February 17, 2005
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lam of God.
-1 Peter 1:18-19
To the average person, blood is repulsive. Even among some who would claim the name of Christianity for their faith, blood has been associated with slaughterhouse or a butcher house.
Several years ago, in one well-known Protestant denomination, the leaders met to determine what should be included in a new hymnbook. They decided that no references to blood should be in their hymnbook. To them it was offensive and outdated, so all of the hymns having to do with the blood of Jesus were removed.
But, did they forget that when you turn to the Scriptures, you find the blood everywhere? The Bible bleeds with the blood of Christ! It is a constant continual theme of the Scripture. Like a scarlet thread woven through a priceless tapestry, the blood of God is spread throughout. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins.
God taught us well in the Old Testament, when He told the children of Israel in the days of their slavery in Egypt to put the blood upon the doorpost of their houses. When they put the blood there, they were safe and secure from the death angel that passed over the land of Egypt taking the life of the firstborn child of each family. To this day, the Passover is remembered and celebrated. We know that Jesus, because He shed His precious blood for us, is our Passover.
Without the shedding of blood, there is no redemption and salvation. Only by the blood can the righteous demands of a holy God be satisfied. Only by the blood can our sins be atoned, covered, and cleansed. And only by the blood can we have peace and power with God. If you know someone in your life that hasn’t experienced the cleansing blood of Christ, then share the Gospel with him or her today. It is your responsibility to give them the Good News, so that they might be found safe and secure on the day of death.
TO THE WORLD, CHRIST’S BLOOD IS REPULSIVE.
BUT, TO BELIEVERS, IT IS SALVATION.