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Sound Doctrine

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” | 2 Timothy 4: 3

There are but two schemes of religion in this world.

One is true, the other is false.

One is saving, the other is damning.

These two schemes of religion are free grace and free will.

Free grace declares that salvation is the work of God alone. “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.” (Jonah 2: 9)

Free will declares that salvation is, at least in part, the work of man.

Free grace declares that salvation is conditioned upon the obedience of Christ alone as the sinner’s Substitute. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Free will declares that salvation is ultimately and finally conditioned upon the obedience of the sinner himself.

Any doctrine that makes salvation, eternal life, acceptance with God, and the reward of the heavenly inheritance to be dependent upon, or determined by you, at any point or in any measure, is contrary to sound doctrine and must be rejected.

To receive, believe or embrace such doctrine will be damning to your soul. “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5: 10-12)

Here are five points of Divine truth revealed in Holy Scripture. Anything that is contrary to, or in any measure diminishes these five points of sound doctrine must be rejected as heresy.

  1. TOTAL DEPRAVITY… All men by nature are both sinful and helpless, because all are spiritually dead. (Matthew 15: 19; Romans 5: 12; Ephesians 2: 1-4)
  2. UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION… God, from eternity, chose a people in Christ whom He determined to save, without consideration of anything in them or anything that might be done by them. (2 Thessalonians 2: 13; Ephesians 1: 3-6)
  3. LIMITED ATONEMENT… Christ died for and redeemed His elect only. The benefits of Christ’s death are limited to the elect. And His death effectually secures their salvation. (Isaiah 53: 8-11; John 10: 11; John 10: 15; Hebrews 9: 12)
  4. IRRESISTIBLE GRACE… God the Holy Spirit calls sinners from spiritual death to spiritual life in Christ by the power of His grace which cannot be successfully resisted. (Psalm 65: 4; Psalm 110: 3; John 6: 63; Ephesians 2: 8-9)
  5. PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS… Every sinner chosen by God in election, redeemed by Christ at Calvary, and called by the Spirit in grace shall persevere in grace unto eternal glory, because they are all preserved and kept by grace. (John 10: 27-30; Jeremiah 32: 38-40; 1 Peter 1: 5)

We were chosen by His grace. “Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11: 5)

We are justified by His grace. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3: 24)

We are saved by His grace. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2: 8-9)

We are called by His grace. “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace” (Galatians 1: 15)

We are glorified by His grace. “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2: 7)

From election to glorification, salvation is all of GRACE! (Romans 8: 28-39) http://blb.sc/00F5OJ

Salvation is all of grace!

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “Christ, The Good Shepherd”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 23 May, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a

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LIMITED ATONEMENT

“According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” | Ephesians 1: 4-6

The Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood at Calvery for God’s elect.

Christ died to redeem God’s elect alone, The Son of God did not shed his blood in vain, which would not be true if any of those for whom he died perish in hell. It was never our Lord’s intention to redeem and save all men. He even redused to pray for all men! (John 17: 9, 20)

It would be absurd to think that Christ died for men for whom he would not say a prayer!

The sin atoning death of our Lord Jesus Christ is limited to those who are actually saved by his blood.

In order for God to save his people, justice had to be satisfied, sin had to be punished, the sinner had to be slain.

Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world as the Substitute and Representative of God’s elect people.

Christ established perfect righteousness for us.

Dying under the penalty of sin as our Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ satisfied the claims of Divine justice against us.

Because the justice of God has been satisfied for God’s elect, by death of his son, God will never charge his own elect with sin. He imputes the righteousness of Christ to every believer, and rewards us for righteousness.

The doctrine of Bible is just this: when Christ died as the Substitute of his people, he effectually accomplished the eternal redemption of all God’s elect, those people for whom he died, all who believe in him.

This is what God says about the death of his son –

  • “For the transgression of my people was he stricken.” (Isaiah 53: 8)
  • “It pleased God to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand” (Isaiah 53: 10)
  • “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righeous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53: 11)
  • “He hath made him sin for us; who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
  • “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Galatians 3: 13)

No one who knows Christ can tolerate the notion that he failed in his work, that he tries to save men whom he cannot save, and that he died to redeem some who are not redeemed.

Such doctrine robs Christ of his glory in redemption and destroys all hope for sinners. All of God’s people rejoice to know that Christ died particularly for them and effectually accomplished their redemption in his death.

“By his own blood he entered in once inot the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” (Hebrews 9: 12)

We rejoice to declare that “Salvation is of the Lord”.

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “Who Are The Elect?”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Zebulon Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 27 October, 2006 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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Confessing And Professing Christ

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” | Romans 10: 13

Try to remember these words of Martin Luther as you live out your days in this religious world. “If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that point where the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, then I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him! Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battle-front besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

Dear souls, though there is hardly any doctrine of Scripture that modern religion firmly stands for, yet the most basic and essential doctrines of God’s Word, they firmly and unitedly stand against. Modern religion vehemently opposes the truth of God’s sovereign, almighty, saving grace. They oppose the five points of what we call Calvinism – which is God-exalting, God-honoring, gospel truth. They hate the Bible doctrines of man’s Total Depravity, God’s Unconditional Election of men unto salvation, the Limited Atonement of Jesus Christ, God’s Irresistible Grace, and the Preservation and Perseverance of God’s elect. (They especially hate the truth of Limited Atonement or Particular Redemption.)

Do not try to push these dear and precious truths of God upon anyone, but do not ever be embarrassed or ashamed to own these truths, though you stand all alone in a crowd of unbelievers. John Calvin once said, “Even a dog will bark if his master’s vineyard is being overrun.” Be zealous for the good opinion of God and care little for the good opinion of men. I have been called a “cultist,” a “different kind of Baptist,” and even a “Jim Jones,” but none of these things move me away from owning God’s precious, eternal truths. God’s Word is more than mere doctrine, even divine doctrine – in a sense it is our life! Let us not be mere professors of Christ, but daily confess our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in both doctrine and practice.

~ Pastor Maurice Montgomery

Click here to listen to the message “Who Will Be Saved?”

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Visit our primary website at www.ksgctn.org for more information about Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church, watch our livestream (when available) and access our previously recorded messages.

Central Grace Church Bulletin Article date: 7 May, 2017 | Previous post date: n/a | Rocky Mount, Virginia