If you wish to follow along,
turn to Leviticus chapter 17. I know it's been three weeks
now, two weeks we missed. We've been not able to gather. And of course, we're pretty low
today. People sick and some others traveling. So I hope you remember
Leviticus chapter 17. But let me read it to us this
morning. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, speaking to Aaron
and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel, and saying
to them, this is the thing which the Lord hath commanded, saying,
want man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth
an ox, or a lamb, or a goat in the camp, or that killeth it
out of the camp. Now these are clean animals,
animals that could be eaten, but they were also specific animals
for sacrifice. As we will see, there are other
animals that are considered clean and could be eaten, but they
were not appropriate for sacrifice. Anyway, that killeth it in the
camp or out of the camp, and bringeth it not unto the door
of the tabernacle of the congregation to offer an offering unto the
Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood shall be imputed
unto that man. He hath shed blood, and that
man shall be cut off from among his people. to the end, that
the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they
offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto
the Lord, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the
Lord." and the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar
of the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,
and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord. And they
shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they
have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute forever
unto them throughout their generations. And thou shalt say unto them,
whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers
which sojourn among you, that offereth a burnt offering or
sacrifice, and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord, even that man
shall be cut off from among his people." And that's whether you
was a full-blown, full-blooded Israelite, or whether you was
someone else living with them at that time. and whatsoever
man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that
sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood, I will even
set my face against that soul that eateth the blood, and will
cut him off from among his people. Now here is my text. For the
life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon
the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the
blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." And we know that
the writer of Hebrew says, Almost all things by the law are purged
with blood. There were some things that were
purged without blood, but, he says, without the shedding of
blood, there is no remission. So if there were sins that were
questioned in a sacrifice, blood must be. So let's go on. Therefore, I say unto the children
of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any
stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. And whatsoever
man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers,
if three times he said this, that sojourn among you, which
hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he
shall even pour out the blood thereof and cover it with dust. So this blood, Mason, was not
to be brought to the tabernacle of the congregation. You killed
that roe or that hind, which was clean meat to eat, Mac, and
you slit its throat and you bled it out because you weren't to
eat the blood, yet that blood is to be drained on the ground
and covered up with dust. Four, it is the life of all flesh. The blood of it is for the life
thereof. Therefore, I said unto the children
of Israel, ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh, for the
life of the flesh is in the blood thereof. Whosoever eateth it
shall be cut off. And let me just say this, with
all of our medical advancements, we've never got beyond having
to have our blood. You ever thought about that?
We've got artificial hearts, we've got liver transplants,
probably other artificial organs. Mac, we ain't never yet come
up with an artificial blood. And you know what? I don't think
we ever will. Because God's ordained this and
given law concerning it. Listen, read on. And every soul
that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn
with beast, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger,
Here, it's mentioned again, fourth time, he shall both wash his
clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the
even, then shall he be clean. But if he wash them not, nor
bathe his flesh, then shall he bear his iniquity. My title and
my subject this morning, as I have said, is this. The blood maketh
atonement. In God's holy word, there is
nothing ever stated as an atonement other than the blood. Without
the shedding of blood, again, without the shedding of blood,
what? There is no remission. When it comes to me and you and
our sin before God, blood must be shed. and I'm here to announce
this morning that blood has been shed, that atonement has been
made. Reconciliation with God for those
for whom Christ died is done. It is done. When Christ died, when he suffered
and died, when he shed his blood on Calvary's tree, those for
whom he died were sanctified and perfected when he died. And that's one of the major differences
between the gospel of the grace of God in Christ and this so-called
gospel that we see preached all around us. Now, the world of
professed Christianity And probably I have to qualify that today
in fundamental circles. I will say fundamental circles.
That is, people who are considered to be fundamentalists, they hold
to Christ's virgin birth. And I'll mention this later.
