Let's bow our heads for prayer.
00:00:30.26\00:00:31.79
Our Father and our God, we
come before Your throne today
00:00:31.83\00:00:38.60
confessing our own
insufficiency, and the inability
00:00:38.63\00:00:44.04
to understand Your Word
without our finite minds.
00:00:44.07\00:00:48.04
Therefore we ask that
you would be present with us,
00:00:48.08\00:00:52.81
through the ministration
of Your Holy Spirit.
00:00:52.85\00:00:55.05
We ask, Lord, that You
will give us clarity of thought,
00:00:55.08\00:00:58.22
that you will give us willing
hearts, that we might understand
00:00:58.25\00:01:03.22
Your will for our lives.
00:01:03.26\00:01:05.86
As we study about the marvelous
plan of the everlasting gospel,
00:01:05.89\00:01:10.00
we ask that You will instill
in our hearts a deeper love
00:01:10.03\00:01:14.44
each day for You, and
for Your Beloved Son Jesus,
00:01:14.47\00:01:17.94
for we ask it in
His precious name, Amen.
00:01:17.97\00:01:22.64
As I mentioned in our last study
together, we are going to study
00:01:22.68\00:01:29.35
today about the
everlasting gospel.
00:01:29.38\00:01:33.76
And I'd like to read the first
angel's message where we find
00:01:33.79\00:01:37.96
the reference to
the everlasting gospel.
00:01:37.99\00:01:40.33
I'm reading from
Revelation 14: 6, 7.
00:01:40.36\00:01:47.24
It says the following:
Then I saw another angel flying
00:01:47.27\00:01:54.71
in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting gospel to preach
00:01:54.74\00:02:01.88
to those who dwell on the earth,
and to every nation, tribe,
00:02:01.92\00:02:06.62
tongue, and people.
00:02:06.65\00:02:08.79
Interestingly enough, the
apostle John wrote several books
00:02:26.88\00:02:33.11
of the New Testament.
00:02:33.15\00:02:34.48
He wrote the gospel
of John, Revelation,
00:02:34.52\00:02:38.45
as well as three epistles.
00:02:38.49\00:02:40.69
But this is the only time in
the writings of John where you
00:02:40.72\00:02:45.49
find the word gospel, and much
less the everlasting gospel.
00:02:45.53\00:02:53.17
Now because this is the only
time in the writings of John
00:02:53.20\00:02:58.14
where we find the
reference to the gospel,
00:02:58.17\00:03:00.48
it's necessary for us to go
to other places in Scripture
00:03:00.51\00:03:05.11
to study this topic of
the everlasting gospel.
00:03:05.15\00:03:09.55
And so we're going to go to
other places in Scripture that
00:03:09.58\00:03:14.46
describe the meaning
of the everlasting gospel.
00:03:14.49\00:03:17.59
Now the first question
that we want to ask is this:
00:03:17.63\00:03:21.60
Why is the gospel
called everlasting?
00:03:21.63\00:03:26.20
After all the Bible tells
us that the gospel was the
00:03:26.23\00:03:30.31
salvation event in Jesus Christ.
00:03:30.34\00:03:32.64
So what makes the
gospel everlasting?
00:03:32.67\00:03:36.95
Well, in order to understand
why the gospel is everlasting
00:03:36.98\00:03:42.35
we need to go back to the
story that we find of the fall
00:03:42.38\00:03:47.72
in the book of Genesis.
00:03:47.76\00:03:49.86
So go back with me to Genesis
2, and we're going to look at
00:03:49.92\00:03:56.26
several important details
that will set the framework
00:03:56.30\00:03:59.77
for understanding the meaning
of the everlasting gospel.
00:03:59.80\00:04:03.51
The first thing that I want
to review from Genesis 1 and 2
00:04:03.57\00:04:07.24
is that God, that is
Jesus, created Adam and Eve
00:04:07.28\00:04:12.45
holy, innocent, and righteous.
00:04:12.48\00:04:16.15
And the Bible tells us that in
order to show this righteousness
00:04:16.18\00:04:22.22
in a visible way, God
clothed Adam and Eve with a
00:04:22.26\00:04:27.36
literal robe of light.
00:04:27.40\00:04:29.96
But that literal robe of
light symbolized something;
00:04:30.00\00:04:33.80
it represented something.
00:04:33.84\00:04:35.70
The literal robe of light
represented their righteousness,
00:04:35.74\00:04:40.68
their obedience
to the law of God.
00:04:40.71\00:04:43.58
In other words, the literal
robe of light represented
00:04:43.65\00:04:47.45
obedience to God's law.
00:04:47.48\00:04:49.55
It showed that Adam
and Eve were righteous,
00:04:49.58\00:04:53.05
because they had not
broken God's holy law.
00:04:53.09\00:04:56.52
But we're told in the book of
Genesis that when Adam and Eve
00:04:56.56\00:05:00.43
sinned the first result of their
sin was that this literal robe
00:05:00.46\00:05:05.73
of light disappeared.
00:05:05.77\00:05:07.24
And we find in Genesis 2:25
the description of what happened
00:05:07.27\00:05:13.48
when the robe of
light disappeared.
00:05:13.51\00:05:15.71
It says there in Genesis
2:25, first of all, about their
00:05:15.74\00:05:22.98
original condition, and then
we'll read verse 7 of chapter 3.
00:05:23.02\00:05:26.86
It says: And they were both
naked, the man and his wife,
00:05:26.89\00:05:29.52
and were not ashamed.
00:05:29.56\00:05:31.13
But now notice verse 7.
00:05:31.16\00:05:32.56
Immediately after their sin it
says: Then the eyes of both of
00:05:32.59\00:05:37.23
them were opened, and
they knew that they were naked.
00:05:37.27\00:05:41.20
So in other words, in
their innocence, when they were
00:05:41.24\00:05:45.14
obedient to God's holy law,
they had a literal robe of light
00:05:45.17\00:05:49.64
that represented spiritual
obedience to God's holy law.
00:05:49.68\00:05:55.18
But when they sinned the
literal robe of light left them,
00:05:55.22\00:06:00.22
and they became literally naked.
00:06:00.26\00:06:03.56
Now what did the
literal nakedness represent?
00:06:03.59\00:06:07.40
It represented the
fact that now they were
00:06:07.43\00:06:10.53
disobedient to God's law.
00:06:10.57\00:06:12.17
They were unrighteous.
00:06:12.20\00:06:13.84
In other words, being
clothed with the robe of light
00:06:13.87\00:06:17.14
represented obedience to God's
law, whereas being unclothed
00:06:17.17\00:06:21.61
or naked represented,
or symbolized disobedience
00:06:21.64\00:06:25.81
to God's holy law.
00:06:25.85\00:06:27.75
And, of course, the Bible tells
us that the nakedness of Adam
00:06:27.78\00:06:33.96
and Eve led ultimately to the
sentence of death against them.
00:06:33.99\00:06:38.86
And it's no coincidence that the
apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5
00:06:38.89\00:06:43.40
refers to death as
nakedness, because your body
00:06:43.43\00:06:48.50
goes back to the dust.
00:06:48.54\00:06:50.01
Your body is your clothing, so
to speak, spiritually speaking.
00:06:50.04\00:06:54.94
And so when man
dies, the apostle Paul says
00:06:54.98\00:06:57.78
that he's left naked.
00:06:57.81\00:07:00.02
So the nakedness of Adam and
Eve represented the fact that
00:07:00.05\00:07:05.59
ultimately they were going to
die, and they were going to be
00:07:05.62\00:07:09.19
left naked; their
body, in other words,
00:07:09.22\00:07:11.59
was going to disintegrate.
00:07:11.63\00:07:13.50
We find in Romans
6:23 the sentence of death.
00:07:13.53\00:07:19.10
And I want to read just
the first part of Romans 6:23.
00:07:19.13\00:07:24.67
It says there:
00:07:24.71\00:07:26.04
The wages of sin is
death, or the ultimate nakedness
00:07:29.61\00:07:35.25
or unclothing,
according to the apostle Paul
00:07:35.28\00:07:38.29
in 2 Corinthians 5:2-4.
00:07:38.32\00:07:43.12
I like to think of this topic
of the wages of sin being death,
00:07:43.16\00:07:49.93
in the context of what I call
an equal opportunity employer.
00:07:49.96\00:07:54.94
You know, sin is actually
personified in Romans 6:23.
00:07:54.97\00:08:01.24
The wages of sin is death.
00:08:01.28\00:08:03.35
In other words,
Mr. Sin is an employer.
00:08:03.38\00:08:07.15
Whoever works for Mr. Sin,
the wages that that person earns
00:08:07.18\00:08:13.15
are what? death. The
wages of sin are death.
00:08:13.19\00:08:17.89
So when Adam and Eve sinned,
they began to be employees
00:08:17.93\00:08:22.63
of Mr. Sin. And Mr. Sin
said, Being that you're working
00:08:22.66\00:08:27.50
for me, being that you're
committing sin, the wages that
00:08:27.54\00:08:31.31
I'm going to pay
you are wages of death.
