There is Power in the Blood

“There is Power in the Blood”

Text: Leviticus 17.11 – “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the

                                        altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of

                                        the life that makes atonement.”

Introduction:

(1)    The Bible speaks a lot about blood.

(2)    In Leviticus 17.11, Moses tells us that life is in the blood and that blood alone makes atonement for our souls.

(3)    L. E. Jones discussed this when he wrote the song, “There is Power in the Blood.”

Discussion:

I.                   Man’s Situation:

A.    We are sinners.

1.      “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one;” (Rom. 3.10).

2.      “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3.23)

3.      “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear” (Isa. 59.2).

4.      “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6.23).

B.     We could not save ourselves:

1.      “Not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Eph. 2.9).

2.      “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isa 64.6).

C.     The Old Testament Law could not save us:

“For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10.4).

D.    We needed a Savior!

II.                God’s Solution:

A.    God made the decision to send Jesus to pay the debt for us.

1.      “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3.16).

2.      All throughout the OT, He was working out this scheme of redemption

(cf. Rom. 8.28-30).

B.     Jesus was willing to come to earth to pay the debt for us.

1.      “Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2.6-8).

2.      “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father” (John 10.17-18).

C.     How was the debt paid?

1.      Jesus came as the lamb of God (cf. John 1.39).

a.       He was a lamb without spot and without blemish (cf. 1 Pet. 1.19).

b.      As in the OT, the lamb was there to be sacrificed for sins.

2.      Jesus willfully allowed Himself to be put to death upon the cross to be sacrificed for our sins.

3.      On the cross, He shed His blood (cf. John 19.34), which alone can cleanse man’s sins (cf. John 14.6).

a.       Peter called it the “precious blood” (cf. 1 Pet. 1.19).

b.      Jesus told us, “For this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” (Matt. 26.28).

c.       With His blood, “we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Rom. 5.9).

d.      His blood not only rolled forward but also backward (cf. Heb. 9.15).

e.       His blood not only takes care of sin once but also as many times as we will come to Him (cf. 1 John 1.7).

f.       Therefore, spiritually speaking, only His blood has life (cf. John 6.54).

III.             Man’s Salvation:

A.    True, Christ died for all man (cf. Heb. 2.9), but not all will not saved

(cf. Matt. 7.13-14).

B.     Therefore, we must do something in order to come into contact with Jesus’ blood.

1.      Obviously, what we do can in no way compare to what God and Jesus has done.

2.      Nevertheless, we must do something to access the saving blood of Jesus.

a.       We must hear the gospel (Rom. 10.17).

b.      We must believe in Jesus (Heb. 11.6).

c.       We must repent of our sins (Luke 13.3).

d.      We must confess our Savior (Rom. 10.9-10).

e.       We must be baptized (Acts 2.38).

(1)    Baptism does not earn salvation, it simply puts us into contact with the blood of Jesus, which alone cleanses our sins (cf. Rom. 6.3-5).

(2)    Also consider:

(a)    Jesus’ blood also purchased the church (cf. Acts 20.28).

(b)    Hence, the church is the place of the saved.

(c)    God only adds people to the church and the ones whom He adds are the ones who are willing to repent and be baptized (cf. Acts 2.38-47).

Conclusion:

(1)    Do you desire to be made as white as snow (cf. Isa. 1.18)?

(2)    If so, then come to Jesus!