July 7, 2019
SOVEREIGN GRACE
BAPTIST CHURCH
MEETING LOCATION
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone:
615-513-4464
Clay@FreeGraceMedia.com
MAILING ADDRESS:
7 Birch Street
Pennington, NJ, 08538
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible
Class
Sunday 11:00 AM
Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM
Midweek Service
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NURSERY
We have a nursery
equipped with a digital flat screen television broadcasting all services live,
for children four and under.
All articles by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
YOUTUBE WEBSITE: The videos are now listed as individual
sermons, as well as full services—click here.
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Proverbs 13: 14: The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to
depart from the snares of death.
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As all original sin is from Adam; so all original holiness is from
Christ.
Robert Hawker (1753-1827)
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FAITH—ESSENTIAL BUT NOT MERITORIOUS
Faith in Christ is essential to salvation. No man will ever be saved,
accepted with God, apart from true faith in Christ. You must believe on Christ;
or you will perish. But do not ever think that your faith is meritorious with
God. Faith is the instrument by which we receive God's blessings; but it is not
the meritorious cause of those blessings. The obedience of Christ alone is
meritorious with God.
Pastor Don Fortner
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Today, we have three brethren confessing faith in Christ in believer’s baptism. Scripture teaches that God will bring each of
his chosen, redeemed children to repentance and faith in Christ then the day of
the Lord will come as a thief in the night (2 Pet 3: 9, 15). One day the last one shall be called then
Christ shall return. Knowing this, each
time a new believer confesses faith in Christ I think to myself, what if this
is that last one?
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“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and
preached unto him Jesus. And as they
went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said,
See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said,
If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said,
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to
stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch;
and he baptized him.” (Ac 8:36-38)
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And now why
tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized!
There are people in our assemblies who have heard the Gospel of Christ
with the heart. They believe Him, they love Him, and they truly rest in Him as
Lord and Redeemer; but they have not confessed Christ in believer's baptism.
The question is asked, "Why tarriest thou?" I believe I can answer
for them.
l. They are troubled by the presence and strength of indwelling sin--"In
my flesh dwelleth no good thing."
2. They are shocked by the weakness of their faith.
3. They fear that they will fail and dishonor the Lord and embarrass the
church.
4. They are waiting for greater assurance and more grace.
5. They are by nature very timid and shun public demonstrations.
But no such reasons are valid; for in baptism we are not confessing our
holiness, but His; not our strength, but His; not our life, but His! "We
are dead and our life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3).
Pastor Henry Mahan
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THE BASICS ABOUT BAPTISM
1. WHAT IS BAPTISM? It is an ordinance of God (one of only two, the
Lord’s supper being the other) given for a confession of faith and a symbol of
salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Mark 16:16; Col.
2:12; Rom. 6:3).
2. WHO IS TO BE BAPTIZED? Not infants and not unbelievers. Believers
only should be baptized; all those who believe with all their heart that “Jesus
Christ is the Son of God” should not be hindered (Acts 8:26-38).
3. WHY SHOULD ALL BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? Primarily because Christ
commands it! It is not optional but simply a matter of obedience to our Lord.
Consequently, it is also encouraging to the new believer who is being baptized
and edifying to the rest of the church (Matt. 7:21-23; Matt. 10:32-33; Rom.
10:9-10).
4. WHEN SHOULD BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? A very singular answer here –
immediately! Upon bowing in faith to the Lordship of Christ (Acts 2:38-41; Acts
9:18; Acts 16:31).
5. HOW SHOULD BELIEVERS BE BAPTIZED? The word “baptize” is not a
complicated word; it means “to dip or plunge into”, thus, immersion is the ONLY
mode of baptism. Also, this was the method used by our Lord Himself and the
Apostles.
Pastor
Bruce Crabtree
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“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience
toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:” 1Peter 3:21
The Word of God says that
baptism is the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Since baptism is also the
believer's confession of his identification with Christ in his death, burial
and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5), then it must be upon this basis that answers
that he has a good conscience toward God. The only good conscience toward God
is a clear conscience toward God. The
only clear conscience toward God is one upon which there is no ground to
accuse. It stands to reason then, that when Christ arose from the dead, the
grounds upon which the conscience accuses ceased to exist. On what basis does
the conscience lay charges against someone? Is it not in the realm of the law that this
screaming banshee within indicts us? Does
not scripture declare that, in Christ and by His substitutionary satisfaction
of the law, our "conscience is purged from dead works…" (Hebrews
9:14), and that the worshipers once purged should have no more conscience of
sins…(Hebrews 10:2)? When our Lord put away sins by the sacrifice of Himself,
was buried and rose again for our justification, what possible ground did
conscience have upon which to accuse? Has not our sin been put away…does God
remember it no more…is it not separated from us as far as the east is from the
west? The conscience comes to the
believer with the Law of God, turns on the searchlight of God's Holiness, scans
the believer from top to bottom, even to the depths of heart thoughts and can
find nothing but the pure, pristine, undiluted, unmitigated, unadulterated
imputed righteousness of Christ. Conscience
then must say, " Nothing here…no spot…no blemish…no wrinkle…nor any such
thing…all is clear"! When a
believer is baptized, he is confessing the unqualified success of the finished
work of Christ…the answer of a good conscience toward God. Pastor David Pledger
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“Thus it
becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” (Mt 3:15). Christ said
this to John the Baptist when John objected to baptizing him. But why did Christ say thus it becometh “us”
to fulfill all righteousness? When Christ fulfilled all
righteousness, God’s elect fulfilled all righteousness in him. Even when Christ was baptized, his people were
baptized in perfect righteousness. When
I baptize these three believers today sin will be in them and me. But that day
Christ submitted to this ordinance, in Christ, we fulfilled this ordinance in righteousness.
The same is true of our observance of the Lord’s Table. Christ is our Righteousness, not only before
the law, but in every aspect of our worship, including our faith and love. It is because in everything Christ did when
he walked this earth he fulfilled all righteousness and we in him.