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00:00:01
The Power of the Blood of Jesus
The Vital Role of Blood for Redemption, Sanctification,00:00:07
and Life
By Andrew Murray00:00:10
Narrated by Saethon Williams
Preface00:00:20
This book is a translation of portions of
messages by my late father, Reverend Andrew00:00:24
Murray, MA, DD, on The Power of the Blood
of Jesus, which so far have appeared only00:00:31
in Dutch.
The translator is the Rev. William M. Douglas,00:00:35
BA, who was my father's intimate friend and
associated with him in connection with the00:00:40
South African Keswick Convention Movement
for many years. During my father's lifetime,00:00:48
he permitted Mr. Douglas to translate his
book The Prayer Life, and after my father's00:00:53
death, Mr. Douglas became his biographer.
After reading this manuscript, I believe the00:00:58
translation is excellent. He has reproduced
the thoughts of my father exactly.00:01:03
I am certain blessings will result from the
prayerful and thoughtful reading of these00:01:09
chapters.
Trusting you may learn to value and live in00:01:12
the experience of the power of the precious
blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,00:01:16
I remain,
Yours in the Blessed Master's service, M.00:01:20
E. Murray
Clairvaux00:01:22
Wellington, C. P., South Africa.
Chapter 100:01:33
What the Scriptures Teach about the Blood
Not without blood (Hebrews 9:7)00:01:41
God has spoken to us in the Scriptures in
numerous parts and in various manners, but00:01:47
the voice is always the same - it is the Word
of the same God.00:01:52
For that reason, treating the Bible as a whole
and receiving the witness it gives in its00:01:56
various portions concerning definite truths
is essential. In this way we can recognize00:02:02
the place these truths occupy in the heart
of God. We can discover the foundational truths00:02:08
of the Bible, which demand attention more
than others do. These truths stand prominently00:02:14
with each new development in God's revelation;
they remain unchanged when the dispensation00:02:20
changes, and they carry a divine suggestion
of their importance.00:02:24
In the following chapters, my objective is
to show what the Scriptures teach us about00:02:29
the glorious power of the blood of Jesus and
the wonderful blessings secured for us. I00:02:36
cannot lay a better foundation for my exposition
or give a better proof of the matchless glory00:02:41
of that blood as the power of redemption than
by asking my readers to follow along through00:02:46
the Bible. We will see the unique place that
is given to the blood from the beginning to00:02:51
the end of God's revelation of Himself to
man as recorded in the Bible.00:02:56
Clearly, no single scriptural theme from Genesis
to Revelation is kept in view more consistently00:03:04
and prominently than that expressed by the
words the blood.00:03:09
Our study, then, is what the Scriptures teach
us about the blood:00:03:13
1. In the Old Testament
2. In the teaching of our Lord Jesus00:03:18
3. In what the apostles teach
4. In the book of Revelation00:03:24
Blood in the Old Testament
The record about the blood begins at the gates00:03:31
of Eden, but I will not investigate the unrevealed
mysteries of Eden.00:03:37
The connection of blood with Abel's sacrifice,
however, is plain to see. He brought of the00:03:44
firstborn of his flock to the Lord as a sacrifice;
there, in connection with the first act of00:03:50
worship recorded in the Bible, blood was shed
(Genesis 4:4). We learn from Hebrews 11:400:03:58
that it was by faith that Abel offered an
acceptable sacrifice, and his name appears00:04:04
first in the record of those whom the Bible
calls believers. Scripture: By faith Abel00:04:11
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice
than Cain, by which he obtained witness that00:04:17
he was righteous (Hebrews 11:4). So, Abel's
faith and God's good pleasure in him are closely00:04:25
connected with the sacrificial blood.
In light of later revelation, this testimony,00:04:31
given at the very beginning of human history,
is of deep significance. It shows that there00:04:36
can be no approach to God, no fellowship with
Him by faith, and no enjoyment of His favor00:04:42
apart from blood.
Scripture gives little detail of the next00:04:47
sixteen centuries, but then came the flood,
which was God's judgment on sin by the destruction00:04:53
of the world of mankind. But God brought forth
a new earth from that dreadful baptism of00:04:59
water.
Notice, however, that the new earth was also00:05:03
baptized with blood, and the first recorded
act of Noah after he had left the ark was00:05:08
the offering of a burnt sacrifice to God.
As with Abel in the beginning, so with Noah00:05:14
at a new beginning, connection with God was
not without blood.00:05:20
Sin once again prevailed, however, and God
laid an entirely new foundation for the establishment00:05:25
of His kingdom on earth. By the divine call
of Abram and the miraculous birth of Isaac,00:05:32
God chose a people to serve Him, but His purpose
was not accomplished apart from the shedding00:05:37
of the blood. This is apparent in the most
solemn hour of Abraham's life.00:05:44
God had already entered into a covenant relationship
with Abraham, and his faith had already been00:05:49
severely tried, and he had stood the test.
Scripture: And he did not weaken in faith:00:05:57
he considered not his own body now dead when
he was about one hundred years old, neither00:06:02
yet the deadness of Sara's womb; he doubted
not the promise of God, with unbelief, but00:06:09
was strengthened in faith, giving glory to
God, being fully persuaded that he was also00:06:14
powerful to do all that he had promised; therefore,
his faith was also attributed unto him as00:06:20
righteousness. (Romans 4:19-22)
It was reckoned, or counted to him, for righteousness.00:06:29
Scripture: For what does the scripture say?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto00:06:36
him for righteousness (Romans 4:3). Yet, Abraham
had to learn that Isaac, the son of promise,00:06:45
who belonged wholly to God, could be truly
surrendered to God only by death.00:06:50
Isaac had to die. For Abraham, as well as
for Isaac, only by death could freedom from00:06:57
the self-life be obtained. Abraham had to
offer Isaac on the altar. That was not an00:07:03
arbitrary command of God. It was the revelation
of a divine truth - it is only through death00:07:10
that a life truly consecrated to God is possible.
Scripture: by faith Abraham, when he was tried,00:07:19
offered up Isaac, and he that had received
the promises offered up his only begotten00:07:24
son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall
thy seed be called, accounting that God was00:07:30
able to raise him up, even from the dead;
from whence he also received him in a figure00:07:35
(Hebrews 11:17-19).
But it was impossible for Isaac to die and00:07:43
rise again from the dead; because of sin,
death would hold him fast. Scripture: And00:07:50
Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and
beheld behind him a ram caught in a thicket00:07:56
by his horns; and Abraham went and took the
ram and offered him up for a burnt offering00:08:01
instead of his son (Genesis 22:13). Isaac's
life was spared, and a ram was offered in00:08:10
his place. Through the blood that then flowed
on Mount Moriah, Isaac's life was spared.00:08:16
He and his descendants live before God but
not without blood. By that blood, he was figuratively00:08:23
raised again from the dead. The great lesson
of substitution is clearly taught here.00:08:31
Four hundred years pass, and Isaac's descendants
have become the people of Israel in Egypt.00:08:37
Through her deliverance from Egyptian bondage,
Israel became recognized as God's firstborn00:08:42
among the nations. Scripture: Thou shalt say
unto Pharaoh, The LORD hath said thus: Israel00:08:51
is my son, even my firstborn (Exodus 4:22).
Once again, it is not without blood. Neither00:09:02
the grace of God, nor His covenant with Abraham,
nor the exercise of His omnipotence, which00:09:07
could have destroyed their oppressors, could
dispense with the necessity of the blood.00:09:13
What the blood accomplished on Mount Moriah
for one person, Abraham, who was the father00:09:18
of the nation, now had to be experienced by
that nation. By the sprinkling of the doorframes00:09:24
of the Israelites with the blood of the Paschal
Lamb and the institution of the Passover as00:09:29
an enduring ordinance, the people were taught
that life could be obtained only by the death00:09:34
of a substitute. Scripture: This blood shall
be to you for a sign upon the houses where00:09:41
ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass
over you, and the plague shall not be upon00:09:47
you to destroy you, when I smite the land
of Egypt (Exodus 12:13). Life was possible00:09:55
for them only through the blood of a life
given in their place and appropriated by the00:10:00
sprinkling of the blood. Scripture: By faith
he [Moses] kept the passover and the sprinkling00:10:08
of the blood lest he that destroyed the firstborn
should touch them (Hebrews 11:28).00:10:16
In the third month, this lesson was enforced
in a striking manner. Israel had reached Sinai00:10:22
and God had given His law as the foundation
of His covenant. That covenant now had to00:10:27
be established, and as stated in Hebrews 9:7,
not without blood. Moses sprinkled the sacrificial00:10:36
blood on the altar and then on the book of
the covenant, representing God's side of that00:10:42
covenant; then he sprinkled it on the people
with the declaration, Behold the blood of00:10:47
the covenant, which the LORD has made with
you concerning all these words (Exodus 24:8;00:10:55
Hebrews 9:19).
The covenant had its foundation and power00:11:00
in that blood, and by it alone, God and man
can be brought into covenant fellowship. That00:11:07
which had been foreshadowed at the gate of
Eden, on Mount Ararat, on Moriah, and in Egypt00:11:13
was now confirmed at the foot of Sinai in
a most solemn manner. Without blood there00:11:20
could be no access by sinful man to a holy
God.00:11:25
There is, however, a marked difference between
the manner of applying the blood in the former00:11:29
cases as compared to the latter. On Moriah,
the life was redeemed by the shedding of the00:11:35
blood. In Egypt, it was sprinkled on the doorposts
of the houses, but at Sinai, it was sprinkled00:11:41
on the persons themselves. The contact was
closer, the application more powerful.00:11:49
Immediately after the establishment of the
covenant, the command was given, Let them00:11:53
make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among
them (Exodus 25:8). They were to enjoy the00:12:01
full blessedness of having the God of the
covenant abiding among them. Through His grace00:12:06
they could find Him and serve Him in His house.
He Himself gave, with the minutest care, directions00:12:13
for the arrangement and service of that house.
Imagine yourself in this temple; you notice00:12:21
that the blood is the center and reason for
all of this. Draw near to the vestibule of00:12:27
the earthly temple of the heavenly King, and
the first thing visible is the altar of burnt00:12:32
offering, where the sprinkling of blood continues
without ceasing from morning until evening.00:12:38
Enter the Holy Place, and the most conspicuous
thing is the golden altar of incense, which00:12:45
is constantly sprinkled with the blood. Ask
what lies beyond the Holy Place, and you will00:12:52
be told that it is the most Holy Place where
God dwells. If you ask how He dwells there,00:12:59
and how He is approached, you will be told
not without blood. The golden throne where00:13:06
His glory shines is itself sprinkled with
the blood once every year, when the high priest00:13:12
alone enters to bring in the blood and to
worship God. The highest act in that worship00:13:18
is the sprinkling of the blood.
If you inquire further, you will be told that00:13:23
always and for everything the blood is the
one necessary thing. The way to fellowship00:13:30
with God is through the blood alone - at the
consecration of the house or of the priests,00:13:35
at the birth of a child, in the deepest repentance
of sin, in the highest festival, and in everything.00:13:45
This continued for fifteen hundred years.
At Sinai, in the desert, at Shiloh, and in00:13:52
the temple on Mount Moriah it continued until
our Lord came to fulfill and thereby make00:13:57
an end of all shadows or types by bringing
in the substance and establishing a fellowship00:14:03
with the Holy One in spirit and truth.
