New Focus Church

Luk 5:27 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.

Luk 5:28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

Luk 5:29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

Luk 5:30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

Luk 5:31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

Luk 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

The essence of the gospel is substitution. Christ died for our sins. According to the terms of the everlasting covenant of peace God spared not His Son but delivered Him up for all of us who are loved, chosen, called, justified and glorified in Christ.

Luk 5:17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

Luk 5:18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him.

Luk 5:19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling with his couch into the midst before Jesus.

Luk 5:20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Luk 5:21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

Luk 5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts?

Luk 5:23 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk?

Luk 5:24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.

Luk 5:25 And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

Luk 5:26 And they were all amazed, and they glorified God, and were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to day.

Our ever-loving God is for us, for His people. So much so, says Paul, that 'He spared not His own Son'. Our safety, security and hope in this life and for the next is in the grace and mercy of Him who gave His own Son, and spared Him not, to bring many sons to glory.

Luk 5:12 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Luk 5:13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

Luk 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

Luk 5:15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him: and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities.

Luk 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.

God is for us! Our God is for His beloved, chosen, called and justified people. He sent Christ to die for us and His Spirit to convert us. He keeps us faithful. He feeds our souls. He comforts our spirits. He does all this because He is for us. If God is for us who can be against us?

God calls His people glorious because He has made us so in Christ. Glorious is not something we shall become, it is what we now are, having been chosen, called and justified by the grace of God. And there is more to come.

Luk 4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

Luk 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Luk 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

Luk 4:34 Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

Luk 4:35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

Luk 4:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

Luk 4:37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

Luk 4:38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her.

Luk 4:39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

Luk 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.

Luk 4:41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.

Luk 4:42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desert place: and the people sought him, and came unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart from them.

Luk 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.

Luk 4:44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

In the covenant of grace, before the world was formed, God set His church apart in eternal election and justified His people in their Surety and Substitute Jesus Christ. God has always seen His people as righteous and holy under the blood and righteousness of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.