A Panoramic View of the Salvation Plan of God Throughout History Have you heard about a Scarlet Cord that is woven through the Bible? There is more to the story than just blood. There are three strands to this cord! Ecclesiastes 4:12: …a threefold cord is not quickly broken. There is a scarlet strand (the blood of the Lamb) a blue strand (the burial waters) and a white strand (the glory cloud). Come and see!
Bygone Grace The Ancient Types and Shadows
God’s Response to the Entire Human Race God’s Promise to Adam God’s Promises to Abraham / Isaac God’s Answer to our Bondage: The Exodus A Pattern: The True Tabernacle that is Above The Tabernacle of Moses The Only Way To God (Sovereign Grace) The Sign of the Prophet Jonah John the Baptist The Life of Jesus The Witness of God Poured Out At Calvary
Messiah’s Fulfillment
Shedding Of Blood
Washing In Water
Entering By Spirit
The Fall of Man – GEN 2:17 ROM 5:12 The Global Out Pouring – JOEL 2:28,29 The Global Flood – GEN 6:12–18 1PET 3:19,20 ROM 6:23 1COR 15:21,22 – Brings Death ACTS 2:16-18 GEN 3:15,16 GEN 12:1-4 GEN 21:1-5 The Answer to the problem of Sin and Death is the birth of a son who will be the Savior. GEN 22:1,2 GEN 22:6-10 JAM 2:20-24 GEN 22:3-5 HEB 11:11,12 GEN 22:11-18 HEB 11:17-19 EXO 13:21,22 EXO 14:1-4 JOSH 3:14-17 PSA 105:9–11 EPH 1:10-14 EXO 12:3-13 1COR 5:7,8 EXO 14:15 1COR 10:1-4 EXO 29:45,46 JOHN 14:16-18 JOHN 7:37-39 HEB 8:1-5 Heaven’s present reality is progressively being revealed in the Earth: sometimes tangibly, sometimes audibly, and sometimes textually. EXO 29:38-42 LEV 1:5 LEV 4:4-7 EXO 38:8 EXO 40:7 EXO 40:30-32 EXO 40:34-38 HEB 9:1-12 HEB 10:16-25 The sinner hears and believes; innocent blood is sprinkled upon his heart; the filth is washed away; the new man enters in and abides by faith! MATT 12:39-41 Jonah was 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of the whale, thus prefiguring the body of Jesus in the grave 3 days and 3 nights. JONAH 1:11-16 JONAH 1:17 – JONAH 2:6 JONAH 2:7 (JONAH 3:2) MATT 3:1-11 JOHN 1:29 John preached Repentance, he baptized in water, and he prophesied the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He pointed to Jesus. HEB 4:15-16 MATT 3:13-15 MATT 3:16 (MATT 4:4,19) 1 JOHN 5:8,9 The Spirit, the Water, and the Blood. This has been the consistent witness of God concerning His Son from the very beginning! Hear Ye Him! JOHN 19:33-34 JOHN 19:34 JOHN 19:30
Death
Burial
Resurrection
Jesus is brutally killed on the cross of Calvary.
The lifeless body of Jesus is in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights.
Jesus is raised from the dead by the mighty power of God.
His Passion – Matthew’s Account MATT 27:35 MATT 27:50–53 MATT 27:57-61 MATT 28:2-7 His Passion – Mark’s Account MARK 15:22-26 MARK 15:37-38 MARK 15:43-46 MARK 16:2-6 His Passion – Luke’s Account LUKE 23:33-34 LUKE 23:44-46 LUKE 23:50-55 LUKE 24:1-6 His Passion – John’s Account JOHN 19:17-19 JOHN 19:30 JOHN 19:38-42 JOHN 20:6-9 A Timeless Salvation: Past, Present, and Future LUKE 24:44-48 The message of God’s salvation has always been the same: for Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Apostles, and for us today! The Great Commission – Luke’s Account LUKE 24:46,47 LUKE 24:46-47 LUKE 24:46-49 The Great Commission – Matthew’s Account MATT 28:18-20 MATT 28:19 MATT 28:20 The Great Commission – Mark’s Account MARK 16:15,16 MARK 16:16 MARK 16:17,18 The Great Commission – John’s Account JOHN 20:19-21 JOHN 20:23 JOHN 20:22 The Keys to the Kingdom MATT 16:15-23 Peter was given the keys. Peter was appointed to unlock the mystery! Peter preached under the anointing of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The Keys – Past (Before the birth of the Savior) ACTS 2:22,23 ACTS 2:25-28 ACTS 2:16-18 ACTS 2:29-31 The Keys – Present (During the life of the Savior) ACTS 2:22,23 ACTS 2:32 ACTS 2:33 The Keys – Future (Since the triumph of the Savior) ACTS 2:37,38 ACTS 2:38 ACTS 2:38,39 ACTS 3:11-21 “killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead” “repent… that your sins may be blotted out… times of refreshing shall come…” The Testimony of Peter ACTS 8:26-38 “a sheep to the slaughter… his life is taken” “preached unto him Jesus… “here is water... If thou believest… he baptized him… the Spirit of the Lord … rejoicing” The Testimony of Philip ACTS 10:30-48 “hanged on a tree… raised up the third day” “whosoever believeth… remission of sins… the Holy Ghost fell… speak with tongues…baptized in the name” The Testimony of Peter ACTS 19:1-6 “finding certain disciples… Have ye received… baptism of repentance… they were baptized in the name…the Holy Ghost came on them…they spake with tongues” The Testimony of Paul 1COR 15:1-8 “By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached… Christ died for our sins… he was buried… he rose again the third day” I Declare Unto You The Gospel
Future Grace
Repentance
Water Baptism
Spirit Baptism
We are crucified with Christ.
We are buried with Christ by baptism.
