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12 November 2014

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"And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. And he left all, rose up, and followed him.” (Luke 5:27-28)

The first mention we have of Matthew (Levi) is that he is a publican. And that is not a good thing.

Publicans had a horrible reputation because they collected taxes from their fellow Jews for the Romans, and they often overcharged and pocketed the difference. This sin of theft and usury was rampant during the time of Christ.

But the definition of who Matthew is does not stop there. Jesus called this man while he was still living in his sin, and Matthew left the sin behind! Matthew may have been a publican but he was also a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When someone mentions the name Rahab, what comes to mind? We immediately say, “the harlot.” Yes she was a harlot, but the Bible records her act of faith in Hebrews 11. She was not just a harlot. She was a sinner saved by the grace of God!

And that is how it is with all of God’s children. We are sinners, hypocrites, liars, and thieves, but that is not our full identity. We are sinners saved by grace. Our true identity is IN CHRIST.

The world and the devil may label you by your sin but your Heavenly Father does not. He sees you through the blood of Christ. God sees you as righteous.

We have no righteousness of our own that we can claim, but we can claim the forgiveness of God and not believe the labels the devil calls us. He is trying to discourage us and make us give up our discipleship. But we need to stop our ears and shout, “I am a child of the King!”

Tags: forgiven, harmony_of_the_gospels, luke

Welcome

Brentwood Hills Primitive Baptist Church is a community of believers working together to transform our lives to the image of Jesus Christ. We believe it is our duty and privilege to live the gospel of the doctrines of grace in such a way as to edify the families within our church and other children of God in our community. Through regular worship based on strong Biblical principles, fellowship, admonishment, and outreach, we glory in the grace of the sovereign God working in our lives thereby showing the Spirit of God in the world.

Brentwood Hills was organized in 1906 in Fort Worth, Texas as Laodicea Primitive Baptist Church. You can find much of the history of the church, as well as other churches here: Primitive Baptist History Database

We identify ourselves as an old-line Primitive Baptist church. If you read our Articles of Faith, you’ll see that we hold to such doctrines as the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible. We recognize the King James Version (KJV) as the only English translation worthy of being called the Bible. We believe in salvation solely by the grace of a sovereign God. We believe that Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, came to the earth to do the will of His Father, which was to deliver from the sentence of death all those the Father gave Him before the world began. We believe that Jesus fully satisfied the Father by atoning for all the sins of all His people. In time, we believe the Holy Spirit comes to each person that belongs to Jesus and regenerates them. Then (and only then) can anyone have faith, which is a fruit of the Spirit, by which you are able to believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. Whether or not you ever hear the gospel, or believe it if you did hear it, or obey it if you did believe it, rest assured that Jesus will remain forever faithful to you because, if He died for you, He will never deny that you belong to Him.

We believe that everyone for whom Christ died will without fail be raised again from the dead to a glorified life. Even if we are alive when He returns to raise the dead, we shall be changed to a glorified life. All the Redeemed will meet the Lord in the air. Then He will take us to Heaven and there we shall forever be with the Lord. The wicked will be raised at the same time as the righteous, but the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment along with Satan and his angels. Until that glorious day when Christ returns to raise the dead, He has provided a place for His people to find rest for their souls. This place is the Church. Jesus Christ set-up His church on this earth before His death on the Cross. The church is there for those of His people who have come to believe that God saved them by His Son, Jesus Christ. To believe that Christ “paid it all” gives believers the strongest motivation to serve Him. Once enlightened to this glorious truth, then the child of God should feel an obligation to become and remain an active member of the His church. To serve the Lord in His church makes for one of the great blessings to experience this side of Heaven. It fulfills you to serve in His church and it gives your life purpose and meaning.

Living in Liberty

Elder Bryce Lowrance

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