66 books

40 men

3 languages

Over 1500 years

Written on 3 continents

ONE UNIFIED THEME:

An Amazing Book

The Gospel

“And He said to them, „Go

into all the world and

preach the gospel to every

creature.‟”

--Mark 16:15

An Important Message

Romans 1:16

The Gospel

God’s

Power

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”

The Gospel: An Important Message

Seriousness of

obeying the gospel

-2 Thessalonians

1:7-9

“Jesus will come “in flaming fire,

8dealing out retribution to those

who do not know God and to

those who do not obey the

gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

A Serious Warning…To Christians

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed !”

-Galatians 1:8

GOSPEL

How can I be certain?

Where would we start?

THE1

Our OT “Tutor”

Galatians 3:24

Old Testament

JUSTIFIED

BY

FAITH

“Therefore the Law has

become our tutor to lead

us to Christ, so that we

may be justified by faith.”

Why Did God Create Man?

"The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist”

that they would seek God, if perhaps they might

grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from

each one of us

Acts 17:24-28

GOD IS HOLY

This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and

in Him there is no darkness at all.

1 John 1:5

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You.

Psalms 5:4

“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;

Love and faithfulness go before You”

justice

Love

Psalm

89:14

God’s holiness is demonstrated in His

justice and love toward His creation.

God’s Demand

We must be holy to have a

relationship with God

Is this possible?

“Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy.”

SPIRITUAL

DEATH“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins” -Eph 2:1

“your iniquities have made a

separation between you and

your God” -Isaiah 59:2

Sin causes man to

be separated from God!

“the wages of sin is death” -Romans 6:23

God’s Justice Demands a Price

A death must occur for

sin to be removed

Hebrews 9:22

“without the shedding

of blood there can be

no remission of sins.”no remission of sins

A Desperate Situation

We have broken the laws of the God

of the universe, this has separated us

from a Holy God, and the sentence of

death hangs over our head by a just

God! We cannot pay this price

ourselves!

We find ourselves in a very

desperate situation:

God loves us and helps to pay

the price for sin through His

But God… (Ephesians 2:4)

andGrace God gives us

what we don’t

deserve

MercyGod does not

give us what

we truly

deserve

God’s Grace and MercyGod allows the price to be paid by an

innocent representative

Animal sacrifices

made atonement

for sin

Leviticus 16:30

“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.”

Blood Pays the Price

“without shedding of blood there is no remission”

-Hebrews 9:22

REPRESENTS

ATONES FOR

RECIEVES THE

PENALTY OF

Innocent

LIFE

BLOOD LIFE

Innocent

LIFESINNER

Guilty

LIFE

What Made Sacrifice Work?

Just the act of sacrifice?

Was it good enough just to believe in

animal sacrifice?

What made it effective?

Faith Must Respond

Hebrews 11:6 demonstrates faith

Belief and Action“And 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 seek Him.”

faith

believe

seek Him

Old Testament Examples

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice -Heb 11:4

By faith Noah… in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household

-Heb 11:7

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance

-Heb 11:8

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac

-Heb 11:17

By faith offered

By faith

By faith

By faith

prepared

obeyed

offered

(v14) Can that type of faith save a man?

(v17) Faith without action is dead

(v18) Faith is shown by action

(v20) Faith without action is “useless”

(v21-23) Abraham’s faith was perfected by

belief working with his actions

(v24) Justified by action, not “faith alone”

(v26) Faith without action is dead

(v19) Devils are believers!

THERE ARE BELIEVERS IN HELL!

Belief alone? (James 2:14-26)

Animal Sacrifice in Leviticus 1

In the Old Testament the sinner

was active in the sacrifice of the

animal

He brought the animal to the

priest

He laid his hands on the head

of the animal

He killed the animal

The priest offered the animal as a

burnt offering

Leviticus 1:1-9

INNOCENT GUILTYSANCTIFIED

The guilty paid the price or symbolically died with the sacrifice

JUSTIFICATION(Penalty Removed)

SANCTIFICATION(Sins Removed – Made Holy)

BLOOD ATONEMENT

(Innocent animal killed)

