Sacred Blood
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Last week we finished Acts 14. Do you know what that means? We have officially reached the halfway point in our study of the book of Acts. I have really enjoyed taking our time, going through it strategically, and pulling out truth.
If we are not careful, we will treat the book of Acts as just a history book rather than a book we can actively learn from. But this journey through Acts has really driven home the point that Paul makes to Timothy:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
I hope this study of Acts up to this point has been impactful and purposeful for you as well
I hope this study of Acts up to this point has been impactful and purposeful for you as well.
Now, I know some of you thought we were past it, but today we’re going to talk about circumcision again. Because, clearly, I didn’t make all the men in the room uncomfortable enough the first time we covered it a few weeks ago!
And while we’re at it, let’s go ahead and make everyone uncomfortable—we’re also going to talk about the consumption of blood. So, if you were hoping for a nice, lighthearted sermon today… well, surprise!
But in all seriousness, these are two topics that come up in Acts 15. And as strange as they might sound to us today, they were at the center of a huge debate in the early church. The real question they were wrestling with was this: What does it take to be saved? Do Gentiles have to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses, or is salvation found in something greater?
Let’s explore Acts 15 with one central truth in mind: Salvation is by grace through faith, and Jesus’ sacrifice is sufficient for all.
Let’s turn to Acts 15 and see how the early church handled this issue.
And honestly, after an intro like that… perhaps we should pray before diving in!
Pray
Now, because Acts 15 picks up in the middle of where we stopped last week, let’s reread the last few verses of chapter 14 to set the stage.
24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.
Last week, we talked about the importance of being in each other’s daily lives, not just in each other’s Sunday routine. Paul and Barnabas didn’t just report back to the church and move on to their next mission—they stayed, they invested, they remained in fellowship. The early church wasn’t built on a once-a-week gathering; it was built on a community of believers living life together.
And that’s an important foundation, because what happens next in Acts 15 is going to test that community in a big way. A major debate is about to unfold.
Let’s dive into Acts 15 and see how the early church responded.
1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
The first thing we need to take note of here is how the passage starts: “Some men came down and were teaching.”
I want you to hear me clearly: False teachers exist.
From our perspective, it’s easy to see that these men were teaching something false. But consider the context. These weren’t outsiders, pagans, or people openly opposing Jesus. These were religious men—likely respected, seemingly devoted followers of God—who just walked in and said,
“If you want to follow Jesus, you must ______.”
This still happens today. We have so-called preachers, teachers, prophets, and self-proclaimed apostles who appear to be spiritual, appear to follow Jesus, but they spew nonsense and heretical teachings—and many people are led to hell because of it.
This is why discernment is critical.
Just because something sounds spiritual doesn’t make it truth. Just because someone claims to represent Jesus doesn’t mean they actually do.
We have to learn to test everything against the Word of God.
And hear me on this:
You don’t need the gift of discernment to identify false teaching—you need the Word of God.
A spiritual gift is not a substitute for God’s Word.
We have the incredible benefit of having the active, living, breathing Word of God in our hands. That is our standard.
There is not—and will never be—a substitute for the Bible.
It’s not an internet prophet.
It’s not a preacher.
It’s not a teacher.
It’s not a denomination.
It’s not an organization.
It’s not the Quran.
It’s not the Book of Mormon.
There is no substitute for the Word of God.
This is why, in verse 2, Paul and Barnabas stand up against this teaching of circumcision.
While they didn’t have the physical Bible quite yet, they knew the truth of the gospel—that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works of the law.
They didn’t sit back and let false teaching take root. They didn’t shrug it off and say, “Well, to each their own.” No, they confronted it head-on.
And notice, this wasn’t a minor disagreement—it says they had “no small dissension and debate with them” (v.2). In other words, this was a heated debate, and rightly so! Because when the gospel is at stake, silence is not an option.
Paul and Barnabas understood something we need to grasp today.
False teaching doesn’t just distort doctrine—it distorts salvation itself.
This wasn’t just about circumcision; this was about the very foundation of the gospel. If they allowed this teaching to spread, it wouldn’t just create confusion—it would create a false gospel that enslaved people to works rather than freeing them through grace.