Blood in the Teaching of Our Lord Jesus00:14:12
With the coming of Jesus, old things passed
away, and all things became new. He came from00:14:18
the Father in heaven and can tell us in divine
words the way to the Father.00:14:24
Sometimes we are told that the words not without
blood belong to the Old Testament. But what00:14:31
does our Lord Jesus Christ say? First notice
that when John the Baptist announced His coming,00:14:38
he spoke of Him as filling a dual office:
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of00:14:44
the world and then he who baptizes with the
Holy Spirit (John 1:29, 33). The outpouring00:14:54
of the blood of the Lamb of God had to take
place before the outpouring of the Spirit00:14:58
could be given. Only when all that the Old
Testament taught about the blood had been00:15:04
fulfilled could the Spirit begin its work.
The Lord Jesus Christ plainly declared that00:15:11
His death on the cross was the purpose for
which He came into the world; His death was00:15:16
the means of the redemption and life that
He came to bring. He clearly states that the00:15:21
shedding of His blood was necessary in His
death.00:15:26
In the synagogue at Capernaum, Jesus spoke
of Himself as the bread of life that He would00:15:32
give for the life of the world (John 6:35).
Four times He said most emphatically, Unless00:15:41
ye . . . drink his blood, ye shall have no
life in you. . . . Whosoever . . . drinks00:15:46
my blood has eternal life, . . . my blood
is drink indeed. He that . . . drinks my blood00:15:54
abides in me, and I in him (John 6:53-56).1
Our Lord thus declared the fundamental fact00:16:27
that He, as the Son of the Father who came
to restore our lost life to us, can do this00:16:32
in no other way than by dying for us - by
shedding His blood for us and making us partakers00:16:39
of its power.
Our Lord confirmed the teaching of the Old00:16:43
Testament offerings - that man can only live
through the death of another and thus obtain00:16:48
a life that through resurrection has become
eternal.00:16:53
But Christ Himself cannot make us partakers
of that eternal life, which He has obtained00:16:58
for us, except by the shedding of His blood
and causing us to drink it. Marvelous fact!00:17:06
Not without blood can eternal life be ours.
Equally striking is our Lord's declaration00:17:13
of the same truth on the last night of His
earthly life. Before He completed the great00:17:19
work of His life by giving it as a ransom
for many, He took the cup at the Last Supper,00:17:25
saying this is my blood of the new testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of00:17:31
sins (Matthew 26:28). Without shedding of
blood there is no remission [of sins] (Hebrews00:17:42
9:22). Without remission of sins there is
no life. But by the shedding of His blood,00:17:48
He has obtained a new life for us. By what
He calls the drinking of His blood, He shares00:17:55
His life with us. The blood, which was shed
in the atonement, frees us from the guilt00:18:00
of sin and from death, the punishment of sin.
The blood, which by faith we receive into00:18:06
our soul, gives us His life. The blood He
shed was first for us and then given to us.00:18:16
Blood in the Teaching of the Apostles
After His resurrection and ascension, our00:18:23
Lord is no longer known by the apostles after
the flesh. Scripture: Therefore from now on00:18:30
we know no one according to the flesh: and
even if we have known Christ according to00:18:34
the flesh, yet now we know him no longer (2
Corinthians 5:16). Now, all that was symbolic00:18:43
has passed away, and the deep spiritual truths
expressed by symbol are unveiled.00:18:49
But there is no veiling of the blood. It still
occupies a prominent place. The epistle to00:18:57
the Hebrews was written purposely to show
that the temple service had become unprofitable,00:19:02
and God intended it to pass away now that
Christ had come.00:19:06
Here, if anywhere, it might be expected that
the Holy Spirit would emphasize the true spirituality00:19:12
of God's purpose, yet it is here that a new
value is given to the phrase the blood of00:19:18
Jesus.
We read concerning our Lord that by his own00:19:23
blood he entered in once into the sanctuary
designed for eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:12).00:19:32
How much more shall the blood of the Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself00:19:36
without spot to God, purge your conscience
from the works of death to serve the living00:19:42
God? (Hebrews 9:14)
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter00:19:49
into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus.
(Hebrews 10:19)00:19:54
Ye are come . . . to Jesus, the mediator of
the new testament and to the blood of sprinkling,00:20:01
that speaks better than that of Abel. (Hebrews
12:22, 24)00:20:09
Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people
with his own blood, suffered outside the camp.00:20:15
(Hebrews 13:12)
Now the God of peace, that brought again from00:20:21
the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood of the eternal00:20:26
testament. (Hebrews 13:20)
By such words the Holy Spirit teaches us that00:20:33
the blood is the central power of our entire
redemption. Not without blood is as valid00:20:40
in the New Testament as in the Old. Nothing
but the blood of Jesus, shed in His death00:20:46
for sin, can cover sin on God's side or remove
it on ours.00:20:52
We find the same teaching in the writings
of the apostles. Paul writes of being justified00:20:58
freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Jesus, the Christ, whom God purposed00:21:04
for reconciliation through faith in his blood
(Romans 3:24-25). Later Paul writes, much00:21:13
more now justified in his blood, we shall
be saved from wrath by him (Romans 5:9).00:21:21
To the Corinthians he declares that the cup
of blessing which we bless, is it not the00:21:27
fellowship of the blood of the Christ? (1
Corinthians 10:16).00:21:32
In the epistle to the Galatians, Paul uses
the word cross to convey the same meaning,00:21:38
while in Colossians he unites the two words
and speaks of the blood of his cross (Galatians00:21:45
6:14; Colossians 1:20).
He reminds the Ephesians that we have redemption00:21:53
through his blood and that we are made near
by the blood of the Christ (Ephesians 1:7;00:22:03
2:13).
Peter reminds his readers that they were chosen00:22:08
. . . to obey and be sprinkled with the blood
of Jesus, the Christ (1 Peter 1:2). He said00:22:16
they were redeemed with the precious blood
of the Christ (1 Peter 1:19).00:22:24
See how John assures his little children that
the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses00:22:31
us from all sin (1 John 1:7). The Son is Jesus,
the Christ, who came by water and blood; not00:22:42
by water only, but by water and blood (1 John
5:6).00:22:49
By glorying in the blood, all of them agree
that the power for eternal redemption through00:22:54
Christ is fully accomplished and is then applied
by the Holy Spirit.00:23:00
But perhaps this is merely earthly language.
What does heaven say? What do we learn from00:23:06
future glory?
Blood in the Book of Revelation00:23:13
It is of greatest importance to notice that
in the book of Revelation where God describes00:23:17
the glory of His throne and the blessedness
of those who surround it, the blood retains00:23:22
its prominent place.
On the throne John saw a Lamb as it had been00:23:29
slain (Revelation 5:6). As the elders fell
down before the Lamb, they sang a new song:00:23:37
Thou art worthy . . . for thou wast slain
and hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood00:23:43
(Revelation 5:9).
Later, when he saw the great company, which00:23:49
no man could number, he was told who they
were: These are those who came out of great00:23:55
tribulation and have washed their long robes,
and made them white in the blood of the Lamb00:24:00
(Revelation 7:14).
Then again, John heard the song of victory00:24:07
over the defeat of Satan: They have overcome
him by the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11).00:24:16
In the glory of heaven, as seen by John, there
was no phrase by which the great purposes00:24:21
of God, the wondrous love of the Son of God,
or the power of His redemption and the joy00:24:26
and thanksgiving of the redeemed can be gathered
up and expressed except this: the blood of00:24:33
the Lamb. From the beginning to the end of
Scripture, from the closing of the gates of00:24:38
Eden to the opening of the gates of the heavenly
Jerusalem, there runs a golden thread: the00:24:44
blood unites the beginning and the end and
gloriously restores what sin had destroyed.00:24:52
It is not difficult to see what lessons the
Lord wishes us to learn from the fact that00:24:56
the blood occupies such a prominent place
in Scripture.00:25:01
God has no other way of dealing with sin or
the sinner except through the blood00:25:09
For victory over sin and the deliverance of
the sinner, God has provided no other means00:25:14
or thought than the blood of Christ. Yes,
it is indeed something that surpasses all00:25:20
understanding.
All the wonders of grace are focused in the00:25:26
blood:
* The incarnation, by which He took upon Himself00:25:30
our flesh and blood (John 1:14)
* The love that spared not itself but surrendered00:25:37
itself to death (Romans 5:8)
* The righteousness, the forgiveness by redemption00:25:43
through his blood (Ephesians 1:7)
* The substitution, the righteous One atoned00:25:50
for the unrighteous (2 Corinthians 5:21)
* The atonement for sin (Hebrews 2:17)00:26:00
* The justification made possible renewed
fellowship with God (2 Corinthians 5:18)00:26:07
* The cleansing and sanctification to fit
us for that fellowship (Ephesians 5:25-27)00:26:13
* The true oneness in life with the Lord Jesus,
as He gives His life (John 17:11, 21)00:26:24
* The eternal joy of the hymn of praise, Thou
. . . hast redeemed us unto God (Revelation00:26:32
5:9)
All these are but rays of the wondrous light,00:26:37
which are reflected upon us from the precious
blood of Jesus.00:26:42
The blood must have the same place in our
hearts that it has with God00:26:49
From the beginning of God's dealings with
man, from before the foundation of the world,00:26:54
the heart of God has rejoiced in the blood
of Jesus. Our heart will never rest, nor find00:27:01
salvation, until we also learn to walk and
glory in the power of that blood.00:27:07
The penitent sinner longing for pardon is
not the only one who must value the blood00:27:12
of Jesus. No, the redeemed will also experience
that yearning as God sits upon the throne00:27:18
of grace in His temple, where the blood is
always evident. Nothing draws our hearts closer00:27:25
to God and fills them with His love and joy
and glory as living in constant, spiritual00:27:31
view of that blood.
Let us take time and trouble to learn the00:27:37
full blessing and power of that blood
The blood of Jesus is the greatest mystery00:27:43
of eternity, the deepest mystery of the divine
wisdom. Let's not imagine that we can easily00:27:50
grasp its meaning. God thought four thousand
years was necessary to prepare men for it,00:27:56
and we also must take time, if we are to gain
a knowledge of the power of the blood.00:28:02
Even taking time is not enough, however, unless
that taking involves sacrificial trouble.00:28:09
Sacrificial blood always meant the offering
of a life. The Israelite could not obtain00:28:14
blood for the pardon of his sin unless the
life of something that belonged to him was00:28:18
offered in sacrifice. The Lord Jesus did not
offer up His own life and shed His blood to00:28:25
spare us from the sacrifice of our lives.
No, indeed. He did it to make the sacrifice00:28:31
of our lives possible and desirable.
The hidden value of His blood is the spirit00:28:38
of self-sacrifice; where the blood really
touches the heart, it works out in that heart00:28:43
a similar spirit of self-sacrifice. We learn
to give ourselves and our lives to press into00:28:50
the power of that new life, which the blood
has provided.00:28:54
We give our time to become acquainted with
these things in God's Word. We separate ourselves00:29:00
from sin, worldly-mindedness, and self-will,
so the power of the blood may not be hindered,00:29:07
because it seeks to remove these things.
We surrender ourselves to God in prayer and00:29:13
faith, so we don't think our own thoughts
or hold our own lives as a prize but as possessing00:29:19
nothing except what He gives. Then He reveals
to us the glorious and blessed life that has00:29:26
been prepared for us by the blood.
We can rely upon the Lord Jesus to reveal00:29:32
the power of His blood
By our confident trust in Him, the blessing00:29:37
obtained by the blood becomes ours. We must
never separate the blood from the High Priest00:29:43
who shed it and lives to apply it.