RESULTS IN

RESULTS IN

RECONCILIATION(Spiritual Relationship with a

Holy God Restored)

RESULTS IN

JUSTICE

MERCY

The OT “Tutor” Gal 3:24

SINSACRIFICE

BLOOD

ATONEMENTREPRESENTATIVE

DEATH

HOLINESS

SANCTIFICATIONGRACE

LOVE

FAITH

that takes awaythe sin of the world”

“Behold the

LAMB OF GOD

Christ’s Blood in Prophecy

Isaiah 53

30 AD

Jesus’

DeathFirst five

books of

Bible

written

1400 BC 750 BC

Isaiah’s

Prophecy

written

0 AD

Jesus’

Birth

Over 700

years

before

Christ!

Christ’s Blood in ProphecyIsaiah 53

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried”

(v4). “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was

crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well -being fell

upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed” (v5). “The LORD

has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (v6). “He was cut

off out of the land of the living (death) for the transgression of my

people, to whom the stroke was due” (v8).

He is described as a lamb being led to slaughter (v7)

He is an offering for sin (v10)

“My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their

iniquities” (v11).

He died for you and me!

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.” there is no sin

“knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

Accounts of Jesus’ DeathJesus suffered terrible injustice:

• He was condemned to die as an

innocent man

• He was scourged, then crucified

• He was on the cross for many hours

before He breathed His last.

Matthew Mark Luke John

BUT THE STORY DOESN’T END THERE!

Jesus Defeated Sin & Death

He defeated sin and

the death that it

causes by the

resurrection

Without the

resurrection, Jesus’

death for our sins is

meaningless (1 Cor.

15.13-22)

“if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.”

INNOCENT GUILTYSANCTIFIED

The guilty paid the price or symbolically died with the sacrifice

“For if we have become united with Him in the

likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in

the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this,

that our old self was crucified with Him, in order

that our body of sin might be done away with, so

that we would no longer be slaves to sin”

We must die with our innocent representative to

have our sins forgiven!

INNOCENT GUILTYSANCTIFIED

We need to pay the price or symbolically die with our sacrifice

He Himself bore

our sins in His body

on the cross

so that we might

die to sin CRUCIFIED

W/ CHRIST

New Testament terminology identifying

the point when one is forgiven:

…If we died with Him we shall also live with Him

2 Timothy 2:11

Now if we died with Christ we believe we will

also live with Him.

Romans 6:8

…for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Colossians 3:3

I have been crucified with Christ…

Galatians 2:20

We have died with Christ

We have been united with Christ in His death

We have been crucified with Christ

We have died to sin

We must be united with the death of Christ,

for “without the shedding of bloodthere is no forgiveness of sins.”

Our sins can notand will not be forgiven

UNLESS:

When does God say that I am:

Dead to sin?

Dying with Christ?Freed from sin?

United with Christ in His death?

Crucified with Christ?

We need God’s answer!He gives it in Romans 6

“What shall we say then? Are we to

continue in sin so that grace may

increase? 2 May it never be! How

shall we who died to sin still live in

it?” v1-2

“They died to sin.” …. How?/When?

ROMANS 6

died to sin

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? v3

baptized into Christ Jesus

baptized into His death

4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” (6:4)

buried with

newness of life

Him through baptism into death

“For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (6:5)

united with Him if

“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with,” (6:6)

crucified with Him

body of sin might

be done away with

“so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed

from sin.” (6:6-7) freed

from sin

“Now if we have died with

Christ, we believe that we shall

also live with Him, 9 knowing

that Christ, having been raised

from the dead, is never to die

again; death no longer is

master over Him. (6:8-9)

died withChrist

10 For the death that He

died, He died to sin once for

all; but the life that He lives,

He lives to God. 11 Even so

consider yourselves to be

dead to sin, but alive to God

in Christ Jesus” (6:10-11)dead to sin

died to sin

“Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. (6:12-13)

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin (v7), you became slaves of righteousness.”

obedient from the

heart

For you are all sons of God through

faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you

as were baptized into Christ have put on

Christ. --Galatians 3:26-27

buried with Him in baptism, in which you

also were raised with Him through faith

in the working of God, who raised Him

from the dead --Colossians 2:12

through

through faith

For as many

in the working of God

faith

But now having been

freed from sin (v7) and

enslaved to God (v16),

you derive your benefit,

resulting in

sanctification, and the

outcome, eternal life. (6:22)

sanctification

For the wages of sin

is death, but the

gift of God is

eternal life in Christ

Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12 By our faith (Col 2:12)

Romans 6:5

Acts 2: The 1st Gospel Sermon

When Peter preached to the crowd on

the day of Pentecost, they believed

the gospel and were convicted of

their sin.