00:08:31.34\00:08:34.78
Now it's very important for us
to realize that the death that
00:08:34.81\00:08:39.01
God was talking about
was not only physical death.
00:08:39.05\00:08:42.62
God was speaking about
eternal separation from Him.
00:08:42.65\00:08:47.82
He was referring
to spiritual death.
00:08:47.86\00:08:49.72
He was referring to spiritual
death, but he was also referring
00:08:49.76\00:08:54.33
to eternal or everlasting death.
00:08:54.36\00:08:57.43
And the Bible says that
Adam and Eve should have
00:08:57.47\00:09:00.44
died that very day.
00:09:00.47\00:09:02.87
Notice Genesis 2:17.
00:09:02.90\00:09:05.64
The Bible is very
clear on this point.
00:09:05.67\00:09:08.14
Genesis 2:17. It says
there, God is speaking:
00:09:08.18\00:09:14.98
But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil,
00:09:15.02\00:09:18.55
you shall not eat: for in
the day that you eat of it
00:09:18.59\00:09:24.19
you shall surely die.
00:09:24.23\00:09:26.19
Notice, God didn't
tell Adam, You know,
00:09:26.23\00:09:28.40
you'll die 930 years later.
00:09:28.43\00:09:30.50
He said, The day that you
eat of the tree, that is the day
00:09:30.53\00:09:35.17
that you will surely die.
00:09:35.20\00:09:37.81
In other words, there was
no doubt that Adam and Eve
00:09:37.84\00:09:40.61
should have died that very day.
00:09:40.64\00:09:43.45
And, of course, the question is,
Why didn't they die that very
00:09:43.48\00:09:49.65
day in which they sinned? in
which they were left physically
00:09:49.68\00:09:53.42
naked, which represented
their spiritual nakedness,
00:09:53.46\00:09:56.99
in other words
their unrighteousness,
00:09:57.03\00:09:58.76
which eventually would lead
to death, to the decomposition
00:09:58.79\00:10:02.96
of their bodies;
the ultimate nakedness.
00:10:03.00\00:10:05.57
Why didn't they
suffer death in all of its
00:10:05.60\00:10:09.40
implications that day?
00:10:09.44\00:10:11.07
The reason why is because God
had established an everlasting
00:10:11.11\00:10:17.45
plan in the
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:10:17.48\00:10:21.05
In fact, that plan that
God established before the
00:10:21.08\00:10:27.16
foundation of the world, we're
going to read it in a moment
00:10:27.19\00:10:29.32
from Scripture, in vision
two things: 1. It envisioned
00:10:29.36\00:10:35.53
choosing a
perfect, unblemished, lamb.
00:10:35.56\00:10:40.37
And then that perfect,
unblemished lamb was to be
00:10:40.40\00:10:45.77
sacrificed for
the sin of humanity.
00:10:45.81\00:10:49.94
In the case of Adam and
Eve, for the sin that they
00:10:49.98\00:10:53.45
had just committed.
00:10:53.48\00:10:55.12
Now it's very important to
realize that this plan was not
00:10:55.15\00:10:58.82
implemented by
God as an emergency.
00:10:58.85\00:11:01.62
God didn't say, Uh
oh, human beings sinned.
00:11:01.66\00:11:04.29
What are we going to do now?
00:11:04.33\00:11:05.79
The fact is that this plan
had already been made before
00:11:05.83\00:11:10.93
this world was even created.
00:11:10.97\00:11:13.60
In other words, God
always had a contingency plan.
00:11:13.64\00:11:17.57
It was not a last
minute emergency plan.
00:11:17.61\00:11:20.78
God knew all the time what
was going to be necessary to
00:11:20.81\00:11:24.85
save man from his sin.
00:11:24.88\00:11:27.62
Notice 1 Peter 1:18-20, and
we're going to read especially
00:11:27.65\00:11:34.12
two phrases in this passage.
00:11:34.16\00:11:36.12
1 Peter 1:18-20.
Here the apostle Peter
00:11:36.22\00:11:43.03
says the following:
00:11:43.06\00:11:44.40
Notice that Jesus
had to shed His blood.
00:11:59.85\00:12:02.15
There it is.
00:12:06.62\00:12:07.96
Notice two things: the
lamb had to be without blemish,
00:12:12.19\00:12:15.56
and then the lamb had
to be what? sacrificed.
00:12:15.60\00:12:18.77
His blood had to be shed.
00:12:18.80\00:12:20.64
Now when was this
plan made, and when was
00:12:20.67\00:12:24.21
this plan implemented?
00:12:24.24\00:12:25.67
Notice what we find in verse 20.
00:12:25.71\00:12:28.88
He, that is Jesus, indeed
was foreordained, in other words
00:12:28.91\00:12:34.68
this plan was made before
the foundation of the world,
00:12:34.72\00:12:39.25
but was made manifest, in
other words was implemented,
00:12:39.29\00:12:44.49
in these last times for you.
00:12:44.53\00:12:48.10
So when was the
plan of redemption
00:12:48.13\00:12:51.67
elaborated and established?
00:12:51.70\00:12:54.20
It was not established
when human beings sinned.
00:12:54.24\00:12:57.01
The Bible tells us that Jesus
had already in eternity past,
00:12:57.04\00:13:02.14
offered to live a perfect life
as a lamb, and to suffer death
00:13:02.18\00:13:07.18
in place of human beings.
00:13:07.22\00:13:09.05
He was foreordained before
the foundation of the world.
00:13:09.08\00:13:13.79
Sin did not
catch God by surprise.
00:13:13.82\00:13:17.76
God already had a plan.
00:13:17.79\00:13:19.49
That's the reason why the gospel
is called, The Everlasting
00:13:19.53\00:13:23.67
Gospel, is because it goes
all the way into eternity past,
00:13:23.70\00:13:28.24
at least as a plan.
00:13:28.27\00:13:30.51
Now I want us to notice that
this plan was announced to Adam
00:13:30.54\00:13:36.58
and Eve when they sinned.
00:13:36.61\00:13:38.15
You see, the Bible tells us
that they were covered with the
00:13:38.18\00:13:41.78
glorious robe of light, which
represented their obedience
00:13:41.82\00:13:44.99
to the law of God;
their righteousness.
00:13:45.15\00:13:47.06
When they sinned, the Bible
tells us that they were left
00:13:47.09\00:13:50.83
physically naked, which
represented the fact that now
00:13:50.86\00:13:54.76
they were unrighteous.
00:13:54.80\00:13:56.13
In other words they were
disobedient to God's law.
00:13:56.16\00:13:59.07
So, basically they
needed to be covered once again.
00:13:59.10\00:14:02.27
They needed the robe of
righteousness once again.
00:14:02.30\00:14:05.81
But how could their
nakedness be covered?
00:14:05.84\00:14:08.81
The fact is the Bible tells
us that they tried to cover
00:14:08.84\00:14:12.21
their nakedness
in a very unique way.
00:14:12.25\00:14:14.28
Notice Genesis 3:7, Genesis 3:7.
00:14:14.32\00:14:18.95
Immediately after
they find themselves naked,
00:14:18.99\00:14:21.76
because of their sin,
we find this statement.
00:14:21.79\00:14:24.56
Then the eyes of
both of them were opened,
00:14:24.59\00:14:28.36
and they knew
that they were naked;
00:14:28.40\00:14:31.23
and they sewed
fig leaves together,
00:14:31.27\00:14:34.34
and made themselves coverings.
00:14:34.37\00:14:37.67
How did they attempt to
cover their unrighteousness,
00:14:37.71\00:14:41.91
or their
disobedience to God's law?
00:14:41.94\00:14:44.71
They tried to cover it by
making garments of fig leaves
00:14:44.75\00:14:50.65
themselves, and by
clothing themselves.
00:14:50.69\00:14:53.89
But the interesting thing
is, if you read all the way down
00:14:53.92\00:14:56.66
to verse 10 you're going
to discover that Adam and Eve,
00:14:56.69\00:14:59.56
even after they were
covered with the fig leaves,
00:14:59.59\00:15:02.13
they still felt naked.
00:15:02.16\00:15:03.97
Because when God came looking
for them, Adam said we hid
00:15:04.00\00:15:06.94
in the midst of the trees of the
garden because we were naked.
00:15:06.97\00:15:10.71
Well, the fact is they
were covered with the fig
00:15:10.74\00:15:12.74
leaves at this point.
00:15:12.77\00:15:14.11
But they still feel naked,
because the glorious robe of
00:15:14.14\00:15:17.25
light was not there;
there were just fig leaves.
00:15:17.28\00:15:19.85
And they knew that in order
to have the innocence of God
00:15:19.88\00:15:23.99
they needed to
have the robe of light.
