Good News of Deliverance
Good morning, Immanuel. The gospel is the good news of deliverance that deals a fatal blow to our great enemy.
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14-15).
The gospel is the good news of deliverance that deals a fatal blow to our great enemy. Apart from the justifying work of Jesus, our adversary has a case against us that can stick. We are guilty and worthy of God’s judgment. He can stand before God and make his case against us: “They are worthy of death!” Apart from the grace of Jesus, we would have no rebuttal against his fiery accusations. On our own, we are condemned, and his accusations sting us to death. In that sense, the devil has the power of death. He wields the fact of our condemnation and judgment like a cracking whip, making our lives miserable and fearful. On our own, we live under his oppressive tyranny and are subject to lifelong slavery.
But praise be to God, we are not on our own! We have a friend in Jesus, the Righteous One! He destroyed the one who has the power of death by canceling the record of our debt, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 1:14). By His death, the guilty are pardoned and declared righteous. By His death, the condemned are set free. There is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)! Who can lay any charge against God’s elect? What accusation can the devil bring that sticks? Our foe may bring his charge against us, but given the cross, his charge has no staying power. Yes, my sin is great, but His mercy is more! No, I have no righteousness of my own, but Christ is my righteousness by faith! The cross of Christ is God’s final answer, and our liberating rebuttal - case dismissed! Praise be to God!
🍁 NEW FALL EVENTS 🍁
NEW SEMINAR: We are happy to announce a new Sunday Seminar led by Dr. Gavin Ortlund titled “How to Talk About Jesus Without Being Weird.” The Seminar will meet every Sunday at 10:45 AM in the Café.
MEN’S & WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP: Starting September 9th, men's and women’s fellowship kicks off at Immanuel! Every Monday from 7 pm to 8:30 pm, the women, led by Amy Cox, will gather in the cafe, and the men, led by Tony Shepherd, will gather in the gymnasium. We hope to see you there!
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY: Starting September 19, Heidi Faulks will kick off our Immanuel's Women's Bible Study. This study meets every Thursday morning from 10:00-11:30 AM. They will go through Abide, Jen Wilkin's study on 1, 2, and 3 John. Childcare will be provided. Register here!
MEN’S & WOMEN’S RETREATS: We’re excited to announce that registration is now open for our upcoming men’s and women’s retreats! This is a fantastic opportunity to build deeper relationships at Immanuel, whether you have been at the church for a week or a decade. We also have the wonderful privilege of hearing from Ray and Jani Ortlund as our respective speakers. Register for the women’s retreat here and the men’s retreat here.