Reformation Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Who will challenge the Creator? What right does the clay have to questions the Potter? Is it not God's elective choices at work in all of creation?

As we approach the end of the Book of Judges, a polemic written by Samuel, against the trend in Israel to go after the gods of their neighbors, the pagan gods of Baal, Molech, and others who were nothing more than Satanic attempts to draw the hearts of God's people away from Him, we find the two great themes of redemptive history: 1) The sinfulness of men and the tendency to go astray after the gods of this world, and the 2) mercy of God displayed through substitutionary atonement, His judgment upon our enemies, 3) and the new life that He brings through the line of the Messiah, the Seed of the woman. Despite the rebellion of Israel, God intended to raise up in His patience and according to His promise a King who deliver His people from their sins and enemies.

Sunday Morning, Romans 8:37-39 In addition to being yolked to Christ, united and knit to Him by the powerful and ever-present Holy Spirit, such that nothing can separate, it is right for us to also understand that nothing can overwhelm us as we are reminded throughout the Scriptures: "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." We who are untied to Christ Jesus, can be assured, persuaded even as Paul was that nothing can conquer us by separating us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The sin of the men of Gibeah, the subsequent chopping up of the Levite's bride, and delivery of her body parts throughout the land caused the entire nation of Israel, those tribes that did not include Benjamin, to respond in horror. They couldn't believe it, the sin of the people of God had grown to such a point that something like this was possible, and yet there were still those outraged at it, and of course, rightly so. Yet as we will see, even the rest of Israel was guilty of great sin, and though they were outraged at the violence they had seen, Israel would learn that the path to victory, to removing the stain of sin in their midst required more than outrage at the really bad sins, but repentance of all sin and devotion to God's blessed covenant.

Paul just keeps hammering away and knocking them out of the park - this time its not simply expressing in the language of life and death with regards to the salvation that is freely offered in Christ to sinners, and given by the Spirit which results in freedom from enslavement to sin, but also the glorious language of adoption and sonship that belongs to those in whom the Spirit dwells. We have been given the consolation that in Christ we are new creations, we need not fear that the indwelling sin against which we war is indicative that we remain imprisoned to sin. No, in Christ we are set free, in Christ we have been given new life, in Christ we have been granted the Spirit of adoption. This does not mean we treat sin lightly, rather we strive to walk in holiness, but when we do sin we have a strong advocate who answers for us, and we have a secure place at the Table of the One who is our Father. Once we have been brought into the house of God, we are never cast out.

Freedom from the body of death is the gift and state that those who are in Christ Jesus know and experience in light of what Christ has done for them. The Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit has not only given a gift, but inhabits, indwells, and has filled in a real, present, and continuing way of all of those who are made alive and brought into the fellowship of the Godhead. You in the Spirit, and the Spirit in you is a statement that expresses an inseparable reality that the union that the saints enjoy is not only eternal but effectual to bring about a living faith, an obedient faith, a righteousness that is not only once imputed, and continually acted upon as those who have been quickened unto righteousness. Dear saints, we are not of the flesh, and those who are truly in Christ have only been granted that sentence of innocence with regards to law-breaking, but also given the Spirit who causes us to actively live for Christ. Saving faith is therefore an active faith. Freedom from sin, means freedom to righte

Perhaps the best summary of a man's priorities, his desires, and those things which he loves most could be best summarized as those things which he is resolved to do every day. Our resolutions make us who we are: they govern our actions, they dictate the affections of our hearts, and they control our minds and bring us purpose and meaning. This is what resolutions are, but who governs them? Who governs those resolutions makes all the difference in the world. Man or God? These are the only options and for this reason there are only two paths open to us. The one in which we endeavor to imitate, serve, and obey our Maker, and the one in which we seek to exalt our own name by satisfying the flesh in accordance with a spirit of rebellion. This pervading truth, David knew, and it is that which governed his life. Ask a man who loved God and a man whom God loved, he resolved day in and day out to live for the glory of God. Concerning this Psalm Spurgeon referred to it as "The Psalm of Pious Resolutions." What does it

This evening we gather to hear again from David, the once great king of Israel. Last time the subject was purity and righteousness in the house of the king and how he desired to honor the Lord with his whole life. Here David speaks of regal matters, namely: the kind of King we can expect according to God's promises made to David. This is a "Royal" psalm. That is, its theme centers on the role of David's house in the future fulfillment of God's Covenant of Grace with His people. This Psalm moves beyond the scope of human authority and achievement, and into the future work of one whom David calls "my Lord." The One whom we rightly call Messiah. But it is not just a regal psalm, there is something else at work here. There is, in fact, a combination of two distinct, yet related oracles concerning the Messiah, who would come, not only in the line of David, but in the line of another central Old Testament character, of which less is known. The oracle of kingship and the oracle of priesthood, tied to the line of Dav