00:15:24.02\00:15:27.09
And so they're standing there in
the garden, they're trembling,
00:15:27.12\00:15:30.36
they're shaking, they
know that the sentence of death
00:15:30.39\00:15:32.53
should fall upon them.
00:15:32.56\00:15:33.90
And God descends to the garden
and He gives a magnificent
00:15:33.93\00:15:38.03
prophecy, that we
find in Genesis 3:15.
00:15:38.07\00:15:40.84
This is when the gospel plan
is first announced after sin.
00:15:40.87\00:15:46.14
It says there in Genesis
3:15, and God is speaking to the
00:15:46.17\00:15:50.08
serpent. He's
speaking to the Devil.
00:15:50.11\00:15:51.71
He, that is the
seed of the woman.
00:16:00.16\00:16:02.52
In other words, God is
saying, I'm going to send
00:16:08.20\00:16:10.23
a seed to the world.
00:16:10.27\00:16:11.60
And that seed is
going to war against you,
00:16:11.63\00:16:15.84
serpent, against you, the Devil.
00:16:15.87\00:16:18.51
In the process of the war
you are going to wound His heel,
00:16:18.54\00:16:22.24
but after wounding His heel,
He is going to crush your head.
00:16:22.28\00:16:27.65
Now the question is,
What event was going to crush
00:16:27.68\00:16:31.92
the head of the serpent?
00:16:31.95\00:16:33.32
How could this seed of
the woman defeat the serpent
00:16:33.36\00:16:41.46
in order to restore
to man what man had lost?
00:16:41.50\00:16:45.23
How could man be
covered with the glorious robe
00:16:45.27\00:16:48.80
of light once again?
00:16:48.84\00:16:50.64
The fact is that in
verse 21, just a few verses
00:16:50.67\00:16:54.51
after verse 15, we find
how God was going to cover
00:16:54.54\00:16:59.08
the nakedness of Adam and Eve.
00:16:59.11\00:17:01.52
It says in verse
21, of chapter 3:
00:17:01.55\00:17:04.99
Notice for Adam and his wife.
00:17:09.59\00:17:12.53
Somebody else is
doing this; this is God.
00:17:12.56\00:17:14.33
Garments that is of what?
00:17:20.80\00:17:24.34
Who made the garments? God did.
00:17:29.54\00:17:32.91
What did He make
them from? skins.
00:17:32.95\00:17:35.92
What do you need to do to
get the skin of an animal?
00:17:35.95\00:17:38.45
The animal has to die.
00:17:38.49\00:17:40.66
In other words, the very
day that Adam and Even sinned,
00:17:40.69\00:17:44.26
that very day there was a death.
00:17:44.29\00:17:47.16
The lamb died. A
perfect lamb was sacrificed.
00:17:47.20\00:17:52.47
The plan had
been made before sin,
00:17:52.50\00:17:55.07
before the
foundation of the world,
00:17:55.10\00:17:56.71
according to what
we read in 1 Peter 1.
00:17:56.74\00:17:59.24
But here the plan
is being announced.
00:17:59.27\00:18:03.08
The seed is going to
come is what God is saying.
00:18:03.11\00:18:06.88
He's going to crush
the head of the serpent.
00:18:06.92\00:18:08.72
And the way He's going to do
it is that He's going to be a
00:18:08.75\00:18:11.62
perfect lamb who
will be sacrificed,
00:18:11.65\00:18:14.22
and with His
garments the nakedness
00:18:14.26\00:18:17.63
of man will be covered.
00:18:17.66\00:18:18.99
Now throughout the Old Testament
the gospel was foreshadowed.
00:18:22.50\00:18:27.67
Before Jesus came,
how were people saved?
00:18:27.70\00:18:31.97
You know, some people think
that people were only saved
00:18:32.01\00:18:35.54
after Jesus died on the cross.
00:18:35.58\00:18:36.91
The fact is how was Israel
saved in the Old Testament?
00:18:36.95\00:18:40.55
Were they lost because Jesus,
the Lamb of God, had not come
00:18:40.58\00:18:44.65
to live His perfect
life, and had not suffered
00:18:44.69\00:18:46.99
death in place of
man? Absolutely not!
00:18:47.72\00:18:50.36
God provided a way, even in the
Old Testament, so that Adam and
00:18:50.39\00:18:55.36
Eve, and all of their
descendents before Jesus came,
00:18:55.40\00:18:58.43
could understand that a perfect
lamb was going to come and live
00:18:58.47\00:19:03.34
a perfect life, and then
that lamb was going to die
00:19:03.37\00:19:07.18
for the sins of man.
00:19:07.21\00:19:08.54
And we're
talking about a person.
00:19:08.58\00:19:10.15
But the way that God illustrated
it in the Old Testament was by
00:19:10.18\00:19:14.82
the sacrificial
system, the ceremonial system
00:19:14.85\00:19:18.02
that God gave to Israel.
00:19:18.05\00:19:19.39
Now there's many things that we
could say about the sacrificial
00:19:19.42\00:19:23.46
system, but I want to underline
two facts concerning the system
00:19:23.49\00:19:27.13
of sacrifices in
the Old Testament.
00:19:27.16\00:19:29.16
The first thing that I want
to underline is that the priest
00:19:29.20\00:19:34.67
that offered the
sacrifice had to be
00:19:34.70\00:19:37.01
absolutely without blemish.
00:19:37.04\00:19:38.91
And obviously it's not
talking about moral blemish,
00:19:38.94\00:19:42.34
it's talking about
physical, external blemish.
00:19:42.38\00:19:45.11
Let me read from
Leviticus 21: 17-21.
00:19:45.15\00:19:50.92
Speak to Aaron saying,
No man of your descendents
00:19:50.95\00:19:55.49
in succeeding generations
who has any defect may approach
00:19:55.52\00:20:01.33
to offer the bread of his God.
00:20:01.36\00:20:03.10
For any man who has a defect
shall not approach a man blind,
00:20:03.13\00:20:10.41
or lame, who has a marred
face, or any limb too long,
00:20:10.44\00:20:14.84
a man who has a
broken foot, or broken hand,
00:20:14.88\00:20:18.18
or is a hunchback, or a
dwarf, or a man who has a defect
00:20:18.21\00:20:22.82
in his eye, or eczema,
or scab, or is a eunuch.
00:20:22.85\00:20:27.12
No man of the descendents
of Aaron the priest who has a
00:20:27.16\00:20:32.13
defect shall come near
to offer the offerings made
00:20:32.16\00:20:35.86
by fire to the Lord.
00:20:35.90\00:20:37.23
He has a defect. He
shall not come near to offer
00:20:37.27\00:20:42.00
the bread of his God.
00:20:42.04\00:20:43.97
In other words, the priest
had to be without blemish;
00:20:44.01\00:20:49.04
the priest that
offered the sacrifice.
00:20:49.08\00:20:52.11
But also the victim
that the priest offered had
00:20:52.15\00:20:55.52
to be without blemish.
00:20:55.55\00:20:57.29
Notice Leviticus
22:20-22, Leviticus 22:20-22.
00:20:57.32\00:21:05.96
Speaking about the
victims that were offered
00:21:05.99\00:21:09.16
in the sacrificial system,
we find Moses writing this:
00:21:09.20\00:21:14.24
Whatever has any
defect you shall not offer:
00:21:14.27\00:21:18.27
for it shall not be
acceptable on your behalf.
00:21:18.31\00:21:22.84
And whoever offers a sacrifice
of a peace offering to the Lord
00:21:22.88\00:21:27.52
to fulfill his vow, or a
freewill offering from the
00:21:27.55\00:21:31.12
cattle or the sheep, it
must be perfect to be accepted.
00:21:31.15\00:21:35.82
There shall be no defect in it.
00:21:35.86\00:21:40.06
Those that are blind, or broken,
or maimed, or have an ulcer,
00:21:40.10\00:21:45.33
or eczema, or scabs, you
shall not offer to the Lord,
00:21:45.37\00:21:50.14
nor make an offering by fire of
them on the altar to the Lord.
00:21:50.17\00:21:55.28
In other words, the priest
that offered the sacrifice
00:21:55.31\00:21:59.71
had to be without blemish, and
the sacrifice that he offered
00:21:59.75\00:22:03.89
also had to be without blemish.
00:22:03.92\00:22:07.79
Now let me ask you, Why did you
have to have a priest without
00:22:07.82\00:22:12.33
blemish, and a
victim without blemish?
00:22:12.36\00:22:14.96
Because, as we're going to
notice, this pointed forward
00:22:15.00\00:22:18.27
to the fact that Jesus was going
to officiate His own sacrifice.
00:22:18.30\00:22:24.07
Many times in the book of
Hebrews we're told that Jesus
00:22:24.11\00:22:28.68
offered Himself a sacrifice.
00:22:28.71\00:22:32.01
But in order to
offer the sacrifice,
00:22:32.05\00:22:34.72
He had to be an
unblemished priest,
00:22:34.75\00:22:37.62
and He also had to be
an unblemished sacrifice.