He, who once gave His blood for us, will impart00:29:50
its potential. Trust Him to do this. Trust
Him to open your eyes and give you a deeper00:29:57
spiritual insight. Trust Him to teach you
to think about the blood as God thinks about00:30:02
it. Trust Him to impart to you, and make effective
in you, all that He enables you to see.00:30:10
Trust Him above all, in the power of His eternal
high priesthood, to work unceasingly in you00:30:16
the full merits of His blood, so that your
whole life may be an uninterrupted abiding00:30:22
in the sanctuary of God's presence.
Believer, you who have come to the knowledge00:30:28
of the precious blood, hearken to the invitation
of your Lord. Come nearer. Let Him teach you;00:30:35
let Him bless you. Let Him cause His blood
to become spirit, and life, and power, and00:30:42
truth to you.
Begin now, at once, to open your soul in faith,00:30:48
to receive the full, mighty, heavenly effects
of the precious blood in a more glorious manner00:30:54
than you have ever experienced. He Himself
will work these things out in your life.00:31:02
Chapter 2
Redemption by Blood00:31:12
Knowing that ye have been ransomed . . . not
with corruptible things like silver and gold,00:31:17
but with the precious blood of the Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without contamination.00:31:23
(1 Peter 1:18-19)
The shedding of His blood was the culmination00:31:31
of the sufferings of our Lord. The atoning
effectiveness of those sufferings was in that00:31:36
shed blood. Therefore, the believer should
not be satisfied with the mere acceptance00:31:41
of the blessed truth that he is redeemed by
that blood, but he should press on to a more00:31:46
complete knowledge of what is meant by that
statement and learn what that blood is intended00:31:51
to do in a surrendered soul.
Its effects are manifold, for we read in Scripture00:31:57
of:
* Reconciliation through the blood00:32:00
* Cleansing through the blood
* Sanctification through the blood00:32:06
* Union with God through the blood
* Victory over Satan through the blood00:32:12
* Life through the blood
These are separate blessings but are all included00:32:19
in one phrase: Redemption by the blood. Only
when the believer understands these blessings00:32:27
and how they may become his can he experience
the full power of redemption.00:32:32
Before we consider the details of these several
blessings, let's examine in a more general00:32:38
way the power of the blood of Jesus.
1. Wherein does the power of that blood lie?00:32:46
2. What has that power accomplished?
3. How can we experience its effects?00:32:55
Where Does the Power of the Blood Lie?
In other words, what is it that gives such00:33:02
power to the blood of Jesus? How is it that
there is power in the blood alone that is00:33:08
possessed by nothing else?
The answer to this question is found in Leviticus:00:33:14
For the soul (or life) of the flesh is in
the blood, and I have given it to you to reconcile00:33:20
your persons (or souls) upon the altar; therefore
the same blood reconciles the person (Leviticus00:33:27
17:11). It is because the soul, or life, is
in the blood, and the blood is offered to00:33:36
God on the altar that it has in it redemptive
power.00:33:40
The soul or life is in the blood; therefore,
the value of the blood corresponds to the00:33:46
value of the life that is in it. The life
of a sheep or goat is of less value than the00:33:52
life of an ox, so the blood of a sheep or
a goat in an offering is of less value than00:33:57
the blood of an ox (Leviticus 4).
The life of man is more valuable than that00:34:03
of many sheep or oxen. Now who can determine
the value or the power of the blood of Jesus?00:34:10
In that blood dwelt the soul of the holy Son
of God. The eternal life of the Godhead was00:34:16
carried in that blood, as can be seen by Paul's
advice to the Ephesians: Take heed therefore00:34:23
unto yourselves and to all the flock, in which
the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishops00:34:28
to feed the congregation of God, which he
has purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28).00:34:36
The power of that blood in its various effects
is nothing less than the eternal power of00:34:42
God Himself. What a glorious thought for everyone
who desires to experience the full power of00:34:49
the blood!
But the power of the blood lies above everything00:34:53
else in the fact that it is offered to God
on the altar for redemption. When we think00:34:59
of blood as shed, we think of death; death
follows when the blood or the soul is poured00:35:04
out. Death makes us think of sin, for death
is the punishment of sin. Scripture: For the00:35:13
wages of sin is death, but the grace of God
is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans00:35:21
6:23). God gave Israel the blood on the altar
as the atonement or covering for sin; that00:35:29
means the sins of the transgressor were laid
on the victim, and its death was reckoned00:35:33
as the death or punishment for the sins laid
upon it.00:35:37
Scripture: This shall be the law of sin: In
the place where the burnt offering is killed00:35:43
shall the atonement as sin be killed before
the LORD; for it is most holy. (Leviticus00:35:51
6:25)
The blood was thus the life given up to death00:35:56
for the satisfaction of the law of God and
in obedience to His command. Sin was so entirely00:36:02
covered and atoned for, it was no longer reckoned
as that of the transgressor. He was forgiven.00:36:09
But all these sacrifices and offerings were
only types and shadows until the Lord Jesus00:36:15
came. His blood was the reality to which these
types pointed. Scripture: For he has made00:36:23
him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that
we might be made the righteousness of God00:36:28
in him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
His blood was in itself of infinite value,00:36:37
because it carried His soul or life. But the
atoning virtue of His blood was infinite also,00:36:44
because of the manner in which it was shed.
In holy obedience to the Father's will, He00:36:51
subjected Himself to the penalty of the broken
law by pouring out His soul unto death. By00:36:57
that death, not only was the penalty paid,
but the law was also satisfied and the Father00:37:02
glorified. His blood atoned for sin and thus
made it powerless. His blood has a marvelous00:37:10
power for removing sin and opening heaven
for the sinner. It cleanses, and sanctifies,00:37:16
and makes him fit for heaven.
So why does the blood of Jesus have such wonderful00:37:22
power? Because Jesus was the wonderful Person
whose blood was shed and because of the wonderful00:37:29
way in which it was shed. It fulfilled the
law of God and satisfied its just demands.00:37:36
It is the blood of atonement and therefore
is sufficient to redeem and accomplish everything00:37:41
for, and in, the sinner that is necessary
to salvation.00:37:48
What Has That Power Accomplished?
As we see the wonders of what that power has00:37:54
accomplished, we will be encouraged to believe
that it can do the same for us. We can best00:38:00
see this in the examples in the Scriptures
of the great things that have taken place00:38:04
through the power of the blood of Jesus.
The Blood of Jesus Has Opened the Grave00:38:12
We read in Hebrews: Now the God of peace,
that brought again from the dead our Lord00:38:17
Jesus that great shepherd of the sheep, through
the blood of the eternal testament (Hebrews00:38:23
13:20).
It was through the excellence of the blood00:38:27
that God raised Jesus from the dead. God's
almighty power was not exerted apart from00:38:33
the blood.
He came to earth as a guarantee and a bearer00:38:38
of the sin of mankind. Through the shedding
of His blood alone, He had the right, as man,00:38:44
to rise again and obtain eternal life through
resurrection. His blood had satisfied the00:38:50
law and righteousness of God. By giving His
lifeblood, He had overcome the power of sin00:38:57
and brought it to nothing. Scripture: The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin00:39:05
is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56).
So death was defeated, as its sting had been00:39:13
removed, and the devil was also defeated,
who held the power of death but now lost all00:39:19
right over Him and us. Scripture: Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh00:39:26
and blood, he also himself [Jesus] likewise
took part of the same, that through death00:39:32
he might destroy him that had the empire [power]
of death, that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14).00:39:42
His blood had destroyed the power of death,
the devil, and hell: But [God's purpose and00:39:49
grace] is now made manifest by the appearing
of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has annulled00:39:55
death, and has brought life and incorruption
to light through the gospel (2 Timothy 1:10).00:40:04
The blood of Jesus has opened the grave, and
he who believes that will perceive the close00:40:09
connection which exists between the blood
and the almighty power of God. Only through00:40:14
the blood does God exert His almightiness
in dealing with sinful men. The resurrection00:40:20
power of God gives entrance into eternal life
where the blood of Christ is applied. His00:40:26
blood has made a complete end of the power
of death and hell; the effects of the blood00:40:32
surpass all human thought.
The Blood of Jesus Has Opened Heaven00:40:40
We read in Hebrews 9:12 that by his own blood
he [Christ] entered in once into the sanctuary00:40:48
designed for eternal redemption.
We know that in the Old Testament tabernacle00:40:54
God's declared presence was inside the veil.
No power of man could remove that veil, and00:41:00
the high priest alone could enter, but only
with blood, or he would lose his own life.00:41:07
Scripture: And I will dwell among the sons
of Israel and shall be their God. And they00:41:13
shall know that I am the LORD their God, that
brought them forth out of the land of Egypt,00:41:18
that I may dwell among them; I am the LORD
your God. (Exodus 29:45-46)00:41:25
And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron,
thy brother, that he not enter at all times00:41:33
into the sanctuary inside the veil before
the seat of reconciliation, which is upon00:41:38
the ark, that he not die; for I will appear
in the cloud above the seat of reconciliation.00:41:45
Thus shall Aaron come into the holy place:
with a young bullock as sin and a ram as a00:41:51
burnt offering. (Leviticus 16:2-3)
That was a picture of the power of sin in00:41:59
the flesh, which separates us from God. The
eternal righteousness of God guarded the entrance00:42:06
to the most Holy Place, that no flesh might
approach Him.00:42:10
But now our Lord appears not in a physical
temple but in the true temple. As High Priest00:42:16
and representative of His people, Jesus asks
for an entrance into the presence of the Holy00:42:21
One for the sinful children of Adam. He requested
that they be with me where I am (John 17:24).00:42:31
He asks that heaven may be opened for each
one, even for the greatest sinner, who believes00:42:37
in Him. His request is granted. But how is
that? It is through the blood. He entered00:42:44
through His own blood. The blood of Jesus
has opened heaven.00:42:49
Scripture: For Christ is not entered into
the sanctuary made with hands (which is a00:42:56
figure of the true), but into heaven itself,
now to appear in the presence of God for us,00:43:01
nor yet that he should offer himself many
times (as the high priest enters into the00:43:06
sanctuary each year with blood that is not
his own); otherwise it would have been necessary00:43:11
for him to suffer many times since the foundation
of the world; but now once in the consummation00:43:17
of the ages he has appeared to abolish sin
by the sacrifice of himself. (Hebrews 9:24-26)00:43:27
So it is through the blood that the throne
of grace remains settled in heaven. In the00:43:33
midst of heaven, nearest to God the Judge
of all and to Jesus the Mediator, the Holy00:43:39
Spirit gives a prominent place to the blood
of sprinkling.00:43:43
Scripture: Unto the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable00:43:50
company of angels, to the congregation of
the called out ones of the firstborn, who00:43:55
are registered in the heavens and to God the
Judge of all and to the spirits of just men00:44:01
made perfect and to Jesus, the mediator of
the new testament and to the blood of sprinkling,00:44:06
that speaks better than that of Abel. (Hebrews
12:22-24)00:44:14
It is the constant mention of that blood that
keeps heaven open for sinners and sends streams00:44:20
of blessing down on earth. It is through that
blood that Jesus, as Mediator, carries on00:44:26
His work as an advocate without ceasing. The
throne of grace owes its existence to the00:44:33
power of that blood, and we can now come boldly
unto the throne of his grace, that we may00:44:39
obtain mercy and find grace to help in time
of need (Hebrews 4:16).00:44:46
Oh, the wonderful power of the blood of Christ!
Just as it has opened the gates of the grave00:44:54
and hell, so it has opened the gates of heaven
for us to enter through Him. The blood has00:45:01
an almighty power over the kingdom of darkness
and hell beneath and over the kingdom of heaven00:45:07
and its glory above.
