Aug 12
4
IT IS THE BLOOD THAT SAVES
“And He said unto them, This is My blood of the new testament, shed for many.”–Mark 14:24
Never did those lips, upon which grace shed its divinest, sweetest fragrance, utter words so precious as these. The language is figurative, but the truth is literal. “This is My blood,” or, this cup is the ’emblem’ of “My blood of the new testament,” the new covenant, “shed for many,” for the sins of beings whom no man can number. We are thus brought into contact with the most essential and vital doctrine of the Bible, the great Atonement of the Son of God. Beloved, the blood of Jesus is very precious to a poor, guilt-burdened sinner. It is the blood that saves him. There is everything you need in the blood of Jesus, forgiveness for every guilt-burdened, healing for every sin-wounded conscience.
It is the blood of the Incarnate God. Herein lies its intrinsic worth, its essential efficacy. The Deity of the Savior gave it all its merit to atone, and all its virtue to cleanse. We marvel not that the apostle should denominate it, “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish.” It is the most precious thing in the universe–it is the precious blood of Him whose person is precious to those who believe. Is it, my soul, precious to you?
And, then, remember that faith alone is necessary to make its saving virtue ours. Believe only, and all the sovereign efficacy of Christ’s blood is ours. This “precious blood” and “precious faith” constitute the two most precious things in the universe.
Look at it, also, as applied blood. We know that the blood of the paschal lamb would have availed nothing to the Israelites when the angel of death swept through the land to slay the first-born of the Egyptian, had it not been really and visibly sprinkled upon their dwellings. It was the applied blood that saved them. So must it be with the blood of Jesus, our Passover slain for us. If we want to be placed in a state of non-condemnation, if we desire to be quite sure that we are safe from eternal death, the blood of Jesus must be applied to the conscience. Rest not short of this, my soul! Clearly this is the mind of the Spirit in those remarkable words of the apostle, “You are come to the blood of sprinkling.” There is a present coming to the blood of Jesus, and this gives us a present salvation.
It is the blood of Jesus that sanctifies. It sets us apart as a holy people for God, it cleanses the heart from vain thoughts, worldly imaginations, and impure desires–from the taint and defilement of indwelling sin. Rest not short, then, of the applied blood of Jesus. This will remove all your doubts, quell all your fears, and bring you into perfect peace. The Holy Spirit is prepared to take of the blood of the covenant, and sprinkle it upon your heart, and then all will be peace.
The blood will give you great power in prayer. Coming to God with this plea, you may open all your heart to Him, confess every sin, disclose every sorrow, make known every need, and reveal, as in the light of the noontide sun, every secret cloistered there.
In a word, it is the blood of Jesus that SAVES, saves us from a present condemnation, and saves us to a future and eternal salvation. There is no salvation elsewhere. Here is pardon for the vilest sinner, for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. Yes, dear Lord! it is Your blood, Your own blood, possessing all the dignity and virtue of Your Godhead, and this will be my song and my joy through eternity, “Unto Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins IN HIS OWN BLOOD, and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father–to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Octavius Winslow.
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The power of the blood-Tommy Robbins
“And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering. And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger, and purified the altar …” Leviticus 8:14-15
It is the blood of Jesus Christ that appropriates justification for the chosen guilty sinner before the Holy God. The law of God must say either “guilty” or “not guilty”. Without the blood all the law can do is condemn.
The horns of the altar typifies power … that is power to execute condemnation to eternal death for sin… that is until Moses dipped his finger in the blood and smeared it upon the horns of the altar. The finger of God’s wrath penetrated the Sinless Sacrifice, opening a fountain of blood which spewed forth and saturated the law of God to the extent that all the law can say concerning those for whom it was shed is, “not guilty!”.
With the blood applied, all the law can do is justify. Without the blood the altar meant death, someone must die … with the blood the altar meant life, someone must live. God’s altar is purified by the blood of Jesus Christ. It is forever no more death for the elect of God because, “this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” Heb 10:12.