This is why we must stand firm today,
Because if we don’t call out false teaching…
If we don’t defend the truth of the gospel…
If we just let people add to or twist the message of salvation…
Then we’re not just being passive—we’re letting people be deceived into believing a gospel that is leading them to Hell.
And that’s a big deal.
Paul and Barnabas take this issue back to the church in Jerusalem, where the apostles and elders gather for what is now known as the Jerusalem Council.
They share all that God had done among the Gentiles, testifying that salvation had come to them apart from the Law of Moses. But the issue of circumcision still comes up.
Now, skip down to verse 5 and look at what happens:
5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
At this moment, Peter stands up and declares truth.
He basically says, “Wait a minute—do you not remember what happened when God gave me the vision of the unclean food and told me to ‘rise, kill, and eat’? That vision wasn’t just about food—it was about the Gentiles receiving salvation!”
And not only that, but Peter saw it happen firsthand.
He reminds them of what happened with Cornelius and his household—how the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon the Jews at Pentecost. No circumcision. No law-keeping. Just faith.
So if God has already made it clear that salvation has come to the Gentiles, and we know they are saved because they received the Holy Spirit just like we did, why are we now trying to force them to submit to the Law of Moses?
Peter drives the point home:
“No one in our entire history—neither us nor our ancestors—has been able to fully uphold the law! Why would we put that same unbearable burden on them?”
And then Peter delivers one of the most powerful gospel statements in the entire book of Acts:
“We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (v.11)
That’s it. That’s the gospel.
Not law.
Not circumcision.
Not works.
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ—nothing else.
Now, Let’s go a little bit deeper. What is needed for salvation?
Let’s look at what the writer of Hebrews says:
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
Under the Old Covenant, it was the blood of animal sacrifices that temporarily atoned for sin.
But when Jesus came, He didn’t bring another temporary sacrifice—He became the sacrifice.
His own blood secured something no animal sacrifice ever could: eternal redemption.
The writer of Hebrews doubles down on this in verse 22:
22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
From the very beginning, God made it clear—sin demands a price, and that price is blood.
Under the Old Covenant, it was the blood of goats and calves—but it had to be repeated over and over again.
Under the New Covenant, it was the blood of Jesus—once for all, securing eternal redemption.
So what is needed for salvation?
Not circumcision.
Not law-keeping.
Not religious rituals.
Only the blood of Jesus.
Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.
And the good news is—His blood has already been shed.
So after Peter speaks up, the room falls silent and Paul and Barnabas begin once again sharing all that God has done through them in the gentiles.
But then, Jesus’ brother James speaks up—and he does something important. He doesn’t just rely on personal experience or emotion. He takes them back to the Word of God.
Skip down to verse 15, and look at what he says:
15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “ ‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’
James is quoting directly from Amos 9:11-12—a prophecy from hundreds of years earlier.
The tent of David (symbolizing the kingdom of Israel) had fallen, but God promised to rebuild it—not just for Israel, but so that the nations would seek Him.
This is proof that the Gentiles were never an afterthought in God’s plan of salvation.
God’s heart has always been for the Gentiles, too.
This means that salvation by grace through faith isn’t just something that Peter saw or Paul and Barnabas experienced—it’s something that God declared long ago through His prophets.
After quoting Amos 9 to prove that God’s heart has always included the Gentiles, James now gives his conclusion:
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
James is making it clear:
Gentiles are not required to follow the Law of Moses to be saved.
They do not need to be circumcised or take on Jewish customs.
But while James affirms freedom from the law, he does mention a few things that Gentile believers should still abstain from:
20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
James lists four things that Gentile believers should avoid:
1. Idols (pagan worship).
2. Sexual immorality (a common sin in Gentile culture).
3. Eating what has been strangled.
4. Consuming blood.
The first two are easy to understand—idolatry and sexual sin have no place in a believer’s life.
But why does James tell them to avoid strangled animals and blood?
To understand, we need to look at how God views blood.
James’ reference to strangled animals is about how an animal is killed for food.
• If an animal was strangled, its blood remained in the body rather than being properly drained.
• God had a strict law about consuming blood.
To understand why, let’s look at how God speaks about blood in Scripture:
10 And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.
From the very beginning, God gives significance to blood. He tells Cain that Abel’s blood cries out from the ground, showing that blood represents life.
