{"id":6825,"date":"2025-03-09T10:30:53","date_gmt":"2025-03-09T10:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6825"},"modified":"2025-03-09T10:30:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-09T10:30:53","slug":"bulletin-edition-march-2025-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=6825","title":{"rendered":"Bulletin Edition March 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CHRIST\nTHE JUDGE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though\ntoday God is long-suffering with men and is giving the fallen sons of Adam\nspace for repentance THERE IS A DAY OF JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUS\nRETRIBUTION COMING<\/strong> (Rev. 20:11-14). God does not delay his judgment\nbecause he lacks the will or the power to judge men, but because he has an\nelect people whom he has determined to save. As soon as he has saved the last\nof his elect, judgment will come (II Pet. 3:8-15).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                According\nto the revelation of Holy Scripture, THE JUDGE OF ALL MEN IN THAT GREAT\nDAY WILL BE THE MAN, CHRIST JESUS<\/strong> (Matt. 13:41-43; 25:31-32; John\n5:22-29: Acts 10:42; 17:30-31; Rom. 14:9-12; II Cor. 5: 10)\u00b7 The judge of the\nworld in that last great day shall be the Son of Man who is the Son of\nGod.    This judgment of men by Christ will be both\nrighteous and impartial. All men will receive the exact penalty or reward of\nstrict justice. The wicked shall be judged in strict righteousness according to\ntheir works, and receive in a body the just reward of their evil deeds. There\nwill be degrees of punishment in hell, because there are degrees of wickedness.\nThose who sin against greater light shall receive greater condemnation\n(Matt. 11:20-24). The righteous shall also be judged in strict\nrighteousness according to their works, and receive in a body the just reward\nof their righteous deeds. There will be no degrees of reward for the righteous,\nbecause there are no degrees of righteousness. All righteous men are perfect\nmen. These are God’s elect, redeemed, justified, and sanctified by Christ.\nThere is no evil recorded against them, because the righteous obedience of\nChrist to the law is imputed to them (Rom. 5:19). That same law and justice\nthat demands the eternal punishment of every unbeliever, also demands the\neternal bliss and glory of every believer, whose names are written in the book\nof life, because IN CHRIST, BY HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND SHED BLOOD, EVERY\nBELIEVER IS WORTHY OF HEAVEN’S ETERNAL INHERITANCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don Fortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FREE WILL:  SALVATION BY\nWORKS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

       \n     To the great majority of people free will is a given. \nYour destiny is determined by the choice you make.  If that is true than\nman\u2019s free will is sovereign over God\u2019s will, man is not dead in sins, and\nsalvation is by works.  After all, the will is the first step in what you\ndo or stop doing in order to be saved.  Free will is a denial of salvation\nby grace!  Free will is nonexistent!  The will is controlled by the\nnature. God\u2019s will is controlled by His nature.  He is not free to sin or\nto act contrary to any of His attributes!  Man\u2019s will is controlled by his\nsinful nature.  Free will is the lie of the devil that he used to tempt\nAdam and Eve.  He was saying that if they would eat the fruit they would\nknow good and evil, choose the good over the evil, and that would make them\nlike God.  Salvation comes either as an act of man\u2019s free will or God\u2019s\nfree grace.  These two views oppose one another.  It cannot be\nboth!  To hold to one is to deny the other. There is no middle\nground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd Nibert<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vital\nChristianity                                  <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colossians\n1:27<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Vital christianity,\nall true religion, all true spiritual life is set before us by the Holy Spirit\nin these seven words: \u201cChrist in you, the hope of glory.\u201d <\/em>Vital christianity is\nreal christianity. Anything less than this is a satanic, religious\ndelusion. Here vital christianity is presented in three ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            THE\nESSENCE OF IT – \u201cChrist.