February 12, 2017
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
MEETING LOCATION
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
MAILING ADDRESS:
7 Birch Street
Pennington, NJ, 08538
Schedule of Services
Sunday 10: 15 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11:00 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7: 30 PM Midweek Service
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NURSERY
We have a nursery equipped with a digital flat screen television broadcasting all services live, for children four and under.
All articles by the pastor unless otherwise noted.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: watch videos of our full services—click here.
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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS
Proverbs 3: 13: Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. 14: For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. 15: She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. 16: Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. 17: Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. 18: She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. 19: The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20: By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. 21: My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 23: Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. 24: When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25: Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. 26: For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
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WHAT, THEN, IS THE NEW BIRTH?
What, then, is the new birth? It is not the removal of anything from the sinner nor the changing of anything physical or fleshly in the sinner; instead, it is the communication of SOMETHING NEW to the sinner. The new birth is the impartation of a NEW NATURE. When we were bom the first time, we received from our parents their nature; so when we are born again, we receive from God His nature. The Spirit of God begets within us a spiritual nature (Gal. 5:17; 2 Peter 1:4). That which is born of man is human; that which is born of God is divine and spiritual. (Jn 3: 6) Nicodemus was startled. He was amazed at the Saviour's words. Yet he ought not to have been. Man by birth and nature is blind and opposed to the things of God. No amount of religious training can change this evil nature. His chief need is a NEW NATURE, or to be BORN AGAIN. It is a must! A man must have a spiritual nature before he can understand, enter, or enjoy the kingdom of God.
Pastor Henry Mahan
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“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Tim 3: 16)
These things are a mystery to every believer. When we speak of the amazing things God is able to perform in the salvation of his people as a “mystery”, it does not mean that we believe and preach mysticism. It simply means these things are incomprehensible in their fullness to finite creatures as we are. As Robert Hawker so aptly put it “being above the present unripe faculties of the human mind to reach.” But never forget, what is impossible with men to even comprehend, is most assuredly possible with God to perform. Therefore, when scripture declares “faith is the evidence of things not seen” it means faith is the evidence, not only of things not seen with the eye, but also of things that we cannot fully comprehended with our finite understanding. This is one of the reasons God saves through faith, “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.” (1 Cor 1: 5)
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IMPUTATION ACCOUNTS FACT
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;” (2Pe 3:15)
The Holy Spirit shows us exactly how God imputes when the Spirit of God exhorts a believer to impute. Here the Spirit of God says “account [impute] the longsuffering of our LORD salvation.” He says impute the longsuffering of our LORD salvation because the longsuffering of our LORD is salvation. Likewise, God imputes to a person what they are.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit moved Paul to use the most emphatic language when he says to everyone who believes on Christ, “Reckon [impute] ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” He says impute yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin because all who were in Christ have been made dead indeed unto sin when Christ died—for “in that he died, he died unto sin once.” The Spirit of God says impute yourselves to be alive indeed unto God because all who were in Christ when he arose were made alive indeed—for “in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.”
Believer, this gives us the greatest reason to rejoice. Impute that Christ died unto sin once, because it is fact. Impute Christ is alive unto God because it is fact. This is why the Spirit says to us with such emphasis, “Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom 6: 9-11)—because that is how God imputes. God only imputes a person what they are. God will not impute sin to the believer because Christ put it away. God imputes righteousness to us because Christ made us so. (Heb 1: 3; Rom 5: 19; 2 Cor 5: 21) Imputation accounts fact not supposition.
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HONOR GOD—Part 5 of 5
1 Samuel 2: 30…them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
God our Father is a faithful, loving Father. He always rebukes his sons and daughters when they need it. He sent a man to Eli to speak the word of the LORD. (1 Sam 2: 27) Seeing that God used a man to rebuke Eli, the next time we hear a man speak the word of God and are rebuked, us let us consider that the man may be sent of God; it may be the voice of the LORD speaking to us. And if rebuked, remember the Lord only rebukes those he loves as children. (Heb 12: 5-7)
God rebuked Eli by reminding him it was with plainness that God appeared unto his father and made him high priest. (1 Sam 2: 27) Brethren, remember, God plainly appeared to our fathers through the gospel. He used them to bring us the gospel plainly. So let us honor God by speaking the truth plainly.
God rebuked Eli by reminding him that Eli was a priest by God’s choice (1 Sam 2: 28) Brethren, it is only by God choosing our everlasting Father, Jesus Christ, and choosing us in Christ, that we are made priests unto God. Let us honor God by declaring the truth that Christ is our High Priest who makes all his people a royal priesthood by his work for us, and in us, according to God’s sovereign choice.
God rebuked Eli by reminding him that it was because God gave his father all the offerings made by fire that Eli had access to God. (1 Sam 2: 28) Brethren, God gave the work of redemption to Christ who is the Offering of God, our Righteousness, our only access to God. Let us honor God by declaring Christ and his finished work by whom alone we have access into God’s presence. (Heb 10: 19-23)
The greatest part of God’s rebuke came when God told Eli that he and his sons had trampled underfoot God’s sacrifice and offering. (1 Sam 2: 29) Let us honor God by never holding back the truth of Christ for to do is to reject Christ. (Heb 10: 29)
Do you see how God rebuked Eli with the very gospel with which Eli should have rebuked his sons? It is the gospel of Christ that rebukes. Since he honored his sons and despised God, God brought judgment upon Eli’s house. (1 Sam 2: 35) Both Eli’s sons were cut off by God, his house was diminished to nothing and God raised up a faithful High Priest. Historically that high priest was Zadok. But spiritually that High Priest is Christ by whose faithfulness God’s elect are saved with an everlasting salvation. God lightly esteemed Eli. But if Eli was under the blood of Christ it did not change God’s promise of salvation in Christ to Eli. But by honoring his children rather God, Eli brought this judgment upon his house in this earth.
Brethren, honor God by giving God all the glory for saving us by his grace (1 Cor 15: 10), by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22-24), by confessing your sin and glorifying God’s justice (Ps. 51:1-4), by submitting to the rule of Christ as your Lord (Phil. 2:9-11), by trusting his unerring providence (Rom. 8:28-32), by extolling his greatness (Ps. 30:1; 68:4; 145:1; Dan. 4:37), by rejoicing in the Lord alone (Phil 4:4), by consecrating yourself to him alone (Luke 14:26), by obeying his word alone (Pro. 3:5-6), by honoring him with your substance (Pro. 3:9; Mal. 3:8-14), by loving your brethren (I John 3:23), and do all this by promoting his honor in the world to everyone to whom you speak. God says, “them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.