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Complete In Christ

”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 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. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;” | Ephesians 1: 3-7

All that is necessary to secure and to complete our eternal salvation is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. ”For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” (Colossians 2: 9-10)

”But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Philippians 3: 7-9)

There is a completion or a complete filling up in Him, so as to leave nothing lacking in the sinner. ”But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 19)

In the Lord Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of God. ”And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (John 1: 16)

”In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Colossians 1: 22)

He is perfect and the believer stands perfected in Him. ”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)

All that is lacking in us by our ruin and sin in Adam is abundantly, freely and eternally supplied to us in the Lord Jesus Christ, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound”. ”For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5: 19-20)

”For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.” (Romans 8: 29-30)

Christ’s perfect obedience is our righteousness. ”But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2: 7-8)

His sacrifice for sin is our atonement. ”Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2: 17)

His word is our instruction. ”All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3: 16)

”That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.” (John 17: 21-24)

His wisdom is our direction. ”In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2: 3)

His power is our protection. ”Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1: 5)

”Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1: 24-25)

His blood sacrifice is our justification. ”Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5: 9)

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

”But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4: 19)

His eternal love is our security. ”He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 32-39)

His everlasting mercy is our hope. ”It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lamentations 3: 22-26)

”Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3: 5)

His fullness is our completeness. ”And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (John 1: 16)

His immutability is our strength. ”For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3: 6)

”Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13: 8)

His resurrection is the guarantee of our final glory. ”Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4: 25)

”I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1: 18)

His intercession is the assurance of all our deliverance from sin. ”My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1 John 2: 1)

”But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1: 30-31)

Tell me my friend, what could we possibly want for, when all of the Godhead is engaged to make the believer complete in the Lord Jesus Christ, to His eternal glory?

Being found in Christ, having eternal union with Him, we have all things and all spiritual blessings in Christ.

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “She Hath Wrought A Good Work” (26:49 minutes)

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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: 11 February, 2024 | Previous post date: n/a

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The Wrath Of Man Worketh Not The Righteousness Of God

”For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” | James 1: 20

The Word of truth works the Righteousness of God in a sinner causing us to look nowhere else but to the Lord Jesus Christ our Righteousness. The natural man, in the filthiness and naughtiness of the flesh, never has, nor ever will, produce the Righteousness of God.

By the Word of truth the believer knows that even though we were elected unto salvation in Christ before the world began, we were born into bondage to our own spiritually dead flesh and spirit. The Word of truth will not let the believer forget, that in the deadness of our flesh all our righteous works were only dead fruit. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7: 4-6)

Sin, having dominion over us, would not allow us to deny the flesh by looking to Christ alone but made us constantly defend the flesh–dead fruit. By the dominion of sin, all we could do was think evil, say evil and do evil by thinking, saying and doing everything for the cause of our dead flesh–dead fruit. In this dead state, when our guilty conscious got the best of us, the dominion of sin caused us to look to that same dead flesh in an attempt to make self more acceptable to God–dead fruit.

We attempted to clean a dirty floor with a dirty mop.

The dominion of sin would not allow us to look to the Lord our Righteousness and confess that in our flesh is no good thing. (Romans 8: 5-14) http://blb.sc/00F5OJ

Through the Spirit of God, the Word was engrafted within us and gave us spiritual life. “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures; Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1: 18, 21)

By the Word of truth, God’s holy law threw a spotlight on our persons (our old man–our flesh and our old dead spirit) and said, “Behold, sin!” “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” (Romans 7: 7-13)

In the new spirit of meekness given by God, we put our hands over our mouths and became swift to hear. Christ our King entered in shedding his love abroad in our hearts so that the hatred for God in our old man no longer reigns within. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son 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.” (Romans 8: 1-4)

“Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:” (Colossians 1: 11-14)

With new eyes we discovered that when Christ was made sin and died in the flesh, we died in the flesh. Our body of sin was buried in the ground. The Holy Law of God released all claim on us.

Therefore, being raised to newness of life with Christ, we regard our old man as dead and buried. We no longer worship God in the flesh but in spirit and in truth “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4: 23, 24)

We are still in this dead flesh, (and too often still look to it) but sin has no more dominion over us to keep us from trusting Christ our all. “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Colossians 1: 21, 22)

Before the all-seeing eye of God, our life is hid in Christ. “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” (Colossians 2: 8-14)

Therefore we no longer look to our dead body for proof of righteousness or for proof of liberty as do the legalist, the antinomian and all dead religionists tittering somewhere between the two. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3: 1-4)

Instead, BELIEVERS LOOK TO CHRIST FOR ALL.