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>In christianity \u201cChrist\nis all.\u201d <\/em>He is the mystery of the gospel (I Tim. 3:16), the\nriches of the gospel (Eph. 1:3; 3:8), and the glory of the gospel\n(John 1:14). The essence of godliness, the essence of the gospel, the\nessence of vital christianity is not a doctrinal creed, a code of\nconduct, a denominational name, or an emotional experience, but a Person, the\nLord Jesus Christ. The Son of God came into this world, assuming\nour nature, that he might save his people from their sins. Only the\nincarnate God could do the work. And he has finished it completely (Dan.9:24;\nRom.8:34; Heb.10:10-14). This name, or title, by which our Saviour is commonly\nknown, \u201cChrist,\u201d <\/em>includes all his covenant offices. He is our\nProphet, Priest, and King. He is our Saviour, Surety, and Prince. Christ is our\nHead, Representative, and Substitute, our Daysman, Mediator, and Saviour. In\nall things and at all times I lean the weight of my immortal soul upon him.\nChrist is my all! He was my all in the covenant of blessing (Eph. 1:3), his\nlife of obedience (Rom. 5:19), his death\nat Calvary (Gal. 3:13), and his resurrection glory (Eph. 2:6).\nChrist is my all as my Advocate in heaven (I John 2:1-2). And he shall be my\nall in the day of judgment (Rev. 21:27; 22:11). Child of God,\nwhatever Christ did, we have done in him. Whatever Christ is, we are in him.\nWhatever he has, we must have. Wherever he is, we must be! Be sure you\nunderstand this – Christ himself is the essence of christianity and\nsalvation (Lk. 2:30; I Cor. 1:30). Christ alone could satisfy the\njustice of God. He alone can quieten your conscience, inspire and govern your\nlife, make your soul content, and sustain your heart in the hour of death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            THE\nEXPERIENCE OF IT – \u201cChrist in you.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>Christ in heaven is\nwonderful. Christ in the gospel is beautiful. Christ in others is hopeful. But\nChrist in you is salvation! If Christ is in you, he came to be in you by God\u2019s\nalmighty, irresistible, sovereign grace (Eph. 2:1-4). \u201cChrist in\nyou\u201d <\/em>is Christ born in you (II Pet. 1:4), received by you\n(John 1:12-13), and possessed by you. When something is in you, it is your\nproperty and can never be taken from you (John 6:54-56). Christ in you is\nChrist reigning your life from within, transforming you into his likeness, and\nradiating from you (II Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Acts 4:13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            THE\nEXPECTATION OF IT – \u201cChrist in you, the hope of glory.\u201d <\/em><\/strong>Christ\nis our hope (Lam. 3:24-26). And he is a good hope (II Thess. 2:16).\nTherefore, we have every reason to expect glory. The Lord God, who brought\nus grace will bring us to glory (Psa. 84:11). The covenant of grace,\nthe intercession of Christ, and the seal of the Holy Spirit assure every\nbeliever of glory in all its fullness!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\nFortner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The person who says, \u201cI am\nsaved by grace alone and it does not matter how I talk, walk, or conduct my\nlife,\u201d is a fool and neither understands nor loves the grace of God. Our union\nwith the Lord Jesus not only justifies and sanctifies us before the law of God\nand the court of heaven, but that same regenerating union implants within and\nimparts unto us A NEW NATURE which delights in the principles and actions of\nholiness. One cannot separate the blessings of Christ from the indwelling\npresence of Christ. \u201cHe that LOVETH not KNOWETH not!\u201d Learning the doctrine\nwill not produce a new creature, but \u201clearning Christ\u201d will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry Mahan<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\nThe false doctrine of universal redemption!<\/strong>
\n
\nC.H.Spurgeon
\n
\n“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd giveth His life for the\nsheep!”<\/em> John 10:11
\n
\nI would like to die talking of this blessed doctrine of substitutionary\natonement <\/em>and I intend, by divine grace, to live proclaiming it, for\nit is the keystone of the Gospel! Jesus Christ literally took upon Himself the\ntransgression and iniquity of His people<\/em>, and was made a curse for\nthem, seeing that they had fallen under the wrath of God! For them, He has\ntaken away the penalty and the curse due to sin.
