SAVED BY THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama) December 5, 2018 Many extreme dispensationalists would have us to believe we can’t follow or preach what Christ preached while on earth. They say we must “divide” his so called “earthly ministry” from his so called “heavenly ministry”. They claim we cannot follow his so called “earthly ministry”, but we must follow his so called “heavenly ministry”. This is totally bogus when you consider what he actually preached and accomplished during his earthly ministry recorded in the Four Gospels. Do you realize that it was during the earthly ministry of Christ that: *God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. *Christ was lifted up on the cross that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. *Christ came into the world that the world through him might be saved. *Christ abolished the Law of Moses by his death. *Christ broke down the middle wall of partition between Jew and gentile by his death. *Christ gave himself a ransom for our sins. *Christ died for our sins and was raised for our justification. *Christ made reconciliation for sinners. *Christ was delivered for our offences and was raised again for our justification. *Christ condemned sin in his flesh. *Christ died for the ungodly. *God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. *We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. *Christ died for our sins and raised again the third day. *Christ made peace between sinners and God and between Jew and gentile. *Christ gave himself for his church. *Christ became the pattern of humility as recorded in Philippians 2:5-8. *Christ walked in love and gave himself as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor in Eph. 5:2 for us to follow. *That the Law was nailed to the cross. *Christ came into the world to save sinners. *Christ was God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. *Christ abolished death and brought life and immortality to light. *Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. *Christ tasted death for every man. *Became flesh and blood to destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil. *Christ became flesh to be a merciful and faithful high priest to make reconciliation for our sins. *Christ purged our conscience from dead works and died for the sins of the Old Covenant saints. *Christ took away the first covenant and established a second covenant in its place. *Christ offered one sacrifice for sins forever. *Christ offered one offering to perfect us forever. *Christ set the example to follow in the race God has given us to run. *Christ redeemed us by his blood as of a lamb without spot or blemish. *Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree. *Christ became our example of how we respond to our enemies. *Christ suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. *Christ became the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. *Christ took away the Old Covenant Law and established a New Covenant of Grace in its place. *Christ gave his flesh for the life of the world. *Christ the good shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. *Christ was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. *Christ soul was made an offering for our sins. *Christ made intercession for the transgressors. *Christ was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many. These are the accomplishments of Christ’s earthy ministry. These things did not come to pass after Christ went back to heaven and sat down at God’s right hand. They all came to pass when he was still living on this earth. These are the major accomplishments of Christ’s earthy ministry. This is what he came to do in his earthy ministry. This is why God sent his Son into the world. This why Christ became flesh and dwelt among us. Do you see anything in his long list of earthly accomplishments that you cannot claim or preach today? These are the major doctrines of the church under grace. What we read in these verses is what Christ did for us while he was still on earth. These are the blessings and promises he sent his apostles to preach after his resurrection. They were sent to preach what he accomplished in his earthly ministry and we are saved by what he did for us in his earthly ministry, not his heavenly ministry. It is ridiculous to say that Christ sent Paul to preach just the opposite of what he accomplished while on earth. It is also totally wrong to separate the so called “earthly ministry” of Christ from his “heavenly ministry”. He has one ministry not two. The ministry of the apostles was to preach and explain to the world what Christ accomplished in his earthly ministry. His so called “heavenly ministry” is an extension of his “earthly ministry”. What he did for sinners on earth he applies to them today from heaven. What he accomplished while on earth he proclaims today from heaven through the epistles of the apostles and those he calls to preach. Most of the major doctrines of salvation Paul wrote about are based directly upon what Christ did while he was still on this earth.