The Theme of the Bible El Bethel church of Christ October 3, 2005

1500 Years… 66 Books… 40 Authors…6 Major Empires… 3 Continents…3 Languages The Gospel

REDEMPTION SIN SANCTIFICATION GRACE JUSTIFICATION REGENERATION FAITH BLOOD MERCY SACRIFICE PROPITIATION RIGHTEOUSNESS FORGIVENESSOBEDIENCE The Plan of Redemption ATONEMENT

The great commission – “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation...” Mark 16:15 An Urgent and Important Command Everyone deserves to hear the gospel!

The Gospel Power of God - “I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation...” Roman 1:16

The Gospel “...when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power...” 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

The Gospel “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! ” Galatians 1:6-12 DIFFICULT STATEMENT POLITICALLY INCORRECT

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! ” Galatians 1:6-12 The Gospel How can I know? Where would we start? Galatians 1:6-12

Galatians 3:24 TEACHER TO BRING US TO CHRIST JUSTIFIED BY FAITH OLD LAW Also Rom. 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 1 Cor. 10:11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction

Which GOD? OT NT

ETERNAL ALL POWERFUL ALL KNOWING The Nature of God… Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:2 And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father…for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. I Chronicles 28:9 The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28ff

ETERNAL ALL POWERFUL ALL KNOWING The Nature of God… Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. Psalm 90:2 And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father…for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. I Chronicles 28:9 The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. Isaiah 40:28ff GODISHOLY

Inhabits eternity with a dominion of purity defined by His nature “Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong... Surely, God will not act wickedly, And the Almighty will not pervert justice. ” Job 34:10-12 GOD

There is no hint of moral evil in His nature “ For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. ” Psalms 5:4 GOD

Holy Ps 33:4-5 For the word of the LORD is upright, And all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD. God’s holiness is demonstrated in His justice and love toward His creation. JUSTICELOVE

Set Apart God demands moral uprightness in His creatures because He is Holy! “Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.” Leviticus 20:26

GOD GOD SPIRITUAL UNION SPIRITUAL FELLOWSHIP

GOD God exhibits an attitude of abhorrence and hatred to all that is wrong “You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look upon wickedness.” Hab 1:13

GOD GOD Cannot co-exist with sin “Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden his face from you.” Is 59:2

GOD SPIRITUALDEATH “you were dead in your trespasses and sins” Eph 2:1

DEATH SIN Ezekiel 18:20... the person who sins he shall die

Psa 53:3 “...everyone turns away…no one does good, not even one.” Ezekiel 18:20... the person who sins he shall die DEATH SIN

The CONSEQUENCES of SIN DEATH SPIRITUAL MORTAL “For out of the dust you were taken; for dust you are, and to the dust you shall return.” ~ Genesis 3:19 Other consequences (Gen 3): increased pain in childbirth toil and labor 1 st prophecy of Christ ~Isaiah 59:2

Psa 53:3 “...everyone turns away…no one does good, not even one.” DEATH LIFE “without the shedding of blood there can be no remission of sins.” Heb. 9:22 The PRICE for SIN

The Price Genesis 2:16-17 “The LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.’”

2 Peter 2:4-9 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; SIN DEATH A Just God

5 and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; SIN DEATH Noah’s Flood (Genesis 6-8)

A Just God 6 and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter... SIN DEATH Genesis 18-19

The Price is Right We deserve to die for breaking the laws of the God of the universe!!! SIN DEATH The person who sins will die. Ezekiel 18:20

Death Man finds himself in a very desperate situation: Man has broken the laws of the God of the universe, this has separated him from God, and the price of death hangs over his head (which he cannot pay!) by a just God! God’s Justice Demands Death as Payment for Sin

Mercy God does not give what is deserved Grace God gives what is not deserved God’s Love Provides a way to Pay the Price NOT GUILTY!!

BLOOD MERCY

Atonement Kaphar: to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation, cover over with pitch –(Qal) to coat or cover with pitch –(Piel) to cover over, pacify, propitiateto cover over, pacify, propitiate to cover over, atone for sin, make atonement forto cover over, atone for sin, make atonement for to cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal ritesto cover over, atone for sin and persons by legal rites –(Pual) to be covered overto be covered over to make atonement forto make atonement for –(Hithpael) to be covered

GOD GOD Atonement “...for it is on this day that atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you; you will be clean from all your sins before the LORD” Lev 16:30 ATONEMENT

Atonement Leviticus 17:11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'

Atonement Leviticus 17:11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'

Innocent LIFE Payment BLOOD REPRESENTS LIFE ATONES FOR Innocent LIFE SINNER Heb 9:22 …without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness REPRESENTS Guilty LIFE

GOD SANCTIFICATION “...that He might sanctify her [the church], having cleansed her …” Eph. 5:25-26

Lev 17:11 “The sinner deserved to die; therefore the sacrifice must die....God appointed the sprinkling or pouring out of the blood of the sacrifice upon the altar to signify that the life of the sacrifice was given to God instead of the sinner's life, and as a ransom or counter-price for it; therefore without shedding of blood there was no remission, Heb 9:22.” Macknight

Animal Sacrifice SINS(FIGURATIVE) SINS INNOCENT GUILTY

DEATH Animal Sacrifice SINS(FIGURATIVE) Leviticus 17:11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.' Heb 9:22 …without the shedding of blood there is no remission.

but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.“ (Gen 2) For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.‘ (Lev 17) …without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Heb 9:22) Adam & Eve “died” through the animal deaths

JUSTICE Animal Sacrifice MERCY DEATH SINS (FIGURATIVE)

What Made it Work? FAITH

Unacceptable Sacrifices FAITH Cain: Genesis 4 Priests: Leviticus 10 Jews: Malachi 1:8

By Faith… AbelNoahAbrahamAbrahamSarahAbrahamIsaacIsraelites Walls of Jericho OFFEREDPREPAREDOBEYEDLIVEDCONCEIVEDOFFEREDBLESSED PASSED THROUGH ENCIRCLED Genuine FAITH requires Belief-based ACTION

Genuine Faith – Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Genuine Faith – Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

FAITH = Belief-based action Genuine Faith – Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

DEATH Animal Sacrifice SINS JUSTICE MERCY (FIGURATIVE) SIN SACRIFICE BLOOD ATONEMENT FAITH REPRESENTATIVE DEATH TEACHER Gal 3:24 REDEMPTION HOLINESS SANCTIFICATION GRACE

that takes away the sin of the world” “Behold the

Next: Examining The Blood of Christ

Contradiction? (John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (James 2:19) You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

SYNECDOCHE A part is put for the whole “Head” for cattle “Sail” for sailboats The whole is used for a part “Law” for policeman

BELIEF-based ACTION (SAVING FAITH) WORKS ALONE BELIEF ALONE HEBREWS 11 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? James 2:14 JUSTIFIED BY FAITH

save (v14) Can that type of faith save a man? dead (v17) Faith without action is dead action (v18) Faith is shown by action useless (v20) Faith without action is “useless” perfected (v21-23) Abraham’s faith was perfected by belief working with his actions not (v24) Justified by action, not “faith alone” dead (v26) Faith without action is dead Devils are believers! (v19) Devils are believers! – and lost THERE ARE BELIEVERS IN HELL! BELIEF ALONE? (James 2:14-26)

Receive the envelope Open the envelope Open the card “Shake out” the check Endorse the check Take it to the bank Receive your cash Still a gift? You did nothing to EARN the gift – you just accepted the gift! The Birthday Check