CALL TO WORSHIP
(Tune: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah,” p. 291)
(Words by Pastor Jim Byrd)

Hallelujah praise Jehovah,
Author of redeeming grace;
He ordained to save a people,
Purposed Christ to take our place.
Chosen in the blest Redeemer,
He became our Substitute,
He became our Substitute.

Hallelujah praise Jehovah,
May His praises never cease;
He redeemed His captive people,
Brought in everlasting peace.
Jesus died to seal our pardon,
Died to save His chosen race;
Died to save His chosen race.

Hallelujah praise Jehovah,
By His grace we live again;
Now by faith we trust the Savior,
Who delivered us from sin.
We are righteous in Christ Jesus,
Sing the praises of the King;
Sing the praises of the King

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Today: Bible Classes – 10:00 a.m.; Morning Worship – 11:00 a.m.
Messages by Pastor Bill Parker

Television Broadcast: Reign of Grace Television
Sunday morning on WALB-TV @ 9 AM.

Live Streaming – 10:00 and 11:00 a.m. – Sermon Audio web site

Web Sites: Reign of Grace: www.rofgrace.com
Sermon Audio: www.Sermonaudio.com\reignofgrace

Birthdays: Nicki Jones – May 18^th - Jake McMillan – May 20^th – Melissa Riggins – May 22^nd

TRIBULATION WORKS PATIENCE

“We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh pa­tience;” (Romans 5:3).

I often pray to the Lord for patience, but I need to be reminded that Godly patience is not just the ability to wait on something or wait for things to happen. Godly patience is endurance which comes to God’s children by His grace and enables us out of tribulations (trials and afflic­tions sent to us by God) to persevere in looking to, resting and rejoicing in Christ Jesus. I also often forget that real patience comes through tribula­tions. We learn through tribulations that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ and that we are secure in God’s saving grace based on the fact that we are cleansed from all our sin and righteous before God in Christ. The means of this patience is the Holy Spirit causing us to feed continually on God’s Word as He brings us to see more of the glory of Jesus Christ as our true Savior, Substitute, Surety, and Advocate. This is what enables us to be patient, to endure all trials and afflictions as we look unto Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith. Consider this – What happens to a true believer when he looks within himself to find something worthy and good, or to find strength to endure in tribulation? He will only find sin and despair. What happens when that same believer looks to Christ and finds all worthiness, goodness, and all strength to endure? He finds peace, assurance, and growth in grace and in knowledge of Christ – “And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:4-5).

– Pastor Bill Parker

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In guilt’s dark dungeon where we lay,
Mercy cried “Spare” and justice “slay.”
But JESUS answered, “Set them free,
And pardon them and punish Me.”
Salvation is of God alone; eternal life is in His Son;
And He Who gave His Son to bleed,
Will freely give us all we need!

-- Augustus Toplady

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Psalm 32:1-2). David was so thankful that God did not impute (charge, account) the guilt of sin to him (cf. Rom. 8:33). The Bible teaches that in God’s way of salvation by grace through Jesus Christ the non-imputation of sins to sinners means the following:

(1) It means our sins have been imputed to Christ. The forgiveness of sins by covering refers to the mercy-seat where the blood of a lamb was sprinkled. This was a picture of Christ dying for the sins of God’s elect imputed to Him – “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthi­ans 5:19). This is how Jesus Christ was made sin for His people – “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin” (2 Corinthi­ans 5:21a). God is just, and He must punish all sin with death. He could not simply choose not to impute sins to His people. He had to impute them to His Son Who willingly took them upon Himself as the Surety of God’s elect and Who suffered unto death to pay the penalty.

(2) It also means Christ’s righteousness (the merits of His obedience unto death) imputed to the sinner – “Even as David also describeth the blessed­ness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (Romans 4:6-8). God not imputing sin to His people did not leave us in some neutral state. God imputed righteousness in Christ to us. This is how God’s people are “made the righteousness of God IN HIM” (2 Corinthians 5:21b).