The Blood of Jesus is All Powerful in the00:45:12
Human Heart
Since the blood serves so powerfully with00:45:17
God and over Satan, doesn't it satisfy even
more powerfully with man for whose sake it00:45:23
was actually shed? We may be sure of it.
The wonderful power of the blood is especially00:45:30
demonstrated on behalf of sinners on earth.
This is emphasized in the first book of Peter:00:45:36
Knowing that ye have been ransomed from your
vain conversation . . . not with corruptible00:45:41
things like silver and gold, but with the
precious blood of the Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19).00:45:47
The word ransomed (literally redeemed) has
a depth of meaning. It indicates particularly00:45:57
deliverance from slavery by emancipation or
purchase. The sinner is enslaved under the00:46:03
hostile power of Satan, the curse of the Law,
and sin. Now it is proclaimed ye have been00:46:11
ransomed through the blood, which had paid
the debt of guilt and destroyed the power00:46:16
of Satan, the curse, and sin.
Where this proclamation is heard and received,00:46:23
redemption begins in a true deliverance from
a vain manner of life - from a life of sin.00:46:30
The word redemption or ransom includes everything
God does for a sinner, beginning with the00:46:37
pardon of sin and giving of the Holy Spirit,
which is the earnest of our inheritance unto00:46:42
the redemption of the purchased possession,
unto the praise of his glory (Ephesians 1:14).00:46:50
It continues to the full deliverance of the
body by the resurrection: Likewise we also00:46:56
walk in newness of life. For if we have been
planted together in him in the likeness of00:47:01
his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection, knowing this: that our00:47:07
old man is crucified with him that the body
of sin might be destroyed that we should not00:47:12
serve sin any longer (Romans 6:4-6).
Those to whom Peter wrote were chosen . . . to00:47:22
obey and be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus,
the Christ (1 Peter 1:2). It was the proclamation00:47:30
about the precious blood that had touched
their hearts and brought them to repentance00:47:34
- awakening faith in them and filling their
souls with life and joy. Each believer was00:47:41
an illustration of the wonderful power of
the blood.00:47:45
Later, when Peter exhorts them to holiness,
it is still the precious blood, which is his00:47:50
plea. As he who has called you is holy, so
be ye holy in all manner of conversation;00:47:58
for it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy
(1 Peter 1:15-16). On that he would fix their00:48:08
eyes.
For the Jew in his self-righteousness and00:48:13
hatred of Christ and for the heathen in his
godliness, there was only one means of deliverance00:48:18
from the power of sin. It is still the one
power that accomplishes daily deliverance00:48:23
for sinners. How could it be otherwise? The
blood that provided so powerfully in heaven00:48:29
and over hell is also all powerful in a sinner's
heart.00:48:34
It is impossible for us to think too highly
or to expect too much from the power of Jesus's00:48:41
blood.
How Does This Power Work?00:48:46
This is our third question. In what conditions,
under what circumstances, can that power secure00:48:52
the mighty results it is intended to produce
in us?00:48:57
The first answer is the same as it is everywhere
in the kingdom of God - through faith.00:49:03
But faith is largely dependent on knowledge.
If knowledge of what the blood can accomplish00:49:09
is imperfect, faith expects little, and the
more powerful effects of the blood are impossible.00:49:16
Many Christians think that if they have received
the assurance of the pardon of their sins00:49:20
through faith in the blood, they have a sufficient
knowledge of its capability.00:49:26
They have no idea that the words of God, like
God Himself, are inexhaustible; they are deprived00:49:33
of a wealth of meaning and blessing that surpasses
all understanding.00:49:39
They do not remember that when the Holy Spirit
speaks of cleansing through the blood, such00:49:44
words are only the imperfect human expressions
of the effects and experiences by which the00:49:50
blood, in an unspeakably glorious manner,
will reveal its heavenly life-giving power00:49:55
to the soul. Feeble conceptions of its power
prevent the deeper, more perfect demonstrations00:50:02
of its effects.
As we seek to find out what the Scripture00:50:06
teaches about the blood, we will see that
faith in the blood can produce greater results00:50:11
in us than we have ever known, and in the
future a ceaseless blessing may be ours.00:50:18
Our faith may be strengthened by noticing
what the blood has already accomplished. Heaven00:50:24
and hell bear witness to that. Faith will
grow by exercising confidence in the superabundance00:50:30
of the promises of God. Let us heartily expect
that as we enter more deeply into the fountain,00:50:37
its cleansing, quickening, life-giving power
will be revealed more blessedly.00:50:43
We know that in bathing we enter into the
most intimate relationship with the water;00:50:48
we give ourselves up to its cleansing effects.
The blood of Jesus is described as an open00:50:54
fountain . . . against sin and against uncleanness
(Zechariah 13:1). By the power of the Holy00:51:04
Spirit it streams through the heavenly temple.
Scripture: There is a river, the streams of00:51:11
which shall make glad the city of God, the
sanctuary of the tents of the most High. God00:51:17
is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, as the morning dawns (Psalm00:51:25
46:4-5). By faith I place myself in closest
touch with this heavenly stream; I yield myself00:51:33
to it; I let it cover me and go through me.
I bathe in the fountain. It cannot withhold00:51:40
its cleansing and strengthening power. I must
in simple faith turn away from what is seen00:51:46
to plunge into that spiritual fountain, which
represents the Savior's blood, with the assurance00:51:51
that it will manifest its blessed power in
me.00:51:54
So let us with childlike, persevering, expectant
faith, open our souls to an ever-increasing00:52:01
experience of the wonderful power of the blood.
But there is a second reply to the question00:52:08
of what else is necessary for the blood to
manifest its power. Scripture connects the00:52:13
blood most closely with the Spirit. Only where
the Spirit works can the power of the blood00:52:18
be demonstrated.
The Spirit and the Blood00:52:25
We read in 1 John that there are three that
bear witness on earth, the Spirit and the00:52:31
water and the blood; and these three agree
in one (1 John 5:8). The water refers to baptism00:52:41
unto repentance and the laying aside of sin.
The blood witnesses to redemption in Christ.00:52:49
The Spirit is He who supplies power to the
water and the blood. The Spirit and the blood00:52:55
are also associated in Hebrews where we read:
How much more shall the blood of the Christ,00:53:01
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God, purge your conscience00:53:06
(Hebrews 9:14). It was by the eternal Spirit
in our Lord that His blood had its value and00:53:14
power.
It is always through the Spirit that the blood00:53:18
possesses its living power in heaven and in
the hearts of men. The blood and the Spirit00:53:24
always bear testimony together.
Where the blood is honored in faith or preaching,00:53:31
the Spirit will work, and where He works,
He always leads souls to the blood. The Holy00:53:38
Spirit could not be given until the blood
was shed. The living bond between the Spirit00:53:43
and the blood cannot be broken.
It should be noted that if the full power00:53:49
of the blood is to be manifested in our souls,
we must place ourselves under the teaching00:53:54
of the Holy Spirit. Scripture: The Comforter,
which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father00:54:00
will send in my name, he shall teach you all
things and bring to your remembrance all the00:54:06
things that I have said unto you (John 14:26).
We must firmly believe that He is in us and00:54:15
that He carries on His work in our hearts.
Jesus prayed that they may be one, even as00:54:23
we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that
they may be perfect in one and that the world00:54:29
may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved
them as thou hast loved me (John 17:22-23).00:54:39
We must live as those who know that the Spirit
of God dwells within them as a seed of life,00:54:45
and He will bring to perfection the hidden,
powerful effects of the blood. Scripture:00:54:52
But if Christ is in you, the body is truly
dead because of sin, but the Spirit is alive00:54:58
because of righteousness. And if the Spirit
of him that raised up Jesus from the dead00:55:02
dwells in you, he that raised up the Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal00:55:07
bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you. For
all that are led by the Spirit of God, the00:55:13
same are sons of God (Romans 8:10-11, 14).
We must allow Him to lead us. Through the00:55:24
Spirit the blood will cleanse, sanctify, and
unite us to God.00:55:30
When the apostle desired to arouse believers
to listen to God's voice with His call to00:55:35
holiness, Be ye holy, for I am holy, he reminded
them that they had been redeemed by the precious00:55:41
blood of Christ.
Necessary Knowledge00:55:48
People must know that they have been redeemed
and what that redemption signifies, but above00:55:54
all they must know that it was not with corruptible
things like silver and gold, things in which00:56:00
there was no power of life, but with the precious
blood of the Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19).00:56:09
To have a correct perception of what the preciousness
of that blood was - as the power of a perfect00:56:14
redemption - would be the power of a new and
holy life.00:56:18
Beloved Christians, that statement applies
to us also. We must know that we are redeemed00:56:26
by the precious blood. We must know about
redemption and the blood, before we can experience00:56:32
its power.
We will experience more fully the blessings00:56:36
and benefits in proportion to how fully we
understand what redemption is and what the00:56:42
power and preciousness of the blood are, by
which redemption has been obtained.00:56:47
Let us submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit
to be led into a deeper knowledge of redemption00:56:53
through the precious blood.
Need and Desire00:56:59
Two things are necessary here: first, a deeper
sense of need and a desire to understand the00:57:05
blood better. The blood has been shed to take
away sin. The power of the blood is to bring00:57:11
the power of sin to nothing.
However, we are too easily satisfied with00:57:17
the first beginnings of deliverance from sin,
and what remains of that sin in us might become00:57:22
unbearable. May we no longer be content with
the fact that we, as redeemed ones, sin against00:57:29
God's will in so many things.
May the desire for holiness become stronger00:57:36
in us. Shouldn't the thought that the blood
has more power than we recognize and can do00:57:42
greater things than we have yet experienced
cause our hearts to go out in strong desire?00:57:48
If there were more desire for deliverance
from sin, for holiness and intimate friendship00:57:52
with a holy God, we would have the first thing
that is necessary to be led further into the00:57:58
knowledge of what the blood can do.
Expectation00:58:03
The second thing will follow. Desire must
become expectation. As we search the Word00:58:10
in faith to discern what the blood has accomplished,
it must be a settled matter with us that the00:58:16
blood can demonstrate its full power in us
also. No sense of unworthiness, ignorance,00:58:23
or helplessness should cause us to doubt.
The blood works in the surrendered soul with00:58:29
a ceaseless power of life.
So, surrender yourself to God the Holy Spirit.00:58:36
Fix the eyes of your heart on the blood. Open
your whole inner being to its power. The blood00:58:44
on which the throne of grace in heaven is
founded can make your heart the temple and00:58:49
throne of God.
Find your shelter under the sprinkling of00:58:53
the blood and ask the Lamb of God Himself
to make the blood effective in you. You will00:59:00
surely discover that there is nothing to compare
with the wonder-working power of the blood00:59:05
of Jesus.00:59:08
Chapter 3
Reconciliation Through the Blood00:59:18
Being justified freely by his grace through
the redemption that is in Jesus, the Christ,00:59:24
whom God purposed for reconciliation through
faith in his blood. (Romans 3:24-25)00:59:32
As we have seen, several distinct blessings
have been acquired for us by the power of00:59:36
the blood of Jesus, which are all included
in the one word redemption. Among these blessings,00:59:43
reconciliation takes first place.2 God purposed
for reconciliation through faith in his blood.00:59:58
In our Lord's work of redemption, reconciliation
naturally comes first. It also stands first01:00:04
among the needs of the sinner who desires
to have a share in redemption. Through reconciliation,01:00:10
a participation in the other blessings of
redemption is possible.01:00:15
It is of great importance also that the believer
who has been reconciled should obtain a deeper01:00:20
and more spiritual understanding of its meaning
and blessedness. If the power of the blood01:00:26
in redemption is rooted in reconciliation,
then a more complete knowledge of reconciliation01:00:31
is the surest way to obtain a greater experience
of the power of the blood. The heart that01:00:37
is surrendered to the teaching of the Holy
Spirit will surely learn what reconciliation01:00:41
means. May our hearts be opened wide to receive
it.01:00:46
To understand what reconciliation by the blood
means, let us consider the following points:01:00:52
1. Sin has made reconciliation necessary.
2. God's holiness foreordained reconciliation.01:01:00
3. The blood of Jesus obtained reconciliation.
4. The pardon resulted from reconciliation.01:01:10
Sin Has Made Reconciliation Necessary
In all the work of Christ, and above all in01:01:18
reconciliation, God's objective is the removal
and destruction of sin. Knowledge of sin is01:01:23
necessary for the knowledge of reconciliation.