This is where, and in Whom, “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed [each other]”. Ps 85:10. The blood of Jesus Christ our Lord is not typical blood. Neither is His blood worthless in substance (as some would propagate). Neither is His blood in the hands of man to appropriate to themselves or to others. The blood of THE LAMB OF GOD is God’s offering to Himself, powerful to make satisfaction for the sins of those for whom it was shed.
The application of His blood is in the Hands of sovereign mercy and grace which was promised and given to His elect in covenant before the world began. His blood is the blood of The Everlasting Covenant.
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The covenant of grace!
(Charles Spurgeon, “The Blood of the Everlasting Covenant!” 1859)
“The blood of the everlasting covenant!” Hebrews 13:20
Long before the day-star knew its place,
long before God had spoken existence out of nothing,
long before angel’s wing had stirred the unnavigated ether,
long before a solitary song had disturbed the solemnity of the silence in which God reigned supreme
— the Father had entered into solemn counsel with Himself, with His Son, and with His Spirit — and had in that council decreed, determined, purposed, and predestined the salvation of His people!
On the Father’s part — thus ran the covenant. I cannot tell it to you in the glorious celestial tongue in which it was written. I am glad to bring it down to the speech which suits to the ear of flesh, and to the heart of a mortal. Thus, I say, ran the covenant in lines like these:
“I, the Most High Jehovah, do hereby give unto My only begotten and well-beloved Son — a people, countless beyond the number of the stars . . .
who shall be washed from sin by Him;
who shall be preserved, and kept, and led by Him; and
at last, who shall be presented before My throne without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing by Him.
I covenant by oath, and swear by Myself, because I can swear by no one greater, that these whom I now give to Christ — shall forever be the objects of My eternal love!
These, I will forgive through the merit of my Son’s blood.
To these, I will give a perfect righteousness.
These, I will I adopt and make My sons and daughters.
And these shall reign with Me through Christ eternally!”
The Holy Spirit also, as one of the contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration, “I hereby covenant, that all whom the Father gives to the Son —
I will in due time quicken.
I will show them their need of redemption.
I will cut off all their groundless hopes, and destroy their refuges of lies.
I will bring them to the blood of sprinkling.
I will give them faith whereby this blood shall be applied to them.
I will work in them every grace.
I will keep their faith alive.
I will cleanse them and drive out depravity from them.
And they shall be presented at last, spotless and faultless in Heaven!”
This was the one side of the covenant, which is at this very day being fulfilled and scrupulously kept.
The Lord Jesus also, as one of the contracting parties of the covenant, gave His declaration, “My Father, on My part, I covenant that in the fullness of time, I will become man. I will live in their wretched world — and for My people, I keep the law perfectly. I will work out a spotless righteousness for them, which shall be acceptable to the demands of Your just and holy law. In due time, I will bear the sins of all My people. You shall exact all their debts upon Me. By My stripes — they shall be healed. My Father, I covenant and promise that I will be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I will magnify Your law, and make it honorable. I will suffer all that My people ought to have suffered. I will endure the curse of Your law — and all the vials of Your wrath shall be emptied and spent upon My head! I will then rise again, and ascend into Heaven. I will intercede for them at Your right hand. I will make Myself responsible for every one of them — that not one of those whom You have given me, shall ever be lost! I will bring all My sheep of whom, by My blood, you have constituted Me the Shepherd — I will bring every one safe to You at last!”
Christ can say of what He promised to do, “It is finished!” He has paid the debts of all the elect. He has, for His people and for their redemption — suffered the whole of wrath divine. Nothing remains now, except that He shall continue to intercede for them — that He may safely bring all His redeemed to glory. All for whom Christ died, shall be pardoned — all justified — all adopted.
The Spirit shall quicken them all, shall give them all faith, shall bring them all to Heaven. And they shall, every one of them, without hindrance, stand accepted in the Beloved.
The antiquity of the covenant of grace demands our grateful attention. It is a truth which tends to elevate the mind. I know of no doctrine more grand than this! It is the very soul and essence of all Scripture! In sitting down and meditating upon it — I confess my spirit has sometimes been ravished with delight!
Can you conceive of the idea, that before all things — God thought of you? That when as yet He had not made His mountains — He had thought of you; you, a poor puny worm? Oh this cannot make us proud — but it must make us feel happy!