00:22:37.65\00:22:41.99
And in all of this system
in the Old Testament God was
00:22:42.02\00:22:45.99
foreshadowing the gospel.
00:22:46.03\00:22:48.13
The fact that a perfect priest,
and a perfect sacrifice would
00:22:48.16\00:22:52.83
come in the future to live the
life that human beings should
00:22:52.87\00:22:56.40
live, and to die the death
that human beings should die.
00:22:56.44\00:23:00.04
But folks, none
of these sacrifices
00:23:00.08\00:23:02.84
actually took away sin.
00:23:02.88\00:23:04.58
Legally no one was saved until
Jesus lived His perfect life,
00:23:04.61\00:23:11.92
and died on the
cross of Calvary.
00:23:11.95\00:23:14.39
Now you say, Weren't people
saved in the Old Testament?
00:23:14.42\00:23:16.99
Yes, they were. Do you
know how they were saved?
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.63
by seeing Jesus
Christ in their sacrifices;
00:23:19.66\00:23:23.67
the Jesus that
would come in the future.
00:23:23.70\00:23:26.00
In other words, they were saved
by looking at the sacrifices,
00:23:26.03\00:23:29.10
and seeing in the
sacrifices, and in the priest,
00:23:29.14\00:23:31.94
the future
coming of the Messiah.
00:23:31.97\00:23:33.81
They had faith in the Messiah.
00:23:33.84\00:23:35.68
We are saved in the
same way, only we look back
00:23:35.71\00:23:40.22
to an accomplished fact.
00:23:40.25\00:23:41.58
But both groups, Old
Testament and New Testament,
00:23:41.62\00:23:44.75
are saved by the same Jesus.
00:23:44.79\00:23:47.29
In the Old Testament
they were saved on the
00:23:47.32\00:23:50.13
basis of the promise.
00:23:50.16\00:23:51.73
Today we are saved on
the basis of the fulfillment.
00:23:51.76\00:23:55.80
But none of those ceremonies in
the Old Testament could actually
00:23:55.83\00:23:59.27
remove sin legally.
00:23:59.30\00:24:01.27
Only could they be
removed because they had faith
00:24:01.30\00:24:04.41
in what Jesus would do.
00:24:04.44\00:24:05.91
And that's the reason why
in Hebrews 10:4 we're told:
00:24:05.94\00:24:11.88
For it is not possible that
the blood of bulls and goats
00:24:11.91\00:24:18.15
could take away sin.
00:24:18.19\00:24:20.92
Now we want to come
to the times of Christ.
00:24:20.96\00:24:24.46
You see, we've looked
at the gospel from this
00:24:24.49\00:24:26.59
different perspective.
00:24:26.63\00:24:27.96
We've looked at the
gospel plan established
00:24:28.00\00:24:31.20
in the ages of eternity.
00:24:31.23\00:24:32.57
We looked at the gospel as it
was announced to Adam and Eve.
00:24:32.60\00:24:37.21
We've looked at the
gospel as it was foreshadowed
00:24:37.24\00:24:40.71
in the sacrificial system.
00:24:40.74\00:24:42.58
Now we want to
look at the fulfillment
00:24:42.61\00:24:44.91
of this gospel promise.
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.35
You see, the fulfillment of this
promise was when Jesus Christ
00:24:47.38\00:24:51.99
decided to leave the courts
of heaven and come to this earth
00:24:52.02\00:24:58.66
and live the life
that all of us should live,
00:24:58.69\00:25:01.66
in perfect obedience and
harmony with the law of God.
00:25:01.70\00:25:05.73
And then at the end of His life,
after living a perfect life
00:25:05.77\00:25:10.51
in harmony with the law of God,
to take upon Himself the sins
00:25:10.54\00:25:16.48
of all of the world, and make
payment for all of those sins.
00:25:16.51\00:25:21.55
Now Jesus could do this
because Jesus created everyone.
00:25:21.58\00:25:25.02
So He who created all
could take the place of all.
00:25:25.05\00:25:28.92
He could live a perfect life for
all, and He could suffer death
00:25:28.96\00:25:33.53
for all, according
to the New Testament.
00:25:33.56\00:25:35.86
So the mission of Jesus
was to come, and as a priest
00:25:35.90\00:25:39.57
live an unblemished life, and
as a sacrifice be an unblemished
00:25:39.60\00:25:44.77
perfect sacrifice.
00:25:44.81\00:25:46.14
The New Testament makes
it very clear that Jesus was
00:25:46.17\00:25:49.74
an unblemished priest.
00:25:49.78\00:25:51.11
Notice Hebrews
4:15, Hebrews 4: 15.
00:25:51.15\00:25:58.52
Here we find the apostle
Paul saying, For we do not have
00:25:58.55\00:26:04.39
a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses.
00:26:04.43\00:26:09.36
Another way of putting it is: We
have a high priest who is able
00:26:09.40\00:26:14.04
to sympathize
with our weaknesses.
00:26:14.07\00:26:16.10
...but was in all points tempted
as we are, yet without sin.
00:26:16.14\00:26:24.41
Was He a perfect priest?
a perfect high priest? Yes.
00:26:24.45\00:26:29.75
Notice Hebrews 7:26
where this idea of the perfect
00:26:29.78\00:26:33.99
high priest is underlined.
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.42
Once again, Hebrews 7:26
says, For such a high priest
00:26:36.46\00:26:41.86
was fitting for us, who
is holy, harmless, undefiled,
00:26:41.90\00:26:48.47
separate from sinners, and has
become higher than the heavens.
00:26:48.50\00:26:53.71
So do we have a high priest that
lived an absolutely perfect life
00:26:53.74\00:26:58.28
in harmony with God's holy law?
00:26:58.31\00:27:00.52
Did He weave a robe
of perfect righteousness?
00:27:00.55\00:27:04.12
He most certainly did.
00:27:04.15\00:27:05.62
But let me ask you, was He
also a perfect victim when He
00:27:05.65\00:27:09.42
took our sins upon Himself?
00:27:09.46\00:27:11.59
Was He a clean,
perfect, unblemished victim?
00:27:11.63\00:27:16.06
He most certainly was.
00:27:16.10\00:27:17.43
Let's read 1 Peter
1:18, 19 once again.
00:27:17.47\00:27:21.77
1 Peter 1:18, 19.
00:27:21.80\00:27:24.11
Was Jesus the perfect priest?
00:27:46.09\00:27:48.33
He most certainly was.
00:27:48.36\00:27:50.03
Was He the
perfect sacrifice? Yes.
00:27:50.07\00:27:53.03
In fact Jesus, by living a
perfect life in harmony with
00:27:53.07\00:27:57.17
the law of God, through
that life Jesus wove a perfect
00:27:57.21\00:28:05.41
robe of righteousness for
every human being that has ever
00:28:05.45\00:28:09.25
lived on Planet Earth.
00:28:09.48\00:28:10.82
And when Jesus died on the cross
He died the death that every
00:28:10.85\00:28:15.46
human being on
Planet Earth should die.
00:28:15.49\00:28:19.46
In other words Jesus lived
for all, and Jesus died for all.
00:28:19.49\00:28:24.50
In fact this is
what Scripture teaches.
00:28:24.53\00:28:27.50
Notice, for example,
what we find in 1 John 2:2.
00:28:27.54\00:28:33.07
For how many sins did Jesus die?
00:28:43.92\00:28:46.55
For how many
people did Jesus live?
00:28:46.59\00:28:48.52
He lived for
everyone on Planet Earth.
00:28:48.56\00:28:51.93
And, of course, you're
acquainted with that most famous
00:28:51.96\00:28:54.26
verse in the Bible:
For God so loved Fresno.
00:28:54.30\00:28:57.57
Well, Fresno too.
00:28:57.60\00:29:00.64
For God so loved what?
00:29:00.67\00:29:02.44
For whom did God give His Son?
00:29:05.87\00:29:08.64
He gave His Son
for the whole world.
00:29:08.68\00:29:11.51
He died for the
sins of the world.
00:29:11.55\00:29:13.85
He lived the life that every
person in the world should live.
00:29:13.88\00:29:17.65
In Isaiah 53:6 we find, once
again, the same idea that Jesus
00:29:17.69\00:29:23.12
lived and died for every person
in the world. It says there:
00:29:23.16\00:29:27.23
And in Galatians 3:13, we could
read many, many more verses,
00:29:40.68\00:29:45.51
Galatians 3:13, we're
told by the apostle Paul:
00:29:45.55\00:29:46.88
And notice how He did it.
00:29:53.12\00:29:54.69
So if I ask you, Did
Jesus pay the debt of the sins
00:30:03.13\00:30:07.80
of the whole world?
00:30:07.84\00:30:09.17
What would your answer be?
00:30:09.20\00:30:10.54
Jesus paid for the
sins of the whole world.