They hold to Christ as the great healer and miracle worker. Even
hold, Roy Jr., that Christ was God manifest in the flesh. People
that hold to his death, burial, and resurrection, and ascension.
That's fundamentals, right? The world of professed Christianity,
I know there are some that deny those things, but I'm not talking
about them. The world of professed Christianity,
they all preach the blood, do we not? And yet our messages
are still so different. Something's wrong, something's
amiss. We all cannot be right, even
if we have many of the same fundamentals. we still can't all be right. They hold the blood to be a valid
and fundamental truth. Yea, they even hold it as the
blood of Jesus, right? That it's the blood of Jesus.
But I'm here to warn myself, I'm here to warn you, I'm here
to warn anyone else that ever hears me at any other time, there
are imposter Jesuses being preached in this day. But not just any
Jesus will do. Do you know that? Now, if you
ever read this, we know these things are what? They're types,
symbols, figures, we could say they're illustrations, they are
snapshots, they're pictures of the person and work of the Lord
Jesus Christ. And if you ever wonder, what
does some of these things picture? Well, think about it. Verse 13.
Think about it. There is a blood, there is a
blood that has no atonement value. Correct? Verse 13, and whatsoever
man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers
that sojourn among you, this is for everybody, no exceptions,
right? Jew and Gentile, we might say,
bond and free, rich or poor, male or female, there are no
exceptions that sojourn among you, which hunteth and catcheth
any beast or fowl that may be eaten. Well, I can offer this
blood to the Lord for atonement, could you? No, God would not
accept that blood. You see what's being taught?
He shall even pour out the blood thereof and cover it with dust. So it is not just any old blood
that atones. You know, if it was only blood,
I could shed my own blood. Right? If it was just any old
blood, you could shed your blood. If it was just any old blood,
Mack, we could still be shedding animals' blood. But we know according
to the Hebrew epistle, though these animals, certain animals
and certain blood was ordained as a sacrifice to God, even those
things did what? They never took away sin. The only blood that ever atoned
for sin is the blood of God's Christ as He truly is. You remember what Paul said to
the Corinthians, don't you? 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Let me just read that. It's very
pertinent. It's very pertinent, but I'm
assured that everyone who attends here has heard it so much over
and over and over again. You know that they're imposter
Jesus is being preached. There are imposter Christ, Mason,
being preached. There is a message, a gospel
being preached that Paul said is not another gospel, but it
is a perversion of the gospel of God. And that perverted gospel
saves no one, converts no one. Listen to what Paul said to the
Corinthians. And I'm not going into a lot
of the details. I just want us to see that this is a valid fear. Paul says this, a valid fear,
a valid trouble, a valid fly in the ointment, if you will,
verse three of 2 Corinthians 11. But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled Eve, and that's what he did. The serpent
tricked Eve. Adam was not tricked. Our federal
head willingly plunged himself into rebellion against God, and
we were plunged into rebellion against God in him. But our mother
Eve was beguiled, she was tricked. But I fear, by any means, as
the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should
be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he
that cometh preacheth, and what's he say? I'll just stop right
there. Another Jesus. This book declares there's false
gods. And there are people who are
preaching a God and call him the God of the Bible, but he
is not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. There are people who
are preaching a Jesus, but it is not the Christ of God. It's
not the Jesus of God. And I don't care how much they
talk about His blood, His blood cannot atone. And they even admit
such. Do they not? Well Christ, Jesus
has done all He could do. Jesus shed His blood for all
of us. Now what will you do with Jesus? That's an imposter Christ. For the life of the flesh, verse
11, is in the blood. And I have given it to you upon
the altar. Now that blood's already been
shed. The Christ of God's blood's already been shed upon the altar.
And that altar was Calvary's tree. And I've given it to you
upon the altar to make an atonement. Now did it do so or not? It did. And that's the difference between
the perverted gospel and the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Those who are preaching the gospel say that when Jesus Christ died,
he accomplished for those people he died for everything God the
Father promised in the Old Testament. And that's just the way it is.