We want to understand what there is in sin01:01:29
that needs reconciling or repairing and how
reconciliation renders sin powerless. Then01:01:36
faith will have something to take hold of,
and the experience of that blessing is made01:01:40
possible.
Sin has had a twofold effect. It has had an01:01:45
effect on God, as well as on man. We usually
emphasize its effect on man. But the effect01:01:52
it has exercised on God is more terrible and
serious. Because of its effect on God, that01:01:59
sin has power over us. God, as Lord of all,
could not overlook sin. His unalterable law01:02:06
declares that sin will bring forth sorrow
and death. When man fell into sin, by the01:02:12
law of God, he was brought under the power
of sin. So, the law of God required that redemption01:02:19
must begin, for if sin is powerless against
God, and the law of God gives sin no authority01:02:24
over us, then its power is destroyed. The
knowledge that sin is speechless before God01:02:30
assures us that it no longer has authority
over us.01:02:35
What then was the effect of sin upon God?
In His divine nature, He remains unchanged01:02:41
and unchangeable, but in His relationship
and acceptance toward man, an entire change01:02:47
took place. Sin is disobedience, a contempt
of the authority of God; it seeks to rob God01:02:54
of His honor as God and Lord. Sin is determined
opposition to a holy God. It not only can,01:03:01
but must, awaken His wrath.
While it was God's desire to continue in love01:03:07
and friendship with man, sin has compelled
Him to become an opponent. Although the love01:03:13
of God toward man remains unchanged, sin made
it impossible for Him to admit man into fellowship01:03:19
with Himself. It has compelled Him to pour
out His wrath and punishment instead of His01:03:24
love upon man. The change that sin caused
in God's relationship to man is horrible.01:03:31
But God purposed for reconciliation through
faith in his blood for the manifestation of01:03:36
his righteousness, for the remission of sins
that are past (Romans 3:25).01:03:44
Man is guilty before God. Guilt involves debt.
We know what debt is. It is something that01:03:50
one person can demand from another, a claim
which must be met and settled.01:03:56
When sin is committed, its after-effects may
or may not be noticed, but its guilt always01:04:02
remains. The sinner is guilty. God cannot
disregard His own demand that sin must be01:04:09
punished; His glory, which has been dishonored,
must be upheld. As long as the debt is not01:04:15
paid or the guilt abolished, it is impossible
for a holy God to allow the sinner to come01:04:20
into His presence.
We often think that the great question for01:04:24
us is how we can be delivered from the indwelling
power of sin, but that is a question of less01:04:29
importance than how can we be delivered from
the guilt which is heaped up before God? Can01:04:35
the guilt of sin be removed? Can the effect
of sin upon God in awakening His wrath be01:04:41
removed? Can sin be blotted out before God?
If these things can be done, the power of01:04:48
sin will be broken in us. Only through reconciliation
can the guilt of sin be removed.01:04:56
The word translated reconciliation actually
means "to cover." Even heathen people had01:05:02
an understanding of this. But in Israel God
revealed a reconciliation that could not only01:05:07
cover but could also remove the guilt of sin,
so the original relationship between God and01:05:12
man can be entirely restored. This is what
true reconciliation must do. It must remove01:05:20
the guilt of sin, the effect of sin on God,
so man can draw near to God in the blessed01:05:25
assurance that there is no longer the least
guilt resting on him to keep him away from01:05:30
God.
God's Holiness Foreordained Reconciliation01:05:37
God's holiness must also be considered if
we are to understand reconciliation correctly.01:05:43
It is His infinite, glorious perfection, which
always leads Him to desire what is good in01:05:48
others as well as in Himself. He applies and
works out that good and hates and condemns01:05:54
all that is opposed to the good.
In His holiness, both the love and wrath of01:06:00
God are united - His love, which gives itself,
and His wrath, which casts out and consumes01:06:06
what is evil according to the divine law of
righteousness.01:06:10
As the Holy One, God ordained reconciliation
in Israel and took up His abode on the mercy01:06:16
seat.
As the Holy One in expectation of New Testament01:06:19
times, He often said, I am thy Redeemer, the
Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 48:17).01:06:29
As the Holy One, God worked out His law of
reconciliation in Christ.01:06:34
The wonder of this law is that both the holy
love and the holy wrath of God find satisfaction01:06:40
in it. Apparently, they were in irreconcilable
strife with one another. The holy love was01:06:47
unwilling to let man go. Scripture: Not because
we had loved God, but because he loved us01:06:54
and has sent his Son to be the reconciliation
for our sins (1 John 4:10). In spite of his01:07:02
sin, holy love could not give him up; man
had to be redeemed. The holy wrath could not01:07:09
surrender its demands. The law had been despised;
God had been dishonored. God's righteousness01:07:17
had to be upheld. The sinner could not be
released as long as the law was not satisfied.01:07:25
The terrible effect of sin in heaven on God
had to be corrected; the guilt of sin had01:07:30
to be removed. Otherwise, the sinner could
not be delivered. The only solution possible01:07:36
was reconciliation.
We have seen that reconciliation means "covering."01:07:43
It means that something else has taken the
place where sin was established, so that sin01:07:47
can no longer be seen by God.
But because God is the Holy One and His eyes01:07:53
are as a flame of fire, whatever covered sin
had to be of such a nature that it counteracted01:07:59
the evil that sin had done. It had to blot
out sin so it was really destroyed and could01:08:05
not be seen.
Reconciliation for sin can take place only01:08:10
by satisfaction. Satisfaction is reconciliation,
and it originates through a substitute. In01:08:17
this way sin can be punished, and the sinner
saved. God's holiness also would be glorified,01:08:24
and its demands met, as well as the demand
of God's love in the redemption of the sinner01:08:29
and the demand of His righteousness in the
maintenance of the glory of God and His law.01:08:35
We know how this was accomplished in the Old
Testament laws of the offerings. Scripture:01:08:40
The priest shall reconcile him before the
LORD, and he shall have forgiveness for any01:08:45
of all the things in which he is guilty (Leviticus
6:7). A clean beast took the place of a guilty01:08:53
man. By confession, his sin was laid on the
head of the victim, which bore the punishment01:08:59
by surrendering its life unto death. Then
the blood, representing a clean life that01:09:04
is free from guilt, can be brought into God's
presence; the blood or life of the beast has01:09:10
borne the punishment in place of the sinner.
That blood made reconciliation and covered01:09:16
the sinner and his sin, because it had taken
the sinner's place and atoned for his sin.01:09:22
There was reconciliation through the blood,
but it was not a reality. Scripture: Every01:09:29
priest stands daily ministering and offering
many times the same sacrifices, which can01:09:35
never take away sins (Hebrews 10:11). The
blood of cattle or of goats could never take01:09:42
away sin; it was only a shadow or picture
of the real reconciliation.01:09:49
Blood of a different character was necessary
for an effectual covering of guilt. Scripture:01:09:54
But Christ being now come, high priest of
the good things to come, by a greater and01:09:59
more perfect tabernacle, . . . neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by his01:10:04
own blood he entered in once into the sanctuary
designed for eternal redemption (Hebrews 9:11-12).01:10:13
According to the law of the Holy God, nothing
less than the blood of God's own Son could01:10:17
bring about reconciliation. Righteousness
demanded it; love offered it. Scripture: Being01:10:26
justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Jesus, the Christ, whom01:10:31
God purposed for reconciliation through faith
in his blood (Romans 3:24-25).01:10:36
The Blood of Jesus Obtained Reconciliation
Reconciliation must be the satisfaction of01:10:46
the demands of God's holy law. The Lord Jesus
accomplished that; by a willing and perfect01:10:52
obedience, He fulfilled the law under which
He had placed Himself. In the same spirit01:10:57
of complete surrender to the will of the Father,
He bore the curse, which the law had pronounced01:11:02
against sin. Scripture: He himself bore our
sins in his own body on the tree, that we,01:11:10
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness;
by whose wound ye were healed (1 Peter 2:24).01:11:21
He rendered in fullest measure of obedience
or punishment all that the law of God could01:11:25
ever ask or desire. The law was perfectly
satisfied by Him.01:11:31
But how can His fulfilling of the demands
of the law be reconciliation for the sins01:11:36
of others? Because both in creation and in
the covenant of grace that the Father had01:11:41
made with Him, He was recognized as the head
of the human race. Because of this, He was01:11:47
able to become a second Adam by becoming flesh.
Scripture: For he has made him to be sin for01:11:54
us, who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him (2 Corinthians01:12:01
5:21). When He, the Word, became flesh, He
placed Himself in a real fellowship with our01:12:08
flesh, which was under the power of sin; He
assumed the responsibility for all that sin01:12:14
had done in the flesh against God. His obedience
and perfection were not merely that of one01:12:19
man among others, but that of Him who had
placed Himself in fellowship with all other01:12:24
men and had taken their sin upon Himself.
As Head of mankind through creation and as01:12:31
their representative in the covenant, Jesus
became their guarantee. He perfectly satisfied01:12:37
the demands of the law by the shedding of
His blood; this was the reconciliation, the01:12:42
covering of our sin.
Above all, we must never forget that Jesus01:12:48
was God with a divine power to unite Himself
with His creatures and to take them up into01:12:54
Himself. It imparted on His sufferings a virtue
of infinite holiness and power and made the01:13:00
merit of His blood-shedding more than sufficient
to deal with all the guilt of human sin. His01:13:06
blood became a real reconciliation, a perfect
covering of sin, so the holiness of God no01:13:12
longer sees the sin. In truth, it has been
blotted out. The blood of Jesus, God's Son,01:13:20
has acquired a real, perfect, and eternal
reconciliation.01:13:26
What does that mean?
We have spoken of the horrible effect of sin01:13:30
on God and the terrible change that took place
in heaven through sin. Instead of favor, friendship,01:13:37
blessing, and the life of God from heaven,
man had nothing to look for except wrath,01:13:42
death, and condemnation. Man could think of
God only with fear and terror, without hope01:13:49
and without love. Sin never ceased to call
for vengeance; guilt had to be dealt with01:13:56
in full.
But the blood of Jesus, God's Son, has been01:14:00
shed. Atonement for sin has been made. Peace
is restored. A change has taken place again01:14:08
as real and widespread as that which sin had
brought about. For those who receive the reconciliation,01:14:15
sin has been brought to nothing. The wrath
of God turns around and hides itself in the01:14:21
depth of divine love.
The righteousness of God no longer terrifies01:14:26
man. It is written to us that to those that
believe in him that raised up Jesus our Lord01:14:32
from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses
and was raised again for our justification.01:14:39
Justified therefore by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus, the Christ01:14:43
(Romans 4:24-5:1).
