February 13, 2011
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 AM Bible Class
Sunday 11 AM Morning Service
Thursday 7 PM Midweek Service
Facts about the Election of Grace
Henry Mahan
Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance (I Thessalonians 1: 4-5)
An election which does not lead a person to believe the gospel, confess in his heart, confess Christ in baptism, and identify whole heartedly with the Lord’s church is not the election of grace.
Election which does not give a person a new birth, a new heart, a new nature to love Christ, to love one another and to live and express that love daily is not the election of grace.
An election which does not result in a new walk, a new attitude, a new spirit of unity and fellowship is not the election of grace.
An election which does not make a person generous toward others, liberal in his support of the gospel ministry, liberal toward his house and other families and who had not learned that it is more blessed to give than to receive, is not the election of grace.
An election which does not (in time) produce these fruits of the Spirit, a growth in grace, the knowledge of Christ, which delivers a person from a covetous spirit, the vanity of the flesh and the pride of self is not the election of grace.
There was a time when only God knew we were His elect! There came a time when we knew that we were elected by God! There comes a time when others know that we are His elect!
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Follow Peace and Holiness with All
Hebrews 12:14: Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
When we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, we are brought into submission to God the Father by being brought to believe and obey God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been made to rejoice that the glory belongs to Christ to bring the gospel to his elect, to send forth the Spirit, to purge the conscious from the dead works by which we thought we could make ourselves and others holy. The peaceable fruit yielded by the Lord’s chastening is that he turns his children from our former vain way and makes us partakers of his holiness. Though we often grow weary, the Spirit in us makes us willing so that as much as in us is we endeavor to follow peace with all and to suffer quietly when others reject the truth that by Christ's one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. As he keeps us by his power, we grow to know more and more by experience, that if any sinner is made a partaker of his holiness, and kept, so as to be presented without spot to God, it will be because the glory belongs to Christ, not us, to sanctify his children in their hearts by the Spirit through the washing of the water by the word. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (1 Peter 1: 13-16).
“A sinner can not love his enemies until he has experienced God’s love to him as enemy toward God”—Darvin Pruitt
GRACE FOR THIS DAY
Matthew 6: 34: Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Believer, are you anxious about tomorrow? Do the thoughts of next week and next month and the end of the year cause your mind to become weighted down with anxiety? Listen to the words of your Master. He says, "Take no thought for tomorrow". He tells us not to add tomorrow's cares to the cares of today. We have sufficient evil in this day without adding tomorrows care to it. The question is not "what if that or this happens tomorrow?" the question is "how will you get through today?" The answer is God's grace is sufficient for this day. Sufficient to overcome the evil of this day is the grace of God which shall be given you today. You do not need grace for tomorrow only grace for today. "It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23). Do you believe God or not? Believing the Lord is the cure for anxiety. Do not deprive yourself of rejoicing in what God has provided you today by worrying about tomorrow which has not even come yet. Lord teach us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." And Lord teach us to be content with such things as you have given today.
SERMONS
After clicking on the following sermon links you will go to sermon notes where you will find an option at the top of the page to access the audio.
Run to Win
Perfect Obedience
The Sufferings and Glory of Christ
ARTICLES
Useless Care
God Clothes Wildflowers
Your Heavenly Father Knoweth
The Kingdom of God and His Righteousness