January 14, 2018
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
?-----------------------------?
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: The videos are now listed as individual
sermons, as well as full services—click here.
?-----------------------------?
SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS
Proverbs 10: 23: It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of
understanding hath wisdom.
?-----------------------------?
TWO NATURES IN ONE PERSON
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”
(1 John 3:9).
Pastor Daniel E Parks
?-----------------------------?
Blessed and holy is he that hath part
in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they
shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand
years. (Revelation 20:6)
This is the Revelation of God to us
who believe on Christ: Blessed and Holy is He that hath part in the first
Resurrection! Have you a part in this first resurrection? Are you
made Holy and Blessed by your union with Jesus Christ as your representative
man? (Ephesians 1:4-6; 1 Corinthians 1:30) Have you any part in the new
birth by which we receive the holy nature of Jesus Christ and are cleansed by
His blood? (John 3:6-8; 5:25-29; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 9:22) Then
Happy are you for you will never die and the second death has no power over
you! Rejoice in the very teeth of your trials for no power can harm you that is
not ordained of God for your good and His glory. No power of hell, no
will of man, nor circumstance of time can ever separate you from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus. May the Holy Spirit comfort us with these
blessed revelations of His Holy Immutable and Sovereign word. Pastor Fred
Evans
?-----------------------------?
When our transgressions were laid on
Christ, made his, and borne by him, when he carried them all away in the stream
of his precious blood, he made satisfaction for us. Thus, the Christ of God
finished our transgressions (Daniel 9:24). They shall never be seen or brought
up again! Pastor Don Fortner
?-----------------------------?
Believer, you will find great comfort
reading the Apostle Paul’s statements in the first person applying them to
yourself. Notice, it is not “as if” but fact. “I am crucified with Christ.” (Gal 2: 20) “[My] old man is crucified
with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed.” (Rom 6:6) “The law of the
Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”
(Rom 8: 2) “I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” (Gal 2: 20) “[I am]
dead, and [my] life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is [my] life shall
appear, then shall [I] also appear with him in glory.” (Col 3: 3-4)
?-----------------------------?
CHRIST IN THE MOLTEN SEA
2
Chronicles 4: 2: Also he made a
molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits
the height thereof; and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about. 3: And under it was the similitude of oxen, which did
compass it round about: ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two
rows of oxen were cast, when it
was cast. 4: It stood upon
twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west,
and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east: and the
sea was set above upon them,
and all their hinder parts were
inward. 5: And the thickness of
it was an handbreadth, and the
brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and it received and held three
thousand baths. 6: He made also
ten lavers, and put five on the right hand, and five on the left, to wash in
them: such things as they offered for the burnt offering they washed in them;
but the sea was for the priests
to wash in…10: And he set the sea on the right side of the east end, over
against the south.
In this piece of furniture in
Solomon’s temple we are reminded that nothing in Gods’ word is useless. All is
given by God to bring glory to his Son in the salvation of his people. This
should make us pay attention to every word of the gospel and seek Christ while
he may be found. Now, let us behold Christ in this massive brass laver.
Christ in the Molten Sea. After the fall, God cast Adam out of
the garden eastward. Therefore, typifying
the only entrance back into God’s presence, this molten brass laver filled with
water was the first thing you came to as you entered the priest’s entrance into
the temple from the east. This laver was only for the priests. They must wash
in it in order to approach God in his temple. Christ alone makes his
people priests unto God. We must have our sins washed away in Christ blood before
we can approach holy God in his holy, heavenly temple. (Eph 5: 25-27; Rev 1:
5-6; Heb 10: 19-23)
Christ in the Oxen. The Holy Spirit declares that oxen typify gospel
preachers. (1 Cor 9: 9-10) The foundation of this massive laver “stood upon twelve oxen” which faced
every direction. (v4) Every believer is founded upon the Lord Jesus and his twelve
apostles because the gospel of Christ’s sin-cleansing blood went forth into all
the world through them. (Eph 2: 20) “And
under it was the similitude of oxen, which did compass it round about.” (v3)
Under the brim near the top were 600 lesser oxen, all one with each other, all one
with the oxen in the foundation, and all shaped like fertile eggs. Christ
continues providing preachers, lesser than his apostles but fellow laborers
with them and with one another. They preach the same fertile, incorruptible
seed by which Christ’s people are born anew. Christ is the one who sends them,
the one who gives them the message, the one message they proclaim and the one
who makes the word effectual in our heart. (1 Cor 3: 6)
Christ in the Details. This laver was a solid piece of brass
seventeen and a half feet in diameter, eight and three-fourths feet deep, with
a circumference of fifty two and half feet. It held three thousand baths or 27,
500 gallons of water. In Christ is “plenteous
redemption” and “grace abounding.” (Ps 130: 7; Rom 5: 20-21) This laver
was made of brass heated until melted. As Christ was made a curse for us under
the fire of God’s wrath, he said, “My
heart…is melted in the midst of my bowels.” (Ps 22: 14) This laver was a
handbreadth thick, the width of four fingers. Having reconciled us to God, our
salvation is solid and sure in Christ. This
laver weighed around thirty tons. The weight of redemption was heavy but the
government is upon Christ shoulder so he bore God’s justice until full
satisfaction was made. The brim of this laver was “as a cup” that you drink from. Christ said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.” (Jn 6: 53) Around the
brim were “flowers of lilies.” Sinner, drink and wash in Christ’s blood by
believing on Christ today and you shall live for eternity accepted of God, beautiful
and fragrant in the righteousness of Christ, the Lily of the valley. (So 2: 1;
Is 55: 6-7)
There
is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn
from Immanuel’s veins
And
sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose
all their guilty stains