The Covenant of Cleansing — How Blood Restores Relationship and Presence

Excellent — continuing the series “The Day God Cleaned House: What the Bible Really Says About Sin and Sacred Space.” Here is Sermon 4, written in your new expanded format with deeper explanation and balanced application.

Sermon 4: The Covenant of Cleansing — How Blood Restores Relationship and Presence

Primary Texts

Exodus 24:7–8 (ESV)

“Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.’”

Luke 22:19–20 (ESV)

“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.’ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’”

Opening Prayer

Holy Father, from Sinai to Calvary, You have shown us that Your goal is not distance but fellowship. Thank You for the covenant sealed in blood that restores what sin had broken. Help us understand that Your covenant is not just an agreement—it is shared life, shared presence, and shared purpose. Let Your Spirit write Your laws upon our hearts as we renew our covenant through Christ’s blood. In His name we pray, amen.

Abstract

The story of Scripture is the story of covenants—divine relationships sealed with life-giving blood. In the Old Testament, the blood sprinkled on Israel marked them as God’s people; in the New Testament, Christ’s blood inaugurates a new covenant that restores God’s presence to His purified family. This sermon explores the covenant of cleansing, showing how blood both binds and restores, uniting heaven and earth through divine relationship. Covenant is more than contract—it is communion. Through it, God shares His life with His people, restoring the intimacy lost through sin and inviting humanity back into His sacred presence.

Sermon Outline (25 Minutes)

Point 1 – Covenant Is God’s Way of Sharing Life (Genesis 15:9–10; Exodus 24:8)

From Abraham to Moses, God established covenants through blood, symbolizing the exchange of life. In Hebrew thought, to “cut a covenant” meant life was shared, and death stood as the consequence for betrayal.

Expanded Explanation: When God made covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15), animals were divided and God alone passed between the pieces. The act symbolized His pledge to bear the cost of broken fellowship Himself. At Sinai, Moses sprinkled blood on the altar and the people—binding heaven and earth in shared life. This blood represented not wrath but relationship: God pledging His presence and Israel pledging obedience.

Application: Covenant means God is not a distant deity but a faithful partner. When you come to Christ, you enter not a cold contract but a living bond. God has promised His presence, provision, and purpose in your life. Faithfulness in return is not legalism—it is love that honors the shared life God has given you.

Point 2 – The Old Covenant Could Clean the Outside but Not the Heart (Hebrews 9:9–10; Jeremiah 31:31–33)

The blood of bulls and goats purified the tabernacle but could not transform the inner life. Israel’s problem was not ritual impurity but relational rebellion. God desired not only external obedience but internal renewal.

Expanded Explanation: Jeremiah prophesied a new covenant in which God would write His law on human hearts (Jeremiah 31:31–33). The old covenant exposed sin but could not eradicate it. The blood on the altar was a symbol of God’s patience, a temporary covering until a better priest and a better sacrifice arrived.

Application: Outward religion without inward transformation is still a broken covenant. Church attendance, rituals, or words cannot replace repentance and love. God wants your heart more than your habits. When Christ’s blood cleanses your conscience, obedience becomes an act of delight, not duty.

Point 3 – Christ’s Blood Sealed the New Covenant of the Spirit (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 9:15)

At the Last Supper, Jesus lifted the cup and declared, “This is the new covenant in my blood.” That moment marked the transition from shadow to substance—from temporary purification to eternal fellowship.

Expanded Explanation: The old covenant was mediated by priests who could not perfect the people they served. The new covenant is mediated by Christ Himself, whose Spirit dwells within His followers. Through His blood, God’s presence now resides not in stone temples but in human hearts. The covenant of cleansing is therefore personal and portable—wherever the believer goes, God’s sanctuary moves with them.

Application: When you partake of communion, remember that you are participating in the renewal of that covenant. You are drinking from the life of Christ, reaffirming that your existence belongs to Him. You don’t live for God; you live with God. His covenant means He is always with you—in the ordinary, in the struggle, and in the sacred.

Point 4 – Covenant Cleansing Restores God’s Presence to His People (Exodus 29:44–46; Revelation 21:3)

Every covenant aims at one goal: God dwelling among His people. The blood cleanses not for ceremony but for communion. From the tabernacle to the cross to the New Jerusalem, God’s heart has been to dwell with His family.

Expanded Explanation: Exodus 29:46 declares God’s purpose plainly: “They shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them.” Revelation 21:3 fulfills that promise: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” The covenant that began in blood ends in eternal presence.

Application: You are a walking temple of that promise. When your heart is clean, God’s presence manifests in your life—peace replaces anxiety, love displaces fear, and holiness disarms corruption. The covenant of cleansing calls the church to embody sacred space in the midst of a defiled world.

Closing Prayer

Covenant-keeping God, we thank You for the blood that binds us to You. May our lives reflect Your faithfulness and our hearts remain clean through the power of Christ. Restore to us the joy of Your presence and teach us to live as people of covenant love. Let our communion with You overflow into compassion for others, that the world may see Your dwelling among Your people. Through Jesus, our Mediator, amen.

20 Keywords / Tags

Covenant; Blood of Christ; Exodus 24; Luke 22; New Covenant; Communion; Sacred Space; Presence of God; Fellowship; Hebrews 9; Jeremiah 31; Divine Relationship; Covenant Theology; Old and New Covenants; Restoration; Worship and Holiness; Cleansing; Christ the Mediator; The Lord’s Supper; Redemption.

3 Topics

Covenant Theology — Understanding the blood as the bond of divine relationship.

Transformation of the Heart — Moving from external ritual to internal renewal.

Presence Restored — How the covenant of cleansing makes believers God’s dwelling place.

Would you like me to proceed with Sermon 5, the final message in the series: “The Day God Cleaned House: How the Blood of Christ Restored Heaven’s Council”, expanded in this same style to complete the collection?