Grace by the Blood

Grace and Wrath

—and the blood of Christ (Romans 5:89).

This lesson is anchored in a statement Paul made about the grace of God.

Romans 5:89

¶“8But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us. 9Much more then shall we be saved from the wrath of God,

having now been justified by his blood” (Romans 5:89).

Paul later expressed this very simply, when he said, "Consider the goodness and

severity of God" (Romans 11:22). The goodness of God is his love. The severity

of God is his wrath. These are two sides1 to God’s nature.

1Note:— Two Sides of God’s Nature. When we say that God’s grace and

God’s wrath are two sides to his nature, we do not mean that God has a good side and an

evil side. The love of God is a righteous love, and the anger of God is a righteous anger.

There is no more evil in God’s wrath than there is in his grace.

Three Elements of Salvation in Romans 5:89.

In the text quoted at the top of this lesson there are three elements of salvation. These

are: (1) what sinners are saved by; (2) what sinners are saved from; and (3) what makes this salvation possible.

1 Saved By God’s Grace

Paul says that God demonstrated his love both for Paul himself and for the Roman

Christians. Paul knew that he didn't deserve to be loved by God, because he was a

sinner. But God did love Paul, and made provision for Paul’s salvation. Paul rejoiced

in this grace of God toward him, and he put all his hope in God’s love.

"Through our Lord Jesus Christ we have access by faith into this grace in which we

stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).

We can have every confidence that the grace shown to Paul and the Roman Christians

will also be shown to you and me, provided we believe and obey the gospel that Paul

preached and that they all believed and obeyed.

2 Saved From God’s Wrath

Paul goes on to say, in the plainest of words, what it is that God saves people from.

There are long and detailed answers to that question in Paul’s writings and the rest of

Scripture. However Paul here in verse 9 sums it up in four words: "we are saved from

the wrath of God" (Romans 5:9).

Paul believed in the wrath of God against all sinners. "For the wrath of God is

revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who

suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 5:18).

Is there any way of escape from this wrath of God? Can God’s anger be turned away

from us? Is there anyone who can save us from the retribution we deserve?

Paul’s answer is a definite yes. The same righteousness of God that would justly

condemn and punish us is also able to offer us salvation and forgiveness —for not

only is the wrath of God righteous, but so is the mercy and grace of God.

So Paul says,

"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, as

witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, the very righteousness of God through faithin Christ Jesus, to all and upon all who believe..." (Romans 3:2124).

The law of God is righteous and its condemnation of the sinner is quite just. But that leaves the sinner subject to God’s wrath. So sinners must hope that the righteousness of God can also include mercy and forgiveness, alongside the law that condemns. By the grace of God, that hope is found true in Jesus.

3 Saved Through Christ’s Blood

Paul continues, "For there is no difference. All have sinned, and all fall short of the glory of God. But they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Him God presented as an atonement, by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness... so he could be righteous, and make righteous the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:2526).

So God has provided a means of mercy and forgiveness, a means of atonement or

reconciliation, in the blood of Jesus Christ. By his sacrifice, we are able to escape the wrath of God. And God can do all this for us righteously, so powerful is his love.

God can make us righteous by the sacrifice and shed blood of Jesus. We became unrighteous, but God is able to reverse that, blot out the record of our sins and record instead that we are believers whom God has been able to "make righteous". In the

Bible, by the way, being made righteous is often called being “justified”.

God places one condition on this salvation, this redemption, this atonement, this justification. If you want it, you must believe (have faith) in Jesus. For God will

"make righteous the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:26).

Moreover, this faith must be obedient to Christ. Paul discusses this in chapter six.

"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Most certainly not! Don't you understand that, if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you really become the slaves of that one you obey? You can be slaves who obey sin and die, or a slaves who obey God and are thus made righteous"

(Romans 6:1516)

People are made righteous by God through the blood of Jesus when they have an obedient faith in him. That's the simple, wonderful truth, and I commend it to you.

God’s wrath and God’s grace are both righteous. But we wish to escape God’s

wrath and enjoy God’s grace. To this end Jesus died and shed his blood. So we

put our faith in him and obey his commands.

simplybible.com /f30tgraceandwrath.

