February
10, 2019
SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH
MEETING LOCATION
251 Green Lane
Ewing, NJ, 08368
Clay Curtis, pastor
Telephone: 615-513-4464
Clay@FreeGraceMedia.com
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.
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE WEBSITE: The
videos are now listed as individual sermons, as well as full services—click here.
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Proverbs
12: 24: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be
under tribute.
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THAT
WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM!
God’s love is manifested toward us because
God sent his only begotten Son into the world, “that we might live through
him” (1 Jn 4: 9). God sent his Son to die in the place of God’s
particular people so that God could give us life. Oh, what love! God sent Christ to manifest his righteousness
by fulfilling God’s law, so that God could justly give life to each one for
whom he died. Oh, what love! Christ bore the sin of his people so that God
could justly pour out the wages of sin on him in place of his people, so that God
could justly pour out mercy on his people, giving us life through Christ’s
righteousness. Oh, what love! Before Christ died for his people, God’s
justice demanded our death; since Christ died for his people, God’s justice
demands our life. Oh, what love!
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A DEBT TO PAY
“Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath
fulfilled the law.” It is plainly stated “love for another fulfills the law.”
Would you not owe a brother or
sister anything? Would not you like to be with any of your brethren and say I
love them – enjoy them – pray for them?
To
be able to come into a worship service with your heart filled with love for
Christ the Lord and His people, and leave the service rejoicing, because again,
“the love of God was shed abroad in our hearts”?
This
is a debt we will always be paying; and if we aren’t paying on this debt, the law
comes and condemns us – because “love fulfills the law” – failing to love one
another is a grievous failure of the law, “and if there be any other
commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself.” So we have a debt to pay that will never be paid, we
will always owe it to one another to love each other until one day God makes
all things new in glory!
May
God in His blessed grace enable us to continually and freely always pay on this
debt, “To love one another”. – Pastor
Don Bell
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If I weep for that body from which the soul
is departed, how should I weep for that soul from which God is departed! Augustine
(354-430 AD)
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True God-given love is not the sentimental show
the vainly religious world is engaged in as they preach a false gospel—that
love is only another religious work of an unregenerate religious man attempting
to obligate God to save him. Love which
is of God is unfeigned love given by Christ when he creates a new man within
the sinner in righteous and true holiness, giving us a spiritual knowledge of
him. When we have God, who is love, abiding
in us then we love others who have God abiding in them. "…for
love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God..for
God is love.” (1 Jn 4:7-8)
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2
Corinthians 5:14: "The love of Christ constrains us."
Grace comes with majesty upon the heart. Grace is not in theory—but virtue. Grace does not lie as a sleepy habit in the
soul—but will put forth itself in vigorous and glorious actions. Grace can no more be concealed, than fire. Like new wine, it will have vent. Grace does not lie in the heart as a stone in
the earth—but as seed in the earth; and it will spring up into good
works. Thomas Watson (1620-1686)
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LOVING ONE ANOTHER
I John 4: 11: "Beloved, if God so loved
us, we ought also to love one another."
How did God love us? He loved us
while we were yet sinners. He reconciled
us while we were yet sinners. He loved
us unconditionally. "Herein is
love, NOT that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the
propitiation for our sins." God's
love for us was eternal, unchangeable, and effectual. What is it then that keeps me from loving
others? Can it be that such an object of
undeserving grace and mercy now requires a worthiness in others? Can it be that such a one who was saved by
sovereign mercy, alone, now refuses to show mercy? God forbid!
Let us first contemplate his love for us and we will have no problem
loving others.
Pastor
Darvin Pruitt
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Before being quick to make objections to the message preached, in love
to those who labored for us, let us spend as much time in God’s word looking up
what was preached and asking God for understanding as the preacher spent studying
and asking God for the message. “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every
man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Ja 1: 19).
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“ESAU HAVE I HATED”
In Romans 9:13 the apostle Paul quotes that which God spoke to his
people by the prophet Malachi (Mal. 1:1-2). Jacob represents all God’s elect.
Esau represents the non-elect sons of Adam. Paul tells us plainly that God
loved Jacob and hated Esau from eternity, without any consideration of their
works. His purpose is to show us that the purpose of God according to election
stands not upon the footing of human works, but upon the footing of his
sovereign grace alone (Rom. 9:11).
The amazing, wonderful thing in Romans 9:13 is God’s statement, “Jacob
have I loved!” God owed nothing to Jacob. Jacob had no claim upon God. God knew what kind of person Jacob would be, a
sinful wretch! Yet, God loved Jacob, all his Jacobs, with an everlasting free,
sovereign love. That love is God’s
eternal benevolence, “his everlasting will, purpose, and determination to
deliver, bless, and save his people” (Toplady). Wonder of wonders, that God should love such
wretches as he knew we would be and determine to save us!
However, it is the statement “Esau have I hated,” that causes most
people trouble in understanding the text. Perhaps the trouble arises from the
failure to understand the meaning of the word “hated” as it is used in this
text. It does not imply a positive hatred, which involved contempt, anger and
wrath. That cannot be the meaning of the word here, because God’s anger and
wrath against men is always a judicial response to man’s sin. And Paul plainly tells us that Esau’s works
were not under consideration when God said, “Esau have I hated.” The hatred here spoken of is a “negative
hatred, which is God’s will not to give eternal life to some persons, a neglect
of them, taking no notice of them, passing them by when he chose others. So the word ‘hate’ is used for neglect, taking
no notice. (John Gill)
This is the way our Lord used the word “hate” in Luke 14:26. We are not
commanded to treat our families or ourselves with contempt, anger, and wrath.
But we must, as we seek to follow Christ, give no consideration to our earthly
relationships. We must pass them by and choose Christ. That is what the word
“hatred” means in Romans 9:13. God passed by Esau, giving him no consideration.
His only consideration was for Jacob, his elect. God loved Jacob. God
considered Jacob. God chose Jacob. Let Jacob rejoice. Pastor
Don Fortner
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HOW DO I KNOW IF I REALLY LOVE?
How do I know if I really love the Lord Jesus
Christ? Well, how do you know you love
your husband or your wife, or your children and grandchildren, or your dearest friend? When you love a person then you enjoy
thinking about that person; you want to hear about them; you love those they
love; you want to please them and hate to displease them; and you want to be
with them. When you love the Lord Jesus
Christ then all these things are so: you love thinking about Christ; you want
to hear about your Redeemer so you never want to miss hearing the gospel
preached; you love your brethren who Christ loves; the motive of your heart is to
please Christ and never displease him; and you want to be with Christ and know
him face to face. This is how you know
you love the Lord Jesus.