The Scheme Of Redemption Lesson 1 Braggs church of Christ The Scheme of Redemption - Lesson 1 The Scheme Of Redemption Lesson 1 Salvation, Scheme of Redemption

I. Definitions Scheme = a plan, design, or program of action to be followed; project. (Dictionary.com) Redemption = release from sins; Redeem = to buy back by paying a price

I. Definitions God’s plan to redeem man from his sins through the death of Christ on the cross God’s plan of salvation Rom. 1:16-17

Rom. 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. [17] For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

II. Background Gen. 2:17 Gen. 3:6 Gen. 3:15

Gen. 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Gen. 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Gen. 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

II. Background “From this ray of hope at the beginning, God’s great plan began to unfold” Alan Highers

III. Three Great Dispensations 1. Patriarchal Age Patriarch = father or head of a family The father served as priest and religious leader of the family There was no written law

III. Three Great Dispensations 1. Patriarchal Age There was no set day of worship No designated place of worship

III. Three Great Dispensations 1. Patriarchal Age Altars were constructed as the family moved from place to place Gen. 12:7-8

Gen. 12:7-8 And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

Gen. 12:7-8 [8] And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

III. Three Great Dispensations 1. Patriarchal Age Animal sacrifices were presented before God Gen. 8:20

Gen. 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

III. Three Great Dispensations 1. Patriarchal Age This period continued for some 2500 years until the giving of the law

III. Three Great Dispensations 1. Patriarchal Age Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were Patriarchs

III. Three Great Dispensations 1. Patriarchal Age “So far as we can discern, those to whom the law was not given continued to worship God according to the principles they learned under the Patriarchal system.” Highers

III. Three Great Dispensations 2. The Mosaic Age Bondage in Egypt Exodus - Moses and Aaron Law given at Mt. Sinai Ex. 20

III. Three Great Dispensations 2. The Mosaic Age Law given only to those who came up out of Egypt Ex. 20:1-2

Exodus 20:1-2 1] And God spake all these words, saying, [2] I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

III. Three Great Dispensations 2. The Mosaic Age Now a written law A specific day of worship - the Sabbath The people worshipped at the tabernacle & later the temple

III. Three Great Dispensations 2. The Mosaic Age Animal sacrifices continued to be offered, but there was a special priesthood which God selected from the tribe of Levi Continued some 1500 years until the coming of Christ

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age Mt. 5:18 Mt. 5:17 Lk. 24:44

Mt. 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Fulfilled = completed

Mt. 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. Fulfill = complete; conclude

Lk. 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age When Jesus fulfilled the law it passed away - was nailed to the cross Col. 2:14

Col. 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age Gal. 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. [25] But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age We are under law to Christ through the gospel! 1 Cor. 9:21 Rom. 1:16

1 Cor. 9:21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.

Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age We meet upon the first day of the week – the day of Christ’s resurrection We assemble for worship in the church the body of Christ Acts 20:7

Acts 20:7 And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age Christ is our high priest and every Christian is a priest in God’s service Heb. 4:14-16 1 Pet. 2:5,9

Heb. 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high

Heb. 4:14-16 priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

1 Pet. 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

1 Pet. 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age We no longer offer animal sacrifices Heb. 10:1-4

Heb. 10:1-4 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

Heb. 10:1-4 [2] For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. [3] But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

Heb. 10:1-4 [4] For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age We are redeemed by the precious sacrifice of the blood of Christ Rev. 1:5

Rev. 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age The blood of Christ was also shed for those who lived before the cross Heb. 9:15

Heb. 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

III. Three Great Dispensations 3. The Christian Age The plan of God unfolds in an orderly manner from Eden to Sinai and from Sinai to the cross and from the cross to the end of time

References Alan Highers, “The Scheme of Redemption”, The Spiritual Sword, Vol. 32 #3.