The Seed Blog: The Priceless Blood of Jesus, Part 1

I have heard many an Old Baptist Preacher...Giving sermons about "The Blood of Christ!"...Usually in a fiery sermon about Salvation!...How "The Blood" is the Only Way to Heaven!...And this is all good... And all true!...But as a NEW Christian... Sermons about "The Blood"...Always seemed somewhat odd... Almost violent at times! Sometimes even leaving me a bit creeped out...As to WHY God Did Things this Way! Rarely was there a full explanation...Of exactly WHAT the Blood of Christ did...WHY [...]

I have heard many an Old Baptist Preacher...Giving sermons about "The Blood of Christ!"...Usually in a fiery sermon about Salvation!...How "The Blood" is the Only Way to Heaven!...And this is all good... And all true!...But as a NEW Christian... Sermons about "The Blood"...Always seemed somewhat odd... Almost violent at times! Sometimes even leaving me a bit creeped out...As to WHY God Did Things this Way! Rarely was there a full explanation...Of exactly WHAT the Blood of Christ did...WHY God Had to Act in this manner to Save us...
And exactly WHY the "Blood" was so Powerful and Important!
Today it seemsThe EXACT OPPOSITE SEEMS TRUE! Rarely do you hear any lessons given about the Blood of Christ...Many more "Progressive" churches purposefully choose...To LEAVE OUT the Blood completely in their teachings!
 
Because they don't want to sound shocking and offensive...And more importantly...
Because many do not feel the Blood of Christ…Is even relevant to Salvation!
 
If you take a realistic and honest look at Our Scriptures...There is NOT one place... From beginning to end...Which does not powerfully Speak of "The Blood!" God Purposefully Made It Front & Center… Before everything else!Something GOD Speaks of THAT Powerfully and Repeatedly...Must be Vitally Important! Must not be missed!
 
So let's pause today... And take a deep, hard look at "The Blood" of Christ!
Because... UNTIL you truly understand...EVERYTHING It Has Done for you and I...You will never truly understand God's Real Heart...Never truly understand all that has been done for you...Never truly understand all that has been given to you...
Never truly understand... The horrid nature of your own heart and sins!
 
Our first question is this... "Why Blood?" Of all of the things God could have used…To illustrate His Love and Forgiveness... Why Blood?!
 
TWO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT REASONS:
 
ONE: To show the HORRIBLE EFFECT...The death, destruction, loneliness and pain caused…By the selfish ways of our sin! To illustrate with BLATANT BRUTAL realism... What our ways of sin BRINGS TO OTHERS...And the PROPER REPERCUSSIONS of such actions!
 
James 1:14-15 (HCSB)
14  But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desires. 15  Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death.
 
Isaiah 59:2-3, 6-9, 15-16 (HCSB) (Beautiful inside look at God’s Heart!)
2  But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you so that He does not listen. 3  For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers, with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongues mutter injustice... 6 ...Their works are sinful works, and violent acts are in their hands. 7  Their feet run after evil, and they rush to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and wretchedness are in their paths. 8  They have not known the path of peace, and there is no justice in their ways. They have made their roads crooked; no one who walks on them will know peace. 9  Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us... 15  Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil is plundered. The LORD saw that there was no justice, and He was offended. 16  He saw that there was no man— He was amazed that there was no one interceding...
 
God saw the death, violence and hate in every heart! That every one of us is not only capable of...Were it not for fear of embarrassment or loss to self...But guilty of within our hidden hearts and minds! He Sees the thoughts, hate and selfishness in us all! The very fact that HE IS LOVE…Means that He Will Not Tolerate this kind of pain and evil! Will Not Tolerate this kind of death and destruction!
 
Though He Loves US Dearly... This kind of evil can only be taken away... Only properly punished and brought to justice...With the same violence it brings! DEATH!  Shedding of Blood!
 
Romans 5:12 (HCSB)
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.
 
Romans 6:23 (HCSB)
For the wages of sin is death...
 
TWO... "WHY THE BLOOD?"
 
It shows JUST how Far Our GOD would GO...To save us from our own evil and just end...To remove the death from us...Rather than… Give us what we deserve!
 
