The Dove Bible Study


Bringing Glory To God Is Your Goal

[Under Construction]
We Are Always Improving Our Site For You!
Under Construction Just Like Me!

To Go To The DOVE BIBLE STUDY Home Page Click Here

 

The Bible is a Love Story about a Father who loves His children so much that He sacrificed His Son for them. 

 

  E

njoy the freedom that cost our Father so dearly and stay free ‘in Christ’.  This is a modest explanation of the atonement and what it cost God to gain our freedom.  There are not enough words to express the thankfulness and praise we should give God for the love He expressed toward us in sending Jesus to die for our sins. 

          The Cross is the center of Christianity.  The Cross stands alone attesting to the significance of the atoning work of Christ.  It is the only Way to find life in the presence of God. The place Jesus occupies as the crucified Messiah puts everything in perspective.  The Cross attests to the depravity of man and to the love of God for His creation. The essential difference between Christianity and Judaism is the Cross.  It is the means God used to deal with sin and mankind's corrupt nature.  It is the way of grace and truth, for God has always dealt through grace and truth to save humanity.  People do not merit salvation, but receive it on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the Cross alone. 

          Nothing that happened before the Cross dealt with sin and humanity entirely.  The

Cross meant a new way to God, that is, a new and living way to the Father.  The Cross is a continuing demonstration of God's love for us.  God came in the person of Jesus Christ to atone for mankind's sin: past, present, and future.  The Cross is the heart of the Way; God saves by faith alone in Christ's atoning death, followed by the fruit of the Spirit in the works that accompany conversion.  To understand Christianity, we must know the deeper meaning of the atoning work of Christ.  The meaning and purpose of the Cross are central to living the Abundant Life. 

          Most Christians understand that Jesus died for us, but they do not know that we are to live for Him.  ‘We are not our own!’  The precious blood of the Son of God purchased us. We are to be followers of ‘the crucified one’ in our daily life.  Jesus set us free from the power of sin in order that we might live as God's people.  The new and living Way to the Father is through the Cross of Christ Jesus, the Risen Savior.  There we may learn to live in the power of Jesus’ resurrection, to walk ‘in newness of life’.

 

THE COVENANTS

 

          A covenant always meant being loyal to the other party whether they remain loyal to the agreement or not.  God made a covenant with Abraham that we see as the precursor of the New Covenant.  To Abraham, God gives the promise that his seed would be as the sand of the seashore.  Christ is the fulfillment by whom many sons and daughters would come to God.  It was through God's initiative that this covenant came into being.  God obligated Himself to keep the covenant.  Abraham was the recipient of God's blessing and presence in His life.

          God blessed Abraham and all his descendants through this covenant.  Later as the 'sign of the covenant', God gave Abraham circumcision, which God required as a mark of those included in the covenant.  The covenant rests solely on the goodness of God that proceeds from 'the promise', whose basis is upon God's own nature revealing His unmerited love for humanity.

          The ‘old covenant’ is an agreement between two parties, God and the people of Israel.  God made the covenant always with His good intentions toward Israel.  Israel would become the people of God.  The covenant was their bond.  Israel became the people whom God  required to give obedience to His laws, statutes, ordinances and precepts.  In exchange, God would not allow anyone to harm His people as long as they remained obedient.

          God made the new covenant in our interests alone.  God did not benefit from sending His Son to die for the sins of the whole world.  Jesus came to reveal the truth and grace of God by suffering alone on Calvary.  God was in Christ establishing a new covenant in His blood.  God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself to put an end to sin and everything that separates us from God.  The atonement was complete on the Cross.  This we clearly see in Hebrews 10:18, ‘There is no longer any sacrifice for sin.  Through the death of the Son of God, an eternal covenant is established.  Christ suffered once for all.’ -- Hebrews 9:12.

          The old covenant allows only one man to enter into the presence of God once a year.  The new covenant was superimposed over the old covenant.  The sacrifice that established the new covenant dealt with sin by taking it away forever.  Jesus made it clear that He was establishing the new covenant in Matthew 26:28. "This is my blood of the (new) covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'.  His sacrifice resulted in a new and living way to approach God.  We can approach God 'in Christ' alone.  This is clearly seen in the following verse,  'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved'(Acts 4:12).  Jesus Christ sets us free to boldly approach God through His eternal sacrifice.  We come to God through the basis of Christ's work alone!

          When Christ put the New Covenant into effect, the Old Covenant did not become void.  The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ superimposes itself on the old code.  God did not suspend the written law, but rather enforces it, now, through the New Covenant, where the Spirit writes the law on the hearts of believers.  Through the Abrahamic covenant, God's grace blesses all the nations of the earth.  This covenant is still in effect.  Just as God justifies Abraham by faith without the law, God justifies every believer apart from the law.  The law leads us to Christ and into a New Covenant relationship based on the work of the Cross.  We come to God by faith just like our father Abraham, the way of trust.  We are the ‘seed’ of Abraham through faith.  God includes us with His covenant people Israel, a covenant of grace and faith and freedom. 