There are false Jesuses, false Christs, false gods, and I'm
not even talking about idols. And it's sad, because most of
the people you and I know, or meet daily on the street, or
at your job, or wherever, or maybe even talk to on the internet,
most people do not recognize there are false Jesuses out there. There is a message that has no
salvation with it, though men try to tie salvation to it. It
just does not exist. It is the Christ of God only
whose blood avails. Verse three and four again. What
man soever there be of the house of Israel that killeth, and it
is what? These specific animals, but not a deer, right? but not
a deer. These specific animals, an ox,
or a lamb, or a goat in the camp, or killeth it out of the camp.
What's to be done? That animal can be killed, but
it is not to be drained of its blood unless you bring it to
the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. Because God's
salvation is accomplished as God has decreed it, or there
is no salvation at all. Christ's blood is the only blood
that avails. And all else, according to verse
five, six, and seven, all else is what? This is what Paul's
trying to say in the, or no, this is what Paul's saying in
the New Testament. This is what is being figured
here. All other blood is nothing but demonic worship. Isn't that what he says? Look
at it again, verse five to the end. Here's why I give that command. to the end, that the children
of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open
field, even that they may bring them unto the Lord under the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priests,
and offer them for peace offering unto the Lord, and the priests
shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the Lord at the
door of the tabernacle of the congregation, burn the fat for
a sweet savor unto the Lord, and you will not offer this to
devils anymore. I'm here to say, if you believe
in a Jesus or a God that's done all he can do, and now you believe
anything else is up to you, you are worshiping a devil. You are
worshiping under the auspices of the spirit of anti-Christ
religion. And anti-Christ religion is not
anti-Christ altogether. It's anti the truth of the person
and work of Jesus Christ. The devils even said one time,
we know who thou art, Jesus, thou son of God. There are men
today who preach that Jesus is the son of God, but they do not
preach he's really God. Right? They do not preach he's
really God. Listen to Paul Colossians chapter
one. This is a very pertinent passage concerning that the blood
maketh atonement. And listen to the way the Apostle
Paul is moved by the Spirit of God to write this. Now first
of all, he says in verse 15, 16, and 17 of Colossians 1, he
says that Jesus Christ is sovereign over everything. He don't just
control everything. He actually ordains anything
that comes to pass. It must be ordained by Him. God
said, I create evil, I create good. Now listen, then it goes
on. Verse 19, for it pleased the
Father that in Him that is in this Christ, this Christ, not
some weak, effeminate, sissy Jesus who wants men to let Him
have His way, but they will not let Him. and having made, verse
20, and having made peace, how? Through the blood of his cross. So Mason Lilley, when did he
make peace? When he shed the blood of his cross. And having
made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile
all things unto himself. All things what? All things for
which he shed his blood. all things unto himself. So this piece is brought about
actual reconciliation, not amongst us. That's not the point here.
