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Bloodless Gospel Can'T Save
E.A. Johnston
0:00
0:00 3:50
E.A. Johnston

Bloodless Gospel Can'T Save

E.A. Johnston · 3:50

E.A. Johnston warns that a diluted, bloodless gospel lacks the power to save, urging a return to preaching the full, sacrificial blood of Christ for true repentance and salvation.
In 'Bloodless Gospel Can'T Save,' E.A. Johnston confronts the alarming spiritual decline in churches and society, emphasizing the critical need to return to preaching the full gospel centered on the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. He challenges believers to reject diluted messages and embrace true repentance and salvation. This sermon is a passionate call to awaken the church to its calling and power through the blood of Christ.

Full Transcript

We live in a day of moral bankruptcy in the nation, anarchy in society, and spiritual declension in the church. We live in a day of apostasy within our denominations and compromise in our churches, where a largely unconverted ministry proclaims a bloodless gospel, an impotent Christ, a shrunken God, a sinning religion, and an easy salvation. Hell fills by the hour with dying, unconverted church members who swallowed an anemic, diluted gospel and lived their lives on the broad way of sin.

Churches today are strangers to repentance, strangers to holiness, strangers to obedience, and strangers to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The prayer life of the typical church is superficial or shallow or even non-existent. The church has no power or authority, and there is no distinction between the church and the world as they both look and act the same.

If the church of Laodicea in Revelation made the risen Lord sick to his stomach as they were neither cold nor hot, the modern church today is both an insult to him and blasphemy against him. God has withdrawn himself from our midst and has left us to our own devices, where we busily occupy ourselves as we fortify our islands unto ourselves, in a last-ditch effort of self-preservation in a society that is spinning out of control, on a fast track to hell. We preachers today have gotten out our mop buckets and have cleaned up all the blood and gore around Calvary and made it so pristine there you can sit and have your lunch.

But the trouble is, a bloodless gospel can't save. But the old gospel has power to save. My Bible speaks of a cross on which a blood-stained Savior from sin was crucified.

In Colossians 1.14 we read, In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. And in verse 20 it states, And having made peace through the blood of his cross. But a bloodless gospel can't save anyone.

Maybe that's why so few today are saved. The missing element in our pulpits today is preaching that is authoritative, fervent and heart-searching proclamations about a bloody cross and a blood-stained Savior from sin who demands repentance to come to him for forgiveness of sin. Until we go back to preaching up the blood and singing hymns about the blood, we will only continue to promote a bloodless gospel that has no saving power.

Listen, friends. Jesus Christ was nailed upon Calvary's cross where he suffered and died and he was buried. He rose again and ascended back into heaven where he now sits at the right hand of the Father.

And he earned that right. By way of a bloody cross, you must get your sins under the blood. You must repent or just go on to hell.

Sermon Outline

  1. I
    • Current spiritual and moral decline in church and society
    • Apostasy and compromise in modern churches
    • The prevalence of a bloodless, diluted gospel
  2. II
    • The church's estrangement from repentance, holiness, and obedience
    • Lack of prayer life and spiritual power
    • Comparison to Laodicean church's lukewarmness
  3. III
    • The necessity of the blood of Christ for redemption
    • Scriptural emphasis on redemption through Christ's blood
    • The impotence of a bloodless gospel
  4. IV
    • Call to repentance and embracing the true gospel
    • The reality of Christ's crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension
    • Urgency of salvation through the blood of Christ

Key Quotes

“But the trouble is, a bloodless gospel can't save.” — E.A. Johnston
“My Bible speaks of a cross on which a blood-stained Savior from sin was crucified.” — E.A. Johnston
“You must get your sins under the blood. You must repent or just go on to hell.” — E.A. Johnston

Application Points

  • Examine your personal faith to ensure it embraces the full gospel including the blood of Christ.
  • Commit to genuine repentance and turning away from sin as a daily practice.
  • Encourage your church community to return to fervent, biblical preaching centered on Christ's sacrifice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the speaker mean by a 'bloodless gospel'?
A 'bloodless gospel' refers to a diluted message of salvation that ignores or downplays the sacrificial death and blood of Jesus Christ, which the speaker argues cannot save.
Why is the blood of Christ essential according to the sermon?
The blood of Christ is essential because it is through His blood that redemption and forgiveness of sins are made possible, as emphasized in Colossians 1:14 and 1:20.
What is the condition of the modern church according to E.A. Johnston?
The modern church is described as spiritually weak, compromised, lacking true repentance, holiness, and power, and resembling the lukewarm church of Laodicea.
What is the call to action in this sermon?
The sermon calls listeners to repent, embrace the full gospel including the blood of Christ, and recognize the urgency of salvation to avoid eternal separation from God.
How does the speaker view the current state of preaching?
The speaker views current preaching as lacking authority and fervency, often omitting the central message of Christ's blood and sacrifice, resulting in ineffective gospel proclamation.

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