He would rather offer His Own Blood...In the place of ours...He would rather be…Viciously torn apart as punishment for our sins... Than see us get the end we deserve...The "Blood" represents the Greatest Love ever Given...The Greatest, most Horrible, most Devastating Act...The Most Giving and Costly of Sacrifices...To SAVE US... Rather than LOSE us!
 
It is MEANT… To be CRUDE... EYE-OPENING... UGLY!!! Because THAT…IS the STARK REALITY of what HE Suffered FOR US!
 
The BLOOD... Represents Complete and Total Giving…Of Our GOD HIMSELF...THE COST He was willing to PAY for YOU!
 
Not Just ANY Blood!
 
Now stop and think for a moment...Before we talk about the Importance of the Blood of Christ! Modern Biology shows us...That the blood of a developing baby in the womb...Has a contribution from the mother and the father...To create the baby's own blood! Contrary to popular opinion...The baby's blood never, ever mixes with, or touches the mother's...The baby does NOT get any blood from the mother at all...EVERY DROP OF BLOOD… Is produced WITHIN the Baby...
And is totally separate and distinct from the mother!
 
First of all... As an HONEST CHRISTIAN…That does away with the proclamation, "My body, my choice!" Because it is a truly separate life within the mother's body...From the very first blood cell formed!
 
NOW...  Stop and think of the Blood of Christ for a moment...Our Savior Loves us so much...That He took on all the literal traits of humanity...From that sweet young virgin named Mary...And all of the Literal Traits of God Himself...From the Holy Spirit Who Came to Mary...To Grow His Own UNIQUE BLOOD...Unlike EITHER of the TWO individually!
 
A "Blood Bond"... A Literal "Blood Brother" with us in humanity...But Holding all the Perfection, Holiness, Goodness, and Love of God! HE LITERALLY CHOSE TO BECOME ONE WITH US… IN THE MOST INTIMATE WAY!
 
This was the most UNIQUE, PRECIOUS, ONE-OF-A-KIND BLOOD...That ever coursed through Human Veins! It was the ONLY BLOOD IN MANKIND'S HISTORY...CAPABLE OF JOINING MAN AND GOD TOGETHER AGAIN!
CAPABLE OF CARRYING THE WEIGHT AND JUDGMENT OF THE WORLD...
JUSTIFIABLY REDEEMING US AGAIN!
 
Hebrews 2:11-12, 14-15, 16-18 (HCSB)
11  For the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12  saying: I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing hymns to You in the congregation... 14  Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil— 15  and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.... 17  Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18  For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested.
 
What a Picture... That God Alone Could Create!!! That Jesus would ride into town on the very day predicted...Over 500 years before He was born! Ride into Jerusalem on the very day the Jews...Were to choose a lamb for sacrifice to cover their sins...On a Feast that had been celebrated for 1400 years! Only to Die on the cross... Historically verified...At the same time the sacrificial lambs of the Feast of Passover...Were to be killed for over 1400 years... By no ability or choice of His Own in this Life...As to WHEN He would Die... Or how!
 
What price could you put…ONE DROP of such Blood as THIS?! That was Capable of Redeeming every man and woman...Back to God for all Eternity?!
 
1 Peter 1:18-19 (HCSB)
18  For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19  but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish.
 
OUR BLOOD HAD TO BE SPILLED FOR OUR EVIL! SO… OUR GOD TOOK ON OUR OWN LITERAL BLOOD…BECAME ONE WITH THOSE HE LOVED… BLOOD-BROTHERS… FAMILY…TO SHED HIS BLOOD… MIXED WITH OURS…TO BE OUR REDEMPTION… AND HAVE US WITH HIM AGAIN!!
COULD THERE BE A GREATER LOVE?!
 
What Else The Blood Did For Us!
 
Most people stop right here...As far as what they think the "Blood of Jesus" did for them! That is often WHY we live weak and frustrated lives…As Christians!
Missing so much that was Given to us…Through His Awesome Gift!
 
Look at what Jesus' Sacrifice has Bought for us! He Literally Sealed a Covenant of MARRIAGE with us...Signed it with His Own Blood! Giving us HIS OWN NAME before the Father...Giving us HIS OWN GLORY before the Father...
Giving us His Privilege and Access before the Father...What do you think that is Worth?
 