The Power in the Blood of Jesus Christ

Here are six things from the Bible that help us to see why the blood of Jesus holds such a special place in the hearts of believers:

1. We gain bold access to God in worship and prayer

The Bible is clear that every person is alienated and separated from God because of our sin (Colossians 1:21). That means even the best of us are actually unable to approach God to offer worship or prayer. Because of our sins, we remain at a distance from him.

But the Bible tells Christians to come boldly into God’s presence, “We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus” (Hebrews 10:19). If you are a Christian today, you can have boldness and confidence as you approach God with your prayers and your worship, because you are no longer far away from God, “Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).

It is because of the blood of Jesus Christ that we have the great privilege of pouring our hearts out to God (Psalm 62:8) casting our cares on him (1 Peter 5:7) and praying any time and any place in the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). Does your prayer life reflect the kind of relationship you have with God through the blood of his Son?

2. Forgiveness of sin

In addition to being able to enter into God’s presence through the blood of Christ, we are also forgiven of our sins. Ephesians 1:7 says that, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Because of Christ’s shed blood, God is able to forgive us for our sins and give the punishment that we deserved to Christ.

Christ had a special way of explaining this to his disciples during the Last Supper, which also was the Passover meal celebration.

He said, “For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). He was telling his disciples that just as the blood of the lamb delivered the Hebrews from the night of terrors in Egypt, so Christ’s own blood would deliver the people who were covered by it from the judgment of God on the last day.

This truth is expressed beautifully in the hymn, “Nothing But the Blood”:

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! Precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus…

Take joy, Christian, that Christ has cleansed you from your sin with his blood!

3. Consciences cleansed

Through the blood of Christ, Christians receive the cleansing of their consciences. Hebrews 9:14 says, “…how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

This is an amazing promise! Christ cleansing our consciences from acts that lead to death! How does He do it? By the blood of Christ, because on the cross He offered Himself unblemished to God! He offered Himself—His unblemished, perfect life—as a sacrifice to God for us on account of our sins. Therefore, He alone is able to cleanse our consciences through His blood.

Even though all of our minds have been corrupted by sin and seared as with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:2), Christ can cleanse our consciences. We are able to live right lives and think right thoughts once again in Christ. This is great news for those who are burdened by a sinful past and corrupted consciences.

4. We are progressively cleansed from more and more sin

Not only are we forgiven from sin, but we are also sanctified through the blood of Christ. Hebrews 13:12 tells us that “Jesus also suffered…in order to sanctify the people through his own blood” (Hebrews 13:12). God is calling his people be holy as he is, which is one of the reasons Jesus suffered. Without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

After we are forgiven of our sins and able to enter into a new relationship with God, it makes sense that God wants us to be in a new relationship with the sin that previously condemned us as well. That is why he gives us the power, through the blood of his Son, to be cleansed from our sinful behaviors.

5. We are able to conquer the accuser of the brethren

Because of Christ’s sacrifice and the pouring out of His blood on our behalf, we can trust in the righteousness of Christ and not our own righteousness when we are accused by our enemy. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they have conquered him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” As believers, we know that we cannot stand on our own merit or because of our own deeds. We know that our good deeds are as filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6) and that Christ’s righteousness attributed to us is how we are able to stand up against accusations.

Charles Spurgeon spoke these comforting words:

I know what the devil will say to you. He will say to you, ‘You are a sinner!’ Tell him you know you are, but that for all that you are justified. He will tell you of the greatness of your sin. Tell him of the greatness of Christ’s righteousness. He will tell you of all your mishaps and your backslidings, of your offences and your wanderings. Tell him, and tell your own conscience, that you know all that, but that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and that, although your sin be great, Christ is quite able to put it all away.

6. Rescued out of a sinful way of life

…you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Being ransomed from futile ways is another benefit Christians have through the blood of Jesus. We are rescued from a life lived devoid of meaning and are brought into a relationship with God and the ability to live in his will and with purpose.

Compared to the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the most valuable things of this earth (like silver and gold) are reduced to meaningless, perishable things. That is because the blood of Jesus gives Christians salvation of their souls, forgiveness from sins, access to God, victory over the enemy, and the power to live with a clear conscience, something that the gold and silver items in the Old Testament temple could never do.