-bought eyes of faith to see the absolute necessity of His death – “Except…” or unless He dies there is no life. No death, No life! And if we will see Jesus we will see the certain accomplishment of salvation for His people (His “fruit”) by His justice-satisfying, life-giving death as their Surety and Substitute – “…but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
--- Randy Wages
PARTICULARLY ADOPTION AND JUSTIFICATION
The elect of God are frequently spoken of as a distinct number of men, given to Christ, and as previous to their coming to him by faith, which is the certain fruit and consequence of that gift; see (John 17:2, 6, 9, 24, 6:37) yea, they were given to Christ before the world was; for if grace was given to them in him before the world began, they themselves must be given to him, and be in him before the world began (2 Tim. 1:9). Now these were given to Christ in the relation of children, and therefore must be children so early; "Behold, I, and the children which God hath given me" (Heb. 2:13).
--- John Gill (1697-1771)
WHAT IS IT TO DO RIGHTEOUSNESS?
Read 1 John 2:29 – “If ye know that HE is righteous,” i.e. if you have an intimate knowledge of Christ Who is Himself righteous and Who is, by His obedience unto death, the Lord our Righteousness (Rom. 10:4), then “ye know that every one that DOETH RIGHTEOUSNESS is born of HIM.” Whatever it is to DO righteousness, one must be born again by the Holy Spirit in order to do it. Men can be moral, religious, sincere, and charitable and still not DO righteousness. And consider this – True believers, those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit, would not and cannot say that their works, their “doing” as it were, equals the perfect righteousness of the law of God as manifested in Christ, the only One Who kept that law perfectly. Every truly born again person knows that his best works still fall short of righteousness and cannot make him righteous before God. Every truly born again person has one boast, and that is, “CHRIST IS MY ONLY RIGHTEOUSNESS BEFORE GOD.” What is it to DO righteousness, then? It is to live by the grace of Almighty God in total dependence upon and submission to Christ Who is our one true and only righteousness before God. It is to confess with joy and humility that Christ alone is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes in Him. It is to live and walk by this rule – “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world” (Gal. 6:14).
--- Pastor Bill Parker
THE GOD OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS
“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer...I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:1, 8). Reader! let us never lose sight of the Lord Jesus while reading this Psalm. He is the Lord our righteousness; and therefore, in all our approaches to the mercy seat, let us go there in a language corresponding to this which calls Jesus the Lord our righteousness. While men of the world, from the world are seeking their chief good, let us desire His favor which infinitely transcends corn and wine, and all the good things which perish in the using. Yes, Lord, Thy favor is better than life itself. Thou causest them that love Thee to inherit substance, and fillest all their treasure. Oh! Thou gracious God and Father, hast Thou in such a wonderful manner set apart one in our nature for Thyself? Hast Thou indeed chosen one out of the people? Hast Thou beheld Him in the purity of His nature, as one in every point Godly? Hast Thou given Him as the covenant of the people? And hast Thou declared Thyself well pleased in Him? Oh! then, well may my soul be well pleased in Him also. Now do I know that my God and Father will hear me when I call upon Him in Jesus’ name, and when I look up to Him for acceptance for Jesus’ sake! Yes, my heart is fixed, O Lord, my heart is fixed; Jesus is my hope and righteousness; the Lord will hear me when I call. And henceforth will I both lay me down in peace and sleep securely in Jesus, accepted in the Beloved. “For this is the rest wherewith the LORD causeth the weary to rest, and this is the refreshing” (Isaiah 28:12).
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