\n
\nThe false doctrine of universal redemption<\/strong>–that Christ died for the\ndamned in Hell and suffered the torment of those who afterwards are tormented\nforever–seems to me to be detestable, subversive of the whole Gospel, and\ndestructive of the only pillar upon which our hopes can be built!
\n
\nChrist stood in the place of His elect<\/em>–for them He made a full\natonement–for them He so suffered that not a sin of theirs shall ever be laid\nat their door. As the Father’s love embraced them–so the death of His Son\nreconciled them.
\n
\nWe hold most firmly the doctrine of particular redemption<\/em>–that\nChrist loved His Church, and gave Himself for it.
\n
\nThe only limit <\/em>of the atonement is in its design–and that\ndesign was that Christ should give eternal life to as many as the Father has\ngiven Him.
\n
\n“Christ also loved the church<\/em> and gave Himself for\nit!” Ephesians 5:25<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is Christ in your\ntheological system?<\/strong>
\n
\nC.H.Spurgeon
\n
\n“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what\nwas said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself<\/em>.” Luke 24:27
\n
\n“These are the Scriptures that testify about Me!<\/em>” John\n5:39
\n
\nTake this Book and distill it into one word-and that one word will be JESUS!\nThe Bible itself, is but the body of Christ, and we may look upon all its pages\nas the swaddling bands of the infant Saviour – for if we unroll the Scripture,\nwe come upon Jesus Christ Himself.
\n
\nWhere is Christ in your theological system? <\/strong>He Himself is . . .
\n  the Doctor and Doctrine,
\n  the Revealer and Revelation,
\n  the Illuminator and the Light of men.
\n
\nHe is exalted in every word of truth, because He is its sum and substance.
\n
\nHe sits above the gospel, like a prince on His own throne.
\n
\nDoctrine is most precious, when we see it distilling from His lips and embodied\nin His person.
\n
\nSermons are only valuable, in proportion as they speak of Him and point to Him!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is what some of\nyou were!<\/strong>
\nJ.C.Philpot
\n
\nThe Holy Spirit undertakes to sanctify<\/strong> the objects
\nof the Father’s eternal choice, and of the Son’s
\nredeeming death.
\n
\nSanctification is as needful, as indispensable
\nfor the Church’s salvation, as redemption!
\n<\/strong>
\nFor O! how low was the Church sunk in the Adam fall! The
\nimage of God, in which she was created–how defaced and
\nas if blotted out! Death<\/strong> spreading itself with fatal effect
\nover her every mental and bodily faculty! Sin<\/strong>, like a hideous
\nleprosy, infecting her to the very heart’s core! A thousand
\nbase lusts <\/strong>plunging her deeper and deeper into a sea of
\nguilt and crime! Enmity against God<\/strong> boiling up in waves
\nof ceaseless rebellion! Satan<\/strong> tyrannising over her with
\ncruel sway, sometimes drawing and sometimes driving,
\nbut by one or the other dragging her without hope or
\nhelp towards the brink of the bottomless pit!
\n
\nHear that bold blasphemer!
\n
\nSee that drunken, raving prostitute!
\n
\nLook at that murderer with his blood-red hand
\nstealing off from his mangled victim!
\n
\nOr, if you shrink from such sounds and such sights, picture
\nto your imagination the vilest wretch who ever disgraced
\nhuman nature–and you see in that portrait the features of
\nthe Church as implicated in the Adam fall–and sunk into
\noriginal and actual transgression!
\n
\nWhat a work, then, was undertaken by that most gracious
\nand condescending Spirit, who solemnly pledged Himself,
\nin the eternal covenant, to sanctify such wretches<\/strong>, and
\nto fit and frame them to be partakers of holiness, and
\nlive forever in God’s spotless presence!
