Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

March 12, 2023

Weekly Schedule of Services

Proverbs 20:2: The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

?-----------------------------?

Saul of Tarsus had to be blinded to the good he saw in himself that Paul might be given sight to behold his righteousness in Christ alone.

?-----------------------------?

It is from the worse and not from the better side of fallen man that the Lord wins glory for himself. Not what I have, but what I have not, is the first point of contact, between my soul and God. The good may bring their goodness, but he declares that “there is none righteous, no, not one;” the pious may offer their ceremonies, but he taketh no delight in all their oblations; the wise may present their inventions, but he counts their wisdom to be folly; but when the poor in spirit come to him with their utter destitution and distress he accepts them at once; yea, he bows the heavens to bless them, and opens the storehouses of the covenant to satisfy them. As the surgeon seeks for the sick, and as the alms-giver looks after the poor, even so the Savior seeks out such as need him and upon them he exercises his divine office. Let every needy sinner drink comfort from this well.                                                   

–Charles Spurgeon

?-----------------------------?

Every child who the Spirit has called to faith in Christ has the promise from God that we have no record of sin: past, present or future.  God will not impute sin to us because we have no sin to impute because Christ put it away. God will only impute righteousness to us because Christ has made us the righteousness of God in him.

?-----------------------------?

God establishes our heart in holiness by making us know more and more that Christ is our Righteousness and Holiness in whom we are unblameable and nothing shall change this.  In the first creation, God created man after God’s image (Gen 1:26-27).  Man may have grown before the fall but man did not grow into God’s image.  Adam and Eve were God’s image by creation.  Likewise, regeneration is a new creation of God.  The Holy Spirit creates within the sinner a new holy spirit, a new holy heart, a new holy man, “after the image of HIM that created him.” (Col 3:10). “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn 3:6).  This life is given because Christ made us righteous by his obedience, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rom 8:10).  Our new heart is holy by Christ who is our Holiness abiding within. In that great day when we see our Redeemer, we shall be like him both in body and spirit.  For now, being born of the incorruptible Seed, we have a new, holy, incorruptible man within “which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness” which makes God’s saints love godliness and hate sin (Eph 4:24).  But when trouble comes and we fear this has changed, after we suffer awhile, it is this new heart that the Spirit turns to Christ above where we behold our Perfection and our hearts are “stablished, strengthened, and settled” (1 Pet 5:10).

?-----------------------------?

When the affection of the new holy heart is established singularly on Christ above so that we know our own perfection in Christ never changes then we love brethren even when they offend because we see in them our own sinful selves while we see in Christ their true self.

?-----------------------------?

Proverbs 11:17: The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.  Both cases are due to the state of our hearts toward the Lord Jesus.  It is misery to our own selves when our sinful flesh makes us harbor bitterness due to offenses, requiring others to earn of us what we ourselves could never earn of God.  But when the Spirit renews our new man again to behold Christ, he shows us afresh that though we have sinned, yet by the precious blood of our Redeemer, God delights to show us mercy.  Then how it frees our very soul, not only to show mercy, but to do so with delight!

?-----------------------------?

SAFE IN HIS HANDS

“His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me” (Song of Solomon 2:6).

Our salvation in Christ is sure, safe and certain as the powerful hands of God our Saviour (Dan. 4:35; John 10:27-30). Believer, you are in good hands with Christ, being made one with Him (John 17:22-23).

·         His hands are sovereign hands able to save. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25).

·         His hands are strong hands able to keep us from falling. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,” (Jude 1:24).

·         His hands are tender hands able to teach us the way of salvation. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt. 11:28-29).

·         His hands are wise hands able to guide us. “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand” (Psalm 95:7).

·         His hands are loving hands that were wounded to put away our sin. “Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26).

·         His hands are caring hands able to supply all our need in Him. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

·         His hands are victorious hands able to receive us to Himself in glory forever. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:3).

     Believer, aren’t you pleased that you are in His hands? Aren’t you delighted that His left hand is under you and His right hand does embrace you and receive you? Oh, how happy and thankful we are to be in His sovereign, wise, strong, tender, loving caring and victorious hands, under His continual care and rejoicing in Him and His so great salvation (Psalm 31:15; Heb. 2:3).                                        

–Tom Harding