God's righteousness meets man as a friend01:14:52
with an offer of complete justification. God's
countenance beams with pleasure and approval01:14:58
as the penitent sinner draws near to Him,
and He invites him into intimate fellowship.01:15:03
He opens a treasure of blessing, and there
is nothing now that can separate him from01:15:09
God.
Scripture: Nevertheless, in all these things01:15:13
we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us. Therefore I am certain that neither01:15:19
death nor life nor angels nor principalities
nor powers nor things present nor things to01:15:26
come nor height nor depth nor any creature
shall be able to separate us from the charity01:15:32
[love] of God, which is in Christ, Jesus our
Lord. (Romans 8:37-39)01:15:41
The reconciliation through the blood of Jesus
has covered man's sins; they no longer appear01:15:46
in God's sight. He no longer charges him for
sin. Reconciliation has worked out a perfect01:15:53
and eternal redemption.
Who can tell the worth of that precious blood?01:15:58
It is no wonder that mention will be made
forever of that blood in the song of the redeemed01:16:04
and through all eternity; as long as heaven
lasts, the praise of the blood will resound:01:16:10
Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us unto
God by thy blood (Revelation 5:9).01:16:17
But here is the wonder: that the redeemed
on earth do not join in that song more heartily01:16:25
and that they are not abounding in praise
for the reconciliation that the power of the01:16:29
blood has accomplished.
The Pardon Resulted from Reconciliation01:16:37
The blood has made reconciliation for sin
and covered it, and as a result of this, a01:16:43
wonderful change has taken place in the heavenly
realms. But all this will avail us nothing01:16:48
unless we obtain a personal share in it. Only
in the pardon of sin can this take place.01:16:55
God has offered a perfect acquittal from all
our sin and guilt. Because reconciliation01:17:00
has been made for sin, we can now be reconciled,
or restored, to Him. Scripture: God was in01:17:08
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them (201:17:14
Corinthians 5:19). Following this is the invitation
to be ye reconciled to God (2 Corinthians01:17:24
5:20). Whoever receives reconciliation for
sin is reconciled to God. He knows that all01:17:31
his sins are forgiven.
The Scriptures use various illustrations to01:17:37
emphasize the extent of forgiveness and to
convince the fearful heart of the sinner that01:17:41
the blood has really taken his sin away. Scripture:
I have undone, as a cloud, thy rebellions,01:17:49
and thy sins, as a mist (Isaiah 44:22). Thou
hast cast all my sins behind thy back (Isaiah01:18:00
38:17). He . . . will cast all our sins into
the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19). The iniquity01:18:10
of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall
be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall01:18:15
not be found: for I will pardon those whom
I shall have left (Jeremiah 50:20).01:18:23
This is what the New Testament calls justification.
It is thus named in Romans 3:23-26: For all01:18:31
have sinned . . . being justified freely [for
nothing] by his grace through the redemption01:18:37
that is in Jesus, the Christ, whom God purposed
for reconciliation through faith in his blood01:18:43
for the manifestation of his righteousness,
. . . that he only be the just one and the01:18:48
justifier of him that is of the faith of Jesus.
So perfect is the reconciliation and so completely01:18:56
has sin been covered and blotted out that
he who believes in Christ is looked upon and01:19:01
treated by God as entirely righteous. The
acquittal that man has received from God is01:19:08
so complete that there is nothing, absolutely
nothing, to prevent him from approaching God01:19:13
with the utmost freedom.
Nothing is necessary for the enjoyment of01:19:17
this blessedness except faith in the blood.
The blood alone has done everything.01:19:24
The penitent sinner who turns from his sin
to God needs only faith in that blood, that01:19:29
is, faith in the power of the blood that it
has truly atoned for sin and that it has atoned01:19:35
for him. Through that faith, he knows that
he is more completely reconciled to God, and01:19:41
that there is now nothing to hinder God from
pouring out on him the fullness of His love01:19:46
and blessing.
If man looks toward heaven, which formerly01:19:51
was covered with clouds, black with God's
wrath and a coming judgment, that cloud will01:19:57
no longer to be seen; everything is bright
in the light of God's face and God's love.01:20:03
Faith in the blood produces in his heart the
same wonder-working power that it exercised01:20:08
in heaven. Through faith in the blood, he
becomes a partaker of all the blessings that01:20:13
the blood has obtained for him from God.
Fellow believers, pray earnestly that the01:20:20
Holy Spirit may reveal to you the glory of
this reconciliation, and the pardon of your01:20:25
sins may be yours through the blood of Jesus.
Pray for enlightened hearts to see how completely01:20:31
the accusing and condemning power of your
sin has been removed and how God in the fullness01:20:37
of His love and good pleasure has turned toward
you. Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit that01:20:43
He may reveal in you the glorious effects
which the blood has had in heaven. God has01:20:50
set Jesus Christ Himself as a reconciliation
through faith in His blood. He is the reconciliation01:20:57
for our sins. Rely on Him as having already
covered your sin before God. Set Him between01:21:04
yourselves and your sins, and you will experience
how complete the redemption is, which He has01:21:10
accomplished, and how powerful the reconciliation
is through faith in His blood.01:21:16
Then through the living Christ, the powerful
effects that the blood has exercised in heaven01:21:21
will increasingly be produced in your hearts,
and you will know what it means to walk by01:21:25
the Spirit's grace in the full light and enjoyment
of forgiveness.01:21:30
And you who have not yet obtained forgiveness
of your sins, doesn't this word come to you01:21:35
as an urgent call to faith in His blood? Will
you never allow yourselves to be moved by01:21:41
what God has done for you as sinners? Scripture:
In this does the charity [love] consist, not01:21:49
because we had loved God, but because he loved
us and has sent his Son to be the reconciliation01:21:54
for our sins (1 John 4:10).
The precious, divine blood has been shed;01:22:03
reconciliation is complete, and the message
comes to you: Be ye reconciled to God (2 Corinthians01:22:10
5:20).
If you repent of your sins and desire to be01:22:15
delivered from sin's power and bondage, exercise
faith in the blood. Open your heart to the01:22:21
influence of the word that God has sent to
be spoken unto you. Open your heart to the01:22:26
message that the blood can deliver you - yes,
even you, this moment. Only believe it. Say,01:22:33
"that blood is also for me." If you come as
a guilty, lost sinner, longing for pardon,01:22:41
you may rest assured that the blood that has
already made a perfect reconciliation covers01:22:45
your sin and restores you immediately to the
favor and love of God.01:22:52
So I pray you, exercise faith in the blood.
This moment bow down before God and tell Him01:22:59
that you do believe in the power of the blood
for your own soul. Having said that, stand01:23:05
by it, cling to it. Through faith in His blood,
Jesus Christ will be the reconciliation for01:23:11
your sins also. Scripture: For it pleased
the Father that in him should all fullness01:23:17
dwell and by him to reconcile all things unto
himself, having made peace through the blood01:23:23
of his cross (Colossians 1:19-20).01:23:30
Chapter 4
Cleansing Through the Blood01:23:39
If we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have communion with him in the midst of01:23:45
us, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son
cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)01:23:54
We have already seen that the most important
effect of the blood is reconciliation for01:23:58
sin. The fruit of knowledge about and faith
in reconciliation is the pardon of sin. Pardon01:24:07
is just a declaration of what has already
taken place in heaven on the sinner's behalf01:24:11
and his hearty acceptance of it.
This first effect of the blood is not the01:24:17
only one. The blood exerts a further power
in proportion to how the soul, through faith,01:24:23
yields itself to the Spirit of God. The soul
can understand and enjoy the full power of01:24:29
reconciliation, as the blood imparts other
blessings, which Scripture attributes to it.01:24:36
One of the first results of reconciliation
is cleansing from sin. We need to see what01:24:41
God's Word says about this. Cleansing is often
spoken about among us as if it were no more01:24:47
than the pardon of sins or the cleansing from
guilt. This, however, is not so. Scripture01:24:54
does not speak of being cleansed from guilt.
Cleansing from sin means deliverance from01:25:00
the pollution, not from the guilt of sin.
The guilt of sin concerns our relationship01:25:06
to God and our responsibility to correct our
errors or bear the punishment of them. The01:25:12
pollution of sin, on the other hand, is the
sense of defilement and impurity which sin01:25:18
brings to our inner being, and this is what
cleansing deals with.01:25:23
Cleansing is of the greatest importance for
every believer who desires to enjoy the full01:25:28
salvation that God has provided for him and
to understand correctly what the Scriptures01:25:33
teach about it.
Let us consider:01:25:37
1. What the word cleansing means in the Old
Testament;01:25:42
2. What the word blessing indicates in the
New Testament; and01:25:47
3. How we may experience the full enjoyment
of this blessing.01:25:53
Cleansing in the Old Testament
In the service of God as ordained by the hand01:25:59
of Moses for Israel, two ceremonies had to
be observed by God's people before approaching01:26:04
Him. These were the offerings or sacrifices
and the cleansings or purifications. Both01:26:12
were to be observed but in different manners.
Both were intended to remind man of how sinful01:26:18
he was and how unfit to draw near to a holy
God. Both were to typify the redemption by01:26:25
which the Lord Jesus Christ would restore
man's fellowship with God. As a rule, it is01:26:31
only the offerings which are regarded as typical
of redemption through Christ. The epistle01:26:36
to the Hebrews, however, emphatically mentions
the cleansings as figures for the time being01:26:42
in foods and drinks and different washings
and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until01:26:49
the time of correction (Hebrews 9:10).
If we can imagine the life of an Israelite,01:26:56
we shall understand that the consciousness
of sin and the need for redemption were awakened01:27:01
as much by the cleansings as by the offerings.
We must also learn from them what the power01:27:07
of the blood of Jesus actually is.
We may take one of the more important examples01:27:13
of cleansing as an illustration. If anyone
was in a hut or house where a dead body lay,01:27:19
or if he had even touched a dead body or bones,
he was unclean for seven days. Death, as the01:27:27
punishment for sin, made everyone who came
into association with it unclean. Cleansing01:27:33
was accomplished by using the ashes of a young
heifer, which had been burned as described01:27:38
in Numbers:
Scripture: And a man that is clean shall gather01:27:44
up the ashes of the heifer and lay them up
outside the camp in a clean place, and it01:27:49
shall be kept for the congregation of the
sons of Israel for the water of separation;01:27:54
it is sin. And he that gathers the ashes of
the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean01:28:01
until the evening; . . . Whoever touches the
dead body of anyone that is dead and does01:28:06
not remove the sin has defiled the tabernacle
of the LORD; . . . And for the unclean person01:28:12
they shall take of the dust of the heifer
that was burnt as sin and put living water01:28:17
over it in a vessel; and a clean person shall
take hyssop and dip it in the water and sprinkle01:28:23
it upon the tent and upon all the stuff and
upon the persons that were there and upon01:28:28
the one that touched the bone or the one slain
or the one dead or the grave. (Numbers 19:9-10,01:28:40
13, 17-18)
These ashes, mixed with water, were sprinkled01:28:44
by means of a bunch of hyssop on the one who
was unclean; he then had to bathe himself01:28:49
in water to be once more ceremonially clean.
The words unclean, cleansing, and clean were01:28:57
used in reference to the healing of leprosy,
a disease that might be described as a living01:29:03
death. In Leviticus 13 and 14, we also see
that he who was to be cleansed had to first01:29:10
be sprinkled with water, in which the blood
of a sacrificially offered bird had been mixed.01:29:16
Then he had to bathe in water. Seven days
later he was again sprinkled with sacrificial01:29:22
blood.