\n
\nIt were easier for the wolf to dwell with the lamb, and
\nthe leopard to lie down with the sheep–than for ungodly
\nsinners, unwashed, unregenerated, unsanctified, to dwell
\nforever before the throne of God and of the Lamb!
\n
\nBut O, the wonders of wisdom, grace, and love!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinners, the vilest sinners,\nthe worst of wretches, the
\nbasest of mortals–can and will enter through the gates
\ninto the holy city!
\n
\nPaul, having enumerated some of the vilest crimes which
\nstain human nature and sink it below the beasts that perish,
\nsays, And that is what some of you were!<\/strong> “But ye are
\nwashed<\/strong>, but ye are sanctified<\/strong>, but ye are justified <\/strong>in \nthe
\nname of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
\n    1 Corinthians 6:11
\n
\nTo be washed and sanctified is as needful, as indispensable
\nas to be justified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the cross alone<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(J.C.Philpot,\n“Meditations on the Blessed Redeemer”)
\n
\n“<\/strong>But of him are ye in Christ\nJesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and\nsanctification, and redemption:<\/strong>” 1 Corinthians\n1:30<\/strong>
\n
\n“<\/strong>But God forbid that I should\nglory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is\ncrucified unto me, and I unto the world.<\/strong>”\nGalatians 6:14<\/strong>
\n
\nAn experimental knowledge of crucifixion with his
\ncrucified Lord, made Paul preach the cross–not only
\nin its power to save<\/strong>, but in its power to sanctify<\/strong>.
\n<\/strong>
\nThe cross is not only the meritorious cause of all
\nsalvation–<\/strong>but is the instrumental cause of all
\nsanctification<\/strong>. As there is no other way of salvation<\/strong>
\nthan by the blood of the cross–sothere is no other
\nway of holiness<\/strong> than by the power of the cross.
\n
\nThrough the cross, that is, through union and
\ncommunion with Him who suffered upon it, not
\nonly is there a fountain opened for all sin<\/strong>–but
\nfor all uncleanness!<\/strong>
\n
\nAll our . . .<\/strong>
\n  pardon and peace,
\n  acceptance and justification,
\n  happiness and holiness,
\n  wisdom and strength,
\n  victory over the world,
\n  mortification of the body of sin and death,
\n  hope and confidence,
\n  prayer and praise,
\n  gracious feelings,
\n  spiritual desires,
\n  warm supplications,
\n  honest confessions,
\n  godly sorrows for sin,
\nspring from the cross!<\/strong>
\n
\nAt the cross alone<\/strong> can we . . .
\n  be made wise unto salvation,
\n  become righteous by a free justification,
\n  receive of His Spirit to make us holy, and
\n  be redeemed and delivered from . . .
\n    sin, Satan, death and hell.
\n
\nTo the cross we are to bring . . .
\n  our sorrows,
\n  our trials,
\n  our temptations,
\n  our sufferings,
\nto get life from His death,
\npardon and peace from His atoning blood,
\njustification from His divine obedience, and
\nresignation to the will of God from His holy example.
\n
\nAt the cross alone<\/strong> is . . .
\n  the world crucified to us, and we to the world;
\n  sin mortified, and its reigning power dethroned;
\n  the old man crucified and put off, and the new man put on.
\n
\nFor the most part, it is only through a long series of . . .
\n  afflictions,
\n  bereavements,
\n  disappointments,
\n  vexations,
\n  illnesses,
\n  pains of body and mind,
\n  hot furnaces, and
\n  deep waters,
\nas sanctified to his soul’s profit by the Holy Spirit,
\nthat the child of God comes to the cross.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHRIST THE JUDGE Though today God is long-suffering with men and is giving the fallen sons of Adam space for repentance THERE IS A DAY OF JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUS RETRIBUTION COMING (Rev. 20:11-14). God does not delay his judgment because he lacks the will or the power to judge men, but because he has an elect people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6825"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6826,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6825\/revisions\/6826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}