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LESSON III: THE GOOD THINGS ARE HERE

I. THE END OF THE LAW OF MOSES

The law of Moses was a "shadow of good things to come" --good things not possible until after Christ's death: "for where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are __________, otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator ________" (Heb. 9:15-17).

1. The sublimely beautiful, yet heart-rendering, accounts of our Savior's death are recorded in Matt. 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19. Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses, to nail it to the cross and bring a better law.

2. "Blotting out the handwriting of ____________ that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, ___________, it to the cross" (Col. 2:14).

3. "He _______________the first, that He may establish the ____________" (Heb. 10:9).

4. "For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the __________   ____________ of partition between us: having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the __________ of commandments contained in ordinances ... that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the _______" (Eph. 2:11-16).

II. CHRIST'S PROMISES AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.

His death would have been meaningless without His triumphant resurrection, upon which rests the hope of all mankind. During the forty days between his resurrection and ascension, He talked with his apostles.

1. Lk. 24:47-49 -- He said that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name --- beginning at _____________."

2. Acts 1:4-8 -- Being assembled with the apostles, he "commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father ... And he said ... ye shall receive power, after the ________   ________ is come upon you." Immediately he ascended into heaven.

III. THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL THESE PROMISES, RECORDED IN ACTS 2

1. The apostles were in ________, as Christ had commanded them in Lk. 24:49 and Acts 1:12.

2. The Holy Spirit came (Acts 2:2) and brought the promised power which guided the apostles into all truth (Jno. 16:13).

3. It was during the lifetime of Christ's disciples, and the kingdom came with the power, as promised in Mark 9:1.

4. "Repentance and remission of sins" were preached for the first time in the name of Christ, as prophesied in Lk. 24:47.

5. The beginning of the church, the kingdom, the new law, the Christian age, the "last days" (refer to diagram, p.7).

6. All scripture before Acts 2 point forward to Christ's church or kingdom. All scriptures afterward point backward to the church or kingdom as having come, such as Acts 11:15; Col. 1:13.

IV. WHAT MUST WE DO TO CONTACT CHRIST'S REDEEMING BLOOD?

After Christ's new will or testament was sealed by his blood and went into effect, it could never be altered. This is the law which applies to us today. No person today can be saved like Noah, Abraham, or Moses. Nor can we be saved like the thief on the cross. The little cross on our diagram represents the thief, who lived and died before Christ's new law went into effect. Then how do we cleanse our souls with Christ's saving blood?

1. We must hear the gospel. "so then faith cometh by _________ ... the word of God" (Rom. 10:17). We cannot become a Christian without first knowing what God wants us to do, found only in His Word.

2. We must believe:  In God: "...for the that cometh to God must _______that He is" (Heb. 11:6) In In Christ: "...for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (Jno. 8:24).

 

3. We must repent of our sins: "and the times of his ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). What is repentance? It is a change of mind produced by Godly sorrow for sins and followed by a reformation of life. But this is still not enough to blot out our sins.

 

4. We must confess Christ: "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the _________confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:10). Matt. 10:32 and Acts 8:37.

 

5. We must be baptized: "He that believeth and is _________ shall be saved" (Mk. 16:16). "Arise and be baptized and _______   _______ ______ _____" (Acts 22:16). "Repent and _______   _____________ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38).

 

WHY BE BAPTIZED?

"Repent and be baptized for the _________  _____ ________" (Acts 2:38). The purpose for which something is done is as important as the act itself. We must obey from the heart to be free from sin (Rom. 6:17, 18). This means to obey with the proper understanding, for we understand with the heart (Matt. 13:15). If we were once baptized, but for the wrong purpose, then we have no assurance that we have been freed from sins. It must be done with an understanding that it is for the remission of sins, a birth into the family of God.

 

WHO IS TO BE BAPTIZED?

Penitent believers. Unless we have compiled with these requirements, we cannot be scripturally baptized. Suppose that someone would take an adult and submerge him in water by force -- without his will and consent -- would such avail any spiritual blessing? This would not constitute baptism at all. Thus, infants and all others who have not believed, repented, and confessed, cannot be scripturally baptized.

 

HOW BE BAPTIZED?

By a burial in water: "..____________with him by baptism" (Rom. 6:3,4).

 

BAPTISM IS THE FINAL STEP WHICH PUTS US INTO CHRIST.

According to Rom. 6:3,4, the new life begins when we are raised up from the waters of baptism to "walk in __________of life."

 

BAPTISM IS A TEST of our faith and willingness to obey. In every age, God has placed before man a test of his obedience. For instance, the fruit in the garden of Eden, the brazen serpent in the wilderness, and Naaman's dipping in the Jordan River to be cleansed of leprosy, etc.

 

LET'S SUMMARIZE ALL THESE PASSAGES WITH A SIMPLE DIAGRAM:

CHRIST

V. TO SUMMARIZE THE THINGS WHICH ENTER INTO OUR SALVATION

  Who Saves?                      How? 

Thus, many different things enter into our salvation, all of them essential. If we are to be guided by the whole counsel of God, we must believe all these scriptures. We cannot pick out one verse and build a system of religion around it, ignoring all other passages. Such is a perversion of the word of God. Yet many doctrines taught today have originated in this manner.

This principle is easily understood in everyday life. for instance, in the realm of health, we know that food, water, rest, exercise, etc., are all essential to good health. We would never think of picking out one of these things and saying that it -- and it alone -- provides health.

The story of the blind man and the elephant illustrates this principle. You remember that one felt  his tail and said, "An elephant is like a rope." Another felt his leg and said, "An elephant is like a tree." Another felt his ear and said, "An elephant is like a palm leaf." If their eyes had been opened, they would have realized that their mistake was in taking only a partial view of the whole.

VI. IT'S UP TO US.

God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the sacred writers have already completed their work in making salvation possible for us. Now it is up to us. Christ wants us to be saved, but He is the author of salvation unto all them that "________________Him" (Heb. 5:8, 9).

To fail to do these things after we have learned them is sinful. "For to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is ______________" (Jas. 4:17).

 

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