The power of the blood of Christ (1)

By Pastor (Dr.) Elisha Olusheye

Dear Reader,
Many people find it hard to believe in the simple, straightforward and easy plan of salvation which we preach, claiming that it is sheer folly to say that men can be saved by trusting simply to the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. I do not wish anyone to believe what I say, if it is not according to Scripture; and the best way is just to turn up the Bible and see what it says.

The first portion of Scripture I would call your attention to is from the very first book of the Bible. In Genesis 3:21, you find, “Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.” In this verse we get the first glimpse of blood. Certainly God could not have clothed Adam and Eve with the skins of beasts unless He had shed blood. It was a case of the innocent slain for the guilty. It may be that this was a type, away back in Eden, of Christ the coming One, of the sacrifice to be slain, and Adam might have told his wife, “Well, even though God has driven us out of Eden He loves us, and this coat is a token of His love.”

Someone has said that God put a lamp of promise into his hand before He drove him out: “The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent.” (Gen.3:15). To me it is a very sweet thought that sin was covered before Adam was driven out of Eden – that God dealt in grace with him before He dealt in judgement. Did you ever think what a terrible state of things it would be if man in his lost and ruined state were allowed to live forever? It was from love to Adam that God drove him out of Eden, that he should not live forever. God put the cherubim there with the flaming sword. But now Christ has come and taken the sword into His own bosom, and opened wide the gates, so that man can come in and eat. Adam might have been in Eden ten thousand years and then be led astray by Satan; but now “Our life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Man’s Way and God’s Way: Then let us turn to Genesis 4:4, 5: “Abel also brought of the first born of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering. But He did not respect Cain and his offering.” Now here were two boys who were born and brought up outside of Eden. They were children of the same parents, brought up under precisely similar circumstances and under the same influences, and there is no account of any difference between these two boys until they go to offer sacrifice. Abel brings the blood, and is accepted; Cain comes in his own way, and is rejected. Undoubtedly, when our first parents fell, God marked out the way by which man might come to Him; Abel walked in God’s way, but Cain in his own.

You may have wondered why Cain’s offering was not just as acceptable to Him as Abel’s, but one took God’s way, and the other took his own. Perhaps Cain said he could not bear the sight of blood, and took that which God had cursed, and laid it on the altar. Perhaps he said to himself, I shall certainly not bring a bleeding lamb. I don’t like that doctrine at all. Here is the grain and the beautiful fruit which I have raised by my industry, and I’m sure it looks better than blood. There are a great many people like that – non-Christians today. They are trying to get into heaven their own way, and not God’s way. They bring in their own goodness; they rely on their prayers and other acts; they wish to get rid of the doctrine of the sacrificial blood of Christ. But be assured that any religion which makes light of the blood of Christ is of the devil.

No matter how eloquent a man is, if he preaches against the atoning blood of Christ, he is doing the devil’s work. Do not listen to him. Do not believe him. If an angel from heaven should preach any other gospel, I would not believe it. “Christ died for our sins” – That is the Gospel that Paul preached, and Peter preached, and that God has always honoured in the salvation of men’s souls. Come down the stream of time two thousand years, and you find another important event. Genesis 8:20 says, “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” We have now passed out of the first dispensation and have come to the second; and the very first thing Noah does is to put blood between him and his sins. The second dispensation is founded upon blood.

Thus Noah walked by the highway of the blood; for this the animals were taken through the great Flood; and all God’s people have been walking that way since, for it is the blood that atones for sin. Would you turn to Genesis 22:13? “Then Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.” God loved Abraham so much that He spared his son, but He so loved the world that He did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. I fervently pray that God will give you the wisdom to see this truth, today, then believe and accept the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross of Calvary, for your soul’s eternal salvation – Amen.

For further information, counselling, prayer and other help, please contact me at once, on telephone numbers 02-8100301, 8100248 or 08037878711; write toE-mail: ehlolusheye@yahoo.co.uk or write to G.P.O. Box 530, Ibadan.

Giving with willing and perfect heart (1)

By Pastor S.S.Jemigbon

There is joy in giving; it attracts abundant blessings and reward, gives access to the treasury of God for abundant showers of blessings. But giving with a consecrated and perfect heart commands more joy with evidence of great rejoicing in the life of such giver. It also gives an unbroken access to the blessing and treasure of God. David and the people of God rejoiced greatly after they had offered willingly to the service of the Lord to build a temple.

The scripture records in lChronicies 29:6,9: “ Then the chief of the fathers and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the King’s work offered willingly. Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, becomes with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord; and David the King also rejoiced with great joy”. The joy of the Lord filled the heart of the people of God as they offered willingly, with a consecrated and perfect heart to the service of the Lord. Here, David was never instructed by the Lord to build a temple for Him. David, being an upright and perfect man before the Lord saw the vision. With a perfect heart provided materials for the building of the temple. He tasked his people to consecrate their resources and time to the building of the temple which they all offered with a perfect and consecrated heart.

They rejoiced after they had offered willingly for the preparation of the building of the temple. 1 Chronicles 29:9. Though David was later instructed by the angel of the Lord to relinquish the building of the temple to his son, Solomon, he and the rulers of the people, the princes and people had provided for the building of the temple and they had a great joy having offered willingly to the service of the Lord. One thing that is noteworthy about the behaviour of David here is that he embarked on the mission “because I have set my affection to the house of my God” (I Chron. 29:3). Remember he said that he would always search for the goodness of the house of the Lord. This is a case of a man that is truly after the heart of God. He understood things that are pleasing to the Lord and was always ready and willing to do them.

(To be continued)

Pastor S.S. Jemigbon,
Tel: 01-7741673,
01-4966033,
01-4965264.
E-Mail: taclawna@hyperia.com