December 1^st - 2019

9:30 am ------------------------------- The Children Are Manifest – 1 John 3:10-24

10:00 am -------------------------Wisdom Justified of Her Children – Luke 7:31-35

Wednesday: 7:00 pm -----------------------------To The Churches: Part 1, Ephesus – Revelation 2:1-7

To Our Congregation: The Lord willing, this Wednesday night, we will begin a study of the words of our Lord to the seven churches found in Revelation 1:11, beginning with Ephesus, Rev.2:1-7. We could not hear and study a more important, nor more relevant message, especially in these last days and perilous times. These words are to the churches (Rev.1:11, 3:22). If you are a member of Christ’s church . . . a member of this local church, come, sit, and ‘hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’

The Doctrine of Sanctification – Charles Hodge (1797-1878), professor at Princeton (1851-1878)

‘But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and

righteousness, and SANCTIFICATION, and redemption’ – 1 Corinthians 1:30

The doctrine of sanctification, as taught by the Bible is, that we are made holy NOT by force of conscience, nor of moral motives, nor by acts of discipline, but by being united to Christ so as to become reconciled to God, and partakers of the Holy Ghost. Christ is made unto us sanctification as well as justification. He not only frees from the penalty of the law, but He makes us holy. There is, therefore, according to the Gospel, no such thing as sanctification, without justification. Those who are out of Christ are under the power as well as under the condemnation of sin. And those who are in Christ are not only free from condemnation, but are also delivered from the dominion of sin.

(Read the following article carefully. Brother Philpot gives us the scriptural key to subduing sin in our members; the lifelong struggle of every believer.)

We Want a Spiritual Death and a Spiritual Life – by J.C. Philpot

"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." -- Romans 8:10

We want two things in lively operation; a spiritual death and a spiritual life. We want death put upon the flesh, upon sin, upon everything which is ungodly, that it may not reign or rule; and we want also the communication and maintenance of a divine life which shall act Godward, exist and co-exist in the same breast, and be in activity at the same moment. Here is sin striving for the mastery; but here also is a view of the cross of Christ; here is a testimony of bleeding, dying love. This puts a death upon sin. But as death is put upon sin and the lust is mortified, crucified, resisted, or subdued, there springs up a life of faith and prayer, of hope and love, of repentance and godly sorrow for sin, of humility and spirituality, of a desire to live to God's praise and walk in his fear. The cross gives both. From the cross comes death unto sin; from the cross comes life unto righteousness. From the cross springs the healing of every bleeding wound, and from the cross springs every motive to a godly life. Thus, in God's mysterious wisdom, there is a way whereby sin can be pardoned, the law magnified, justice exalted, the sinner saved, sin subdued, righteousness given, and the soul made to walk in the ways of peace and holiness. Oh, what depths of wisdom, mercy, and grace are here! Look where you will, try every mode, if you are sincere about your soul's salvation, if the Lord the Spirit has planted the fear of God in your heart, you will find no other way but this. There is no other way that leads to holiness here and heaven hereafter; no other way whereby sin can be pardoned and the soul sanctified. It is this view of salvation from sin not only in its guilt but also in its power, this deliverance from the curse of the law and well-spring of all holy, acceptable obedience, which has in all ages so endeared the cross to the souls of God's family, and made all of them more or less to be of Paul's mind, when he declared that he was determined to know nothing save Jesus Christ and him crucified.