A close consideration of the laws of cleansing01:29:26
will teach us that the difference between
the cleansings and the offerings was twofold.01:29:31
First, the offering had definite reference
to the transgression for which reconciliation01:29:35
had to be made. Cleansing had more to do with
conditions which were not sinful in themselves01:29:41
but were the result of sin, and therefore
had to be acknowledged by God's holy people01:29:46
as defiling. Secondly, in the case of the
offering, nothing was done to the offeror01:29:53
himself. He saw the blood sprinkled on the
altar or carried into the Holy Place; he had01:29:59
to believe that this obtained reconciliation
before God. But nothing was done to himself.01:30:05
In cleansing, on the other hand, what happened
to the person was the chief thing. Defilement01:30:12
was something that either through internal
disease or outward touch had come upon the01:30:18
man, so the washing or sprinkling with water
must take place on himself as ordained by01:30:23
God.
Cleansing was something that he could feel01:30:27
and experience. It brought about a change
not only in his relationship to God but also01:30:33
in his own condition. In the offering, something
was done for him; with cleansing, something01:30:39
was done in him. The offering had respect
to his guilt. The cleansing dealt with the01:30:46
pollution of sin.
The same meaning of the words clean and cleansing01:30:51
is found elsewhere in the Old Testament. David
prays in Psalm 51, cleanse me from my sin.01:31:00
. . . Remove the sin in me with hyssop, and
I shall be clean (Psalm 51:2, 7). The word01:31:07
used by David here is that which is used most
frequently for the cleansing of anyone who01:31:13
had touched a dead body. Hyssop also was used
in such cases. David prayed for more than01:31:20
pardon. He confessed that he had been shapen
in iniquity, that his nature was sinful (Psalm01:31:28
51:5 KJV). He prayed that he might be made
pure within. Cleanse me from my sin was his01:31:38
prayer. He uses the same word later when he
prays, Create in me a clean heart, O God (Psalm01:31:46
51:10). Cleansing is more than pardon.
In the same manner this word is used by Ezekiel01:31:55
and refers to an inner condition which must
be changed. The Lord, because I have cleansed01:32:01
thee, and thou didst not cleanse thyself (Ezekiel
24:13). Later, speaking of the new covenant,01:32:10
He says, And I will sprinkle clean water upon
you, and ye shall be cleansed from all your01:32:16
filthiness, and from all your idols will I
cleanse you (Ezekiel 36:25).01:32:22
Malachi says the same thing, connecting it
with fire: he shall sit to refine and to purify01:32:32
the silver: he shall purify [cleanse] the
sons of Levi (Malachi 3:3).01:32:39
Cleansing by water, by blood, and by fire
are all typical of the cleansing which would01:32:44
take place under the new covenant - an inner
cleansing and deliverance from the stain of01:32:50
sin.
Blessing in the New Testament01:32:56
Mention is often made in the New Testament
of a clean or pure heart. Our Lord said, Blessed01:33:03
are the pure in heart (Matthew 5:8). Paul
speaks of charity [love] out of a pure heart01:33:11
(1 Timothy 1:5). He speaks also of a good
conscience.01:33:19
Peter exhorts his readers to love one another
with a pure heart fervently (1 Peter 1:22).01:33:28
The word cleansing is also used.
We read of those who are described as God's01:33:34
people purifying [cleansing] their hearts
by faith (Acts 15:9). The purpose of the Lord01:33:42
Jesus concerning those who were His was to
purify [cleanse] unto himself a people of01:33:49
his own (Titus 2:14).
As regards ourselves we read: Let us cleanse01:33:56
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh
and spirit (2 Corinthians 7:1).01:34:04
All these Scriptures teach us that cleansing
is an inward condition produced in the heart01:34:09
as a result of pardon.
We are told in 1 John 1:7 that the blood of01:34:16
Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses us from all
sin. The word cleanses does not refer to the01:34:24
grace of pardon received at conversion but
to the effect of grace in God's children who01:34:30
walk in the light. We read also in verse 7
that if we walk in the light, as he is in01:34:37
the light, . . . the blood of Jesus Christ,
his Son cleanses us from all sin. What follows01:34:44
in verse 9 shows that something more than
pardon is indicated: He is faithful and just01:34:51
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness. Cleansing is something01:34:58
that comes after pardon and is the result
of it by the inward and experiential reception01:35:04
of the power of the blood of Jesus in the
heart of the believer.01:35:09
This takes place according to the Word by
the purifying of the conscience. Scripture:01:35:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, . . . purge
your conscience from the works of death to01:35:21
serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14). The
earlier mention of sprinkling the ashes of01:35:28
a heifer on the unclean serves as an example
of a personal experience of the precious blood01:35:33
of Christ. Conscience is not only a judge
to give sentence on our actions, but it is01:35:40
also the inward voice, which bears witness
to our relationship with God. When it is cleansed01:35:46
by the blood, it bears witness that we are
well pleasing to God.01:35:52
It is written in Hebrews, those that sacrifice,
once purged, would have no more conscience01:35:58
of sins (Hebrews 10:2). Through the Spirit
we receive an inward experience that the blood01:36:06
has delivered us from the guilt and power
of sin, so in our regenerated nature, we have01:36:11
escaped entirely from sin's dominion. Sin
still dwells in our flesh, with its temptations,01:36:18
but it has no power to rule. The conscience
is cleansed; there is no need for the least01:36:25
bit of separation between God and us. We look
up to Him in the full power of redemption.01:36:32
The conscience, which is cleansed by the blood,
bears witness to nothing less than a complete01:36:37
redemption - the fullness of God's good pleasure.
And if the conscience is cleansed, so is the01:36:45
heart, of which the conscience is the center.
We read of having the heart purified from01:36:51
an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:22). Not only
must the conscience be cleansed, but the heart01:36:58
also must be cleansed, including the understanding
and the will with all our thoughts and desires.01:37:05
The death and resurrection of Christ are ceaselessly
effective. By this power of His death and01:37:12
resurrection, sinful lusts and dispositions
are slain.01:37:17
The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses
us from all sin - from original as well as01:37:24
from actual sin. The blood exercises its spiritual,
heavenly power in the soul, and the believer,01:37:32
in whose life the blood is effective, experiences
his old nature being hindered from manifesting01:37:37
its power. Through the blood, lusts and desires
are subdued and slain, and everything is so01:37:45
cleansed that the Spirit can bring forth His
glorious fruit. In case of the least stumbling,01:37:51
the soul finds immediate cleansing and restoration.
Even unconscious sins are rendered powerless01:37:58
through its effectiveness.
We have noted a difference between the guilt01:38:03
and the pollution of sin. This is important
for a clear understanding of the matter, but01:38:08
in actual life, we must remember that they
are not distinguished. Through the blood,01:38:14
God deals with sin as a whole. Every true
operation of the blood demonstrates its power01:38:20
simultaneously over the guilt and the pollution
of sin. Reconciliation and cleansing always01:38:28
go together, and the blood is always available.
Many seem to think that the blood is there01:38:35
so that if we sin again, we can turn to it
again to be cleansed. But this is not so.01:38:42
Just as a fountain always flows and always
purifies what is placed in it, so it is with01:38:47
this Fountain, opened for sin and uncleanness.
Scripture: In that time there shall be an01:38:54
open fountain for the house of David and for
the inhabitants of Jerusalem against sin and01:39:00
against uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1). The
eternal power of life of the eternal Spirit01:39:08
works through the blood. Through Him the heart
can always abide under the flow and cleansing01:39:15
of the blood.
In the Old Testament, cleansing was necessary01:39:20
for each sin. In the New Testament, cleansing
depends on Him who lives forever to intercede.01:39:28
When faith sees and desires and lays hold
of this fact, the heart can abide every moment01:39:34
under the protecting and cleansing power of
the blood.01:39:40
Enjoyment of the Blessing
Everyone who obtains a share in the atoning01:39:45
merit of the blood of Christ through faith
has a share also in its cleansing effectiveness.01:39:52
But the experience of its power to cleanse
is sadly imperfect. It is therefore of great01:39:58
importance to understand what the conditions
are for the full enjoyment of this glorious01:40:03
blessing.
First of all, knowledge is necessary. Many01:40:08
think that pardon of sin is all that we receive
through the blood. They ask for and so obtain01:40:15
nothing more.
But we are blessed when we begin to see that01:40:19
the Holy Spirit of God has a special purpose
in using different words in Scripture about01:40:24
the effects of the blood. Then we inquire
about their special meaning. Let everyone01:40:31
who longs to know what the Lord desires to
teach us by this one word compare all the01:40:37
places in Scripture where the word cleansing
is used. He will soon understand that there01:40:43
is more promised to the believer than the
removal of guilt. He will begin to understand01:40:49
that cleansing can provide a blessed inward
resource. Knowledge of this fact is the first01:40:55
condition of experiencing it.
Secondly, there must be desire. Our Christianity01:41:03
is too often inclined to postpone the experience
of what our Lord intended for our earthly01:41:08
life: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God (Matthew 5:8).01:41:17
Purity of heart is a characteristic of every
child of God and the necessary condition of01:41:22
fellowship with Him and enjoyment of His salvation.
But man has too little inner longing to be01:41:29
in all things, at all times, well pleasing
to the Lord. Sin and the stain of sin trouble01:41:36
us too little.
God's Word comes to us with the promise of01:41:41
blessing, which ought to awaken all our desires.
Believe that the blood of Jesus cleanses from01:41:48
all sin. If you learn how to yield yourself
correctly, it can do great things in you.01:41:56
Shouldn't you desire to experience its glorious
cleansing effectiveness every hour? Shouldn't01:42:02
you yearn to be preserved from the many stains
for which your conscience is accusing you?01:42:08
May your desires be awakened to long for this
blessing. Put God to the test to work out01:42:15
in you what He as the Faithful One has promised
- cleansing from all unrighteousness.01:42:23
The third condition is a willingness to separate
yourself from everything that is unclean.01:42:29
Through sin, everything in our nature and
in the world is defiled. Cleansing cannot01:42:36
take place where there is not an entire separation
from and giving up of everything unclean.01:42:44
Do not touch the unclean thing is God's command
to His chosen ones (2 Corinthians 6:17). We01:42:52
must recognize that all the things surrounding
us are unclean.01:42:58
My friends, my possessions, my spirit must
all be surrendered that I may be cleansed01:43:04
in each relationship by the precious blood
and that all the activities of my spirit,01:43:09
soul, and being may experience a thorough
cleansing.01:43:15
He who will keep back anything cannot obtain
the full blessing. He who is willing to pay01:43:21
the full price to have his whole being baptized
by the blood is on the way to understanding01:43:27
the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin.
The last condition is exercising faith in01:43:34
the power of the blood. The blood always retains
its power and effectiveness, but our unbelief01:43:41
closes our hearts and hinders its potential.