00:30:10.57\00:30:12.97
Jesus lived a life for
every person that has ever
00:30:13.01\00:30:16.51
lived on this earth.
00:30:16.54\00:30:17.88
He wove the robe.
00:30:17.91\00:30:19.45
Jesus died the
death that every person on
00:30:19.48\00:30:22.75
Planet Earth should die.
00:30:22.78\00:30:24.12
Jesus fully paid the
debt of the whole human race.
00:30:24.15\00:30:27.62
Some people say, Well,
then Pastor, everybody's going
00:30:27.66\00:30:30.33
to be saved, right?
00:30:30.36\00:30:31.69
No, folks. You see, we've talked
now about the gospel gift,
00:30:31.73\00:30:38.03
but the Bible tells us that in
order to benefit from the gospel
00:30:38.07\00:30:41.47
gift we have to accept, or
we have to receive that gift.
00:30:41.50\00:30:45.67
Do you remember the text
that we read from Romans 6:23?
00:30:45.71\00:30:51.21
For the wages of
sin is what? is death.
00:30:51.25\00:30:55.12
See when you serve
Mr. Sin, Mr. Sin says,
00:30:55.15\00:30:58.75
Well, you're
entitled to your check.
00:30:58.79\00:31:00.46
Your check is death.
00:31:00.49\00:31:02.66
That's your payment, you know.
00:31:02.69\00:31:04.03
Let me ask you, Did I earn it?
00:31:04.06\00:31:05.39
Sure! I worked for him, right?
00:31:05.43\00:31:08.26
But notice the last
half of Romans 6:23.
00:31:08.30\00:31:10.93
It says: but the free gift
of God is eternal life through
00:31:10.97\00:31:16.84
Jesus Christ our Lord.
00:31:16.87\00:31:18.27
In other words,
we serve Mr. Sin,
00:31:18.31\00:31:22.04
and we earn our wages of death.
00:31:22.08\00:31:23.98
But salvation is a
what? salvation is a gift.
00:31:24.11\00:31:29.68
Do you remember that most
famous verse in the Bible?
00:31:29.72\00:31:32.62
For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son.
00:31:32.65\00:31:36.52
So is all of the
world going to be saved? No.
00:31:36.56\00:31:39.56
Because the last half of
the verse says, For God so loved
00:31:39.59\00:31:42.93
the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son,
00:31:42.96\00:31:45.30
that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish,
00:31:45.33\00:31:49.70
but have everlasting life.
00:31:49.74\00:31:51.37
Let me illustrate what I mean.
00:31:51.41\00:31:52.84
Let's suppose
that there's a bank,
00:31:52.87\00:31:55.44
we'll call it the
Bank of the Universe,
00:31:55.48\00:31:58.51
and there's a super rich person,
who just happens to be Jesus
00:31:58.55\00:32:04.49
Christ, who deposits enough
money in that bank for every
00:32:04.52\00:32:09.42
person on Planet Earth
to pay all of their debts:
00:32:09.46\00:32:12.36
credit cards, mortgage, auto
payments, educational loans,
00:32:12.79\00:32:20.07
you name it. He puts enough
money in there to pay every debt
00:32:20.10\00:32:23.94
of every person on Planet Earth.
00:32:23.97\00:32:26.34
Is there enough money
in the bank to pay for
00:32:26.37\00:32:28.71
everyone's release
from debt? Absolutely!
00:32:28.74\00:32:32.45
But there's only one condition:
you have to come to the bank,
00:32:32.48\00:32:35.65
and you have to
withdraw the money.
00:32:35.68\00:32:37.22
Let me ask you, If you don't
come to withdraw the money,
00:32:39.05\00:32:41.06
are you still in
debt? Yes, you are.
00:32:41.09\00:32:43.63
When Jesus died, He deposited
enough spiritual money,
00:32:43.66\00:32:47.83
if you please, in the
Bank of the Universe to save
00:32:47.86\00:32:50.43
every human being.
00:32:50.47\00:32:51.80
He paid for
everyone; everyone's debt.
00:32:51.83\00:32:54.30
But the Bible says that we
must come, and we must claim
00:32:54.34\00:32:57.14
the payment that He made.
00:32:57.17\00:32:58.51
Let me give you
another little illustration.
00:32:58.54\00:33:01.31
You know, I don't
know about you husbands,
00:33:01.34\00:33:04.65
but on Mother's Day I
get a gift for my wife.
00:33:04.68\00:33:07.22
I don't do it because I have
to, but because I like to do it.
00:33:07.25\00:33:10.35
You know, it's not
because we're supposed to do it.
00:33:10.39\00:33:13.72
It's because we love our wives.
00:33:13.76\00:33:15.82
So, you know, I go out
and I buy my wife a $100.00
00:33:15.86\00:33:19.93
gift certificate
to a certain store.
00:33:19.96\00:33:22.06
I don't want to give
any free advertising here.
00:33:22.10\00:33:24.13
And the morning when the
time comes to give her the gift,
00:33:24.17\00:33:32.41
the morning of her
birthday, I give her the gift
00:33:32.44\00:33:35.44
and she opens it. She says, Wow!
00:33:35.48\00:33:39.11
Thank you! I love this gift.
00:33:39.15\00:33:41.85
Let me ask you, how
much did that gift cost her?
00:33:41.88\00:33:47.29
How much did she
pay for that gift?
00:33:48.59\00:33:50.29
Nothing, it's
free, but did it cost?
00:33:50.33\00:33:54.33
The giver pays; the
receiver gets it free.
00:33:54.36\00:33:59.30
But let me ask you this,
suppose my wife didn't like
00:33:59.33\00:34:04.04
the gift that I bought.
00:34:04.37\00:34:05.71
Would she have the
option to say, You cheapskate!
00:34:05.74\00:34:09.48
That's not the
gift that I wanted.
00:34:09.51\00:34:12.28
Would she have the option
to reject the gift? Of course!
00:34:12.31\00:34:16.18
Would the gift benefit
her then? Absolutely not.
00:34:16.22\00:34:19.72
You see, Jesus bought the gift
of salvation by living our life,
00:34:19.75\00:34:24.56
and by dying our death.
00:34:24.59\00:34:26.13
But the only way that we can
benefit is by receiving the gift
00:34:26.16\00:34:30.60
that He purchased.
00:34:30.63\00:34:32.50
That's why people
are going to be lost,
00:34:32.53\00:34:34.70
because they're
going to reject the gift.
00:34:34.74\00:34:36.47
That's incredible!
00:34:36.50\00:34:37.84
It's unbelievable!
00:34:37.87\00:34:39.21
Why would people
reject the gift of everlasting
00:34:39.24\00:34:40.81
life when it's free?
00:34:40.84\00:34:43.38
Don't people love
freebies? Absolutely!
00:34:43.41\00:34:46.31
Now allow me to read you some
statements in the Bible that
00:34:46.35\00:34:49.98
show that there are
conditions for being saved.
00:34:50.02\00:34:53.36
Even though Jesus paid for all
of the sins, and lived the life
00:34:53.39\00:34:56.22
for every human being, we must
receive it; we must accept it.
00:34:56.26\00:34:59.36
And we must receive it
and accept it by repenting,
00:34:59.39\00:35:02.33
by confessing our sins, by
believing and trusting in Jesus,
00:35:02.36\00:35:06.87
and by being baptized
according to Scripture.
00:35:06.90\00:35:08.80
Those are the conditions
for receiving the robe.
00:35:08.84\00:35:11.57
See, Jesus already has a robe.
00:35:11.61\00:35:13.21
Jesus wove the robe
when He lived a perfect life.
00:35:13.24\00:35:16.78
Jesus wove the robe when He
died our death on the cross.
00:35:16.81\00:35:20.62
The robe is sitting
there in the closet.
00:35:20.65\00:35:23.08
And Jesus is just waiting
for us to come, and say Jesus,
00:35:23.12\00:35:28.42
I'm sorry for my sins.
00:35:28.46\00:35:30.59
I repent and I
confess my sins, and I say,
00:35:30.63\00:35:35.73
Please give me Your robe.
00:35:35.76\00:35:37.10
That's trusting in Him.
00:35:37.13\00:35:38.47
That's having faith in Him.
00:35:38.50\00:35:39.83
And then Jesus says,
Okay, here, take the robe.
00:35:39.87\00:35:43.51
And He covers you with His robe.
00:35:43.54\00:35:45.57
He covers your nakedness.
00:35:45.61\00:35:47.08
Is that good news?
00:35:47.11\00:35:48.44
It's wonderful news!
00:35:48.48\00:35:49.88
Notice several texts.
00:35:49.91\00:35:51.91
This is Acts 2:38.
00:35:51.95\00:35:55.72
This is about
claiming the gospel gift.
00:35:55.75\00:35:58.85
Then Peter said to them, Repent!
00:35:58.89\00:36:02.86
What did he say? Repent.
00:36:02.89\00:36:06.86
Notice the condition.