          The new and living way is totally of grace.  The New Covenant brings forgiveness; the Old Covenant did not bring about condemnation, however, disobedience did, because of man's sinful, corrupt nature.  The old is superseded by the new which will allow us to fulfill the old written code in a new and living way.  The sacrificial death of Jesus took away the sins of the world.  The release of the old testament Saints from 'Paradise' occurred once Jesus died for the sins of the whole world: past, present, and future.  The old testament Saints received 'the Promise' in Christ.  They received, not a covering, but the forgiveness of sin and the righteousness of Christ.  The right-standing before God came because of their faith in God’s promise to father Abraham that through his seed the Savior would come. 

          Jesus brought consecration and service to the forefront for every believer.  We are a nation of 'kings and priests' before God.  God calls us to obedience through the empowerment of Christ’s work on the Cross and the Holy Spirit living within us.  We now belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.  Our life belongs to Christ, and what we do with our life is our sacrifice to God.  We have all entered into the New Covenant through faith in 'the promise' given to Abraham.  We are of Abraham's seed through faith in the Atonement.  We are members of the covenant, and we are God’s children through faith.

 

THE SACRIFICE

 

          There were different sacrifices in the Old Testament.  As part of the Old Covenant, God required people to offer a sacrifice for the remembrance of sin.  We refer to this as the ‘sin offering’.  The blood of the sacrifice was only a covering for the sins of Israel.  The sins of the people lay on the head of the ‘scapegoat’ that the Jews sent into the wilderness.  God separates people from their sins through the sacrifice of blood.  The just live by faith in God and their works demonstrate faith by keeping ordinances. 

          God instituted the sacrifice to reveal the fallen nature of Israel and all humanity.  The people of God chose  to violate every law that they had received.  God remained faithful to Israel and in keeping with His covenant with Abraham instituted a new covenant. God initiated the new covenant for the benefit of the seed of Abraham on better promises.  The promise came in the person of Jesus Christ who became the sin offering.  God, in His mercy and wisdom, instituted a better covenant to meet the need in order for man to keep the command to be holy, because ‘I AM’(God) is  Holy.

          The sacrifice of Jesus accomplished what the blood of bulls and goats could not do, Heb.10:4.  Jesus offered Himself up as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God, Eph.5:2.  We are holy (set apart for the purposes of God) through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all, Heb.10:10.  Jesus offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, Heb.10:12.  The sacrifice of Christ set aside the way we fulfill the old covenant that required the constant sacrificial offerings.  We see the finality of Christ's sacrifice in Hebrews 10:18, 'there is no longer any sacrifice for sin'.  Jesus set us free from sin through the power of the Cross, ‘once for all'. 

          What is our response to God's loving sacrifice of His only Son?  What can we offer God in response to the atonement?  Is there a sacrifice left for us to offer in response to God's love? Yes, there is a sacrifice left that we can offer God.  It is not an atoning sacrifice.  It is of a different order.  The Way of the Cross is one of sacrifice.  We are to sacrificially live for the one who sacrificed Himself for us.  We are to offer our bodies 'as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God'(Rom.12:1).  We are to serve others, chosen of God to do the good works He has prepared for us to walk into (Eph.2:10).  This virtually means that as Christians; we are to live a whole new way, to be totally different because of what Christ did for us.  When we understand the totality of what Christ accomplished, God will prepare us to walk into the works He has prepared for us to do.

 

 

THE ATONEMENT

 

          We must always remember that God is Holy; He is  awesome, totally unapproachable, a consuming fire.  Without the atonement that Christ bought with His perfect sacrifice, we cannot approach God.  We now have both access and cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ.  We come into the presence of God through a new and living way.  The blood of Christ obtained eternal redemption for us. He set us free to enter into the presence of God (Heb.9:12).

          Jesus did not enter an earthly tabernacle; He entered into the heavenly tabernacle, 'to appear for us in God's presence'(Heb.9:24).  It is because of what Christ has done that we can come boldly before God with our petitions.  This is seen in Hebrews 10:19-22, 'Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith...'

          The blood redeems us to enjoy God's presence in our life in the person of the Holy Spirit.  Another fact that attests to our acceptance into the very presence of God is that the curtain in the temple tore in two from top to bottom at the moment of Jesus death (Mt.27:51; Mk.15:38).  We are the people of God called out to serve as a nation of kings and priests unto God.  Will you accept what Christ as done for us on the Cross and allow Christ to live His life through you?

