Grace Baptist Church of Danville

April 26, 2009

 

 

ÒChrist is the end of the law for righteousnessÓ in every possible sense of the word Òrighteousness:Ó justifying righteousness, sanctifying righteousness, evidentiary righteousness and assuring righteousness.

 

 

Daily Readings for the Week of April 26-May 3

          Sunday                      2 Kings 13-14                                   Thursday                   2 Kings 23-24

          Monday                     2 Kings 15-17                                   Friday             2 Kings 25-1 Chronicles 2

            Tuesday                    2 Kings 18-19                                   Saturday                    1 Chronicles 3-5

          Wednesday  2 Kings 20-22                                   Sunday                      1 Chronicles 6-7

 

á      We are delighted to have Pastor Bruce Crabtree and his wife, Jo, with us today. Bro. Crabtree is pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in New Castle, Indiana. Our pastor is preaching today for Grace Fellowship Church in Hertfordshire, England, where Bro. Allan Jellet is pastor.

á      Bro. Larry Criss will bring the message here on Tuesday evening.

 

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Klaus & Ruth Peterson-4th Billy & Jayalita McCormack-14th

CHURCH CLEANING IN MAY: Lindsay & Diane Campbell

NURSERY DUTY THIS WEEK

Today: Vicci Rolley (AM) Celeste Peterson (PM) Tuesday: Jayalita McCormack

 

Christ Crucified — Don Fortner

(Tune: #355 From Every Stormy Wind That Blows)

 

1.    All glory to the bleeding Lamb,

Who bore our guilt, and sin, and shame;

For us He lived; for us He died, —

All praise to Jesus crucified!

 

2.    Mercy and justice in Him meet,

Salvation is in Him complete;

The law is fully satisfied

By Jesus Christ the crucified.

 

3.    A sight of Jesus crucified

Exalts free grace, and humbles pride;

In this we see eternal love,

And gain all blessings from above!

 

4.    Here, then, my trembling soul shall rest;

And hope to be forever blest,

Forever saved and glorified,

With Jesus Christ the crucified!

 

ÒThe only thing that can contain all fulness is absolute emptiness. If the vessel is not emptied the fullness will be wasted. God put all His fulness in Christ to fill empty vessels with His glory. There is no room for our ideas, traditions and self-righteousness. ÔFor in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in HimÕ (Colossians 2:9).Ó                                        — Pastor Darvin Pruitt

 

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ÒFree From the Law — O Happy Condition!Ó

Romans 8:2

 

 

In Christ every believer is totally free from the law. — ÒWe are not under the law, but under graceÓ (Romans 6:15). We are not justified (Romans 3:19-24), sanctified (Galatians 3:1-3), motivated (2 Corinthians 5:14), ruled (Titus 2:11-12), or glorified (Jude 24-25) by the law, but by grace.

 

The End of the Law

 

ÒChrist is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believethÓ (Romans 10: 4). — Do you ask what that means? It means that Christ is the fulfillment of the law, the satisfaction of the law and the termination of the law to all who believe on him unto life everlasting. It means that there is no righteousness to be had, of any kind, to any degree, by our own works of obedience to the law. The only way anyone can have righteousness before God is by faith in Christ. He is ÒTHE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSÓ (Jeremiah 23:6); and we are the righteousness of God in him (Jeremiah 33:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

 

Dead to the Law

 

ÒYe are become dead to the law by the body of ChristÓ (Romans 7:4). — Do you ask what that means? It means that if you are a believer, if Christ died for you, insofar as the law of God is concerned you are dead. It can make no demands upon you. It can require nothing from you. It can do nothing to you. If you and I are in Christ by faith, we have no covenant with the law, no curse from the law, and no commitment to the law.

 

Not Against the Law

 

Because we repeat PaulÕs frequently stated, inspired declaration that GodÕs people are Ònot under the law,Ó we are often denounced by prating legalists as people who are against the law; but those who make that accusation know that it is not true. God forbid! Every saved sinner delights in the law of God (Romans 7:22). It is the legalist, who pretends to keep the law, who is against the law. He lowers the standard of the law to the measure of his own obedience. Otherwise, he could find no comfort in his obedience. It is the legalist who is antinomian.

 

Necessary Dogmatism

 

Why are we so dogmatic in declaring the believerÕs freedom from the law, as it is set forth in the Scriptures? Let me give you three reasons for our dogmatism: First, the legalist would rob Christ of the glory of his grace, making some part of salvation dependent upon the works of the law. — Second, the legalist would rob the believer of the joy of faith; the joy of assurance and the joy of service to Christ, making assurance to be based upon obedience and service to Christ mercenary service. — Third, the legalist would rob the world of the hope of salvation, for if salvation requires any good work from sinners, then there is no hope.

 

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Law or Grace — You Cannot Have Both!

Galatians 5:4

 

Most religious people attempt to mix manÕs works of obedience to the law with GodÕs works of grace for sinners, making salvation a mixture of works and grace. Fallen men have been attempting to mix law and grace since the days of Cain and Abel. Very few are the blasphemers who openly assert, ÒSalvation is by works;Ó but almost everyone believes it. When salvation by GodÕs free grace alone is plainly declared, lost religionists cling to and defend their works, denouncing the one who dares to affirm that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone as a promoter of licentiousness and a vile antinomian, Yet, the truth must be declared in plain, unmistakable terms.

 

Mutually Exclusive

 

Grace and works are mutually exclusive. They annihilate one another. If we are saved by our own works in any way, to any degree, in whole or in part, then we are not saved by the grace of God. If we are saved by the grace of God alone, then we are not saved by our own works of obedience to the law of God (Romans 11:6). The doctrine of Holy Scripture is unmistakable. — The whole work of salvation (election, redemption, regeneration, sanctification, preservation and glorification) is by the grace of God alone (Romans 8:28-30; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 2:8-9}.

 

Heretical Doctrine

 

All churches, religions and systems of doctrine which teach salvation by the works of the law are heretical. I mean to be understood. I am saying that any teaching that says sinners are justified, given favor with God, sanctified, preserved, or shall inherit the reward of heavenly glory upon the basis of their own personal obedience to the law of God is legalism, anti-christ and damning to all who receive it (Galatians 5:1-4).

 

Sanctification Too

 

This gospel doctrine of salvation by grace alone does, most certainly, extend even to the believerÕs sanctification in Christ. To be sanctified is to be set apart by God for holy service, declared to be holy and actually made holy. If, as all agree, sanctification is that without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14), then sanctification can no more be a matter of works than justification. That is precisely what the Word of God declares. The Bible nowhere presents sanctification as a conditional thing, depending upon the believerÕs works. Like every other aspect of salvation, sanctification is an unconditional work of grace, performed for us and in us by the triune God (Jude 1, Hebrews 10:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). — ÒBy grace ye are saved!Ó — ÒSalvation is of the Lord!Ó

 

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Grace Bulletin

 

April 26, 2009

 

Grace Baptist Church of Danville

2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438

Telephone (859) 236-8235 - E-Mail don@donfortner.com

 

Donald S. Fortner, Pastor

 

Schedule of Regular Services

 

Sunday

10:00 A.M. Bible Classes

10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service

6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service

 

Tuesday

7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service

 

 

Television Broadcasts in Danville

 

Channel 6 - Sunday Morning 8:00 A.M.

Channel 6 - Wednesday Evening 6:00 P.M.

Channel 6 - Friday Evening 7:00 P.M.

 

Web Pages

http://www.donfortner.com

http://www.freegraceradio.com

http://www.sovereign-grace.com/gracechurch.htm

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

Listen to sermons at FreeGraceRadio.com