Hymns for service: “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah” – p. 291 “Blessed Assurance” – p. 255
I am preaching today for Grace Baptist Church in Ruston, LA, where Brother Richard Warmack is pastor. I will be in Ashland, KY, the rest of the week for a few days of vacation. Please pray for the services here and in Ruston. The Lord willing, I will be home at the end of the week and plan to preach here next Sunday, March 20. – Pastor Bill Parker
CONVERSION
What is conversion if this be not, that those who were so grossly ignorant, are so enlightened as to understand and speak so judiciously, clearly and experimentally of the Person and undertakings of the Lord Jesus, and justification by Him alone; of the beauty and excellency they saw by faith in Him; His suitableness to their wants, and the absolute necessity they have of Him and His Righteousness, through a deep sight of their sin and misery, and a supernatural discovery of Him?
-- Richard Davis
“LET’S GO TO CHURCH”?
We say this commonly and without thinking because for most of us it has been part of our culture and our upbringing. However, when God empowers the true Gospel unto our salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lord our righteousness, it changes our whole perspective on such matters. First of all, He teaches us that the church is not a building but a body of believers who have been redeemed by His grace through the Lord Jesus Christ and made righteous before God by His merits imputed. Secondly, He teaches that “church” is not something we “go to,” but something that we as believers in Christ are part of. Thirdly, He shows us that our worship services on the Lord’s day are not a matter of “going to church,” but going to worship in spirit and in truth as we hear the Gospel and the Word of God preached, pray and sing together, in the fellowship of other believers. Fourthly, it is our public expression and confession of our faith in and love for Christ and His Word as well as our love for our brethren. It is our public identification with Christ, His Word, and our brethren in Him. Fifthly, He teaches us that as we have been given spiritual life from Christ, we must feed upon His Word so as to grow in grace and in knowledge of Him. – Pastor Bill Parker
RECKON AND REJOICE!
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:11)
The word “reckon” that we find in Romans 6:11 is a wonderful word. In obeying this command, we do not “do” anything! No, we account something as having been done. We account something to be such because God has said it. We account something as real and accomplished based on what Christ has done, and because of our union with Him, we account it being also ours. This accounting is not what some call “funny math.” There is no illegal juggling of the books of God’s justice here. All that brings us to this accounting is just. Think about it, what does God say is the wages of our sin? Death! Only death at the hand of divine justice will suffice. “The soul that sinneth shall surely die.” This is more than a natural consequence; it is the actual requirement. Only the death of a sinless Substitute can satisfy God’s justice and pay the debt required. This is what Christ did for His people. He not only died for our sins, we died in Him. And through this glorious united death with Him, we are “dead to sin.” The price being paid now, sin has no connection to us or claim on us. We are “dead to sin” as Paul illustrates with a woman whose husband is dead and she is then free to marry another. But there is more. Not only are we to “reckon” or account ourselves in Christ to be dead to sin but also that we are also in Him, “alive unto God.” We are, as Paul says in another place, justified sinners and all old things are passed away and all things are become new. The old things are all our old connections to the first Adam, our sins. “Behold, all things are become new” – New things in the last Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. God-given faith “reckons” this on the basis of the gospel alone because God said it. This is not silly emotionalism or unjustified confidence; it is the reckoning of faith that is based on the written word of God. This is not caused by our believing, but the opposite is true. Our believing is because of what Christ has done on our behalf. Now, “alive unto God!” That is, accepted by God, and made righteousness before God. By one way, “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Through another. This is the joy of true faith, dead to sin and alive unto God. This is the reason for rejoicing. Reckon and rejoice! -- Gary Shepard
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