 

 

THE PASSOVER

 

          Bondage or Freedom!  The greatest deliverance that ever took place is the nation of Israel being delivered out of the land of Egypt.  The Lord redeemed Israel out of the land of Egypt to be a 'people' for Himself.  God bound Himself to them as His people.

          The Passover is a celebration of God delivering His people.  A day when the blood of a lamb was shed and applied to the door posts so the Angel of Death would pass over His people.  This is true for the Christian.  We overcame the devil through the blood of the lamb and were delivered into the Kingdom of God's beloved Son (Rev.12:10-12).  We passed from death unto eternal life the moment we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

          The Communion Supper commemorates the Lord's death until He comes to proclaim Himself as our Passover.  We have passed from spiritual death unto eternal life in Christ.  The blood of Christ, ‘our Passover lamb,' delivered us from death unto life 'in Christ'. 

 

 

REDEMPTION

 

          Through the sacrifice of the Son of God, God bought us from the bondage of sin.  Jesus became the ransom for the captives we were to the law of sin and death.  Our deliverance came at a dear price; it cost God His Son.  Never take your redemption for granted; it is the most incredible thing that has ever happened.  There is no reason for anyone to believe that we could expect God to deliver us from sin and its eternal consequences.  The fact that Christ died for us is beyond wonder.  Jesus set us free from the power of sin for the sake of freedom.

 

RECONCILIATION

 

          The reconciliation of humanity is the outworking of God's love.  Before the atonement, in the presence of a Holy God, humanity stood condemned because of sin.  The reconciliation is the removal of the hostility between God and the believer.  This removal of enmity is through our relationship 'in Christ' by the imputation of Jesus’ righteousness.  For every believer, God accomplishes reconciliation through the atonement, the removal of the heart or corrupt nature through our co-crucifixion with Christ on the Cross.  We are part of a new creation through God’s placing us 'in Christ'.  We have received of God's Spirit.  We have been 'born again' of His life giving Spirit.  We have received a new heart and a Spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. 

 

PROPITIATION

 

          Propitiation means the turning away of anger.  We  need to understand the work of Christ as a personal process in which Christ removed the divine wrath of God from sinners.  The wrath of God is intensely personal.  God actively engages in the affairs of men to bring about His purposes.  Jesus is the means of turning away God's wrath, His righteous indignation to evil. Part of the meaning of salvation is that we avert the wrath of God through the death of Christ.  Jesus is our advocate; He is our defense.  We were facing God who opposes all evil; we had no defense without the atonement.  God always opposes evil; He is angry over the sins of people.  Our forgiveness of sin takes into account God's wrath against the evil in this world.  The sins of the world will bring about God's divine wrath eventually.  Through the work of the Cross, Jesus gives us the peace that surpasses all understanding knowing that Christ is the propitiation for our sins.  The wrath of God is no longer upon us.

 

 

JUSTIFICATION

 

          Justification is a legal term.  In the Biblical context it is the means of setting forth what God has done to bring about the salvation of His people.  The Lord is our righteousness.  God places us ‘in Christ’(1 Cor.1:30).  God adopts us into the family of God.  According to the rights of an adopted child, the law at the time of the early church did not allow for the child to be cut off from the inheritance of his father.  Although, the family could disinherit the natural son of the father, they could not disinherit the adopted child.  We have a relationship with God that nothing can break.  Nothing in heaven or earth can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus.


 

          We have 'right-standing' before God.  The ground works basis for justification rests on the witness to establish legal proof.  God will not justify anyone on earth upon their own merits.  Our righteousness is 'conferred'; it is basically a legal term meaning 'to be made righteous'.  God credits us with 'right-standing' which God bases on our faith in Christ's work.  Righteousness is 'imputed' simply because we trust God.  We come into this relationship when we personally accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

          We have all been forgiven because of God's forgiving mercy and grace.  Salvation comes by God's mercy; there is nothing we can do to earn God's grace, otherwise, it would not be grace.  In Isaiah 55:6-7, get a clear understanding that the sinner may look to God for mercy and salvation, 'Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.'  Let the wicked forsake his way the evil man his thoughts.  Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.'

          The term justification in the New Testament is equal to acquittal.  To turn away the wrath of God and be acquitted is a question of getting the desired verdict.  The ground for our acceptance is faith in the work of Christ.  Our justification links our Cross directly with the death of Jesus on the Cross.  God justifies us not by our actions but by what Christ has done.  It is the gift of God!  The penalty that we deserved, God transferred upon Christ.  God chose to bear the penalty for sin for us, thus justifying the sinner.

          We are all guilty of sin and need redemption from the enslaving force of sin.  We need reconciliation with God; to put an end to His wrath for the evil that we have done; and we need justification to gain right standing with God.  In Christ we have all these benefits through the power of the Cross.  God has placed us 'in Christ' through faith (1 Cor.1:30) to set us free.