It's actually brought about reconciliation with God. and having made peace
through the blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things
unto himself, by him I say whether they be things in earth or things
in heaven, and you that were sometime alienated and enemies
in your minds by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, how
and when, in the body of his flesh through death. I am here to proclaim that the
Christ of God reconciled everyone for whom he died when he died
on that tree. That's what this clearly says
in the English language, translated into English for us, there is
nothing but rebellion if you do not preach that. He even goes
on, in the body of his flesh, through death to present you
holy, and unblameable and unreprovable in his sight if you continue
in the faith. You see it? So that lets me know
this, Jesus Christ died only for those to whom God gives faith. Is that not what that says? That's
what that says. Now Jesus did not die for men
and women because they would believe, but all for whom he
died they will believe. and they will continue to believe
until their dying day, then they will be in the presence of Christ
and faith will become a present reality with them. Paul clearly
here says this, Jesus Christ only died for believers. Is that
not what he just said, Mason? That's what that teaches. So
I'm here to again say, yes, the blood maketh atonement, but it's
never just any old blood, is it? It's never just any old blood. Oh God, oh God, bow me not merely
to blood, but bow me down to the Christ, the Christ of God
who shed his blood. You can believe in the blood
and still perish. Think about it, let me give you
this. A few historical, Even fundamental
facts about Jesus Christ are not enough. I've already mentioned
this. You can believe that Jesus Christ
was virgin born. You can believe that Jesus Christ
lived a perfectly righteous life. You can believe that Jesus Christ
healed the sick. that He even raised the dead
from the dead. You can believe that Jesus Christ
died on the cross. You can believe that Jesus Christ
was buried, rose again the third day. You can believe that Jesus
Christ ascended back into heaven to the Father's right hand and
still perish in hell. Because these are just fundamental
historical facts. As a matter of fact, the Apostle
Paul, when he delineated what the gospel was, he didn't say
the gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures. Did he? He didn't say the gospel is how
Christ was buried and rose again the third day according to the
scriptures. He said the gospel is this, how Christ died according
to the scriptures, and if the Christ Someone is preaching is
not the Christ promised in the Old Testament either in a direct
prophecy or through types and symbols and figures Then it's
not the Christ of God and that Jesus has never saved anyone
ever Now two things let me go through this briefly the blood
atonement of God's Christ the blood atonement of God's Christ.
Now someone might say, but I just don't know about all that. Christ
is sovereign. Christ is truly God who holds
all men and their eternal destiny in his hand. If you can't believe
that, then you're lost. If you can't believe that, then
you're unregenerate. If you can't believe that, then
you're not converted. I don't care how many Bible historical
facts about Jesus you believe. It's just a fact. It's just a
fact. The blood of God's Christ, there
is no atonement apart from that. Again, verse 11. For the life
of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it unto you
upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is the
blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. And the blood of
Christ has already been offered. It is not being offered anymore. His blood accomplished everything
God meant for it to accomplish, and that's the actual salvation
of his people when Christ died on that tree. I find myself,
Linda Pendleton, believing that. What about you? I think some
of you here do too, maybe all of you. I find myself, Mason,
even daring to believe that. that when Jesus Christ died on
that tree, he actually secured my salvation. Whether you want
to talk about it in the aspect of justification, or reconciliation,
or peace, or sanctification, or perfection. Mac, he secured
that for me when he shed his blood on that sacrificial, at
that sacrificial place when he died on that tree. Christ's blood
is vital. And that's what the writer of
Hebrews again says in Hebrews chapter nine in just one verse.
Hebrews chapter nine. And verse 22, and I've done give
it to you. And almost all things are by
the law purged with blood. Now not everything, but not all
purging was about sin. But anyway, let me get back to
my verse. And almost all things are by
the law purged with blood, and without the shedding of blood
is no remission. What's the opposite of that,
Mac? If the right blood's been shed, remission has been had. It has been had. Secondly, Christ's
blood is vital to any who are to be atoned for. Verse eight,
and thou shalt say unto them, whatsoever man there be of the
