Salvation Army Doctrine #6

Hi, this is Bernie Dake. Welcome to the Salvation Army's Words of Life. Hi, welcome back to Words of Life. I'm Cheryl Gillum.

And I'm Bernie Dake. We hope you're enjoying our current series on the 11 doctrines of the Salvation Army. This is something that we've never done on this show before, especially for those of you who aren't Salvationists or members of the Salvation Army Church, we hope this is clarifying who we are as a church.

So a special thank you to Colonel Dan Starrett for sharing this series with us. And just as a quick reminder, if you're listening to this episode on time, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. So don't forget to really give some extra love to those that you would call your Valentine. And some chocolates.

Of course, that's an American holiday, I think, created by Hallmark to sell more cards, but... I'll take it. I love that we're doing this series because, again, for me, it's just an opportunity to articulate our faith, as you said, back in episode one. So if you read them one by one, you'll understand how they build on each other. And this week, this one is where it gets really good, right? Right. Yeah. And so last week, I kind of touched on this as we were talking back and forth that, you know, when you read the third doctrine, it kind of ends kind of bleak a little bit, like we're all depraved, you know, but that is just setting up for the next one, right, which is this one.

And believing that the Lord Jesus Christ has, by his suffering and death, made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will, whoever believes in that and puts their faith in Christ will be saved. Amen. I love this order because it all just makes sense. I cannot say it enough. I, frankly, have already given you one advertisement for a transmission CD.

Let me give you a second one. If you haven't heard We Believe, check it out on anywhere you can download music. It's Transmission, the Salvation Army's group based here in Atlanta, Georgia. And they have a really great way of just sort of, I guess they would be parables to the doctrines in a sense.

It's someone else's interpretation of what these doctrines are saying. That's a selfish plug. And I bet you, if you reached out to our helpers here at Words of Life, you could probably even score either a free CD or a download card. But I'll leave that up to our listeners.

Let's see who's really listening. Well, we're so glad that you're joining us on this series. And if you happen to have missed any of the episodes, this series began on January 9th. Visit us at salvationarmysoundcast.org to subscribe to the show and get caught up. Welcome to our continuing study of the doctrines of the Salvation Army and its application to our daily life. Let's look at doctrine number six. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by his suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved. We can be so glad that doctrine number five about the sin fall and the result of sin of man being banished and exposed to the wrath of God was not the rest of the story. It certainly is not the rest of God's message and ministry to us. Just as God provided Noah the ark for his family and the animals and they were saved, God has provided the most gracious, generous, glorious Savior of all mankind.

That's the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you ever wondered or thought about what the real purpose of Christmas is? I don't mean the holiday, presents, trees, lights, manger, wise men. Did I say presents?

And all that. I mean where the angel says to Joseph in a dream, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. That's the virgin birth of Christ and she will have a son. As we learned in doctrine four, Joseph was to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. God looked down through the corridors of time and planned a Savior for the sins of man.

All throughout the Old Testament, example after example, it was given to show that God was preparing a systematic, inspired plan for the forgiveness of our sins. Immediately after the sin and fall of Adam and Eve, and before God announced to them the consequence of their sin, before God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and even before he set the mighty cherubim at the eastern side of Eden with flaming sword, God had already cursed the serpent. In Genesis chapter 3 and verse 14 it says, because you have done this, he's talking to Satan, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild.

You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live. And God announced in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15 his first messianic prophecy for God's plan for us. He said, I will cause hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and between your offspring and her offspring.

He will strike your head and you will strike his heel. God has always condemned Satan and provided for a Savior. God did not leave Adam and Eve without a provision for their sin, but provided their first blood sacrifice to cover up their sin.

In Genesis chapter 3 and verse 21 we see, and the Lord God made clothing from animal skins from Adam and his wife. Here's the first glimpse of the plan, the image, the provision of God for man's salvation, that man will be saved by a blood offering. Throughout the Old Testament, page after page, person after person, event after event, God provides for the forgiveness of sin as examples leading up to the greatest offering and sacrifice for our sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's almost like there's a red scarlet thread going from Genesis 3 15, then to Genesis 3 21, then to Genesis chapter 5 where we see about Noah, and then to Genesis 22 in verses 1 through 9 where Abraham came to sacrifice Isaac to the book of Exodus and Leviticus. And that thread continues through the prophets announcing the coming of the Messiah in Isaiah 6 to probably the greatest passage about the sacrifice, death, and atonement for our sins in the entire Bible in Isaiah chapter 53. But all these were just wholly inspired, glorious prophecies leading up to the actual birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. As wonderful as those examples and events were, they don't equal to what Christ did for us on the cross. From the promises of Genesis 3 15, all through the Old and New Testament, the scripture teaches us through miracles and other events about people and places that all led to the suffering and death of Christ on the cross. Our sin demanded and required that an atonement or at-one-ment being brought together as one be made for the whole world. This was accomplished by the suffering and death of Christ. What sin and sins had torn apart, destroyed, polluted, blasphemed, and ripped man apart from God, the suffering and death of Christ on the cross put it back together and made it one again. Jesus came as our Redeemer to give us his life as a ransom. 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 20, God chose him, that is Jesus, as your ransom long before the world began. The sufferings of Christ are almost beyond description as heinous, barbaric, cruel acts of torture. It says in Isaiah 53 verse 5, he was crushed for our iniquities, but he voluntarily offered to pay the ransom price with his holy, blameless, sinless life for our sin, sins, and our redemption. His death provided once and for all as the perfect Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world.

You see, that's why I think it's the greatest love story of all time. The very famous verse, John 3 16, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. However, we must accept Christ as our Savior for our salvation. It just doesn't happen when we walk into a church that somehow it becomes ours. It's not enough just to think somehow it's going to get there and become our salvation.

So, here's your pick and choose. And maybe you say, okay, I believe that Jesus Christ died, and I think that's enough to avoid the exposure of God's wrath. People like the accounts of Christmas and Easter, and often that's probably the two times a year most go to church.

But like water off a duck's back, it rolls off, nothing sticks. I will pick the life and teaching of Jesus, but I don't choose the sufferings of Christ. I don't choose the suffering, the cross, that part of his life.

I want the pretty manger scene of Christmas, not the blood-stained cross of nails. Christ was born as a Savior who knew before time began that he would come to earth for all mankind, that, quote, whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. It can never be to certain ones that the Savior came. The key word for me in the New Testament is whosoever. But when you call upon the name of the Lord, you will be saved. Romans 10, 9 and 10 says, if you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that him from the dead you will be saved.

That's the whosoever. Remember it in John 3 16? For it is by believing in your heart that you were made right with God, and it is by opening declaring your faith that you are saved. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 15 says he died for everyone whosoever so that those who receive him receive new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead they will live for Christ who died and was raised for them. Thank you Lord Jesus for the gift of your salvation.

The choice is yours. God bless you. The Salvation Army's mission, Doing the Most Good, means helping people with material and spiritual needs. You become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army. Visit salvationarmyusa.org to offer your support, and we'd love to hear from you. Email us at radio at uss.salvationarmy.org. Call 1-800-229-9965 or write us at P.O.

Box 29972, Atlanta, Georgia 30359. Tell us how we can help. Share prayer requests or share your testimony. We would love to use your story on the air. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes or your favorite podcast store, and be sure to give us a rating. Just search for the Salvation Army's Words of Life. Follow us on social media for the latest episodes, extended interviews, and more. And if you don't have a church home, we invite you to visit your local Salvation Army Worship Center. They'll be glad to see you. This is Bernie Dake, inviting you to join us next time for the Salvation Army's Words of Life.