They asked the Apostles:

“Men and Brethren,

What shall we do?” (Acts 2:37)

How did Peter answer this

question?

Did Peter answer by saying..

Do? There is

nothing you can

do! Christ did it

all!

Just believe.

Call out Jesus’

name.

Pray the

sinners prayer.

Accept Jesus

into your

heart.

DIFFERENT

GOSPELS

Peter’s answer...

Peter said to them,

"Repent, and each of

you be baptized in the

name of Jesus Christ

for the forgiveness of

your sins; and you will

receive the gift of the

Holy Spirit

The

GOSPEL

RESPONSE

The Samaritans 8:5-13“Philip went down to the city of

Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them. 6 The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. 7 For in the case ofmany who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of themshouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 So there was much rejoicing in that city… 12 when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.”

when they believed

they

Where did the Samaritans

hear about their need

to be baptized?

were being baptized

Water baptism was part of

the gospel that Philip

preached to the Samaritans

The Samaritans believed

and were baptized, just as

Jesus commanded in the

Great Commission

“He who believes and is baptized shall be saved”

Mark 16:16

Ethiopian Eunuch 8:35-39“Then Philip opened his mouth, and

beginning from this Scripture he

preached Jesus to him. 36 As they

went along the road they came to

some water; and the eunuch said,

"Look! Water! What prevents me

from being baptized?“ 37 [And Philip

said, "If you believe with all your

heart, you may." And he answered

and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ

is the Son of God."] 38 And he

ordered the chariot to stop; and they

both went down into the water,

Philip as well as the eunuch, and he

baptized him. 39 When they came up

out of the water, the Spirit of the

Lord snatched Philip away; and the

eunuch no longer saw him, but went

on his way rejoicing.”

"Look! Water! What prevents me

from being baptized?”

Where did the

eunuch hear about

his need to be

baptized?

Baptism is a burial

(cf Rom 6; Col 2)both went down into the water

out of the water

When they came up

When did the

eunuch rejoice?

• Believed -“What shall I do,...”

• Confessed -“What shall I do, Lord?”

• Obeyed –“Get up and go into Damascus”

• Fasted –“three days… and neither ate nor drank”

• Prayed –“for he is praying”

Healed–

Miraculous healing of his blindnessRepentance

PLUS…

Paul’s conversion: Acts 9 & 22When were Paul’s sins forgiven?

Paul’s conversion: Acts 9 & 22

Paul’s sins were not washed away by his

belief, his repentance,

or his prayers. He still needed to be

washed in the blood of Christ

He was told by Ananias what

he needed to do in Acts 22:16

“Now why do you delay? Get

up and be baptized, and

wash away your sins”

Jesus’ Teaching Matthew 28:19-20

How does this text teach disciples are

made?

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the

Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I

commanded you; and lo, I am with you always , even to the end of the age."

baptizing them

teaching them to observe all that I

commanded you

Can someone leave one of these out

if they want to be a disciple?

Mark 16:15-16

Jesus’ Teaching Belief

Baptism

Saved

Jesus’ TeachingJohn 3:5

Jesus is saying the

same thing that

Romans 6 teaches

John 3:3, 5; 2 Cor 5:17

Jesus’ TeachingBut when the kindness of God our Savior

and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He

saved us, not on the basis of deeds which

we have done in righteousness, but

according to His mercy, by the washing of

regeneration and renewing by the Holy

Spirit

-Titus 3:4-5

“Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16).

“but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the

name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:10-11).

