When Christ was on the cross drawing His last human breaths, He said, “it is finished”. Well, was it, or wasn’t it? If “it” was finished, what was “it”?
Understanding the glorious message of God’s abundant grace toward all believers isn’t new. It may be new to many, but it certainly isn’t new like some modern, novel movement within the church that is fashionable for a short time.
This short excerpt from a message preached in 1861, in the Metropolitan Tabernacle, in Newington, England, by the Rev. Octavius Winslow, D.D., has become one of my favorite on this subject:
“What a spring of comfort flows from it to the true Believer amid his innumerable failures, flaws, and imperfections. What service do you perform, what duty do you discharge of which you can say, “It is finished”? Alas, not one! Your service is imperfect, your obedience is incomplete, your love is fluctuating, yes, upon it all are the visible marks of human defilement and defect. But here is the work which God most delights in, “finished.” “You are complete in Him.”…
June 4, 2013 in Blog by Grace Church
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Is Christ’s work on my behalf finished or not? Hosea 14: 1-7
What did Jesus “finish”? Everything the Father sent Him to accomplish (John 17:4)
1. He came to reveal the Father – love! (John 14:24)
2. He came to fulfill the Father’s purpose, through perfect obedience (Heb. 10:7-10; John 4:34; 6:38)
3. He came to seek and save that which was lost (Matt. 18:11-12; Luke 19:10; John 3:16-19; 1 Tim. 1:15)
4. He came to destroy the works of the evil one (1 John 3:8)
5. He came to give life full and abundant (John 10:10)
6. He came to preach and reveal the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:38; Luke 4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1)…
May 19, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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Old Car – New Car
Walking by the Spirit vs. the Flesh
Pastor Javin van Kaam
May 5, 2013
New American Standard Version Used
Romans 8 | Galatians 5:13-18 | John 15:5 | 1 John 2:6-10
As a believer you can only walk by the Spirit
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
The law of Christ is to love
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:14
The desire of the flesh is to reject love and to exalt itself
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
Galatians 5:17
May 5, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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Sinners by Birth – Saints by Re-Birth, Announcements, Notes, Bulletin and Podcast
Pastor Clark Whitten
April 28, 2013
New American Standard Version Used
1This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.
Genesis 5:1-3
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
Romans 5:12 ; 15; 18-19
April 28, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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Lets Talk About the Law (Part Three) – Announcements, Notes, Podcast
Pastor Clark Whitten April 14, 2013
V. The Holy Spirit and His Fruit
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
VI. The Allure of Rules
Colossians 2:20-23
Colossians 2:20-23
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
April 14, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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Most have heard it taught that Christians are not under law but under grace (refer to Romans 6:14). Grace teaching seeks to help the body of Christ understand why this is true, and why this is such incredibly good news.
Meanwhile, others point fingers reacting negatively because they believe that grace teachers are soft on sin, and serve to aid immature Christians to live lives of compromise and sin.
Since “truth sets us free” (Jn. 8:32), let’s compare the Law (Old Covenant) to the New, because the contrast is startling. Understanding this contrast will help you walk in all that Christ died to give you.
The Bible calls the Old Covenant, “the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). But, it was given by God, so why would it be classified such?
The Mosaic Law, also known in the Bible as the “law of sin and death”, was given by God to govern spiritually dead people. The Law was never given…
April 11, 2013 in Blog, Grace2U by Grace Church
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The Resurrection Saves Us
Pastor Clark Whitten
March 31, 2013
New American Standard Version Used
Romans 5:10
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
April 1, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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III. The Law Produces Sin
Romans 7: 5,8
5 For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
8 But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead.
IV. What About the Ten Commandments?
A. The example of coveting Romans 7:7-8
B. The ministry of condemnation
2 Corinthians 3:6-9
6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory…
March 24, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Uncategorized, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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1 Timothy 1:8-11
I. The Purpose of the Law
A. Not for the righteous vs 9
B. For the unbeleiver Romans 3:19-20; Galatians 3:19,22 ; Galatians 3:23-24
II. The Law is Pass or Fail – Galatians 3:10
James 2:10; Romans 7:7-8; Galatians 5:2-3
March 17, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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Good Advice and Good News
Pastor Clark Whitten February 17, 2013
New American Standard Version Used
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.
2 Timothy 2:15-18
February 17, 2013 in About Grace, Podcast, Sermon Notes, Video, Video Announcements by Grace Church
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