The Awesome Powers Of His Shed Blood!!
“Christ Crucified” was the message of the early church, and “Christ Crucified” is the single authority of His Kingdom today.
Without the shedding of blood, not one soul can be redeemed from destruction and eternal damnation. A church that does not “glory in the cross” is a religious club. All the blood He shed on the way to the cross, from Gethsemane to the peak of the hill, was not enough. He had to die for us and our sins. There are supernatural powers in the sinless death of our Savior and Lord.
To consider claiming to be a Christian without the experience of a radical transformation by His blood is foolish and dangerous. Apostle Paul said it plainly on many occasions. “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2: 11-13)
We now live in His divine holiness by His supernatural blood sacrifice. Listen as the apostle proclaims the absolute finality of “Jesus Christ Crucified.” “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” (I Corinthians 1: 17-24)
Let’s look at five truths that represent the foundation of our faith.
1. The Sinless Son of God was the awesome beginning. He was totally without the Adamic nature. His physical life was both human and divine. He literally was Emmanuel, God in the flesh. “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) The Holy Ghost begot this divine son in a human womb in preparation for a divine sacrifice on a cruel cross of death. The blood that coursed in His veins was divine blood but of a human substance. Just like all of His person and life, there was the presence of both expressions. Human blood without the divine life could not atone for sin. Divine blood without the human life could not be our substitute.
The Bible calls it precious blood because it was one of a kind. Never before and never after would there be a sacrifice that was divine and human—complete on both levels. “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (I Peter 1: 19) This blood was so divine that the heavens and the earth, which He created, trembled and shook as He died. The Father turned His head as His son was experiencing the final throbs of death. Only God and His divine Son could orchestrate such a sovereign and marvelous plan of redemption.
2. The Bible is nothing but a paperback if His blood was not supernatural. This is why we celebrate His death regularly in the Biblical church. His blood was divine, and it is the authority of our Holy Book. Without the shedding of blood the Bible is nothing but great wisdom—the greatest of wisdom but still powerless to change life from the inside.
Because He was divine and provided a divine sacrifice, not one iota of this great book can fail. He said, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5: 18-20) When you trust only in the Holy Bible and live by the blood offering, nothing can defeat you. We should never search the scripture without clinging to the blood.
Preachers today decry the “claiming the blood,” or “pleading the blood,” but they are extremely unwise to the truth. The Old Testament priests were constantly sprinkling the sacrifices and holy things with blood. That is no different in nature than when we “cling to the blood” in whatever way we may choose. Their’s was a ritual but ours is receiving by faith.
3. The “Blood Sacrifice” is the royal highway to God and our eternal promise. We read this great truth as written to the Hebrew Christians. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4: 14-16) We are on our way to where He is, and we must travel the path He trod. He went by way of Calvary and the empty tomb, and we travel the same road. The church is full of religious people that started at the right place, but treat the cross as a onetime encounter. Good people that live clean lives but that forget His offering and act as though they need it no longer will find the old man rising up in the end and marring their testimony.
The blood is not just our forgiveness and new birth experience. It is our sanctification and victory over the flesh and the world. I love to read what Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church: “See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (I Thessalonians 5: 15-24)
A Bible living Christian will overcome the world and every battle with be won by the truths in the Bible, because the blood of Christ makes them holy, day by day. Sanctification is the highway to holiness and heaven, and none can walk thereon but the pure in heart. Again, Paul said, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (I Corinthians 9: 27) He was not speaking of his own strength and flesh, but the power of the grace of God through the blood. We are not saved by good works, and we do not remain in His fellowship by good works. They are beautiful, but good living and good works have no grace in themselves. He is our Savior and our Keeper by His provision on the cross.
4, The blood of His “Sacrificial Death” is the single entrance into our closet of prayer. If you dare to think that your good life earns you the right to pray, you become helpless at the altar. The Holy Ghost said, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. ” (Ephesians 6: 12-14)
That righteousness named above is not our rags of righteousness but His righteousness by the blood. Our righteousness by our obedience is called rags of righteousness when compared with His righteousness by Christ’s blood. We must keep our righteous rags clean, but trust only in the blood.
5. His sacrifice is the total power and authority that guarantees our future in His excellent presence. His cleansing by blood will make you beautiful in all your appearance. When His blood courses its way in your bodily temple, it makes every step pure and beautiful. A blood-washed and sanctified soul will not need the cheap habit of a fleshly life. Righteousness and purity are just as natural to a blood-washed soul as smiling is natural when one is happy. The church is a holy place when a blood-washed and God-called preacher stands in the pulpit. The choir is a beautiful people when Godly saints living by His blood sing for Christ’s glory.
What more can I say about the “Sacrificial Death” of the Son of God? He died and He lives and fills His saints with His spirit. We are happy even in distress because the outcome is in His making.
The Study Notebook below is entitled, “Jerusalem: God’s Chosen City”. It is a college level study on the single city in all the world that God Himself chose to be His eternal city. There are three large charts at the beginning to trace the history of Jerusalem from 3500 B.C. to the ultimate fulfillment in future prophecy. This notebook is 222 pages with color pictures. To me it is a treasure trove of Biblical importance.
Ed Wood
In O.T. times it was required that the sacrificial animals be free of blemish – and this is very much a prefiguring of Jesus also having to be without the blemish of sin to be an acceptable sacrifice for the sins of all. It is just that simple. While it is true there are parts of the Bible which can be hard to figure out, when it comes to the fundamentals of salvation, it is crystal clear.
Jesus’ blood is the only thing that washes us clean of our sins and is the only thing that can!
Sean
There’s so much Catholic/Orthodox teaching in this that it’s surprising that the final steps to total immersion in the teaching of the Apostles remains so distant from this community.
Michael
Sean,
Every time you come here and defend your false doctrines, you dig yourself into your own trap, layer after layer.
The question is, why do you come here at all if you are convinced that Truth is somewhere else?
What is it that brings you back here? Could it be that your spirit knows this is the Truth, and yet your flesh continues to promote the lie?
Your life is ruled by Catholic dogma and man made lies. Our lives are ruled by the Holy Spirit.
Maybe you just don’t understand the deeper things of the Catholic church. If you did, they would scare you.
Some day you will be set free, and the first thing you will realize is that we aren’t so crazy after all.