SHREVEPORT GRACE CHURCH
2970 Baird Rd., Shreveport, LA 71118
CHRIST ALONE-SCRIPTURE ALONE-GRACE ALONE
AUGUST 26 , 2007
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORSHIP
SUNDAY
Scripture Reading/Prayer: Psalm 61 (Mike)
Call to Worship: ‘Hail Sovereign Love’
Scripture Reading/Prayer: 2 Corinthians 2 (David)
Hymn: # 127-‘Hallelujah, What a Savior!’
Message: GOD’S ORDER OF SALVATION- Romans 8:28-39
Hymn: # 272- ‘The Solid Rock’
THE LORD’S TABLE
Closing Hymn: # 509- ‘The Sands of Time are Sinking’
FELLOWSHIP MEAL – 12:30PM
Everyone invited to stay for a carry-in meal
WEDNESDAY
7:00 PM- Mid-week Service
Nursery care available for all services for ages 4 and younger
Ken Wimer, Pastor- ( (318) 687-4943
E-MAIL: pastor@shrevegrace.org
WEB SITE: http://www.shrevegrace.org Updated weekly with audio messages now available on-line.
RADIO BROADCASTS: 9:00 AM (CST) Sunday on KWKH, 1130 AM, Shreveport, LA or live streaming at http://www.am1130thefan.com/pages/listen_live.html
CALL TO WORSHIP
(Tune: # 142- ‘Jesus Shall Reign’)
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ail, sovereign love, that first began
The scheme to rescue fallen man!
Hail, matchless, free, eternal grace,
That gave my soul a hiding place.
Against the God who rules the sky
I fought with hand uplifted high;
Despised the mention of His grace,
Too proud to seek a hiding place.
But thus th’Eternal counsel ran:
“Almighty love, arrest that man!”
I felt the arrows of distress,
And found I had no hiding place.
Indignant Justice stood in view:
To Sinai’s fiery mount I flew;
But Justice cried, with frowning face,
“This mountain is no hiding place!”
Ere long a heavenly voice I heard,
And Mercy’s angel-form appeared:
She led me on, with placid pace,
To Jesus, as my Hiding place
On Him Almighty vengeance fell,
That must have sunk a world to hell;
He bore it for a chosen race,
And thus became their hiding place.
A few more rolling suns, at most,
Will land me on fair Heaven’s coast,
Where I shall sing the song of grace,
And see my glorious Hiding place.
CHRIST’S DEATH- An Accomplishment!
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hrist’s death at Calvary was not an attempt to justify sinners if they fulfilled certain conditions, but the actual justification of all of God’s elect by way of satisfaction. God required eternal condemnation and death of all those who sinned, including God’s elect. In the Person of His Son at Calvary, God the Father received perfect satisfaction. ‘The soul that sinneth, IT SHALL DIE,’ Ezekiel 18:20a. When the Lord Jesus cried, ‘IT IS FINISHED,’ He alone drank damnation dry for each and every one of His elect, obtaining for them complete justification. Not one for whom Christ died at Calvary can perish because they have been made ‘the righteousness of God in Him.’ RICHARD WARMACK-Ruston, LA
THE FLESH VS. THE SPIRIT
‘The flesh lusteth against the Spirit,’ Galatians 5:17
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or millenniums, debates have raged over the struggle that takes place within the regenerated child of God, and the origin of this conflict. There are basically three points of view. First, are those who believe that the struggle is a result of the Spirit slowly transforming the flesh into greater degrees of perfection. Next, are those who contend that the flesh is ever sinful and therefore cannot change, but that what is created in the sinner is a whole new, sinless nature along side that is just as holy as God. Finally, is what the Scriptures teach- that what is given to the elect child of God is the very Spirit of God to indwell him or her, as an earnest of their final redemption of the body, and their glorification, when in the resurrection the body, soul, and spirit are made sinless like Christ, Ephesians 1:14.
This is the language of Scripture, plain and simple. The flesh lusteth [literally to continually turn against] the Spirit. It is not the Spirit’s work to transform the flesh, but rather to rule over it and direct it to submit to the righteousness of God in Christ. Scripture nowhere teaches that the flesh is in anyway transformed, or that it is progressively becoming holier, Romans 8:7. It will not, and cannot change, being sinful and depraved from the beginning. Nor does the Scripture teach that some new sinless nature is created within the sinner, but rather, it is the Spirit of God Himself that indwells the elect child of God, according to Christ’s promise in John 14:17. The flesh wars against the Spirit, but the Spirit also contends against the flesh, and invincibly directs the heart and mind of the sinner to Christ. As someone once put it, ‘The Spirit brings the sinner irresistibly against his will, to bow to Christ.’
O! How the regenerated sinner knows the awful effects of sin. It is because of the Spirit of God in him that he cannot put any confidence in the flesh, but rejoices in Christ Jesus alone and His redeeming blood and justifying righteousness for salvation, Philippians 3:3. The regenerated sinner knows that he has no other righteousness than that charged to Him in the death of the Lord Jesus. None will ever say that they have ever believed, loved, or walked in a perfect manner, even for a moment. If there were a sinless nature created in you, wouldn’t you expect that you would? The reality is that it is the Spirit of God in you that is holy, sinless, and pure, but as for our own mind, will, and affection, they are wholly given over to sin, so that you cannot do the things that you would, Gal. 5:17. The more we are taught of the Spirit, the more we feel the sinfulness of the flesh, and the more we rest only in Christ’s blood and righteousness imputed in His death at Calvary. It is the Spirit’s work to make us know the wickedness of our flesh, but also the absolute glory of Christ as the Substitute and Satisfaction for sin, and to look to Him as our ONLY and PERFECT righteousness! KEN WIMER
FAITH, FAITH, AND FAITH
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he title of this article may sound ridiculous, but if we consider the meaning of ‘faith’ in the Scriptures, it makes perfect sense. First, ‘faith’ refers to the faithfulness of Christ to fulfill all the conditions of the covenant of redemption by His obedience unto death on the cross. This is the ground of our salvation as Christ, by Himself, but for God’s elect, redeemed and justified us, when HE put away our sins at Calvary- Romans 3:1ff, 19ff; Galatians 2:16-20; 3:22; Philippians 3:7-9.
Next, ‘faith’ can also describe the Gospel, the body of truth and doctrine that communicates the message of Christ and Him crucified in the preaching of the Word- Romans 10:17; Ephesians 4:4,5,11-13; Acts 6:7; 14:22; 16:5; Romans 1:1-5.
Finally, ‘faith’ refers to the gift of faith given by God to His elect, by the Holy Spirit in the new birth, by which we come to believe in Christ, repent of dead works, and trust in Him for our whole salvation- Mark 16:15,16; Acts 16:31; 1 John 3:23. All three of these are necessary in the salvation of a sinner, but not for the same reason.
· ‘The faith OF Christ’ is the ground of our salvation.
· ‘The faith of the Gospel’ is the revelation of salvation.
· ‘Faith IN Christ’ is the fruit of salvation and the means by which we lay hold of Christ.
All of these meanings of faith were described by our Lord. He said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,” John 8:32. He also said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by ME,’ John 14:6. It is written in Romans 6:17-18, ‘…but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” BILL PARKER- Ashland, KY