Hebrews 10:19-22 NLT
[19] “And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. [20] By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. [21] And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, [22] let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.”
Blood sacrifice is the core of our relationship with God. Worship in God’s covenant with Israel was built on a variety of animal sacrifices for various situations. No one was permitted to approach God without blood. Every inanimate object used for worship rituals was set apart by the sprinkling of blood, even to the high priest, the priests and their garments, who served in the tabernacle and temple.
What was the significance of blood?
Scripture makes two profound pronouncements about blood.
Leviticus 17:11 NLT
[11]”…The life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.”
Hebrews 9:22 NLT
[22] “In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.”
Shed blood is God’s remedy for sin.
1 John 1:7-9 NLT
[7] “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. [8] If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. [9] But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
The Israelites were forbidden to ingest blood in any form since
“the life is in the blood”.
Animal blood both symbolised and substituted for the only blood that can atone for sin. It pointed to a sacrifice that, from God’s perspective, was made before time began but effected in history by His Son at Passover.
The Israelites, influenced by their idolatrous neighbours and through their own idolatry, began to abuse the purpose of animal sacrifices. Rather than a reminder of God’s holiness and the cost of sin, they sacrificed countless animals as an excuse for sin.
Hosea 8:12-13 NLT
[12] “Even though I gave them all my laws, they act as if those laws don’t apply to them. [13] The people love to offer sacrifices to me, feasting on the meat, but I do not accept their sacrifices. I will hold my people accountable for their sins, and I will punish them. They will return to Egypt.”
Isaiah 1:11-15 NLT
[11] “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. [12] When you come to worship me, who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony? [13] Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting— they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. [14] I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! [15] When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.”
Though the hearts of God’s people were rotten with sin, they hid behind their sacrifices as an excuse to keep sinning. They thought that their sacrifices guaranteed God’s forgiveness. Instead, all the animal blood they shed only multiplied their guilt.
Unfortunately, some believers also harbour the subtle idea that God’s forgiveness through the blood of Jesus covers a sinful lifestyle. They choose to sin, thinking that they can ask for forgiveness after they have sinned.
Nothing can be farther from the truth. The Bible clearly states God’s case.
1 John 3:4, 8, 10 NLT
[4] Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God…
[8] But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning from the beginning…
[10] So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”
Continuing to practise sin as a way of life clearly indicates that the sinner has not understood God’s grace and that His grace has had no effect on them.
Romans 6:1-3 NLT
[1]”Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? [2] Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? [3] Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death?”
The blood of Jesus not only forgives and cleanses us from sin, it also gives us the motive and power for living new lives of righteousness and holiness. The Holy Spirit provides the power and the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus the motive.
Our union, by faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection, symbolised in our water baptism, has moved us from living under the influence of the sinful world system to the kingdom of God, to live under His authority and control.
Romans 6:4 NLT
[4] “For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”
Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
[13]”For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”
This transfer from darkness to light also means that we have a new nature, the nature of Jesus, superimposed on our old nature which still demands self-rule and drives us with ungodly desires.
So, there is a relentless war going on inside those who have been born from above, flesh against spirit and spirit against flesh. The outcome for the winner is eternal life or death.
Romans 8:5-8, 12-13 NLT
[5] “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. [6] So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. [7] For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. [8] That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God…
[12] Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”
Eternal life is the destiny of those who purposefully follow the path of righteousness, holiness, and truth through obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Romans 6:20-23 NLT
[20] “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. [21] And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. [22] But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:5-8, 12-13 NLT
[5] “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. [6] So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. [7] For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. [8] That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.
[12] Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. [13] For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.”
However, those who have been born of God also have a guarantee.
1 John 3:9 NLT
[9] “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”
1 John 3:9 NIV
[9] “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed (Greek – sperma) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”
What if we fall into sin despite our desire to live by and walk in the Spirit?
We have the assurance that God will forgive our sin if…
1 John 1:9 NLT
[9] “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
We have a legal representative who pleads our case.
1 John 2:1-2 NLT
[1] “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. [2] He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”
Of all the blood offered on all the altars in the world for all time, there is only one sacrifice for sin that is acceptable and irresistible to God.
1 Peter 1:18-20 NLT
[18]”For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. [19] It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. [20] God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.”
Why is the blood of Christ precious (Greek meaning ‘honoured, valuable, costly, priceless’)?
Jesus offered His blood as an eternal sacrifice.
Hebrews 9:13-14 NLT
[13]”Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. [14] Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.”
His blood ratified the New Covenant.
Hebrews 13:20 NLT
[20]” Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—”…
He lives forever to present His blood to the Father, to make intercession for us.
Hebrews 7:24-25 NLT
[24] “But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. [25] Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.”
His once-for-all sacrifice makes us holy.
Hebrews 10:14 NLT
[14]” For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.”
How do we know that faith in this acceptable, irresistible sacrifice has changed our lives? There is one test, one evidence that God’s grace is effective.
1 John 3:14 NLT
[14]”If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.”
Since God has given us only two commandments in the New Covenant…
1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”
… the test of obedience is simple.
1 John 3:10 NLT
[10] “So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”