Birds of a feather flock together! In Dr. R. B. Thieme's (pictured to the right)
book, THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, ISBN 1-55764-036-X, he states on page
38...
When believers do not see the true connection between the "blood of Christ" and the animal sacrifices, these same believers are liable to reach erroneous conclusions about the blood of Christ... but it is no more bizarre than the false idea that the "blood of Christ" is somehow a literal phrase. Yet how many Christians believe just that!... We have seen that literal blood cannot bring man eternal life and that Christ's blood is a representative analogy which describes His spiritual death.
This is EXACTLY what John MacArthur teaches...
"It is not the actual liquid that cleanses us from our sins, but the work of redemption Christ accomplished in pouring it out." -Dr. John MacArthur
Phillip R. Johnson, of spurgeon.org, has made a horrible attempt to defend John MacArthur, calling his defense, A reply to some lies being perpetrated by fundamentalist zealots (i.e., Bible-believers like me)...
Ironically, the very article Mr. Johnson attempts to justify John MacArthur's heresy on the blood with--condemns him! Here are the very words of John MacArthur (pictured to the left), from a letter he wrote titled, I BELIEVE IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD (close to the bottom of his letter). MacArthur clearly DENIES the literal blood of Jesus as you will now read:
"It is not the actual liquid that cleanses us from our sins, but the work of redemption Christ accomplished in pouring it out." -Dr. John MacArthur
"We are not saved by some mystical heavenly application of Jesus' literal blood. Nothing in Scripture indicates that the literal blood of Christ is preserved in heaven and applied to individual believers. When Scripture says we're redeemed by the blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19), it is not speaking of a bowl of blood in heaven. It means we're saved by Christ's sacrificial death." -Dr. John MacArthur
What blasphemy!!! John MacArthur accuses Bob Jones university of starting a smear campaign against him; however, MacArthur's own words stand in testimony against him. This has nothing to do with Bob Jones, or anyone else. This has to do with the heresy which John MacArthur, himself, and R.B. Thieme, Jr., teach concerning the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The Word of God clearly states that it is the LITERAL blood of Jesus Christ which saves us ...
"But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." -Ephesians 2:13
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." -Hebrews 9:12
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus." -Hebrews 10:19
In the Old Testament, when the 10th plague was upon Egypt, God had instructed Moses to warn the people to apply the BLOOD of a slain lamb to the doorway of their homes. If they didn't obey God, then the firstborn of that individual family would die. We read in Exodus 12:13 ...
"And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
Did you read what God said ... WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD!
If the family would have just killed the lamb (as MacArthur and Thieme teach); BUT, failed to APPLY the shed blood to the doorposts of the home, then the first born would have DIED! The blood had to be applied.
Likewise, in the Old Testament, the tabernacle Highpriest was REQUIRED to APPLY the slain lamb's blood to the mercy seat, in the holy of holies. Leviticus 16:15 states ...
"Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat."
If the high-priest killed the lamb; but, failed to apply the blood to the mercy seat, then the people's sin were NOT atoned for. Clearly, the blood had to be APPLIED. John MacArthur is a heretic, who teaches that Jesus' blood was only important in that it represented Christ's death. In sharp contrast, the Word of God declares that the blood of Jesus Christ, itself, is the actual "liquid" that washes our sins away forever ...
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ..." -1st Peter 1:18,19
Who are you going to believe? John MacArthur? Or the incorruptible Word of God? MacArthur's defense of Himself puts his foot in his own mouth. He is subverted of himself. How dare anyone claim that Jesus' blood, itself, doesn't save, in lieu of 1st Peter 1:18,19. Why doesn't MacArthur just be honest and do the honorable thing, and admit he is terribly wrong concerning his doctrine on the blood of Jesus Christ. MacArthur is an unsaved Modernist, and is woefully wrong on the most fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith—the blood of Jesus Christ!
Please read, The Importance Of The Blood and The Blood Applied In Heaven.
The great Bible teacher, M.R. DeHaan, M.D. (pictured below), has it 100% correct when he states concerning the blood of Jesus...
The blood was to be sprinkled, remember, on the mercy seat right after the death of the substitutionary animal of sacrifice. Now Christ is, of course, our substitute. He was slain for us upon the Cross, and entered into death for us, and when He arose, He immediately went to Heaven, entered into the holy of holies in Heaven, sprinkled His precious blood upon the mercy seat before the throne of God, and forever settled the sin questions, and delivered us from the curse of the law. This is clearly taught in the New Testament. Hebrews 9:12 is very definite on this:
"But by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."
The Bible also makes plain when He accomplished this. On the morning of the resurrection He meets Mary at the tomb. As soon as Mary recognized Him, she prostrated herself upon Him, and would have kissed His feet, but with shocking suddenness, Jesus emphatically says to her: "Touch me not"; and then He proceeds immediately to give the reason why Mary is not permitted to touch Him at all.
"For I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God." (John 20:17)
Literally the Lord Jesus Christ said, "Touch me not; for I now am about to ascend unto my Father." We can understand this action when we remember the the high priest after he had offered the sacrifice, was to enter the holy of holies, before he did anything else, with the precious blood. No one was allowed to approach him. Everyone was shut out until this was completely done. And here in the record of the meeting with Mary we have the fulfillment of this type. Here Mary meets her great High Priest, just arisen from the tomb, but before He had entered the holy of holies with the reconciling blood. And so He says to her, "TOUCH ME NOT."
SOURCE: The TABERNACLE, by M.R. DeHaan, M.D., ISBN 0-310-23491-3, page 129.
What a wonderful truth! The Bible
is so clear when you accept It as it's written. The best way to interpret
the Bible is to not interpret it. By diligently cross-referring
Scripture with Scripture, we are able to form a complete and accurate
picture of divine Truth.
What About Spurgeon?
Phillip R. Johnson has attempted to yoke John MacArthur's damnable teachings on the blood with those of the great Baptist preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon; however, this is simply not true. Charles H. Spurgeon preached a sermon entitled, "The Blood Shedding," February 22, 1857, from Hebrews 9:22. He describes the suffering and death of Christ, and says:
"Mark his brow-they have put about it a crown of thorns, and the crimson drops of gore are rushing down his cheeks! ... But turn aside that purple robe for a moment. His back is bleeding ... They lift up the thongs, still dripping clots of gore; they scourge and tear his flesh, and make river of blood to run down his shoulders! This is the shedding of blood without which there is no remission ... They fling him to the ground; they nail his hands and feet to the transverse wood, they hoist it in the air ... Blood from his head, blood from his hands, blood from his feet ... They pierce his side, and forthwith runneth out blood and water. This is the shedding of blood, sinners and saints; this is the awful shedding of blood, the terrible pouring out of blood, without which for you, and for the whole human race, there is no remission ... It is not a thing which you may doubt, or which you may believe; it must be believed and received, otherwise you have denied the Scriptures and turned aside from God." He further states, "It cuts off every other hope, bring your hopes here, and if they are not based in blood, and stamped with blood, they are as useless as castles in the air, and dreams of night. 'There is no remission,' says the text, in positive and plain cords ... Except you put confidence n the shedding of our Saviour's blood, and in the blood shedding alone, for without it there is no remission." (The New Park Street Pulpit, Vol. 3, pages 90-92, Pilgrim Publications)
Spurgeon never changed in his preaching of the blood. On May 30, 1875, he preached again from the same text. In his sermon, he repeated over and over... "Without shedding of blood is no remission." Without resorting to lengthy quotations, we can honestly say that his doctrine never changed. He said, "It is not possible that any sin should ever be forgiven to any man without shedding of blood" (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 51, page 426, Pilgrim Publications). Phillip R. Johnson is taking Spurgeon's words out of context. Spurgeon NEVER denied the power of the literal blood of Jesus Christ—he simply stated that Christ's virgin birth, sinless life, vicarious death, burial, and triumphant resurrection were all necessary parts of Christ's work of redemption.
