The Simple Gospel. 1 Tim. 2:5-7
A. There is One God. No hierarchy of gods. No competing law systems.
B. One Mediator - Go Between
C. The man Christ Jesus - Perfectly qualified - God and Man, in Two Distinct Natures, and One Person forever.
D. This Conflict cannot be Mediated by Some Counselor taking both sides of the story and working out a solution. “Who gave himself a ransom for all - to be testified in due time.”
1. Two uses in the Old Testament
Exod. 21:30 - A payment for a life (buying a life)
Lev. 19:20 - A payment for a slave (buying freedom).
2. Ransom for all men. 1 Tim. 4:10, Romans 8:21-23
“For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
a. The creature/the whole creation.
b. We ourselves (as individuals).
3. Ransom for What?
a. Slaves to Corruption. (Rom. 8:21)
b. Bondage to Sin and Death (Heb. 2:14, Rom. 6:7-16)
7For he that is dead is freed from sin…9Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof….14For sin (the breaking of the law) shall not have dominion over you:
c. Bondage to the World’s System. Gal. 2:3-5
Gal 2 - “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world” 4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.8Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
d. Bondage to the weak and beggarly elements of a sacrificial system that was fulfilled in Christ. Gal. 2:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 10Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
e. Bondage to men.
1 Cor. 7:23Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
Inevitably, countries that do not enjoy the redemption of Christ… are nations of slaves…
E. We testify:
1. Jesus is the mediator.
2. Jesus gave himself to be the ransom.
Titus 2:14 “Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”
He redeems us from the power of sin.
He redeems us from the guilt of sin.
He redeems from the power of death.
He redeems from the power of rotten corruption over Our Souls and Our Cultures
2 Cor. 5:17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
“Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
Exhortation - Acts 18:24-26 - Godly Ecumenism
1. The Sham of World Council of Churches - Self-professed humanists.
2. Am I absolutely positive that my little problem with arrogance and pride is nowhere near as bad as this guy’s obviously errant position on the mode of baptism?
3. Godly Ecumenism calls for a Sanctified Discernment. A Pure Heart.
4. There is a difference between -- “My Cause Must Triumph” and “His Cause Must Triumph.”
5. Err on the side of encouragement…
6. Discern the big picture in that person’s life. Do they love Christ, the Son of God or not? If we can discern their position on the KJV Bible, but not their love for Christ, we do not have sanctified discernment. There is a fundamental flaw in our character. |
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