00:36:06.90\00:36:08.23
The word
remission means forgiveness.
00:36:19.11\00:36:20.61
Let me ask you, Are there
conditions for the remission
00:36:20.64\00:36:23.24
or forgiveness
of sins? Absolutely!
00:36:23.28\00:36:25.58
It says, Repent
and be baptized...
00:36:25.61\00:36:28.42
Notice Acts 5:30, 31,
Acts 5:30, 31. It says:
00:36:34.49\00:36:43.93
Now notice this:
00:36:54.98\00:36:56.31
Why did Jesus ascend
to the right hand of God?
00:37:01.72\00:37:04.02
So that He could give what?
00:37:04.05\00:37:05.39
So that He could give repentance
and forgiveness of sins.
00:37:05.42\00:37:10.49
Let me ask you, Were
everyone's sins forgiven
00:37:10.53\00:37:13.09
on the cross of Calvary?
00:37:13.13\00:37:14.46
No, the payment was
made on the cross of Calvary.
00:37:14.50\00:37:18.63
The deposit was made in
the bank, but when we repent,
00:37:18.67\00:37:23.14
and we confess,
and we are baptized,
00:37:23.17\00:37:26.57
at that moment
Jesus takes the payment
00:37:26.61\00:37:29.64
and credits it to my account.
00:37:29.68\00:37:32.35
In other words, His
righteousness is imputed to me.
00:37:32.38\00:37:36.08
Now I want you to notice
Acts 10:43, the same idea.
00:37:36.12\00:37:42.22
It says, To Him,
that is to Jesus.
00:37:42.26\00:37:45.66
What is the condition
for receiving the remission
00:38:00.91\00:38:02.94
or forgiveness of sins?
believing, or trusting in Him.
00:38:02.98\00:38:08.22
Notice Hebrews 7:25.
00:38:08.25\00:38:12.42
This thought comes
through time and time again.
00:38:12.45\00:38:14.09
We must claim the gospel gift.
00:38:14.12\00:38:16.56
It's not enough for
Jesus to have woven the robe.
00:38:16.59\00:38:20.00
It's not enough for Jesus to
have lived this perfect life,
00:38:20.03\00:38:22.70
and paid death
for all of humanity.
00:38:22.73\00:38:25.03
It's necessary to
accept what Jesus did.
00:38:25.07\00:38:27.57
Notice Hebrews 7:25, Therefore
He is also able to save
00:38:27.64\00:38:33.58
to the uttermost...
00:38:33.61\00:38:34.94
Notice who He is able to save.
00:38:34.98\00:38:38.21
He is able to save to
the uttermost those who come
00:38:38.28\00:38:43.99
to God through Him.
00:38:44.02\00:38:45.42
Must we come to God? Absolutely!
00:38:45.45\00:38:48.82
...those who come to God through
Him, since He always lives
00:38:48.86\00:38:53.70
to make intercession for them.
00:38:53.73\00:38:55.56
That is intercession for those
who come to God through Him.
00:38:55.60\00:38:59.37
Notice 1 John 1:9.
00:38:59.40\00:39:01.50
There's so many verses in the
New Testament that speak about
00:39:01.54\00:39:04.54
claiming the gospel gift.
00:39:04.57\00:39:07.21
1 John 1:9 says: If
we confess our sins,...
00:39:07.24\00:39:11.58
Notice if; conditional.
00:39:11.61\00:39:14.42
If we confess our sins He is
faithful and just to forgive us
00:39:14.45\00:39:21.56
our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
00:39:21.59\00:39:25.53
Is forgiveness conditional?
00:39:25.56\00:39:27.76
The Bible states that
forgiveness is conditional.
00:39:27.80\00:39:31.43
It is conditioned upon
what? confessing our sins;
00:39:31.47\00:39:36.44
repenting from sin.
00:39:36.47\00:39:38.14
So when a preacher gets up
and says, Only believe in Jesus
00:39:38.17\00:39:42.14
and you'll be saved,
that's not technically true,
00:39:42.18\00:39:45.58
because the Bible says even
the devils believe and tremble.
00:39:45.61\00:39:49.62
There has to be
contrite repentance.
00:39:49.68\00:39:53.12
There has to be a
confession of sin.
00:39:53.15\00:39:56.46
There has to be, according to
the Bible, baptism into Christ.
00:39:56.49\00:40:01.70
Now do you know
what's interesting?
00:40:01.76\00:40:05.00
When we repent, and
when we confess our sins,
00:40:05.03\00:40:08.17
and when we have faith
in Jesus and are baptized,
00:40:08.20\00:40:12.37
at that very moment
Jesus puts on us His spiritual
00:40:12.41\00:40:16.58
robe of righteousness, and He
covers our spiritual nakedness.
00:40:16.61\00:40:20.12
You say, Where
does the Bible say that?
00:40:20.15\00:40:22.12
Notice Galatians 3:26,
27, Galatians 3:26, 27.
00:40:22.15\00:40:31.53
Here the apostle Paul says:
00:40:31.59\00:40:33.83
When is it that
we're garbed with Christ?
00:40:50.98\00:40:53.35
When we are baptized.
00:40:53.38\00:40:56.55
But in order to be
baptized, we have to repent.
00:40:56.58\00:40:59.22
And when we repent we confess.
00:40:59.25\00:41:01.92
And when we confess we claim
the righteousness of Christ.
00:41:01.96\00:41:06.13
We believe in Him, we
trust in Him, and then we take
00:41:06.16\00:41:09.10
the step of baptism
00:41:09.13\00:41:10.47
And in baptism we're told
by the apostle Paul that we put
00:41:10.50\00:41:15.37
on Jesus Christ, and so we
are no longer spiritually naked.
00:41:15.40\00:41:19.21
We are clothed with a robe of
Christ's perfect righteousness.
00:41:19.24\00:41:24.68
Not many Christians are willing
to reach up to this point.
00:41:24.71\00:41:28.68
They say, Okay, I
understand that the gospel
00:41:28.72\00:41:31.22
plan was everlasting.
00:41:31.25\00:41:32.59
I understand that God announced
the gospel plan to Adam and Eve.
00:41:32.62\00:41:37.79
I understand that the
gospel plan was foreshadowed
00:41:37.83\00:41:41.00
in the Old
Testament sacrificial system.
00:41:41.03\00:41:43.30
I understand that
Jesus came and He lived
00:41:43.33\00:41:46.13
the life we should live.
00:41:46.17\00:41:47.50
He died the life
that we should die.
00:41:47.54\00:41:49.07
And I'm willing to believe also
that it's necessary to repent,
00:41:49.10\00:41:52.87
and to confess our sin,
and to believe in Jesus,
00:41:52.91\00:41:55.98
to trust in Him, and in this
way to be baptized and receive
00:41:56.01\00:42:00.05
His robe of righteousness.
00:42:00.08\00:42:01.65
But most Christians stop there.
00:42:01.68\00:42:03.79
But now I want to talk about
another dimension of the gospel.
00:42:03.82\00:42:07.82
It's what I call gospel fruit.
00:42:07.86\00:42:10.79
Very few Christians
talk about gospel fruit.
00:42:13.43\00:42:16.30
Now you say, What do
you mean by gospel fruit?
00:42:16.33\00:42:19.40
Listen folks, when we truly
repent, and we truly confess
00:42:19.43\00:42:25.11
our sins, and we truly
trust in the merits of Jesus,
00:42:25.14\00:42:29.51
and we are baptized, and
our old man or woman is buried
00:42:29.54\00:42:34.88
in the waters, and we
truly come forth to a new life,
00:42:34.92\00:42:38.32
our lifestyle changes.
00:42:38.35\00:42:40.86
And if our lifestyle does
not change, it's because we have
00:42:40.89\00:42:44.26
not had the experience.
00:42:44.29\00:42:45.63
Let me tell you, the gospel
fruit demands that when we have
00:42:45.66\00:42:51.83
received the righteousness
of Christ, the robe of Christ's
00:42:51.87\00:42:55.04
righteousness, we talk
differently, we eat differently,
00:42:55.07\00:42:59.24
we use our time differently,
we watch different things,
00:42:59.27\00:43:04.01
we listen to different
things than we used to,
00:43:04.05\00:43:06.98
we use our money differently, we
treat other people differently.
00:43:07.02\00:43:13.99
In other words
there's a transformation
00:43:14.02\00:43:15.89
or change in the life.
00:43:15.92\00:43:17.26
We are not saved by
the transformed life,
00:43:17.29\00:43:19.96
but the transformed life is
the fruit of true conversion.
00:43:20.00\00:43:24.00
Jesus said that
whoever is attached to Him
00:43:24.03\00:43:30.04
bears much fruit, gospel fruit.
00:43:30.07\00:43:33.54
And if you don't have gospel
fruit, it's because you don't
00:43:33.58\00:43:36.78
really have the experience
of the gospel in your life.
