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THE BLOOD OF CHRIST (2)

March 31, 2002 AM

Sermon Outline

Heb 10:26-31

INTRO: One historian wrote that on the day of atonement the blood of animals offered as sacrifice at the temple literally ran out of the temple during the entire period of the Mosaic covenant. One can only wonder at the thousands of animals killed as offering and whose blood was poured at the base of the altar. But the writer of Hebrews reminds us that it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins (Heb 10:4). Only the blood of Jesus could do that! So ...

I. BLOOD AND CLEANSING

A. Jer 2:20-22 No cleansing agent known to man can effect

1. they had sinned ... had polluted themselves with idols

2. and no amount of the strongest cleansers could take away the stain

3. their sin was marked (indelibly inscribed) before God

B. Until .... Rev 1:5 The blood of Jesus! (1 Jno 1:7)

1. what can wash away my sin ... nothing but the blood ...

2. all of the sacrifices of the past looked ahead to this

3. and this ... Acts 22:16

II. BLOOD AND SANCTIFICATION

A. Sanctify ... to purify, to consecrate

1. from the root meaning holy

2. note Lev 8:30 consecrated, dedicated to gods service

3. here is blood again ... with revealed use, purpose

B. Heb 13:12 The blood of Jesus sanctifies

1. it purifies; it consecrates to Gods service

2. Eph 5:26 sanctified; cleansed ... where? clearly in baptism (again, Acts 26:16)

3. Heb 10:29 the seriousness with which we should take this sanctification! (God provided the blood of His Son to sanctify - rest assured, He does not take lightly our unfaithfulness or lukewarmness ... which means we do not appreciate Jesus blood)

III. BLOOD AND PURCHASING

A. Ex 15:16 and Ps 74:2 How were they purchased?

1. the texts point back to a time Israel was purchased

2. could this be a reference to the Passover night? and the Passover lambs? Ex 12:7,12,13

3. the reference at 1 Cor 5:7 is certainly suggestive of such

B. So, Acts 20:28 The blood of Jesus purchases

1. the great difference is that the purchase is perfect

2. may I suggest that the greater the price, the more we value?

3. once again, we have a demonstration of the great love of God ... His own Sons blood purchased us

IV. BLOOD AND RANSOM

A. Ps 49:7-9 Fact: things cannot ransom the soul

1. most of us would understand the ransom principle

2. something, someone is held captive

3. but for a certain ransom price freedom is granted

B. Thus, Mt 20:28

1. what happened when Jesus gave his life? blood!

2. so, Lk 22:20 shed for you - the ransom

3. in a way, I think, this aspect of the significance of Jesus blood is most appealing to me

4. think of parents whose child has been kidnaped - they will pay any ransom to free their child from captivity

5. God did that for me

CLOSE: Where would I be without Jesus blood? I would be without any hope beyond death.

Cecil A. Hutson

31 March 2002

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)