Jesus Christ—Our Heavenly High Priest
By David J. Stewart
Everything Pertaining to Salvation Was Completed in the Holy of Holies!
Lordship Salvationists fail to comprehend the doctrine of the blood of Jesus and the work of the Old Testament high priest, which was a shadow of things to come in heavenly places (Hebrews 10:1). The Bible teaches from Genesis to Revelation that eternal life is a free gift, paid for by the Lamb of God, whose blood was sacrificed and applied to the heavenly mercy seat to take away our sins (Hebrews 9:12,22-24).
This is what the work of the Old Testament high priest symbolized each year on the Day of Atonement (Hebrews 9:7-12). The Israelites weren't required to live separated and holy lives throughout the remainder of the year for their sins to be forgiven. No, everything was centered and rested upon that blood on the mercy seat in the holy of holies in the tabernacle! Everything!!!
Our salvation is solely based upon the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, who applied His literal blood to the mercy seat in the heavenly tabernacle. Jesus hadn't even died yet when He stated, “It is finished.” He obviously hadn't been buried, nor risen yet. So Christ's work of redemption was NOT finished on the cross; just as the work of the Old Testament high priest was not finished when he killed the spotless lamb in the courtyard of the tabernacle. The work of the high priest wasn't done until the BLOOD WAS APPLIED to the mercy seat in the holy place upon the ark of the covenant.
Biblically, we are saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9); however, the Gospel becomes perverted when someone requires a person to surrender their life to God to be saved. That is a false Gospel. John MacArthur started a cult following of Lordship Salvationists in California decades ago, where many false cults are birthed. It began with MacArthur's heretical book, literally telling on himself, called HARD TO BELIEVE, in which he errantly states...
“Salvation isn't the result of an intellectual exercise. It comes from a life lived in obedience and service to Christ as revealed in the Scripture; it's the fruit of actions, not intentions. There's no room for passive spectators: words without actions are empty and futile...The life we live, not the words we speak, determines our eternal destiny”
SOURCE: Hard to Believe, p. 93.
What? The life we live determines our eternal destiny? Heresy!!! What happened to the blood of the Lamb applied to the mercy seat? Oh, that's right, MacArthur DOESN'T believe that the Lamb's blood was applied to the mercy seat in Heaven. I looked in The MacArthur Study Bible (a piece of trash by the way), and he literally teaches that Hebrews 9:12 doesn't actually mean what it says about Jesus entering BY HIS OWN BLOOD into the holy place. MacArthur claims that it is only symbolic of Christ's death. Do you understand why I harshly expose John MacArthur, Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron (who promotes MacArthur's Study Bible on his website by the way).
These men all ignore the physical blood sacrifice of Jesus, thus corrupting their understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They are false prophets who must be exposed continually (Jude 1:3). Romans 16:17, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.”
Forsaking one's sins is the FRUIT of genuine repentance; and not a part of the ROOT of saving faith. There are no prerequisites to being saved. Salvation happens when a person acknowledges their guilt of sin before God and believes on Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, to forgive their sins (John 20:31; Acts 10:43). We are SINNERS and Jesus is the SAVIOR. It's that simple! Salvation is receiving, not giving. Eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23). Amen and amen!
Ray Comfort is a disciple of John MacArthur, who is Mr. Lordship Salvation himself. MacArthur has been a featured guest on Way Of The Master radio. Kirk Cameron is also a disciple of MacArthur and teaches Lordship Salvation. They're all buddies. MacArthur has corrupted millions of people with his perverted theology, denying the literal blood sacrifice of Jesus, requiring works for salvation and teaching predestination to salvation (which is utter heresy). Please read, Not Chosen to Salvation.
The Bible teaches that our salvation was taken care of by our heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15-16); Who BY HIS OWN BLOOD (Hebrews 9:12) entered into the holy place in the presence of God the Father on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). If you understand this truth, and the work of the Old Testament high priest and what it represented, then Lordship Salvation crumbles into a million pieces of rubbish!!!
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies..." —2nd Peter 2:1
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