00:43:36.81\00:43:39.81
You don't really have the
righteousness of Jesus Christ.
00:43:39.85\00:43:42.85
Many Christians emphasize just,
Oh yeah, when I received Jesus
00:43:42.88\00:43:46.59
He takes His righteousness
and He puts it on my account,
00:43:46.62\00:43:49.59
and He looks at me
as if I'd never sinned.
00:43:49.62\00:43:52.06
And that's true if repentance
is true, if confession of sin
00:43:52.09\00:43:57.23
is true, and if I'm
truly trusting in Jesus Christ.
00:43:57.27\00:44:01.17
You see, salvation is not an
easy way to get off the hook.
00:44:01.20\00:44:05.94
It's not, He paid so
that I don't have to pay.
00:44:05.97\00:44:10.71
By the way, have you noticed
that the first angel's message
00:44:10.75\00:44:14.98
actually calls for
a change in the life?
00:44:15.02\00:44:18.09
I don't know whether you
noticed, you know, most people
00:44:18.12\00:44:21.46
end their reading at
verse 6, but let's read verse 7.
00:44:21.49\00:44:27.03
Let me ask you, Does the
gospel make demands upon us?
00:44:27.06\00:44:31.03
It most certainly does.
00:44:31.07\00:44:32.63
Let's read
Revelation 14:6, 7 once again.
00:44:32.67\00:44:36.40
Then I saw another angel
flying in the midst of heaven,
00:44:36.44\00:44:40.91
having the everlasting gospel
to preach to those who dwell
00:44:40.94\00:44:44.81
on the earth; to every nation,
tribe, tongue, and people.
00:44:44.85\00:44:48.65
And many people
stop right there.
00:44:48.68\00:44:50.59
But I want you to notice
what the everlasting gospel
00:44:50.62\00:44:54.12
commands people to do.
00:44:54.16\00:44:55.79
There's three imperatives
here for those who receive
00:44:55.82\00:45:00.36
the everlasting gospel.
00:45:00.40\00:45:01.73
Notice verse 7. What does the
first angel say? the angel that
00:45:01.76\00:45:07.17
brings the everlasting gospel?
00:45:07.20\00:45:08.94
That's our next topic of study.
00:45:13.98\00:45:15.91
Let me ask you, Does the
gospel make demands upon us?
00:45:28.76\00:45:32.59
It most certainly does.
00:45:32.63\00:45:34.10
A person who has received
the everlasting gospel in every
00:45:34.13\00:45:37.87
nation, tribe, tongue
and people, fears God.
00:45:37.90\00:45:42.00
And most people don't
know what it means to fear God.
00:45:42.04\00:45:44.47
They give glory to God.
00:45:44.51\00:45:46.34
What does that mean?
00:45:46.37\00:45:47.71
Well, we're going
to study that phrase.
00:45:47.74\00:45:49.24
They're supposed to
worship the Creator.
00:45:49.28\00:45:51.85
In other words, their worship
styles will change when they
00:45:51.88\00:45:56.69
receive the everlasting gospel.
00:45:56.72\00:45:58.69
You see, Jesus, through
His gospel, not only guarantees
00:45:58.72\00:46:03.59
great benefits and privileges,
but He also gives us great
00:46:03.63\00:46:07.60
obligations and responsibilities
when we receive the gospel.
00:46:07.63\00:46:12.07
Notice Titus 2:11-14,
Titus 2:11-14, still speaking
00:46:12.10\00:46:20.18
about gospel fruit; the
change in the life when we have
00:46:20.21\00:46:23.98
the real deal; when we
have the real gospel embrace us;
00:46:24.01\00:46:28.45
when there's true repentance,
when there's true confession of
00:46:28.48\00:46:31.92
sin; when we have
faith and trust in Jesus;
00:46:31.95\00:46:36.19
and when we're baptized
and we bury the old man,
00:46:36.22\00:46:38.43
and resurrect
to newness of life.
00:46:38.46\00:46:40.43
Notice what happens:
Titus 2: 11-14. Listen to this:
00:46:40.46\00:46:46.13
Lots of people love
to talk about grace.
00:46:48.10\00:46:51.94
What has appeared to
all men? the grace of God.
00:46:57.11\00:47:00.78
Now what I want you to
notice is that the grace of God
00:47:00.82\00:47:03.39
teaches us something.
00:47:03.42\00:47:04.75
See, when you have God's
grace, which is the gospel,
00:47:04.79\00:47:07.59
the grace teaches us something.
00:47:07.62\00:47:09.22
What does it teach us?
Listen, verse 12: teaching us...
00:47:09.26\00:47:13.09
See, the gospel
teaches us something;
00:47:13.13\00:47:14.76
grace teaches us something.
00:47:14.80\00:47:16.40
Now why did He give Himself
for us? so that we can continue
00:47:41.16\00:47:44.06
living the same old life
that we were living before?
00:47:44.09\00:47:46.73
Absolutely not! Notice:
00:47:46.76\00:47:48.90
Did Jesus redeem
us for good works?
00:48:03.75\00:48:06.72
Did grace manifest
itself for good works?
00:48:06.75\00:48:11.05
Did grace teach us that we
need to renounce the world,
00:48:11.09\00:48:16.06
and worldly lusts? Absolutely.
00:48:16.09\00:48:18.59
So grace does not mean
that you can continue sinning.
00:48:18.63\00:48:21.60
If you've had true
grace grasp your life,
00:48:21.63\00:48:25.10
you're going to have a change
in your lifestyle: gospel fruit.
00:48:25.13\00:48:30.41
You know, some people love
to read from Ephesians 2:8-10
00:48:30.44\00:48:34.34
where the apostle Paul says,
For by grace you have been saved
00:48:34.38\00:48:38.68
through faith. See we're
saved by grace through faith;
00:48:38.71\00:48:43.69
and that not of yourselves:
it is the gift of God.
00:48:43.72\00:48:47.06
See, grace is the
gift of God: not of works,
00:48:47.09\00:48:51.56
lest anyone should boast.
00:48:51.59\00:48:53.09
So they say, See, we
don't have to do any works,
00:48:53.13\00:48:55.03
because it says
it's all of grace.
00:48:55.06\00:48:56.77
The problem is they
don't read verse 10.
00:48:56.80\00:48:59.53
See, they stop at verse 9.
00:49:01.60\00:49:03.07
A text out of context is a
pretext for teaching error.
00:49:03.10\00:49:07.78
Notice what we find in
verse 10, the very next verse.
00:49:07.81\00:49:13.38
For we are His workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus...
00:49:13.42\00:49:17.05
See, when you receive Jesus,
you're a new creation, right?
00:49:17.09\00:49:19.49
The apostle Paul
says, in 2 Corinthians 5:17
00:49:19.52\00:49:22.36
that those who are in
Christ are a new creation.
00:49:22.39\00:49:24.43
You're new because you're not in
yourself anymore; you're in Him!
00:49:24.46\00:49:27.33
And so it says, For
we are His workmanship,
00:49:29.36\00:49:31.73
created in Christ Jesus...
00:49:31.77\00:49:34.27
To continue living
like the Devil. No!
00:49:34.30\00:49:38.61
It says: created in
Christ Jesus for good works,
00:49:38.64\00:49:43.68
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them.
00:49:43.71\00:49:48.22
Did God prepare good works for
us when we're truly converted?
00:49:48.25\00:49:51.25
When we're born into Christ,
when we're a new creation,
00:49:51.29\00:49:54.42
are there good
works in our life? Yes!
00:49:54.46\00:49:57.16
But the works are not produced
by us, they are produced as
00:49:57.19\00:50:00.66
a loving response to Him.
00:50:00.70\00:50:03.77
Now go with me
to James 2, James 2,
00:50:03.80\00:50:07.70
and I'm going to read verses
14-24, because people love
00:50:07.74\00:50:11.67
to talk about faith.
00:50:11.71\00:50:13.04
And it's good to
talk about faith;
00:50:13.07\00:50:15.78
it's good to talk about grace,
as long as faith and grace lead
00:50:15.81\00:50:22.32
to something that
God expects from us.
00:50:22.35\00:50:24.75
Then the experience of
salvation is genuine and real.
00:50:24.79\00:50:28.72
James 2:14, What does
it profit, my brethren,
00:50:28.76\00:50:33.09
if someone says he has
faith, but does not have works?
00:50:33.13\00:50:38.37
Notice, he doesn't have faith.
00:50:38.40\00:50:39.73
He says he has faith,
but he doesn't have works.
00:50:39.77\00:50:42.47
Can faith save him?
00:50:42.50\00:50:44.67
Literally the Greek says,
Can such a faith save him?
00:50:44.71\00:50:47.78
Can a workless faith save you?
00:50:47.81\00:50:50.65
If a brother or sister is naked,
and destitute of daily food,
00:50:50.68\00:50:55.28
and one of you says
to them, Depart in peace,
00:50:55.32\00:50:58.75
be warmed and filled; but
you do not give them the things
00:50:58.79\00:51:02.42
which are needed for the
body; what does it profit?