We are quickened by the same spirit that raised up Christ.
This Gospel will be preached in all the world… Not everything that preachers proclaim can withstand the Bible test. Not everything that claims to be Orthodox is legitimately “Right Doctrine” in the Lord’s opinion. And God’s opinion is the only opinion that matters! There can only be ONE True Gospel of Jesus Christ. However; “another gospel” is being presented to the masses. There may be hundreds of “other gospels” that are popular and widely acclaimed. Rest assured, a three-fold cord is not easily broken! (Ecclesiastes 4:12) by Phillip Stuckemeyer © phil@stuckemeyer.com
Strand 1 –
The Blood
From the beginning of man’s dance with sin, the shedding of blood has been a necessary component of God’s solution. The innocent must die in order for the sin of mankind to be covered. Adam and Eve sinned, and God killed the innocent animal in order to make clothing from the skins. Noah watched as God executed judgment upon a wicked world. Abraham acted out a dramatic portrayal of the final solution when he willingly offered up the son he loved. Moses warned Israel to apply blood to the dwelling places and to wait for the salvation of a mighty God. The children of Israel shed the blood of the innocent daily as they looked to God’s faithfulness. How could today’s religious miss the necessity of the blood?
Strand 2 –
The Water
After the initial fall of mankind into sin, the plight of the human race grew worse and worse. Eventually, God determined that it was time to purge the earth, and water was the vehicle by which the filth was buried out of sight and the righteous were preserved. When Israel came out of Egyptian bondage, their first stop was the red sea in which God openly displayed His mighty power. The slave went into the sea, and the free man came out on the other side. The man of sin perished in the water while the man of God was liberated. Day by day, in the tabernacle, the priest would leave the altar of blood and death and his first stop was the brazen laver in which the filth was washed away as the people drew near to God.
Strand 3 –
The Spirit
Renewal and resurrection have always been prominently featured in God’s promise of deliverance and salvation. Isaac had been as good as dead for 3 days, yet his father Abraham believed in resurrection power and received his son again from the dead. The freshly washed temple Priest proceeded into the presence of God by prayer, praise, the bread of life, and the illumination of the Holy Ghost. The nation of Israel was led by the Spirit of God across the river of living water and into the promised land after they had learned to worship, trust, and obey. Jonah was in the sea for 3 days and 3 nights before he reemerged to preach with power. John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Ghost and Fire.
Death
Burial
Resurrection
Jesus is brutally killed on the cross of Calvary.
The lifeless body of Jesus is in the tomb 3 days and 3 nights.
Jesus is raised from the dead by the mighty power of God.
Jesus commanded that believers be baptized in the name that is above all other names. This washing is for the remission of sin, is performed by a minister of the Gospel and is accompanied by instruction. This is an essential element of the Gospel message. Every presentation of God’s salvation plan includes a burial, and yet some churches refuse to preach it.
In the early church the preaching of the gospel was authenticated by demonstration, signs and wonders. There was no doubt in that day that God dwelt in the midst of His people, since the visible and audible manifestation of the Spirit of God was common.
It is not unusual for modern churchmen to try to avoid any mention of blood, especially the blood of Jesus. it is no longer socially acceptable to preach in a manner that makes a person feel guilty about sin. In fact, you can’t tell someone that they are a sinner, or that their behavior is sinful. No need to repent, much less confess. There is no cross in such preaching. Neither is there hope of salvation. This is not the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Every presentation of the gospel recorded in the Bible emphasizes the sacrificial death of the Lamb. The cross is the central theme of the gospel. The Old Testament prophetically foretells the salvation plan. Jesus fulfills this plan, obedient unto death, paying the price for our redemption. We hear the gospel preached, mix it with faith, and are made partakers of this death. He died that we might live, and yet the bible teaches that we were crucified with Him. All our sins were nailed to the old rugged cross.
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Modern cessationists deny the essential nature of the Spirit in the Gospel message, but one day they will regret that position. We will all stand before the great judge. Can you imagine trying to explain why you dared to teach God’s people that they did not need God’s power working in them? Frightening!
I remember seeing a sign on the outside of a Baptist Church that declared “Baptism is not necessary for salvation!” This is both amazing and perplexing. Contrary to popular beliefs, preachers do not have the authority to eliminate any part of God’s message. Some denominations skirt the issue by treating The Apostles witnessed the evidence of the Holy baptism as a “sacrament” - completely optional, but Ghost accompanying the salvation of a sinner, and considered “speaking in tongues” to be proof of the not essential. Who came up with that bright idea? Spirit Baptism. Every biblical account of the fruit We partake of the burial of Jesus Christ by baptism borne from the preaching of the Word records such into His death, and are promised that we will also live resurrection power restoring life to those who were with Him both in this life and in the life to come. once dead in trespasses and sins. No Exceptions!
Repentance
Water Baptism
Spirit Baptism
We are crucified with Christ.
We are buried with Christ by baptism.
We are quickened by the same spirit that raised up Christ.
Blood / Water / Spirit 1 Corinthians 15 1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have 2 received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached 3 unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to 4 the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: The best way to detect a counterfeit is to become an expert in the real thing. If you want to know for sure that you have not believed in vain, you should pay special attention to what the bible really says!
The Gospel Snake oil peddlers will tell you anything to make a sale, and nothing sells like a pungent mixture of religion and self preservation. Do you want to escape the fires of Hell? Want to go to Heaven? Sign this card. Raise your hand. Join a church. Do this. Do that. The list of salvation plans is long. 1 John 5 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three 9 agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. Beware Counterfeits! The thief comes not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. (John 10:10) He is a liar! (John 8:44) He is the father of lies! Fix your eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, read His word, and listen for the sound of His voice. Do not settle for half-truths. The Bible has all the answers.
The Witness of God