Sovereign Grace Missionary Baptist Church 1217 Dillon Texarkana, Texas 75501 March 27, 2011 Newsletter Number 311 Elder Randy Johnson, Pastor Bro. Ronnie Henderson, Song Director Pastor E-Mail: sgmbcpastor@baptistsonline.org Web Site: www.baptistsonline.org/sgmbc "Where The Truths Of God’s Word Are Still Taught"

You Were Asked To Pray For: All of Our Military, Their Family’s & All the Civilian Workers in The Middle East, Zee Mink Fuller and Family, Her son’s Bryan Armstrong and Hunter Hackie, Daughter Shannon, and Brother Philip & Sondra Thornsberry, Virgil & Alice Hoskins, Grandchildren, and his daughters Liz Janis and Debbie Gray, Derrick & Alecia and sons Coty & Carson Clements, Frank Trusty, Bryndon Thomas, Frank & Dawana Reigel, Andrew Preston, Helen Maggard, Renee Jackson, Larry Mollette, Larry Mollette II & Family, Kirby Mollette, Kerry Pennington, Kim Butler, Danny & Nita Mollette, Verna Mae Allen, Wendell Henderson, Judy Dunn, Martha Gray, Joshua Kidd, Matthew Kidd, Kevin Henderson, Ronnie Henderson Jr. & Daughter Ashley, Lilly Stansord, Vickie Sims, Debbie Farmer, Terry Farmer, Morgan Murchison, Jim Stagner, Bro. & Mrs. Hammond, Don & Neil Hammond, Charles Hammond, Eric Hammond, Archie & Barbara Griffin & son Daniel, Bro. & Sister Bob Keller, Kathy Rosinbaum, Brenda Galusha and Jewel, Mary Ramsey, Donna Johnson, Fay Johnson, Luann Reynolds, Bro. & Sis. Curtis Pugh, Timothy and Nathan Fails, Jacob Ramsey, Jim & Linda Meier, Brother David & Sister Anne Shortt, Brother Manuel Seymour & Family, Letha Langford, Brother & Sister Kelley Hinson and Kelley Lee, Billy and Jo Hobbs, Jerry Hughes, Sister Nita Bookout, Justin Bookout, Pastor G. L. Burr, Melody Carr, Janie Capps, Gina Sullivan, Katie Norton, Imajo Tracy, Sister Jean Dodson and Family, Linda Hughes, Roy Lemmon, Marshall Risinger, Jack Johnson, Lee Mollette’s friend, and Bro. Sergey Mochalov and the Churches in Russia.

The Pastors Corner: What is simple faith? “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” James 2:14 The question so many other denominations always ask Baptist is can faith alone save you, well the answer is, absolutely not. Anyone can have faith; anyone can generate faith in their minds, which is not salvation. Therefore it is so very true faith alone cannot save you, but neither can works! Do a bible search on the words works and salvation and you will not find one single time that works is mentioned in relationship to saving one single lost sinner. In fact this is what you will find; “Not of works...” Ephesians 2:9 – “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight...” Romans 3:20 – “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Romans 11:6 – The Apostle Paul spent the first seven chapters of the book of Romans detailing every aspect of how it was impossible to be justified by works. However on the other side of this subject I would like to speak to those so-called Baptist that are not truly Baptist because they have never stood on Baptist doctrine. Faith alone cannot save a sinner from eternal damnation! Baptist (true Baptist) have never believed that a lost sinner can be saved by faith alone, and never will. James asked “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works…” the answer is nothing! However Faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour is enough. Faith alone is nothing, billions upon billions of people through time past have believed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, but few have believed that He is their Saviour. Faith alone, a choice, decision, or simply a sinner’s prayer confessing faith could never be enough because salvation is much deeper than simple faith, it is the eternal work of God. God before the world began predestinated us to be saved, God before the foundation of the world chose us as His beloved children, God before the foundation of the world elected to accept the sacrifice of the Son of man as acceptable payment for all of these elect’s sins, God sent His beloved Son incarnate in the Son of man to die for out sins on the cross as payment in full, God sent the Holy Spirit to prick our hearts and to lead us to the saving grace of God, and God sent His Holy Spirit to give to us sufficient faith to believe that our Saviour’s blood was sufficient for us to be holy in His sight. So no, simple faith is not enough to save a lost sinner, and neither is a simple choice, or a simple decision, or a simple prayer. Therefore just as James concluded simple faith does not save a lost sinner, God does! Now back to the rest of the religious world, works has no part in salvation no more than simple faith does. Since the scriptures never conclude works for salvation then the thought must be and is rendered mute. James did not say that works was a part of salvation; he said it is a result of salvation. And that is because God has saved our souls from eternal hell and since He has, He gave us the ability to righteously serve Him by our works, and every real Christian has this ability and has theses works of righteousness. If you do not then you are a product of simple faith and not true faith handed down from God Himself. If you have simple faith then it is time to have real God given faith which comes by trusting Jesus Christ to be your Saviour. “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” John 6:29

Those That are His Will Persevere Unto the End: Most will acknowledge that there are many false professions of faith made today. Often these professions are made in response to the false gospel of easy-believism. Some even seem to outwardly receive the true gospel for a time—but without inward acceptance. These ultimately reveal their reprobation by a final departing from the faith. (Mat 13:20-21) But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; {21} Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. Such that fall away were never regenerated by the Spirit of God. They were never amongst the elect of God. They were never the children of God. Those that are God’s elect are marked by their perseverance in the faith. This perseverance is accomplished by the preserving grace of God. It is not accomplished by their own efforts or merits, though they must indeed strive diligently against sin in their own flesh. The reprobates are marked by their abandonment of the faith that they outwardly embraced for a time. (1 John 2:19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. As shown above, coming to Christ does not MAKE one a sheep, but REVEALS one to be a sheep. So this falling away does not UNMAKE one a sheep—rather it REVEALS those who never were amongst his sheep. Such was the case of Judas Iscariot, that son of perdition, and such is the case with many others. By Pastor Greg Wilson, Archer, Florida

The happiest Christians: They are the happiest Christians, who have the lowest thoughts of themselves, and in whose eyes Jesus is most glorious and precious. "Unto you who believe He is precious." 1 Peter 2:7 By John Newton 1725-1807