Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Free Grace Media

Of Princeton, New Jersey

 

AuthorClay Curtis
TitleWeekly Bulletin 12-3-2017
Bible TextRomans 9:30-10:11
Date02-Dec-2017
Article Type Bulletin
PDF Format pdf
Word Format doc
Audio HI-FI Listen: Attaining to Righteousness (32 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
Audio CD Quality Listen: Attaining to Righteousness (128 kbps)  /  [go to notes]
 

December, 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

 

Services Broadcast Live @ www.FreeGraceMedia.com/live

 

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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 servicesclick here.

 

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SUNDAY’S READING IN PROVERBS


Proverbs 10: 16: The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

 

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Matters of no consequence to the glory of God, the needs of immortal souls, or the salvation of God’s elect should never divide God’s elect.  Pastor Don Fortner

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The Gospel

The Gospel has nothing to do with what you believe or do not believe about creation, Israel, prophecy, the church, or church order. The Gospel is all about the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. To believe the Gospel is to believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ of God, that the Lord Jesus actually accomplished all that the prophets of the Old Testament said Christ must accomplish. Pastor Don Fortner


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The original does not copy a counterfeit. As the original which Christ has created in his righteousness and governs by his gospel, our all-powerful Head keeps his church from copying the corrupt practices of the many man-made corporations in this world who counterfeit themselves as churches of God.

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Behold believer there is Great comfort and solace found in our God.  Great joy is found in the truth that Christ is my savior redeemer and friend.  Great hope is found in the Holy Spirit who has quickened us that he will also keep us in Christ firm to the end no matter our troubles and pains in this life. (2 Timothy 2:11-13)  Therefore let not thy soul be troubled nor let thy faith fail but encourage yourself in Jesus Christ who is All our Salvation.  Pastor Fred Evans

 

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ATTAINING TO RIGHTEOUSNESS


Romans 9: 30: What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31: But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32: Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33: As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.


Righteousness is a state of moral, legal perfection equal to God and approved of by God. To enter God’s presence we must be righteous as God. This passage shows how some sinners attained this righteousness and why some sinners did not attain this righteousness.

 

Two Ways, Two Outcomes

 

The Gentile nations never had the law which God gave to Israel at Mt. Sinai. Until God sent the gospel, God never gave the Gentiles any of the advantages he gave to Israel: no revelation from God, no word from God, no promises from God. They were ungodly, sinful, spiritually dead idolaters, without God and alienated from God (Eph 2; 12)—not seeking God, not trying to be righteous before God, only spiritually dead sinners unworthy of anything but hell and condemnation.

     On the other hand, God gave Israel the law at Mt. Sinai, prophets and Christ even came to them first.  But Israel went to work zealously trying to attain righteousness by keeping the law by their works and refused to believe on Christ.

    The outcome is that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, “have attained to righteousness.”  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, “hath not attained to the law of righteousness.” (Rom 9: 30-31) The Gentiles attained to righteousness because when God sent them the gospel, they believed on Christ—“even the righteousness which is of faith.” Israel did not attain to righteousness because they sought righteousness by the works of the law and rejected Christ—“they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone.”

 

Believe Unto Righteousness

 

Christ Jesus is the righteousness of God. When God gives a sinner faith to believe on Christ then Christ becomes the end of the believer’s attempts to justify himself by his law-keeping because the believer is made righteous in Christ by Christ’s works. (Rom 8: 3-5; 10: 1-4) Christ is the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness which every sinner must have to be accepted of God. We are made righteous by God, by his Son, by his grace, through God’s gift of faith, not by our works. (Eph 2: 8-9; Rom 10: 5)

 

     May God persuade us that our law-works never make us righteous. Believe on Christ in your heart and confess him with your mouth—this is how God has chosen to freely give the righteousness of Christ to sinners like us. (Rom 10: 8-11)

 

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CHRIST IS THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD

 

Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is the righteousness of God. The Holy Spirit says through Paul, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Rom 10: 1-4)

 

     Sinners do not attain righteousness by doing but by submitting to the Righteousness of God, Christ himself.  Christ is the end of the law for the believer because the believer is made righteous in Christ. It is because the works of the law, the righteousness attained by the law, is finished by Christ. “What the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his onw Son the in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom 8: 3-5) Christ is the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness which every sinner must have to be accepted of God. We are made righteous by God, by his Son, by his grace, through God’s gift of faith, not of ourselves. (Eph 2: 8-9)

 

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RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF THE LAW

We cannot be saved by law by doing of our own “For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.” (Rom 10: 5) If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Gal. 2:21). If a law could have given us life, then God would have given us such a law. (Gal 3: 21) All a law can do is set forth requirements and prescribe penalties for failure. Since we all fell in Adam the law cannot give us life. We never achieve perfect obedience in this life so we can never look to law for righteousness, even after we are brought to faith in Christ.  The law has no part whatsoever in making a sinner the righteousness of God.

 

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RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH IS OF FAITH

There is not some great thing that we must encounter to believe on Christ. Faith is God’s gift within the heart. “But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Rom 10: 6-11)