Think of what His Blood bought for us! Are you even using that privilege?!!
Do you show Him that you KNOW what He did?...And use what is given to you?
Or do you wallow in your own failures and sin? That His Precious Blood took away?!
 
He used the example of the Covenant of Marriage...Because He Wants not ONLY to save us...But... Be completely ONE with us!  BIGGEST THING TO GET! Know us... And be Known... Share with us... NOW! To take away our embarrassment and shame in Front of Him... So we can be FREE to enjoy Him in Boldness and Love... Join Him in His Work!  Pray in confidence! He BOUGHT US OUT OF SLAVERY! His Blood is a MARK on us for eternity...A Mark just like the one on the door of the Israelites...On that first Passover in Egypt!
 
That says we are untouchable by the enemy...Unless He Wills it... Because He Bought us BACK! We now WEAR HIS MARK! We are His…HIS BLOOD IS THE WEDDING RING! That Says… I am His… And He is mine!!! I’m OFF LIMITS!
Do you PRAY in THAT Authority and Pride? Do you CLAIM that Mark over you and your family?! He has Sanctified and set us apart…To be FILLED and EMPOWERED by His Spirit! God... Living inside of us... Always...He Gives us Power to love and forgive beyond self! He Gives us knowledge and direction!
He directs our path...His Blood is like our physical blood…Removing toxins…
Bringing all we need to live!
 
2 Peter 1:3 (ESV)
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,
 
HE Gives us strength to resist selfish sin...Strength to live righteously and in love…He Gives us more Faith when we ask!If we just lean on His Presence...
Bought by His Blood! Trust and USE what He Bought for you! We just need to recognize and surrender to Him in trust! It is REAL... It was Bought and Paid for by HIM!
 
Do you recognize this? Trust this?  Live in this? Or are you living as though NONE of this was PURCHASED for you...By the Blood?!
 
Stop feeling defeated and guilty when you have messed up again...IT WAS NEVER YOU!! UNDERSTAND WHAT HIS BLOOD DID FOR YOU...AND SIMPLY WORSHIP AND CELEBRATE HIM! LIVE THE LIFE OF FREEDOM IN HIM...
THAT HIS BLOOD BOUGHT FOR YOU! YOU WERE NOT SAVED TO LIVE GUILTY AND BEATEN DOWN!
 
Lastly... Know that the enemy... Satan himself...And all of his innumerable demons...Who have devoted themselves to leave us broken, tortured and lost!
Have ONCE AND FOR ALL...BEEN COMPLETELY DEFEATED...BY ONE DROP OF THIS PRECIOUS BLOOD FROM GOD! Because of the Blood...
Satan lost all rights to go before the Father and condemn you! He will be cast away forever... Never to hurt us again...Because he was defeated at the first drop of Blood which fell!
 
Revelation 12:11 (ESV)
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
 
SO STOP BEING DEFEATED BY HIS ACCUSATION! Jesus said a very strange thing to His Followers when on earth...Which made many turn away in disgust and confusion…And is not taught very often... Because it is hard to understand...But in actuality... Is one of the most powerful Saying of Jesus!
 
John 6:53-57 (HCSB)
53  So Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54  Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, 55  because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. 56  The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him. 57  Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me.
 
Obviously Jesus is not Saying we should resort to cannibalism! He is saying... That just as the blood of our veins...Supplies every cell of our bodies with what we need...
HE... Gives us EVERYTHING WE NEED TO LIVE IN HIM! As the blood is to our bodies...His Blood is to our SOULS! So take what you need from His Gift…Live by the Power of the Blood DAILY! IN HIM…
 
He Gave Himself FOR us…  Saved.
That He Might Give Himself TO us…  Fellowship/Empowered.
That He Might Give Himself THROUGH us!  Working and loving.
 
Salvation for Eternity...
Boldness and peace instead of our shame...
Marked for Protection forever...
Oneness with God beyond our understanding or deserving...
Power to live in love and righteousness...
Seen as Jesus Christ Himself by the Father!
Literally made Blood-Kin to Our Savior God Himself!
 
Realize what that...Wonderful... Awful...Beautiful... Horrible...Act of Love... In an Act of Death...  Brought... With One Drop! Claim It... Live in It... And REJOICE