We welcome Luke Coffey from Todds Road Grace Church in Lexington, KY, to the pulpit today. May the Lord bless Luke in preaching and us in hearing. The Lord willing, Janet and I will be returning home today.

This is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness (Jehovah-tsidkenu) - Jeremiah 33:16

Clearly Jehovah-tsidkenu is the name of the Lord. He only is righteous and He only is the believer’s righteousness. But how glorious that the Word of God says “This is the name wherewith SHE shall be called, The Lord our righteousness (Jehovah-tsidkenu)” This tells us that the believer’s union with Christ is so complete, that we bear the name of the Lord. His name is our name! What a blessing to no longer bear our own worthless name, but to bear the glorious name of the Savior Himself, Jehovah-tsidkenu! But the blessing of God does not stop with a change of name. The believer bears the name of Christ because every believer has been given the NATURE of Christ. The believer’s vital union with Christ is so complete, that when the Father sees a believer, all He sees is His dear Son. All of my hope and all of my desire is “to win Christ and be found IN Him” (Philippians 3:8-9)

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” - Romans 10:3

It is not for ignorance, as such, that the Jews were condemned. If that were so, a simple theology lesson would have brought them salvation. Rather it was what their ignorance led them to do that sealed their doom: they would not submit to the righteousness of God revealed in Jesus Christ. It is certain that if a man is ignorant of the righteousness of God, he cannot and will not submit to it. But it is also true that a man may be fully aware of the righteousness of God as revealed in the Gospel doctrine yet not submit to it. So subtle is Satan and so deceptive the human heart that one may actually think that his acknowledgement of the righteousness of God is his righteousness: He may think that, because he believes the doctrine, and even publicly defends it, God accepts him. It is one thing to submit to a doctrine, it is another thing altogether to submit to Jesus Christ as one’s only righteousness before God.

How can we know whether we have gone, not only from ignorance to knowledge, but also from knowledge to submission? It is primarily revealed in this: we cease from establishing our own righteousness before God. We glory in nothing other than Christ’s cross, soothe our conscience with nothing but His blood, and rest our hope for favor with God on nothing other than Christ’s acceptance before the Father.

Pastor Joe Terrell

We are bidden to come, not to a throne of law, nor a throne of strict justice, but to a throne of grace. The words, Throne, Majesty, Power, and Omnipotence all leave me awed and frightened. But the soft gentle word Grace stirs my heart to venture near in sincerity, humility, and hope. For though there are a thousand defects in my prayers, it is a throne of grace. Though many defects in my knowledge, it is a throne of grace. Though there are so many weaknesses in my spirit, it is a throne of grace. Though my faith is so weak and dishonoring to the King, it is a throne of grace. Grace loves, grace forgives, grace abounds, grace is sufficient; and His grace is greater than all my sins.