But why is blood so important to God?
The answer is found in Leviticus 17:
10 “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. 12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
13 “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. 14 For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
Blood = Life
Blood is sacred because it represents life.
• In the Old Testament, blood was never to be consumed.
• Instead, it was used for atonement—for the forgiveness of sins.
God establishes this in Leviticus 4, when He gives Israel the law for sin offerings.
Here’s an example:
24 and the priests slaughtered them and made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel. For the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
This idea is echoed again in Hebrews 9, where we see that the shedding of blood is required for the forgiveness of sins.
God is clear: Humans are not to consume blood.
But what’s amazing is that all of these Old Testament sacrifices were pointing to something greater.
The blood of animals covered sin temporarily—but it was never enough.
That’s why Jesus came.
His blood didn’t just cover sin—it took sin away forever.
Even though we are not under the Old Testament law, God’s command not to consume blood remains clear.
That’s what makes Jesus statement in John 6 so shocking.
53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
At face value, Jesus is telling people to do two things:
1. Consume human flesh.
2. Drink His blood.
Two things that God had already made clear in Scripture were strictly forbidden.
No wonder people were perplexed—so much so that many walked away from Jesus because of this statement.
And honestly, can you blame them?
But then, later, at Passover, Jesus doubles down on this idea.
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
In the Old Testament, God commanded His people not to consume blood.
Yet now, Jesus is saying, “Drink my blood.”
Not only that—at the Passover, Jesus takes a cup of wine, hands it to His disciples, and says:
“This is my blood.”
So what’s going on here?
Let’s Be Clear:
Communion Is Not the Literal Blood of Jesus
Before we go any further, we need to address a false doctrine that is often concluded from this passage.
The cup at Passover was not Jesus’ literal blood.
When we take Communion, it does not become the literal blood and flesh of Jesus.
I want to make that clear.
So why, then, does Jesus use this language?
Blood = Life
Throughout the Bible, blood represents life.
And that’s the key to understanding what Jesus is saying.
The only life that humans are meant to consume is the life of Jesus—because He is eternal life.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
When Jesus says, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood,” He’s not talking about physically consuming Him.
He’s saying, “I am your life. I am your source. Just as food and drink sustain your body, I alone sustain your soul.”
His blood doesn’t just cover sin—it takes it away forever.
We are not meant to consume physical blood—but we are meant to consume the life of Jesus.
We do this by trusting in Him completely, abiding in Him, and recognizing that He alone is our salvation, through grace and faith Alone.
Without Him, there is no life.
That’s why He says:
“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.”
Because He is life itself.
We have covered a deep and foundational truth today—one that was at the center of debate in Acts 15, but also at the core of our faith today:
What does it take to be saved?
The answer has never changed:
• Not circumcision.
• Not law-keeping.
• Not religious rituals.
• Not human effort.
Only the blood of Jesus.
Only grace through faith in Christ.
The early church had to settle this once and for all—not just for the Gentiles, but for all believers: Salvation is through Christ alone.
And the same is true today.
The world is filled with false gospels—some that add requirements to salvation, some that twist who Jesus is, and some that deny the power of His blood altogether.
But here’s what we must hold on to:
• Jesus is enough.
• His sacrifice is sufficient.
• His blood alone brings life.
What Does This Mean for Us?
1. Test everything against God’s Word.
• False teachers existed in Acts 15, and they exist today.
• The Word of God is our standard—there is no substitute.
2. Stand firm in the true gospel.
• Like Paul and Barnabas, we cannot remain silent when the truth of the gospel is distorted.
• Salvation is by grace through faith—nothing else.
3. Recognize that Christ alone is our life.
• When Jesus said, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood,” He was saying, “I am your source. I am your life.”
• We are not called to consume physical blood, but we are called to consume the life of Christ—to fully trust in Him for our salvation.
Final Thought
If you’ve been relying on anything other than Jesus to make you right with God, today is the day to lay that burden down.
The early church had to decide:
Would they trust in grace alone—or would they cling to the old ways?
The answer was clear then, and it’s clear now:
We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. (Acts 15:11)
Let’s hold firm to that truth today
