The Saving Power of Christ's Shed Blood

There is a song where the chorus sings "have you been washed with the blood of the lamb". I

imagine lost people must here a song like that and think it is sick. I mean who would wash themselves with blood. It sounds like something a crazy person would do. What most people don't understand, is that without that precious blood, no one could make it to heaven. It is by believing that Jesus shed his blood for our sins, that people are able to get into heaven. No, I do not believe that when believers get to heaven, they have to wash themselves in Christ's shed blood. The blood that Jesus shed, was payment for the sins of the world. Being washed in Christ's blood, means your sins are covered and washed away, upon believing. God the father would accept this precious blood as payment for all sin. The one who created the earth and mankind, could sacrifice himself as payment for all sin.

Jesus was the son of God, born of a virgin. No man had ever been with Mary, she was pure, undefiled. God the father was also pure and undefiled. Jesus blood was pure and holy, so he was without sin. All people with human fathers are born into sin, because of Adams transgression in the Garden of Eden. Since Jesus father was God he knew no sin, and was incapable of committing sin. For Jesus blood to be accepted, it had to be pure and without sin. If Jesus had a sin nature and committed just one sin in his life, the blood would be defiled, and useless. It would be like washing dishes with a dirty diaper. It wouldn't do any good. Lets take a look at some scripture about the shed blood of Christ.

1 John 1:7- But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Matthew 26:28 - For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Hebrews 9:12 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Revelation 1:5 - And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Colossians 1:14 - In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Acts 20:28 - Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Here are just a few of many verses dealing with the saving power of Christs shed blood. Hebrews 9:12 talks about the blood of goats and calves. Lets dive into why it mentions that.

In the old testament, Israel lived under the law created by God. There was a list of rules they were to live by. Over time, ultra religious Jews created hundreds more of their own laws, undermining God in the process. In the original Law, the Jews were to pay for their sins with animal sacrifices. They had to shed the blood of innocent animals, for the evil they committed.

Leviticus 17:11 - For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

They would use doves, bulls, goats, sheep, and often times God would require a lamb without spot for a sacrifice. A lamb that was flawless and innocent. A lamb is a helpless animal, that needs people to protect them. The Jews knew they needed to have such an animal at the ready, so they took great care in raising it. It would become like the family pet. If they had to sacrifice it, they would have to listen to it scream as it was being killed. Sacrificing an animal like this, showed these people the how vile their sin was in the eyes of God. Jesus was also called the Lamb without spot. He was pure and holy, and without blemish.

Exodus 12:5- Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

Deuteronomy 17:1 - Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

God expected a perfect sacrifice. None of these animal sacrifices actually took away sin. They were just a symbol of the sacrifice Jesus would make. None of these Jews could make it to heaven with these sacrifices. They were only good enough to pay for individual sins, and had no redeeming power.

Hebrews 10:4 - For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

This verse reinforces Hebrews 9:12, in that animal blood can not save. The old testament Jews made it to heaven by putting their faith in the coming Messiah. The one who takes away the sins of the world. After Christ died on the cross, it was faith in his death, burial, and resurrection that got people to heaven. That is the age we are in today. The law of the Old Testament Jews does not apply to us. Neither does any good works apply to salvation. It is by Christ alone that our sins are paid for. My hope is for everyone who reads this to believe. I hope this was a blessing to you, and I will leave you with the good news, the gospel.

I Corinthians 15

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: