From sin and from darkness, He brings out His own.
Through preaching the gospel to them He makes known,
The riches of glory and grace by His cross:
Eternal possessions which cannot be lost.
Praise be to the Father who chose us in grace.
Praise be to the Son who has died in our place.
Praise be to the Spirit who gave us new birth.
Praise be to the One God of heaven and earth.
With all of our hearts does the Lord bid us sing
Come humbly before Him, thanksgiving to bring.
All others are idols, He lives, God alone
By grace He has saved us and made us His own.
Today’s Speaker: Eager Avenue Grace Church extends a warm welcome to Pastor Gary Shepard. Gary will conduct both the 10:00 am and 11:00 am services today. Pray for him as he delivers God's Word.
Television Broadcast: Our Reign of Grace Television program is being broadcast every Sunday morning on WALB-TV @ 9 AM.
Radio Broadcast: Sunday morning at 10:30 am on Mix 107.7 FM
"Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)
What is it to preach the gospel?
1. It is to tell the truth about the triune God. He is the holy, eternal, omnipotent and unchangeable Sovereign of His creation. He does His will throughout the realms of nature, providence and grace.
2. It is to tell the truth about man. All fell in Adam’s transgression, are spiritually dead and under the dominion of sin and Satan and without righteousness, goodness or spiritual understanding. None have the desire or the ability to seek after the God of the Bible.
3. It is to tell the truth about salvation. In the covenant of grace, God ordained the salvation of a multitude who were chosen and entrusted to Christ their Surety. He took them into eternal union with Himself and in time established righteousness for them and redeemed them from the curse of the law by His death and resurrection. The Spirit sends them the gospel, imparts life and faith to them and seals them until the day of redemption when they will be glorified. "Salvation is of the LORD" (Jonah 2:9).
4. It is to tell the truth about Christ. The great "I AM," the Son of God, was made flesh to save His people from their sins by His substitutionary death thereby enabling God to be "a just God and a Savior." He arose because of their justification and ever lives to make intercession for them. Having finished the work of redemption, He has been given power over all flesh to give eternal life to those the Father gave Him. Someday He will come again and judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be cast into the lake of fire and the saints will abide with Him in paradise forever.
--- Pastor Jim Byrd
WHY GOD’S GRACE IS AMAZING
It is no wonder that the religious voices of our day speak of a "grace" that is not very amazing at all. It is because the true condition of all people by nature is denied. In Romans 5, the apostle Paul speaks of abundant and abounding grace. He tells of the true grace of God in the Lord Jesus Christ as it meets the true condition and need of sinful men. What is the true condition that grace meets? Grace meets those who are "without strength." (vs.6) They have no ability to save themselves, no ability to perform works of perfect righteousness and no ability to come to Christ that they might have life. Grace meets those who are "ungodly." (vs.6) They are "without God" and therefore without hope in this world. They do not love God, desire God, serve God, worship God, praise God, believe God, come to God or submit to God. They are ungodly! Grace meets those who are "sinners." (vs.8) Those who must be saved by sovereign grace in Christ are those who are sinners by nature, their very mind being enmity against God; sinners by birth, by practice and especially sinners by proxy in Adam, their representative. By him, sin entered in because all sinned in him. Then, grace meets those who are "enemies" to God. (vs.10) They are rebels against the throne of His glory and dominion, defying His rule and government and defiling His kingdom. They are enemies in their "minds,” trust their own “wicked works.” Their friendship with the world makes them the enemies of God. The truth is, every person saved by grace is all of these things: without strength, ungodly, a sinner and an enemy! Now grace that can save such as these must be "marvelous grace!" This grace comes to these sinners through the "obedience of one," Jesus Christ. By His obedience "many are made righteous." This obedience is His obedience unto death! Because grace must "reign through righteousness," Christ satisfied the claims of God's holy justice on their behalf and now God can, on the basis of Christ's blood and righteousness, show grace to them as a just God and a Savior. All the race fell in sin. The law entered and sin abounded. But to those who are the objects of God's grace in Christ, "where sin abounded, grace did MUCH MORE ABOUND! Amazing grace it is to each one who has been saved by it. Amazing grace is righteous grace that is in Christ crucified!
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