FREE AND SOVEREIGN GRACE Tune "THERE IS A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD" CM/DOUBLE Words by JIM BYRD
1. ‘Twas sovereign grace that fixed on us, To save a chosen race; The blessings that abound to us, To grace alone we trace. ‘Twas grace that brought the Savior forth, To be the Sacrifice; To satisfy the law of God, And pay our ransom price.
2. ‘Twas grace that nailed Him to the cross, To suffer in our stead; To bear the burden of our guilt, The dear Redeemer bled. ‘Twas grace that sent the Holy Ghost, To quicken us when dead; And by almighty, drawing grace, To Jesus we were led.
3. ‘Twas grace that brought us to the Lord, When we had gone astray; ‘Tis grace that watches over us, And guides us day by day. ‘Twill not be long and we shall see Our Savior face to face; And then forever we will praise His free and sovereign grace.
"And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." (Mark 16:15-16)
BAPTISM - A BELIEVER’S CONFESSION Baptism pictures the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior. By submitting to baptism, a sinner saved by grace confesses and acknowledges three things:
1. As Christ was not ashamed to be identified with His people by His death in our stead, in baptism the believer publicly aligns with the Savior and the true gospel of sovereign grace.
2. As the confessor is passive in the act of baptism, dependent on another to bring him up out of the water, so he was passive in the salvation of his soul. In baptism we acknowledge, "Salvation is of the LORD." The Lord chose, redeemed, regenerated, preserves and will glorify His people.
3. As the confessor rises up out of the water, he confesses that Christ was raised again because His justice-satisfying death forevermore put away our sins and established a justifying righteousness for all His people. –Pastor Jim Byrd
PAUL’S DETERMINATION "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). The word Paul used to convey to the Corinthian church his resolve to preach the gospel of substitution is a highly instructive one. "Determined" is a forensic word that has to do with making a judgment. It presents the idea of issuing an informed opinion, rendering a verdict, or delivering a ruling after much deliberation. The apostle is saying that he had made a judgment as to the only subject that is of vital importance. He had considered the matter carefully and prayerfully. This had not been a hasty decision nor had his conclusion been reached without painstaking investigation into the Word of God. After a great deal of serious thought and thorough study, after making a complete investigation he arrived at a judgment or determination as to the only subject that he would declare. He deemed "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" the only message worth preaching and the only knowledge worth knowing. He reached this verdict because this message glorified both the justice of God in punishing the sins of His people and the love of God which led to the death of Christ in the stead of His chosen ones. He believed this was the message that would be effectually used by God the Holy Spirit to bring Christ’s lost sheep into the fold of salvation. This was that gospel of glad tidings that through "Jesus Christ, and Him crucified," the law had been satisfied, transgressions had been finished, sins had been made an end of, reconciliation had been made for iniquity, everlasting righteousness had been brought in, all the prophesies of the Old Testament concerning Messiah and His work of redemption had been fulfilled and every stipulation of the covenant of grace had been accomplished by the Surety and Mediator of that Covenant. This is the gospel that the guilty need to hear by which they learn how God can be just and justify the ungodly. He determined that this message would give believers peace and comfort in this life and enable them to face death and eternity with hope and confidence. After thorough investigation, he reached this verdict that with plainness of speech, his only subject would be the person and substitutionary work of Jesus Christ the Lord. –Pastor Jim Byrd
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