June 17, 2012
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST
CHURCH
LOCATION
Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2nd
Floor
150 Washington Street
Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
The witness of the senses only
confuses those who would walk by faith. Charles Spurgeon
TWO NATURES
The eternally begotten Son of God
necessarily from eternity possesses the divine nature – that of His Father.
When the Son of God in His incarnation became Son of Man, He received the human
nature (but not its Adamic sin). He did not cease to be the Son of God. Nor did
He become devoid of the divine nature. Nor was the divine nature changed into
the human nature. Rather, He remained one person but now had two natures: the
divine nature as the Son of God, and the human nature as the Son of Man.
Likewise, naturally begotten sons of
men necessarily from birth possess the human nature – that of their fathers.
When sons of men in their regeneration become sons of God, they receive the
divine nature (but not its essential deity). They do not cease to be sons of men.
Nor do they become devoid of the human nature. Nor is the human nature changed
into the divine nature. Rather, they remain one person but now have two
natures: the human nature as sons of men, and the divine nature as sons of God.
This is the state of all who have
become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). They now have within
their one person two natures: both “the old man which grows corrupt according
to the deceitful lusts” and “the new man which was created according to God, in
true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22, 24). These two natures in man
are in constant conflict with each other (Romans 7:15-25) – for the old nature
can do nothing but sin, and the new nature can do nothing but righteousness.
But the child of God delights in knowing that in the sight of God “Whoever has
been born of God does not sin, for His seed [the divine nature] remains in him;
and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1John 3:9). Daniel Parks
GIVING ALL DILIGENCE
2 Peter 1: 5-15
By the power of God through the knowledge
and righteousness of God our Savior Christ Jesus the believer has been born
again and given all things that pertain to life and godliness: faith, grace, peace,
exceeding great and precious promises. (Heb 10: 15-17; 2 Cor 5: 21; Col
1:21-22; Eph 2: 19; Ro 8: 28; Is 33: 16; Jn 6: 54; Ro 8: 17-18; 1 Jn 3: 2; 1
Cor 15: 52-57; Rev 3: 21; 2 Cor 1: 20) Christ
has been formed in us by the Holy Spirit making us partakers of the divine nature,
delivered from the corruption that is in the world through lusts, translated from
the power of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. (2 Pet 1: 1-4) “And beside
this, giving all diligence add to your faith…” (2 Pet 1: 5-7)
Add Virtue
God given virtue is inward grace
which causes the child of God to seek to “adorn the doctrine of God in all
things.” (Tit 2: 10; Is 43: 21) Natural man’s moral virtue is of man and
changes like fads from generation to generation, place to place. (Jam 3: 15)
God grown virtue is the unchanging fruit of the Spirit given and grown through God’s
gospel and grace. (Jam 1: 17; Phil 4: 8)
Add Knowledge
Knowledge is found in Christ and
taught us by Christ (Col 2: 3; 2 Pet 3: 8) If you are risen with Christ then
set your affection on Christ above, not on things of this earth. (Col 3: 1-4) Seek Christ, the fountain from whom grace and
knowledge are freely given. (Heb 11: 6) “Of his fullness have we all received
grace for grace.” (Jn 1: 16)
Add Temperance
By the indwelling of the Spirit of
God the sinful nature no longer rules. (Ro 6: 14) But though our fleshly lusts
do not reign there is still in every born again child of God a warfare between the
old man and the new. (Ro 7: 15-25; Gal 5: 17) Put off the old man with his
deeds by sowing to the Spirit, not the flesh. (Gal 5: 16; 6: 8; Eph 2: 22-24) We have liberty but not liberty to cause our
brethren to stumble. Seek the other’s welfare
over our own belly. (1 Co 6: 12; 10: 23)
Add Patience
Patience of the Spirit is more than the
ability to stay calm in a traffic jam.
It is patience to wait on God, enduring hardness, continuing in faith rather
than taking the path of least resistance.
The stony ground hearer “receives the word with gladness, but has no
root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or
persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.” (Mt
13: 21) Only God can give the increase. God promises, “I will pour water upon
him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground.” “Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. (Jam 5: 7-8; Ro 8: 25; Jam 1: 2-4, 12)
Add Godliness
Godliness is fear, reverence,
delight, and singleness of heart toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ justified his elect and made us the
righteousness of God by becoming the least. Let this mind be in you. (Php 2:
5-11) The more we realize how truly Christ
Jesus is ever present in the midst of his people and able to work in each of
his children “both to will and to do his good pleasure” then the more we learn
to be content, thankful, submitting and casting all care into his hands with
fear and trembling as we work out even our most mundane daily business together
(Php 2:12-13)
Add Brotherly Kindness and Love
The love of God created in the divine
nature of the believer is after the same nature as the love of God. God loved his children without any cause in
us and put away our sin (1 Jn 4: 10-11) Growing in brotherly love is growing to
love without looking for a cause in our brother while overlooking and covering
our brother’s weaknesses and flaws. (1 Co 13: 4-8) The more we learn the truth that God loved us
when we were enemies, the more charitable we will be to those who are yet
enemies in their minds.
Fruitful in Christ
“If these things be in you, and
abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet 1: 8) God ministered grace to us when he chose us
and became our Surety from eternity, when he came and fulfilled the law and redeemed
us from all iniquity by his own blood, when he sent the gospel and Spirit to us
in truth making us alive forevermore and gave us these graces. Our Head ministers to us so that these graces
increase with the increase of God. (Col 2: 19) His grace makes us give all diligence.
(2 Pet 1: 12-13)