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless

one is born of water and the

Spirit he cannot enter into the

kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

Christ loved the church and gave

himself up for her, 26 that he

might sanctify her, having

cleansed her by the washing of

water… (Eph 5:25-26)

washing of

regeneration

born of water

wash

washed

Irenaeus wrote in 120-205 AD:

"As we are lepers in sin, we are made clean from our old transgressions by means of the sacred water and the invocation of the Lord. We are thus spiritually regenerated as newborn infants, even as the Lord has declared: 'Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'" (Irenaeus, "Fragments From Lost Writings", no. 34, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, pg. 574)

'Except a man be born again through water and the Spirit, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'"

What was the main proof text

early Christians used for

baptism?

Tertullian also wrote,

"The prescript is laid down that 'without

baptism, salvation is attainable by

none' chiefly on the ground of that

declaration of the Lord, who says,

'Unless one be born of water, he hath

not life.'" (On Baptism, Ante-Nicene

Fathers, vol. 3, pg. 674-675)

'without

baptism, salvation is attainable by

none'

1 Peter 3:21- Baptism & the Flood of Noah

“who once were disobedient, when the

patience of God kept waiting in the days of

Noah, during the construction of the ark, in

which a few, that is, eight persons, were

brought safely through the water . 21 Corresponding to that, baptism now

saves you —not the removal of dirt from the

flesh, but an appeal to God for a good

conscience— through the resurrection of

Jesus Christ”

baptism now

saves you

through the resurrection of

Jesus Christ

Hebrews 9:14; 10:22“how much more will the blood of

Christ… cleanse your conscience from

dead works to serve the living God” 9:14

“let us draw near with a sincere heart in

full assurance of faith, having our hearts

sprinkled clean from an evil conscience

and our bodies washed with pure water.”

baptism now saves you—not the removal of

dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21)

and our bodies washed with pure water

but an appeal to God for

a good conscience

Colossians 2:11-13“and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcisionof your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions”

in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ

having been buried with Him in

baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him

having forgiven us all our transgressions

Ephesians 2:4-6“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His

great love with which He loved us, 5 even when

we were dead in our transgressions, made us

alive together with Christ (by grace you have

been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and

seated us with Him in the heavenly places in

Christ Jesus”

made usalive together with Christ

12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you

were also raised up with Him through faith in the working

of God, who raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were

dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of

your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having

forgiven us all our transgressions” Col 2:12-13He made you alive together with Him

When you were

dead in your transgressions

even when

we were dead in our transgressions

Barnabas wrote in 70 AD:

“Blessed are they who, placing their trust in the cross, have gone down into the water; for, says He, they shall receive their reward in due time...we indeed descend into the water full of sins and defilement, but come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and trust in Jesus in our spirit.” (The Early Church Fathers: Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1, The Epistle of Barnabas 11:114-16)

"Happy is our sacrament of water, in that, by

washing away the sins of our early blindness, we

are set free and admitted into eternal life... a viper

of the Cainite heresy, lately conversant in this

quarter, has carried away a great number with her

most venomous doctrine, making it her first aim to

destroy baptism. Which is quite in accordance with

nature; for vipers and asps and serpents

themselves generally do affect arid and waterless

places. (On Baptism, Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 3,

pg. 669.)

are set free and admitted into eternal life...

In 140-230 AD, Tertullian wrote,

washing away the sins of our early blindness, we

Tertullian is combating a false doctrine that

was denying the importance of baptism!

making it her first aim to

destroy baptism

Following

the death,

burial, and

resurrection

of Christ in

the plan of

redemption

we see…

Plan of

Redemption

What Christ

commanded in

the Great

Commission…(Matthew 28, Mark

16)

We see the

apostles

carrying out

in the book of

Acts…(chs 2, 9, 22)

Followed by

what the

apostles

taught in the

epistles…(Rom 6, Col 2,

Gal 3)

Which we see

taught and

practiced by

the early

Christians

Great

Commission Acts Epistles

Early

Church

Summary of Study

God wants a relationship with YOU!

Sin gets in the way

You deserve death for disobeying God

God gives you a way to pay that price:

Jesus ChristHe died for your sins so you could be

sanctified!

Will you obey the gospel?

Do you want to die

with Christ?

Why do you delay? Arise and be baptized, and wash

away your sins

Acts 22:16