house of Israel or of strangers, you bring your sacrifice to the
right place. Right? To the right place. Hebrews
chapter nine again. I left it. Hebrews chapter nine. Should have stayed there. Listen
to what Hebrews chapter nine verse 14, 13 say. For, there's
13 of Hebrews nine. For if the blood of bulls and
of goats and the ashes of heifers, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies
to the purifying of the flesh. It actually did some physical
things, but here's the thing. How much more. And we must emphasize just those
three words that the writer of Hebrews was moved to write by
inspiration, how much more, and what's the next one? Shall. How
much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God? So Roy Jr., if Christ
shed his blood for you, your conscience will be purged one
day. Is that not what that says? That's the gospel. That's the
truth. And let me just say this, the blood again is vital to any
hurt to be atoned for, because the apostle Paul, I'm not gonna
read it, but in Ephesians 2, verses 11 through 18, Paul said
this is true for both Jew and Gentile. And God has made of
the two, what? He's made peace, and made not
just peace, but made of the two one new man. And it said Christ came, and
made peace, and then he preached peace. And that's what I'm here
attempting to do this morning. Mason, I wish I could preach
the gospel just at least one time. Just one time. I wish I could preach the gospel
like the gospel ought to be preached just one time. I don't care who
you are in this world. If Jesus Christ did not die for
you, you will go to hell for your sins. But if Jesus Christ
died for you, God has and will and shall continue to save you. And that's the gospel. Not only
that, you miss God's Christ. If I miss God's Christ, if I
trust in any other blood other than this Christ's blood, my
sin will be, according to Leviticus 17, imputed unto me. Isn't that what he said? We read
that, we read that. Why? Because even our best deeds
are filthy rags in God's sight. Even if you had the right blood,
Mason, if you didn't bring it to the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation, you got trouble. You see that? You got
trouble. Number two. Number two, the blood
atonement must have the fat also. Didn't we read that in verse
six? The priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the
Lord at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. and burn
the fat for a sweet savor unto the Lord. I've mentioned that
several times going through this study in Leviticus, but I wanna
try to give you an illustration of that. What's that really mean,
this fat? It means that, as Ephesians chapter
five says, that Christ offered himself to God as a sweet-smelling
savor. That is, who Christ is, And what
Christ did, Mack, God said, in His absolute holiness, God said,
that smells good. God in His justice said, That
smells good. The holy law of God with its
10 preceding and countless other hundreds of commandments smells
who Christ is and what he did and says, that smells good. I'm gonna try to illustrate this. I've actually seen this illustration
this morning in a bulletin by another pastor. How did Jacob
convince his father Israel that he was Esau. Do you remember
that? How did Jacob, the supplanter,
that one that's a real picture of me and you, that one who is
wicked and corrupt and would get what he wanted through whatever
means he decided. Now all types, no type, and all
types cannot be taken to their utter end. They are but types. But types they are. And Jacob
and Israel and Esau are a picture of how God Almighty can smell
me and say, that's good. And how is it? You remember what
Jacob did? He took his brother's raiment.
He took his brother's coat and clothed himself in it. Now Israel,
the actual Israel, that Israel, am I getting it? No, I'm thinking
I've gotten it wrong. It was Isaac. I said Israel,
it's Isaac. Israel is Jacob. I'm sorry. Isaac,
Isaac was old and blind, so he couldn't see who was who. He
couldn't tell who Jacob was and Esau was, but what did he do
when he smelled that coat that Jacob had on? What did he say? This is my son Esau. Do you get it? When God smells
you, if you're in Christ, God is smelling his son because you
are wrapped with him in his righteousness. And yes, you and I inside, down
inside, Jacob was still his own smelly self, but bless God he
had his brother's coat on. And when old Isaac said, he said,
that's my boy Esau. That's my only hope before God
in Jesus Christ. Is when I approach God that he
smells my Redeemer and he don't smell me. Because I in myself
am a stench in God's holy nostrils. But his son, the fat of his son,
that tasty thing, I love the fat, don't you? I know some of
you are trying not to eat some of it, but Lord willing this
evening I'm going to eat as much of it as I can. But you smell
that fat, even if you don't eat it, you smell it, cook it, don't
it? Just make it smell good. That's used to illustrate what?
God smells Christ. That's good. And bless God if
I'm in Him. If I'm in Him, red, He smells
Christ and not me. That's my only hope. My only
hope. I like Esau's coat, don't you?