~ Pastor Clay Curtis

Click here to listen to the message “Preparation For An Ordained Work”

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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.

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church Bulletin Article date: 9 February, 2008 | Previous post date: n/a | Ewing, New Jersey

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An Important Question

“Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom.” | Job 33: 24

There is one ransom that delivers men from the pit of hell. God found it or provided it in “giving His only begotten Son.”

The ransom is called “the righteousness of God.”

It is the absolute and perfect obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ to God’s holy law; obeying its precepts and suffering its penalty.

It is to that righteousness, to Christ that we must look and be saved. “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.”

It is upon that righteousness alone that we as believers must rest; and on that righteousness alone we must live, die, and appear before the righteous LORD God. (Isaiah 61: 10)

~ Pastor David Pledger

Click here to listen to the message “An Important Question”

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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: 3 January, 2021 | Previous post date: 5 January, 2021

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The Difference Between True Faith And False Faith

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” | 2 Corinthians 13: 5

Four points on what false faith can never produce:

1). False faith can never produce a broken heart over sin against God. David, when he sinned said, “Against thee and thee only have I sinned.” (Psalm 51: 4) True faith will readily confess sin unto the Lord and beg for mercy. (Luke 18: 13)

2). False faith will never produce a heart that hungers and thirsts for righteousness in Christ Jesus alone. False faith is always going about to establish a righteousness of their own making. (Romans 10: 1-4) True faith will find all the righteousness God has for a sinner is in Christ alone. (Romans 4: 6-8; Philippians 3: 7-9)

3). False faith will never own its total inability to please God. Where true faith is found in the heart of a sinner there is a confession of total dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ alone (2 Timothy 1: 12) Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” (Job 13: 1-5)

4). False faith will never own the absolute Lordship of Christ and willingly bow to His will in all things. (Psalm 110: 3) True faith, the faith of God’s elect, will own and bow to His Lordship. (Titus 1: 1) As Job said in true faith, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1: 21)

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “Examine Yourselves”

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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: 2 May, 2021 | Previous post date: n/a | Pikeville, Kentucky

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Rejoice In The Lord

REJOICE IN THE LORD” | Philippians 3: 1

Throughout the epistle to the believers at Philippi, Paul is always making reference to rejoicing in the Lord; “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice” (Philippians 4: 4). I can truthfully say there have been times in my life when I rejoiced in everything but the Lord, in religious service, office, ceremony, heritage. But there was a time when our God taught me the saving and the true gospel and convinced me that all was vanity and dung, and that Jesus Christ is All and in All, that every believer is complete in Christ (Colossians 2: 9). Once this was revealed to me, now I find that there are always abundant reasons to rejoice in Him no matter how difficult the day may be. Let me remind you of a few.

1). We rejoice in His glorious person. Totally and fully God and yet identified with our flesh ( John 1: 14; 1 Timothy 3: 16)

2). We rejoice in His perfect righteousness which He worked out for His people as our Mediator and Redeemer, He is the Lord our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23: 6; Romans 4: 6)

3). We rejoice in His glorious sacrifice which eternally puts away all our sin (Hebrews 9: 12; Hebrews 9: 26; Hebrews 10: 17)

4). We rejoice in His powerful grace that can transform us out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1: 13)

5). We rejoice in His good and wise providence that works all things for our eternal good (Romans 8: 28)

6). We rejoice in His glorious resurrection by which we are justified (Romans 4: 25)

7). We rejoice in His eternal intercession for us as the Surety of the covenant of grace (Hebrews 7: 25; 1 John 2: 1-2)

8). We rejoice in His second coming, although we do not know the hour or the time, we do know that He will appear the second time without sin unto salvation (Hebrews 10: 28)

So, my friend, if you are a believer, you always have reasons to rejoice in the Lord! (Philippians 4: 4)

~ Pastor Tom Harding

Click here to listen to the message “The Wrath Of Man Shall Praise Thee”

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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: 20 September, 2020 | Previous post date: n/a