SOUL-SAVING LESSONS
13 & 14 ADDED TO
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST WEBSITE

"The 'Genesis' of the New Testament"
"Power in the Blood"

Ben Bailey starts his lesson on "The 'Genesis' of the New Testament" by referring back to the Genesis of the Old Testament in order to show that it is "a book of beginnings." In it, we find the beginning of the Universe, the beginning of all life on Earth, the beginning of marriage and the home, and, of course, the beginning of sin. Ben uses the nature of the Book of Genesis as a springboard to point out that just as it is the book of beginnings for the Old Testament, there also is a book of beginnings in the New Testament—the Book of Acts. In Acts 2 (which frequently is referred to as "the hub of the Bible," since everything that happens before Acts 2 is looking forward to it, while everything that happens after Acts 2 is predicated on the events of that chapter regarding the preaching of the Gospel) we find the beginning of the Lord's church. As Ben remarks in his presentation:

"In Daniel 2:44, Daniel prophesied about an 'everlasting kingdom' that would be set up during the time of one of the four kingdoms he mentioned in his prophecy. He spoke about the Babylonian kingdom, the Medo-Persian kingdom, the Greek kingdom, and the Roman kingdom. During the first three of those, no 'everlasting kingdom' was set up. But during the time of the Roman kingdom, the kingdom of Christ was established. Jesus said in Mark 9:1, 'Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.' "

Also in Acts 2, as Ben goes on to point out, we find the beginning of Gospel sermons. Peter stood before a crowd of thousands on the Day of Pentecost following Christ's death, and presented a stirring defense of the Lord's deity—a sermon that was so powerful that it resulted in approximately 3,000 people becoming Christians in a single day.

But there are other important beginnings within the Book of Acts. It is within this book, for example, that we find the beginning of immediate forgiveness. While there was forgiveness in the Old Testament (2 Chron. 7:14), that forgiveness "looked forward to" the cross of Christ in order to be effective (Heb. 9:15). With Christ's sacrifice having already been made (as the events recorded in the gospel records make clear), forgiveness was no longer dependent on a future event. Rather, forgiveness was available to everyone immediately (i.e., everyone who possessed "the obedience of faith"—Rom. 1:5; 16:26).

In Acts 11, we also learn of the beginning of a new name—the name "Christian." And, we learn about the beginning of salvation "in Christ." Quoting Ben once more,

"There is another beginning in the Book of Acts that is so very important—the beginning salvation in Jesus Christ. Remember that salvation can be found only in Christ. The text of 2 Timothy 2:1 teaches us that salvation is found 'in Christ.' As the apostles preached the Gospel in the first century, they said to those who inquired about the authority behind their preaching, 'This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved' (Acts 4:12). Peter made it clear that salvation was found only in Christ. This was the beginning of that salvation 'in Christ.' "

As Ben ends his lesson on "The 'Genesis' of the New Testament," he asks two important questions: (1) "Are you a part of the body of Christ?"; and (2) "Do you possess the salvation that Jesus came to provide for you?" He then asks the listener to ponder those two points in light of the information presented in the lesson—and in light of eternity.

Ben's second lesson is titled "Power in the Blood." As Ben notes, the Scriptures state in Leviticus 17:11 that "the life is in the blood." From the beginning of time, humans have realized that blood is important. But it is not important just for carrying oxygen to the cells of living things so that they can survive on a day-to-day basis. Blood also has another important function. It was used in the Old Testament as a type of the blood of Christ in the New Testament—given as a sacrifice for people's sins. There are a number of passages in the Bible that teach us about the importance of blood in this regard. But surely one of the clearest is Hebrews 9:22, which states: "According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission." As Ben says at the beginning of his lesson on "Power in the Blood,"

"Blood is essential in God's plan of salvation because where there is sin there must of necessity be a sacrifice. Blood had to be shed for us to have a sacrifice for our sins. In instituting the Lord’s Supper, Jesus said in Matthew 26:28, 'For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.' Jesus gave His precious blood so that our sins could be wiped away, and so that we could be cleansed in His blood. In Zechariah 13:1-2, we are told that a fountain would be opened for cleansing in Jerusalem. In John 19:34 we learn that while Jesus was on the cross, a soldier came by and pierced the side of Jesus so that blood and water came forth. The 'fountain' of which Zechariah prophesied is seen as Jesus shed His blood on the cross for each one of us. In fact, in Acts 20:28 we are told that Christians are bought-­the church is purchased­-with the blood of Jesus Christ. So, yes, blood is very important to Christians. It is something that we know is essential to our salvation."

Ben then proceeds to ask, "But why is it so important? What makes the blood of Christ so important to Christians and Christianity today?" The remainder of his lesson is devoted to providing an answer to those two important questions. As Ben rightly observes, it was the blood of Christ that bought us and that made it possible for us to be a part of the New Testament church. Acts 20:28 makes this clear: "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He [Jesus] purchased with His own blood." Christians are redeemed by the blood of Christ. Paul told the first-century Christians in Colossae that it was Christ "in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:14). Ephesians 1:7 ("In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace") illustrates this same point.

Ben goes on to point out that while it is true that we have been redeemed by Christ's blood, we have been redeemed for a purpose. We as Christians have been "bought back" by the blood Christ so that we can serve the Lord. As the Old Testament prophet Isaiah put it, we were created "for His glory" (Is. 43:7). This has serious implications for our attitudes and actions as we live out our pilgrimage on Earth. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." The Christians in Thessalonica were known for their "work of faith and labor of love" (1 Thess. 1:3-5). We today, then, should be workers and servants because we have been redeemed to serve our God.

As Ben draws his lesson on "Power in the Blood" to a close, he says, "But stop for just a moment and think about the price of that forgiveness. What did that forgiveness cost God and His dear Son?" The answer, of course, is that it cost God His Son, and it cost Christ His life. Those two things certainly should make us reflect on "the power in the blood."

We invite you to preview each of these new lessons in our second "Soul-Saving Series." You will find them available on our Website in video, audio, and written transcript formats.