November
3, 2013
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
Order of service, announcements, nursery schedule, etc.,
are in attachment. All articles in the bulletin
are by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
Universal redemption, the notion that
the Son of God died to redeem those who are forever lost in hell, is the
greatest blasphemy hell ever invented. It declares that God is unjust,
punishing sin twice, once in His Son and then in the sinner. It asserts that
man is his own Savior, declaring that the blood of Christ, the will of God, and
the grace of God are made effectual by man’s will. It asserts that the Lord
Jesus Christ is a frustrated failure, unable to save the people for whom He
died. Universal redemption is an utter denial of the very Deity of our Lord
Jesus Christ! It must not be tolerated! Don Fortner
*******
ALLEGORY OF LAW AND
GRACE
Galatians 4: 21-30; 5:1
Many who
profess faith in Christ also believe that they must do their part by adding their
law keeping to Christ’s work. Those who were bewitching the Galatians were
teaching just that. They were not openly
denying that salvation is by Christ Jesus, they were doing so by adding to the
finished work of Christ by claiming it was necessary for the Galatians
believers to be under the law. Yet, God
only receives those that he has made righteous through faith in his Son who
fulfilled the law for them. God declares
this through Paul by using an allegory. An allegory is a story in which the
characters symbolize other things.
Two Wives Represent Two Covenants
Abraham’s two
wives represent the two covenants. (Gal 4: 22-26) A covenant is a contract
between two or more parties in which certain promises are made if certain
conditions are fulfilled. God only deals
with sinners upon the basis of covenant.
The two covenants in scripture are the covenant of works and the
everlasting covenant of grace.
Sara represents the everlasting covenant of grace. Before
making the world, God entered into covenant between the three persons in the
Godhead. The covenant of grace is not dependent upon the sinner. The work of fulfilling the law for an elect
people, the work of redeeming them from the curse of the law by justifying them
from their sins through his death, was put in the hands of Christ before the
world was made. God the Father promised to glorify Christ and give him a name
above every name as well as give him those for whom he died by Holy Spirit
regeneration. Sara was Abraham's first wife like the everlasting covenant was
the first covenant; Sara was the freewoman like the everlasting covenant is a
covenant of free grace. God promised a
seed, Isaac, through Sara, picturing Christ the promised Seed who came through
the covenant of grace (Gal 3: 16; Heb 7:22)
This better covenant is the covenant wherein God wrote the names of all his
elect in the Lamb’s book of life, wherein Christ became the Lamb slain before
the foundation of the world by becoming Surety for his people, wherein God’s
elect we were blessed with all spiritual blessings. (Rev 13:8; Eph 1: 3-4; Rom 8:
29-34) This covenant is
made to the child of grace when the Holy Spirit regenerates them and gives them
faith in Christ.
Hagar represents
the covenant of works. (v24) The covenant of works is the covenant God made with the
children of Israel at Mt. Sinai. It said, "This do and live." Therefore,
the covenant of works genders to bondage. When taught of God, it shows God's
true children the magnitude of our sins in Adam’s one transgression in the
garden and pronounces us guilty. (Rom 5: 20; 3: 19-20) Just as Sara remained
Abraham’s first wife even though Hagar entered in, so the everlasting covenant
of grace stood ordered and sure in Christ, even when the covenant of works
entered in. (Gal 3: 15-18) Just as Hagar was a handmaid serving Sara, the
covenant of works was a handmaid to the covenant of grace to bring God’s true
children to see our sin and need of grace, to shut us up to faith in
Christ. After God gives us that faith we
are no longer under the law but under grace. (Gal 3: 13-14; 21-29; 4: 3-5)
Two Wives Represent Two
Kinds of Religion
Hagar
represents works religion. (v25) Sinners
are not justified, sanctified, preserved, or entitled to heaven on the basis of
law. Just as Mount Sinai in Arabia is outside the land of promise so works
religion is a religion outside the true church of God. Like Paul says that
those in earthly Jerusalem are still serving earthly, dead-letter religion so
is works religion. It claims faith in Christ yet tries to add law-keeping and
good works to Christ’s finished work. Works religion is in bondage to sin,
satan, law and death.
Sara represents the true church of God which is the
mother of all true believers (v26) Jerusalem which is above is true, heavenly
Jerusalem, which is the church of the Firstborn written in heaven. (Heb 12:
18-29)
Two Sons Represent Two
Kinds of People in Religion
Ishmael represents a person only born of flesh who is
trusting in his will and his works. He
was born by a bondmaid, after the flesh.
This is the way all sinners are born into this world the first time: of
the flesh, in the bondage of sin and unbelief.
Ishmael represents the dead fruit produced by the religious works of
men’s hands. He was the fruit of Abraham looking to his wisdom and work rather
than believing God.
Isaac represents the true believer
born again of the Holy Spirit. He
was born of the freewoman, by promise.
This is the way God’s sons of promise are born a second time, of the
Spirit, into freedom. (Gal 4: 6-11; 2 Thess 2:13-14)
Ishmael mocked
and persecuted Isaac. (Gal 4: 29) Likewise, those who trust in their works
persecute the true children of God. (Gal 6: 12-16) But Hagar was cast out, as well as her
son. So shall it be for those who attempt to come to God by their law-keeping
or their good works. Those who think they are justified or sanctified by the
law are yet under the curse. Believers,
worship God in Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the
flesh. (Phil 3:3) We are motivated, not by law, but by the grace of God and the
love of Christ. (Rom 10: 4) We are free because we have been saved by free
grace and shall never be forsaken. (Is 54: 1; Gal 4: 27; Is 54: 4-5, 17)
If you have
been born of God and trust that Christ is your only righteousness then stand
fast in that liberty. Be not entangled
again with the yoke of bondage. If you
attempt to come to God by even one law then you are a debtor to keep the whole
law and Christ is become of no effect unto you.
Believers, through the Spirit, wait for the hope of righteous through faith.
The rule we are under is, not law, but faith which works by love, just as Abel,
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who never even had the law of Mt. Sinai.
(Gal 5: 1-6)