Men will not come to Christ and receive Him, because He will only receive them as confessed and Hell-deserving sinners! And this is the explanation of modernism. Foolish, wicked, self-righteous men wish to be known as Christians but they do not accept the Bible as infallibly inspired, nor Christ as very God, nor the death of Christ as an atonement for sin because this would mean they would have to confess to be fallen, guilty and black-hearted sinners, fully under the condemnation of an angry God! Christ-rejectors love their sin but hide it and deny it. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 71-72]
All the sacrifices picture Christ. The lamb pictured Him as the innocent one suffering for the guilty. The young bullock pictured Him as our burden-bearing Saviour. The scapegoat pictured Him as taking our blame, carrying away our sins from the presence of God. The mourning turtledove pictured Him as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, who bare our sickness and our sorrows. The pure white pigeon pictured Him as the sinless one. The offering of fine flour pictured Christ, our bruised Saviour. It was anointed with oil, picturing Christ filled with the Holy Spirit. It was offered with frankincense, picturing how He intercedes for us with the Father and how pleased God is with the offering of His own Son, how satisfied with the payment of our debt. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 79]
Christ is pictured in the priesthood. He alone can enter into the Holy of Holies to make intercession for us according to the will of God. He alone can be our mediator, our priest, our Saviour. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 79]
The tabernacle pictured Christ. Its boards of acacia wood pictured the humanity of Christ. They were covered with gold which pictured His deity. The inner veil pictured His flesh, torn on the cross (Matt. 27:51; Heb. 10:20). The white linen covering of the tabernacle pictured His righteousness. The blue covering pictured His heavenly nature, His deity. The ramskins dyed red pictured His atoning blood. The badger skins which were the outer covering pictured how He is unlovely to those of the outside world, who do not perceive His beauties. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 79]
In the tabernacle the table of shewbread continually pictured Christ as the bread of life. The seven golden lamps pictured Christ as the light of the world, not an incomplete or imperfect light but the perfect light, perfection being pictured by seven. These lamps were fed by olive oil which pictured the Holy Spirit. Christ in His human ministry was completely filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit. The altar of incense before the veil which separated it from the Holy of Holies pictured Christ in His perfect mediatorial work, His prayer, His intercession of us before the Father and how pleased God is with His offering.
The high priest pictured Christ, our own High Priest, who has now entered into the Holy of Holies in Heaven for us and has made atonement with His own blood (Heb. chapters 9 and 10). - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 79-80]
Jesus was a favorite theme of the prophets who wrote the Psalms. Psalm 2 tells how kings and rulers would set themselves together to take counsel against God's Anointed. (The word "Anointed" is translated "Christ" in Acts 4:26.) In Psalm 2:7 God says, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." And in verse 12 the sinners are exhorted, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him."
Psalm 22 plainly tells of the Saviour's death on the cross, even the words of His prayer. Psalm 16:10 tells of His resurrection. - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 80-81]
All the prophets teach exactly the same plan of salvation, by faith in Christ.
Some foolish people have supposed that God had various plans of salvation down through the ages. It has been taught that some were saved by keeping the Ten Commandments. Others have believed that Jews were saved through the blood of the sacrifices of animals. But Hebrews 10:4 says, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins." No, no, all those sacrifices only pointed toward the salvation which is offered freely, purchased for us by the blood of Christ, and received by those who trust in Him. Others have supposed in the days of John the Baptist people were saved in the act of baptism. But John the Baptist himself plainly said in John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." That is exactly the same plan as that in John 3:16; Habakkuk 2:4; Acts 16:31; and Romans 3:28. No, there are no different plans of salvation. The testimony of all the prophets is this, that "through his name whosoever believeth in him should have remission of sins." - John R. Rice [Twelve Tremendous Themes, pg. 82-83]
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