The Old Testament Foretold the Gospel of Jesus Christ

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.  

“Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.  

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." - Luke 24:44-49 

The Old Testament is the Jewish Bible. It foretold of the gospel – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Father manifest in flesh. 

Jesus told His disciples the gospel would be preached beginning at Jerusalem. The gospel is repentance and remission of sins by the name of Jesus, with the promise of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 1:8)  

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.  

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:38-42

*This chart is from the Bible Study, "Exploring God's Word." The manual is available as a downloadable, FREE eBook at: http://mychurchwebsite.s3.amazonaws.com/c250/exploring_gods_word_bible_study.docx Color charts are available at: http://www.riveroflifeupc.org/our-beliefs.php 

The Old Testament is a pattern and shadow of the New Testament

"Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount." - Hebrews 8:5  

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things…" - Hebrews 10:1 [Another translation: “…a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves.”] 

The Old Testament points to God coming in the form of man in God’s name of salvation – Jesus. It points to heavenly things. It points to baptism in Jesus name for remission of sins, and to the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Jesus. It points to the rapture…  

Ironically, it is not the physical that is the reality; it is the spiritual that is the reality. The spiritual is what is real and eternal. 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39  

*This chart is from the Bible Study, "Exploring God's Word." The manual is available as a downloadable, FREE eBook at: http://mychurchwebsite.s3.amazonaws.com/c250/exploring_gods_word_bible_study.docx Color charts are available at: http://www.riveroflifeupc.org/our-beliefs.php 

And ye shall Know the Truth, and the Truth Shall Make you Free!

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32

Jesus is the truth. 

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6  

Jesus made us free from sin and death. He made a way for us to return to Him by the body of His flesh through His death, burial, and resurrection. (Jesus is our heavenly Father that came in the form of man to die for our sins). We come to Him when we become dead to sin, buried with Him by baptism in His name Jesus for the remission of sins, and risen with Him when we are filled with His Spirit. 

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." - Jeremiah 31:34  

We know Him when we are filled with His Spirit; our iniquity is forgiven and our sin remembered no more when we are baptized in Jesus name. 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39  

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8:2 

We now know the truth – Jesus – and He has made us free!

Neither is there Salvation in Any Other - JESUS!!

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." - Acts 2:41  

"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." - Mark 16:16  

"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." - Acts 8:12  

"(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." - Acts 8:16-17 

"And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." - Acts 18:8  

"Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:" - 1 Peter 3:20-21

"That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things." - Acts 15:17

 "Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." - Acts 19:4-5  

"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:10-12

Every Weakness is an Opportunity for God to Show His Strength in Your Life

"For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence.  

“But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 1:26-31  

There are few that are wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy that are called. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. He chose things that are weak to shame those who are powerful. He chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever glory in His presence! 

We have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27) We have repented of our sins, have been baptized in Jesus name for the remission of our sins, and Jesus has filled us with His Spirit (Acts 2:38). We can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. (Philippians 4:13)  

We are His representative to the world. (2Corinthians 5:19-21) He has made us right with Him, made us pure and holy, and has freed us from sin. All glory belongs to Jesus!

Holiness Part 5 Holy Sacrifices and Offerings

The third way the word for “holy” is used in the Bible is “of sacrifices and offerings; prepared for God with solemn rite, pure, clean...” 

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." - Romans 12:1  

Sacrifices in the Old Testament were washed before they were offered up by the priests. Jesus as the Lamb of God was washed by baptism by John the Baptist (who was of the lineage of Aaron) before He was offered up on the cross for our sins. Jesus was not washed to remove sins, for He was without sin; Jesus was washed to fulfill the righteousness of the law, which required sacrifices to be washed before they were offered. (John 1:29, Leviticus 1:9, Matthew 3:15, Luke 1:5, 13) 

We as a living sacrifice are washed by our water baptism in Jesus name. Our washing differs from Christ’s washing in that ours is to remit our sins by the sinless blood of Jesus applied in baptism in Jesus name. 

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." - Acts 22:16 

“Sanctified” means “to make, render or declare sacred or holy, consecrate.” 

"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:11 

We become a holy sacrifice to God by our obedience to the gospel. We are justified (made just) by God’s blood by water baptism in Jesus name. We are sanctified (made holy) by God’s Spirit when He fills us with His Holy Ghost. We are an acceptable sacrifice to Him because we have repented of our sins and have been water baptized in Jesus name for the remission of our sins. 

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38

Church!

"But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." - Acts 8:12 (John 3:5, Acts 2:38-39, Acts 4:12, Acts 2:4)