In sharp contrast, R.B. Thieme, Jr. and John
MacArthur DENY the efficacy of the LITERAL blood of Jesus Christ. They are
unsaved heretics, because they have denied the power of the literal blood of
Jesus Christ. Don't they read the Bible? The entire Old Testament
testifies of the importance of the blood applied to the mercy seat. From
the blood of the innocent animal God killed to make skins of clothing for
Adam and Eve, and Abel's lamb sacrifice in Genesis, to the saints whose
robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb in Revelation 7:14, the
Bible is a Book of BLOOD, i.e., Jesus' literal blood! Everything which the
Old Testament high priest did led up to the climax of applying the blood to
the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies. If the lamb was killed, and the blood
shed, but the high priest failed to apply the shed blood to the mercy seat
within the Holy of Holies—then there was NO REMISSION OF SINS for the
people.
More Heretical Teachings on the Blood by Pastor R. B. Thieme, Jr.
Lt. Col. Robert Bunger Thieme, Jr. (April 1, 1918 – August 16, 2009) was pastor of Berachah Church, a nondenominational Christian church in Houston, Texas, from 1950-2003. In Dr. R. B. Thieme's booklet, THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, ISBN 1-55764-036-X, he states on page 31...
"As the celebrity of the universe, He ascended and was seated, but He did not take any blood with Him to heaven... We have seen in great detail that His mortal, human body fluids have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with salvation." (pg. 31) [underline emphasis added]
Pastor R. B. Thieme, Jr. states that Jesus took NO BLOOD with Him into Heaven, but the Word of God calls Thieme a LIAR...
"But BY HIS OWN BLOOD he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." -Hebrews 9:12
Thieme and MacArthur are reprobates concerning the Biblical doctrine of the blood of Jesus, and they will spend eternity in the flames of Hellfire for blaspheming the Holy Spirit. To deny the saving power of the literal blood of Jesus Christ is to deny the Lord Himself, blaspheme the Holy Spirit, and attempt to approach God's throne of grace without the blood of Jesus.
Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted THE BLOOD of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?”
That's exactly what Thieme and MacArthur are doing, i.e., counting the blood of Christ an unholy thing!
Thieme and MacArthur remind me of the Catholics, who vehemently deny worshipping Mary, while openly praising her, bowing to her, and even trusting her to give them eternal life through reciting the Rosary. Likewise, Thieme and MacArthur adamantly claim to believe in the importance of Jesus' blood, while openly denying the efficacy of Christ's blood, i.e., its literal saving power. They're all a bunch of false prophets!
Please keep in mind that 90% of what Jehovah's Witnesses teach is good wholesome Bible. It's that 10% of damnable heresy that is going to send them straight to Hell in their sins. MacArthur and Thieme are eloquent writers, gifted speakers, and most of what they teach is Biblically sound; BUT, they are in league with the Devil when they deny the saving power of Christ's LITERAL blood. They are pulling on the same rope as the Devil. Hebrews 10:19 states...
"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS."
Again, the Word of God focuses on Jesus' blood, and not His death. Was Christ's death important? ... ABSOLUTELY! However, the virgin birth, deity, sinless life, vicarious (i.e., substitutionary) death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus were all prerequisite steps to the ultimate goal—the application of Jesus' shed blood to the Mercy Seat in Heaven! Nothing else would have mattered had Christ not ascended into Heaven with His shed blood, and applied it to the Mercy Seat before God the Father.
Oh, listen my friend, the death angel was not looking for dead lambs in Egypt—he was looking for the blood applied to the doorposts, and lintel (i.e., doorplate above the door) of each home. Exodus 12:13 reads... "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt."
In Dr. R. B. Thieme's booklet, THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, ISBN 1-55764-036-X, he foolishly states...
"His literal blood has no spiritual significance." (pgs. 22-23)
"We have seen that literal blood cannot bring man eternal life and that Christ's blood is a representative analogy which describes His spiritual death." (pg. 38)
Blasphemy! How could anyone deny the power of Christ's LITERAL blood in lieu of 1st Peter 1:18,19... "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." If the blood is only "representative" of the death of Jesus, as Thieme and MacArthur claim, then why does God's Word continually refer the the BLOOD OF CHRIST? 1st John 1:7 states, "...and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Colossians 1:14 states, "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." Notice carefully, once again, that the Bible doesn't emphasize the death of Christ; but rather, His blood...
"But BY HIS OWN BLOOD he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." —Hebrews 9:12