I like Esau's quote. Again, it is only the Christ
of God whose blood atones. I said the Christ of God. Now
either you and I, anyone else, we will be bowed to God's Christ
as he is revealed in this book or we will suffer for our sins
in hell forever. And it's just that simple. It's
that horrible sounding. Mason, I don't even like having
to say that, but I know if I'm true to God Almighty's holiness
and His word, I must warn men and women of that. It's only
the Christ of God whose blood atones, and I mentioned it to
you all already, but it's like Rolf Barnard said, you sing that
song, Nothing But the Blood of Jesus, he basically pointed out,
you better make sure you got the right Jesus. Because if you
got the wrong Jesus, you'll perish, no matter how sincere you are.
Oh, but it's not just that blood, but his fat. That smells good. That's the person I want to be
found in. I want to be, I'm speaking metaphorically now, I want to
be found covered up in Esau's coat, don't you? I want the smell
of Esau's field on me. That's my only hope. Consider,
his blood only is shed for many. This is what he said, Mark 14,
24, when he established the table of the Lord. Who is supposed
to eat the bread and drink the wine? Everybody in the world. Believers only. Because the blood
and body of Christ is for believers only. Again it says, His blood
is the blood of deity which He purchased God's flock, God's
church with. Acts 20, 28. The blood of Jesus
Christ was human blood and yet Mason, it's called the very blood
of God. Now the blood of God accomplished what God meant for
it to accomplish, and anything less than that is not the gospel
of God. It's a perversion of the gospel.
Believers are justified, how? By his blood, Romans 5 verse
9. We, that is the elect, if you
look at the context, Ephesians chapter one, we the elect have
redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And that's the sins you committed
before God saved you. That's the sins you committed
after God saved you up to this day. That's the sins we're committing
right now sitting in this local assembly trying to be as holy
and Christian-like as we can. And that's any sin that you will
ever commit after that. He's already established for
us, Mac, the forgiveness of sins. Not only that, the people The
people for whom he died, according to Hebrews 13 and verse 12, were
sanctified with his blood. And that's just to name a few
passages. Again, and I asked, and I, it's
not okay, I believed that yesterday. Do I believe it today? You know? I believed that when I was younger.
Do you believe it today? Will I believe that today? Here's
the question. Will I believe it tomorrow? Will
I believe it tomorrow? Oh God, show me mercy and grace
again tomorrow, if tomorrow ever becomes today. Not only that,
not just tomorrow, but every other tomorrow I have until I
close these eyes in death. Because those who are justified
by faith through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, they all
continue in the faith. Hebrews 11 sums all of those,
we call it the hall of faith or the heroes of faith. It said
these all did what? What's the summary of all of
them? Now not all of them built a boat, did they? Not all of
them were put in an ark of bulrushes because they were a goodly child,
were they? Not all of them did everything the same thing, but
they all did one thing. These all died in faith. So I don't care what you think
you had yesterday. It doesn't matter what I think
I had yesterday. Right now, today matters. Do
I believe this Christ today? And if I live tomorrow, oh God,
make me. Do you hear, I said God, because
I know if he don't make me, I won't do it. Oh God, make me believe
that Christ tomorrow and any other tomorrow I have. Do I know
him? Isn't that the real question? Do I know him? And isn't that
what, we say it, I believe it's okay to say it, I've said it,
others have said it, the great Apostle Paul. But remember, he
was a sinner just like we are. He called himself, Mason, the
chief of sinners. But what did he say? What was
his one objective in life? Oh, if I could just preach better.
No, in Philippians 3, verses 7 through 11, we'll see this,
that I may know him. And Mason, he'd met him face
to face. Somehow, I don't know, Roy Jr., how this, somehow, Paul
the Apostle was caught up. He said, I don't know if it's
in the body or out of the body. Isn't that what he said? He was caught up in
the third heaven and seeing things that were just, he had no language
nor right to speak of what he's seen in glory. Now I think, Mac,
he's seen Christ. Who's at the center of all that?
Christ is there. But what, that I may what? Have
another one of those experiences? No. That I may know Him. Oh God, help us to know Him. Roy Jr., will you close us in
prayer, please?