00:51:02.46\00:51:05.13
In other words, if you don't
change your way of looking at
00:51:05.16\00:51:07.23
people, and treating people,
and you say you have a lot of
00:51:07.26\00:51:09.93
faith, I mean do
you really have faith?
00:51:09.96\00:51:11.97
Notice what it
continues saying in verse 17.
00:51:12.00\00:51:15.24
Thus also, faith by itself...
00:51:15.27\00:51:18.01
Christians love to say,
Faith alone, faith alone!
00:51:18.04\00:51:22.01
But really the
Bible teaches faith alone,
00:51:22.04\00:51:25.95
but it has to be
a faith that works.
00:51:25.98\00:51:27.65
That's the only
true kind of faith.
00:51:27.68\00:51:30.82
Thus also faith by itself, if
it does not have works is dead.
00:51:30.85\00:51:36.12
Can a dead faith save you? No.
00:51:36.16\00:51:38.73
But someone will say, You
have faith, and I have works.
00:51:38.76\00:51:42.16
And so James says, Show me
your faith without your works,
00:51:42.20\00:51:46.47
and I will show you
my faith by my works.
00:51:46.50\00:51:49.40
Verse 19: You believe that
there is one God; you do well:
00:51:51.91\00:51:55.38
even the demons
believe, and tremble.
00:51:55.41\00:51:57.18
Do you think the Devil believes
that Jesus died on the cross?
00:51:57.21\00:51:59.08
Do you think the Devil
knows that Jesus resurrected?
00:52:00.58\00:52:03.25
Do you think the Devil
believes Jesus is coming again?
00:52:03.28\00:52:06.86
Of course he does.
00:52:06.89\00:52:08.59
So if that's all you
believe in your brain,
00:52:08.62\00:52:10.56
excuse me for saying it, you're
not any better than the Devil.
00:52:10.59\00:52:14.93
That's what James is saying.
00:52:14.96\00:52:17.00
Notice once again verse 20.
00:52:19.63\00:52:21.77
But do you want to
know, O foolish man,
00:52:21.80\00:52:24.14
that faith
without works is dead?
00:52:24.17\00:52:26.41
Was not Abraham our
father justified by works?
00:52:26.44\00:52:30.45
Wow! This, some people
say, it contradicts the Bible,
00:52:30.48\00:52:33.05
because Paul says
that we're saved by faith,
00:52:33.08\00:52:35.25
without works of the law.
00:52:35.28\00:52:36.62
And here James says,
Was not Abraham our father
00:52:36.65\00:52:39.55
justified by works,
when he offered Isaac
00:52:39.59\00:52:41.79
his son on the altar?
00:52:41.82\00:52:43.16
Do you see that his faith was
working together with his works?
00:52:43.19\00:52:47.33
See, it's a package deal.
00:52:47.36\00:52:48.70
And by works
faith was made perfect.
00:52:48.73\00:52:51.57
In other words,
faith alone is imperfect.
00:52:51.60\00:52:53.54
And the Scripture was fulfilled
which says, Abraham believed
00:52:53.57\00:52:58.31
God, that is he trusted
God, and it was accounted to him
00:52:58.34\00:53:01.54
for righteousness, and he
was called the friend of God.
00:53:01.58\00:53:04.28
You see then that
man is justified by works
00:53:04.31\00:53:07.32
and not by faith only.
00:53:07.35\00:53:08.82
You say, what
does James mean here?
00:53:08.85\00:53:10.82
Is he contradicting Paul? No.
00:53:10.85\00:53:12.19
Let me tell you what's going on.
00:53:12.22\00:53:13.56
The apostle Paul, when he
says that we're saved by faith
00:53:13.59\00:53:17.26
without works of law is
explaining how we are saved.
00:53:17.29\00:53:21.13
When James says that
we're justified by works,
00:53:21.16\00:53:27.30
what he's saying is that
works show if our faith is real.
00:53:27.34\00:53:31.44
In other words, Paul is
telling us how we are saved,
00:53:31.47\00:53:35.44
whereas James tells us
how a saved person lives.
00:53:35.48\00:53:39.41
Are you understanding me?
00:53:39.45\00:53:41.58
In other words, one is talking
about the route of salvation,
00:53:41.62\00:53:45.49
and the other is talking
about the fruit of salvation.
00:53:45.55\00:53:48.79
Let me ask you, If you look
at it from one side faith saves.
00:53:48.82\00:53:55.40
Absolutely! Grace through faith.
00:53:55.43\00:53:58.03
But when you look at it from the
other side you see the works.
00:53:58.07\00:54:01.10
You say, Oh yeah,
this guy had faith.
00:54:01.17\00:54:03.27
And so really there's no
contradiction in the Bible.
00:54:03.30\00:54:07.51
Now lets talk about preaching
the gospel before we close.
00:54:07.58\00:54:12.15
The Bible says that the
gospel needs to be preached
00:54:12.18\00:54:15.72
to the whole world as
a witness to all nations,
00:54:15.75\00:54:19.25
and then the end will come.
00:54:19.29\00:54:20.76
What gospel do
we need to preach?
00:54:20.79\00:54:23.59
Just a gospel that
Jesus died on the cross?
00:54:23.63\00:54:27.16
You know, He
wove a perfect robe.
00:54:27.20\00:54:29.33
And, you know, He died
our death on the cross,
00:54:29.36\00:54:31.67
and all that you have to do
is simply in your head believe
00:54:31.70\00:54:34.40
that Jesus did that, and you'll
be saved, you and your house?
00:54:34.44\00:54:37.11
No. The gospel that
needs to be preached,
00:54:37.14\00:54:41.11
according to Revelation 14,
is the gospel that goes to every
00:54:41.14\00:54:45.71
nation, kindred,
tongue, and people.
00:54:45.75\00:54:47.08
But it's the gospel that says,
Fear God; give glory to Him;
00:54:47.12\00:54:51.05
the hour of His judgment has
come; and worship the Creator.
00:54:51.09\00:54:56.29
In other words, it's a complete
package gospel: faith and works.
00:54:56.32\00:55:02.86
It's a gospel that
not only is imputed to us,
00:55:02.90\00:55:08.00
or credited to us, but a
gospel that is manifested also
00:55:08.04\00:55:12.27
in the practical life.
00:55:12.31\00:55:14.38
In other words, it's the gospel
of justification that produces
00:55:14.41\00:55:18.61
in our lives a sanctified life.
00:55:18.65\00:55:21.85
Now the final point that I
want to talk about is the final
00:55:21.88\00:55:24.99
gospel celebration.
00:55:25.02\00:55:27.02
And for this I want to
read from Revelation 7:9-12.
00:55:27.06\00:55:31.23
Do you know, the saved someday
are going to sing a glorious
00:55:31.26\00:55:34.60
song when we get to heaven.
00:55:34.63\00:55:37.57
And that song is going to give
honor and glory to Jesus Christ
00:55:37.60\00:55:42.90
as the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world.
00:55:42.97\00:55:46.31
And, by the way, at this time
God's people are going to be
00:55:46.34\00:55:49.64
clothed with a
literal robe of light again.
00:55:49.68\00:55:53.45
Now notice the
process: man was clothed with a
00:55:53.48\00:55:58.35
literal robe of light.
00:55:58.39\00:55:59.72
It represented, it symbolized
obedience to God's law.
00:55:59.75\00:56:04.83
When man sinned the literal
robe of light disappeared,
00:56:04.86\00:56:09.80
and man experienced physical
nakedness, which represented
00:56:09.83\00:56:14.27
what? disobedience to God's law.
00:56:14.30\00:56:17.31
When we receive Jesus Christ
our spiritual nakedness is
00:56:17.34\00:56:23.21
covered by His spiritual robe.
00:56:23.24\00:56:24.71
But when He comes again He's
going to complete the process,
00:56:24.75\00:56:28.48
and He's going to give
us the literal robe of light
00:56:28.52\00:56:30.82
which man had originally.
00:56:30.85\00:56:32.82
Revelation 7:9, After
these things I looked,
00:56:32.85\00:56:37.23
See they received the
first angel's message.
00:56:43.37\00:56:50.71
Are we going to
receive white robes like Adam
00:56:50.74\00:56:53.44
and Eve at the beginning?
00:56:53.48\00:56:54.81
They're literal at this point.
00:56:54.84\00:56:57.01
And then will be fulfilled
that famous parable of Jesus
00:57:08.59\00:57:10.96
of the lost sheep, and when
the lost sheep is brought home.
00:57:10.99\00:57:15.20
The owner of the sheep,
who had ninety-nine other ones
00:57:15.23\00:57:18.80
that never failed,
calls his friends and he says,
00:57:18.83\00:57:21.70
come celebrate because the sheep
that was lost has been found.
00:57:21.74\00:57:26.64