August 12, 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 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
NATURE OF GRACE
Isaiah 45: 8
Christ has come, finished the work of
delivering his people from our sins and ascended to the Father that he might fill all things. (Eph 4: 8, 10; Col 1: 19; Jn 1: 16) In
this verse, we see an analogy of how the Lord gives the command, regenerating
his child from death to spiritual life, creating them anew. The analogy is of the nature
of rain coming down into the earth causing life to spring up thereby. (Hos 12:
10) The nature of grace includes three
commands and a declaration.
First Command: Let the Skies Pour Down Righteousness
Dew and rain are often used as an
emblem of the Word of the gospel and of the Holy Spirit’s power working in the
hearts of God's people. (Is 44: 3; De 32: 2)
Just as all life in the earth depends upon the LORD dropping down dew
and pouring down rain from heaven so all spiritual life depends upon his
blessing from above. (Jn 7: 37) Each elect child of God is born into this world
like a dry field without life, without anything spiritually good, without
spiritual understanding. Our Sovereign
Savior sends his doctrine. He sends
forth the Holy Spirit. Christ Jesus, the
Righteousness of his people, descends in the doctrine by the Holy Spirit and is
formed in his child, “as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto
the earth.” (Hos 6:3) Like the dew and rain, the Holy Spirit’s work in our
hearts through the gospel of Christ falls independent of the power and will of
the creature. Spiritual life comes at the LORD’s command, not mans; by God’s
grace, not by man’s merit; from the Lord above, not from man below. He
commands, “drop down ye heavens from above and let the skies pour down
righteousness.”
Second
Command: Let the Earth Open
The earth is a spiritual
representation of the heart of man. (Is 45: 9) Adam was formed out of the dust hence his name is “red”. Before
God breathed life into Adam he was a lifeless lump of clay. So every sinner in trespasses and in sins is
dead. We cry as we preach the gospel, “O
earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.” (Jer 22: 29) Yet,
sinners are as unable to bring forth life as the earth was unable of itself to
bring forth life until God gave the command. But when the LORD speaks the effect
follows, “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding
seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is
in itself, upon the earth: AND IT WAS SO.” (Gen 1: 11) When the Lord says “Let
the earth open” immediately the heart opens just as Lydia, “whose heart the
Lord opened.” (Acts 16: 14) By the
Spirit of God the rain of righteousness penetrates to the very roots of the
soul creating life and light where there was only death and darkness. (Ps 119:
130; Rom. 9:16)
Third Command: Let Them Bring Forth Salvation and Let Righteousness
Spring Up Together
When Christ our Salvation enters in, from
the womb of the morning a saved child springs up like a tender plant out of dry
ground. Christ our Righteousness is formed in us and like parched earth
drinking up the rain God causes us to drink of Christ’s fullness. His rain of grace makes faith, hope and love
to spring forth in life like thriving tulips spring forth in the beams of the
sun after the bulb lay lifeless from fall through the dark cold of winter. Righteousness
springs up together. There are two kinds
of righteousness which spring up together: Christ’s righteousness imputed and
Christ’s righteousness imparted. Christ righteousness imputed is our justification.
(Rom 4: 3-7) Christ righteousness imparted
makes us born again new creatures. (Eph 4: 24) This righteousness “springing up
together” is one righteousness by and in Christ alone. But it may be described as “springing up
together” because now the believer is made one in righteousness together with
Christ our Righteousness. This is the
righteousness the Lord described when he said, "Except your righteousness
shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no
case enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt. 5:20; Ps 45: 13)
The Declaration: I the LORD Have Created It
The Lord plucks up all the weeds of
our vain boasting with this declaration—I the LORD have created it! We are his workmanship, the Lord has created
us and not we ourselves. When the LORD
has revealed in our heart that he is Christ our Righteousness and the great
Husbandman who commanded the skies pour down righteousness, who commanded the
opening of our hearts, who commanded salvation be brought forth in the
conscience and righteousness spring up together in oneness with him then of God
is Christ made unto us, “wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption.” Then those who are the planting of the Lord boast
in complete agreement with God, “The Lord has created it.” (Is 45: 24-25; James
5: 7)
*******
To be saved is to be loved and chosen
by God, justified in Christ, born again by the Holy Spirit, pardoned of all
wrong doing, received into the family of God, accepted in the beloved. If I am saved, I am an heir of God, joint
heir with Christ. If I have salvation, I
have all wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption in Christ.
Milton Howard is pastor of Kitchen’s
Creek Baptist Church in Ball, Louisiana.