The Bible presents three essential stages for salvation: sacrifice, the sign of the covenant, and actions. Let’s examine these in the contexts of the Old and New Testaments.

1. Sacrifices and Covenant Signs in the Old Testament

1.1 The Covenant Sacrifice: Passover

In the Old Testament, God saved the Israelites from Egypt and established a covenant through the Passover sacrifice, which involved the blood of a lamb symbolizing God’s blood.

[Exodus 23:18]
"You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread, nor shall the fat of my feast remain until morning."

The Passover sacrifice was the first step for the Israelites to become God’s people, sealing the covenant with the symbol of His blood.

1.2 The Covenant Sign: The Ten Commandments

After the sacrifice, God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments as the sign of their covenant. These commandments served as the moral framework for living as God’s people.

[Deuteronomy 30:16–19]
"If you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in His ways, and keeping His commandments, statutes, and judgments, then you shall live and multiply."

By adhering to these commandments, the Israelites inherited the Promised Land of Canaan.

2. Sacrifices and Covenant Signs in the New Testament

2.1 The New Covenant Sacrifice: The Blood of Jesus

Like the Passover lamb, Jesus offered His own blood as the ultimate sacrifice for the new covenant. At the Last Supper, He confirmed this covenant using wine to symbolize His blood.

[Luke 22:20]
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

Jesus’ death on the cross fulfilled the prophecy of the Passover lamb, solidifying the new covenant.

2.2 The Sign of the New Covenant: The Holy Spirit and the Sermon on the Mount

Jesus established a new sign of the covenant by writing God’s law on the hearts of believers through the Holy Spirit. This new law is expressed in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7).

Teachings of the Sermon on the Mount:

• Guarding the heart: Hating a brother is equivalent to murder; lust is equivalent to adultery.
• Love in action: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
• Inner righteousness: Focus on inner purity rather than outward adherence to laws.

The Sermon on the Mount represents the laws of the new kingdom (heaven). Failing to live by these principles means exclusion from God’s kingdom.

3. Action: Completing Salvation Through Practice

Heaven is not for the impure or unrighteous but for those who live blamelessly. Without putting the Holy Spirit’s teachings into practice—through love and good deeds—salvation is unattainable.

[James 2:26]
"As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

Criticism of the World Mission Society Church of God

Their Claims

The World Mission Society Church of God claims that their founders, Ahn Sahng-hong and Zahng Gil-ja, are the Holy Spirit and the Bride. However, this claim has no biblical foundation.

Misinterpretation of the Holy Spirit’s Teaching

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, who writes God’s laws on believers’ hearts. In contrast, the World Mission Society Church of God emphasizes external adherence to laws and distorts the meaning of the Passover and Sabbath to support their doctrines.

Key Issues:

• Jesus fulfilled all Old Testament laws and sacrifices, eliminating the need for their repetition.
• True adherence to the new covenant involves practicing love, righteousness, and the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount through the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion: The Three Stages of Salvation

1. Sacrifice: Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross fulfilled the new covenant.
2. Covenant Sign: The Sermon on the Mount is written on believers’ hearts by the Holy Spirit.
3. Action: Living out the Holy Spirit’s teachings through love and good deeds.

Salvation is not achieved through church affiliation or rituals but through transformation of the heart and life by the Holy Spirit. Rather than following distorted doctrines like those of the World Mission Society Church of God, believers must pursue genuine faith under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.