Faith is simply the removal of that hindrance,01:43:48
the setting open of our hearts, for the divine
power by which the living Lord will apply01:43:53
His blood. Yes, let us believe that there
is cleansing through the blood.01:44:01
You have perhaps seen a spring in the midst
of a patch of grass. Dust is constantly falling01:44:07
over the grass that grows by the side of the
road, but there is no sign of dust where the01:44:11
water from the spring falls in a refreshing
and cleansing spray; everything is green and01:44:17
fresh. So the precious blood of Christ carries
on its blessed work without ceasing in the01:44:24
soul of the believer. To the one who by faith
commits himself to the Lord and believes that01:44:30
this can and will take place, it will be given
to him.01:44:35
The heavenly, spiritual effect of the blood
can be experienced every moment. Its power01:44:41
is such that we can always abide in the fountain,
always dwell in the wounds of my Lord.01:44:48
I entreat you to come and prove how the blood
of Jesus can cleanse your heart from all sin.01:44:56
You know with what joy a weary traveler would
bathe in a fresh stream, plunging into the01:45:02
water to experience its cooling, cleansing,
and strengthening effect. Lift up your eyes01:45:08
and see by faith how ceaselessly a stream
flows from heaven above to earth beneath.01:45:15
Place yourself in this stream and believe
that the words the blood of Jesus cleanses01:45:20
from all sin have a divine meaning - deeper
and wider than you have ever imagined. Believe01:45:28
that the Lord Jesus Himself is the One who
will cleanse you in His blood and fulfill01:45:34
His promise of power in you. Realize the cleansing
from sin by His blood as a blessing in the01:45:41
daily enjoyment of which you can confidently
abide.01:45:47
Chapter 5
Sanctification Through the Blood01:45:55
Therefore, Jesus also, that he might sanctify
the people with his own blood, suffered outside01:46:03
the gate. (Hebrews 13:12)
Cleansing through the blood was the subject01:46:10
of our last chapter. Sanctification through
the blood must now occupy our attention. To01:46:17
a superficial observer it might seem that
there is little difference between cleansing01:46:22
and sanctification. The two words seem to
mean about the same thing, but the difference01:46:28
is great and important. Cleansing chiefly
deals with the old life and the stain of sin,01:46:35
which must be removed. Sanctification concerns
the new life and the characteristics imparted01:46:41
by God. Sanctification involves union with
God and the peculiar fullness of blessing01:46:47
purchased by the blood.
The distinction between these two fundamentals01:46:53
is clearly marked in Scripture. Paul reminds
us that Christ also loved the congregation01:47:00
[church] and gave himself for her, that he
might sanctify and cleanse her in the washing01:47:06
of water by the word (Ephesians 5:25-26).
Having first cleansed it, He then sanctifies01:47:15
it. Writing to Timothy he says, If a man,
therefore, purges himself from these things,01:47:22
he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified,
and profitable for the master's use, and prepared01:47:29
unto every good work (2 Timothy 2:21). Sanctification
is a blessing which follows after and surpasses01:47:39
cleansing.
This distinction is also illustrated by the01:47:44
ordinances connected with the consecration
of the priests compared with those of the01:47:49
Levites. In the case of the latter, who took
a lower position than the priests in the service01:47:54
of the sanctuary, sanctification is not mentioned,
but the word cleanse is used four times (Numbers01:48:02
8).
In the consecration of the priests, however,01:48:06
the word sanctify is used often, for the priests
stood in a closer relationship to God than01:48:12
the Levites (Exodus 29; Leviticus 8).
This record emphasizes the close connection01:48:19
between the sacrificial blood and sanctification.
In the case of the consecration of the Levites,01:48:26
reconciliation for sin was made, and they
were sprinkled with the water of purification01:48:30
for cleansing, but they were not sprinkled
with blood. But blood had to be sprinkled01:48:36
on the priests. They were sanctified by a
more personal and intimate application of01:48:42
the blood.
All this foreshadowed the sanctification through01:48:47
the blood of Jesus, and this is what we now
seek to understand, so we may obtain a share01:48:53
in it. Let us then consider:
1. What sanctification is;01:48:58
2. How it relates to the sufferings of Christ;
and01:49:02
3. How it can be obtained.
What is Sanctification?01:49:09
To understand what the sanctification of the
redeemed is, we must first learn what the01:49:14
holiness of God is. He alone is the Holy One.
Holiness in the creature can only be received01:49:22
from Him.
God's holiness is often spoken of as it relates01:49:26
to His hatred of and hostility to sin, but
this does not explain what holiness actually01:49:32
is. It is merely a negative statement - that
God's holiness cannot bear sin.01:49:41
Holiness is that attribute of God whereby
He always is, wills, and does what is supremely01:49:48
good, and He desires what is supremely good
in His creatures and gives it to them.01:49:55
God is called the Holy One in Scripture, not
only because He punishes sin, but also because01:50:00
He is the Redeemer of His people. The prophet
Isaiah captured the essence of who God is:01:50:08
Thus saith the LORD, your redeemer, the Holy
one of Israel; . . . I am the LORD, your Holy01:50:14
One, the creator of Israel, your King (Isaiah
43:14-15). His holiness is what wills what01:50:24
is good for all; it moved Him to redeem sinners.
Both the wrath of God that punishes sin and01:50:32
the love of God that redeems the sinner spring
from the same source - His holiness. Holiness01:50:39
is the perfection of God's nature.
Holiness in man is a disposition in entire01:50:45
agreement with that of God, which chooses
in all things to will as God wills. As it01:50:52
is written, As he who has called you is holy,
so be ye holy (1 Peter 1:15). Holiness in01:51:03
us is nothing more than oneness with God.
The sanctification of God's people is effected01:51:09
by their intimacy with the holiness of God.
There is no other way of obtaining sanctification01:51:16
except by the Holy God giving what He alone
possesses. He alone is the Holy One. He is01:51:24
the Lord who sanctifies.
By the different meanings which Scripture01:51:28
attaches to the words sanctification and to
sanctify, a relationship that we are brought01:51:34
into with God is emphasized.
The first and simplest meaning of the word01:51:41
sanctification is "separation." That which
is taken out of its surroundings by God's01:51:47
command and set aside or separated as His
own possession and for His service is holy.01:51:54
This does not mean separation from sin only
but also from all that is in the world, even01:52:00
from what may be permissible. In this way
God sanctified the seventh day. The other01:52:06
days were not unclean, for God saw every thing
that he had made, and, behold, it was very01:52:13
good (Genesis 1:31). But the seventh day alone
was holy, for God had taken possession of01:52:21
it by His own special act.
In the same way, God had separated Israel01:52:27
from other nations, and in Israel He had separated
the priests to be holy unto Him. This separation01:52:35
unto sanctification is always God's own work,
so the electing grace of God is often closely01:52:41
connected with sanctification. Scripture:
Ye must, therefore, be holy unto me, for I01:52:50
the LORD am holy and have separated you from
the other peoples, that ye should be mine01:52:55
(Leviticus 20:26). The man whom the LORD chooses,
he shall be holy (Numbers 16:7). Thou art01:53:06
a holy people unto the LORD thy God; the LORD
thy God has chosen thee (Deuteronomy 7:6).01:53:15
God cannot take part with other lords. He
must be the sole possessor and ruler of those01:53:21
to whom He reveals and imparts His holiness.
But this separation is not the only thing01:53:29
included in the word sanctification. When
separated, man stands before God, not different01:53:36
from a lifeless object that has been sanctified
to the service of God. If the separation is01:53:42
to be of value, something more must take place.
Man must surrender himself willingly and heartily01:53:49
to this separation. Sanctification includes
personal consecration to the Lord to be His.01:53:58
Sanctification can become ours only when it
sends its roots into and takes up its abode01:54:03
in the depths of our personal life - in our
will and in our love. God sanctifies no man01:54:11
against his will; therefore, the personal,
hearty surrender to God is an indispensable01:54:17
part of this process.
It is for this reason that the Scriptures01:54:22
not only speak of God sanctifying us, but
they also say that we must sanctify ourselves.01:54:27
But even by consecration, true sanctification
is not yet complete. Separation and consecration01:54:36
are only the preparation for the glorious
work that God will do as He imparts His own01:54:41
holiness to the soul. Being made participants
of the divine nature is the blessing which01:54:48
is promised to believers through sanctification
(2 Peter 1:4). That we might be partakers01:54:57
of his holiness - that is God's desire for
those whom He separates for Himself (Hebrews01:55:04
12:10). But this impartation of His holiness
is not a gift of something that is apart from01:55:11
God Himself; no, it is in personal fellowship
with Him and partaking of His divine life01:55:17
that sanctification can be obtained.
As the Holy One, God dwelt among the people01:55:23
of Israel to sanctify his people. He told
them, I will dwell among the sons of Israel01:55:30
and shall be their God. And they shall know
that I am the LORD their God, that brought01:55:35
them forth out of the land of Egypt, that
I may dwell among them; I am the LORD your01:55:40
God (Exodus 29:45-46). As the Holy One, He
dwells in us. The presence of God alone can01:55:51
sanctify. Our portion is so sure that Scripture
does not shrink from speaking of God dwelling01:55:57
in our hearts that we may be filled with all
the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19). True01:56:06
sanctification is fellowship with God and
His dwelling in us. So it was necessary that01:56:13
God in Christ should take up His abode in
the flesh, and that the Holy Spirit should01:56:17
come to dwell in us. This is what sanctification
means.01:56:24
How Sanctification Is Related to the Sufferings
of Christ01:56:30
The connection is plainly stated in Hebrews:
Jesus also, that he might sanctify his people01:56:36
with his own blood, suffered outside the gate
(Hebrews 13:12). In the wisdom of God, the01:56:44
highest destiny of man is a participation
in His holiness. Therefore, this was the central01:56:51
objective of the coming of our Lord Jesus
to earth - above His sufferings and death.01:56:58
It was that he might sanctify his people and
that we should be holy and without blemish01:57:04
(Ephesians 1:4).
How the sufferings of Christ accomplished01:57:10
this and became our sanctification is made
plain to us by the words which He spoke to01:57:15
His Father when He was about to become a sacrifice.
Scripture: For their sakes I sanctify myself,01:57:23
that they also might be sanctified in the
truth (John 17:19). It was because His sufferings01:57:32
and death were a sanctification of Himself
that they can become sanctification for us.01:57:39
What does that mean? Jesus was the Holy One
of God, The Son whom the Father has sanctified01:57:46
and sent into the world; must He sanctify
Himself? (John 10:36). He had to do it; it01:57:54
was essential.
The sanctification that He possessed was not01:57:59
beyond the reach of temptation. In His temptation
He had to maintain it and show how perfectly01:58:05
His will was surrendered to the holiness of
God. We have seen that true holiness in man01:58:12
is the perfect oneness of His will with that
of God. Throughout our Lord's life, beginning01:58:18
with the temptation in the wilderness, He
had subjected His will to the will of His01:58:22
Father and had consecrated Himself as a sacrifice
to God. But it was chiefly in Gethsemane that01:58:29
He did this. That was the hour and the power
of darkness; the temptation to put away the01:58:35
terrible cup of wrath from His lips and to
do His own will came with almost irresistible01:58:41
power, but He rejected the temptation. He
offered Himself and His will to the will and01:58:47
holiness of God. He sanctified Himself by
a perfect oneness of will with that of God.01:58:56
This sanctification of Himself has become
the power by which we may be sanctified through01:59:02
the truth. This is in perfect agreement with
the epistle to the Hebrews where, speaking01:59:07
of the words used by Christ, we read: I come
to do thy will, O God, and then it is added,01:59:15
In this will, we are sanctified through the
offering of the body of Jesus, the Christ,01:59:20
once for all (Hebrews 10:9-10). It was because
the offering of His body was His surrender01:59:27
of Himself to do the will of God that we become
sanctified by that will. He sanctified Himself01:59:35
for us that we might be sanctified through
the truth. The perfect obedience of Jesus01:59:41
was not only the meritorious cause of our
salvation but also the power by which sin01:59:47
was forever conquered. Scripture: But this
man, after he had offered one sacrifice for01:59:54
sins for ever, . . . For by one offering he
has perfected for ever those that are sanctified02:00:00
(Hebrews 10:12, 14).
The true relationship of our Lord to His own02:00:07
people is even more evident after hearing
of how becoming it was that our Lord should02:00:12
suffer as He did. We read: For both he that
sanctifies and those who are sanctified are02:00:21
all of one (Hebrews 2:11). The unity between
the Lord Jesus and His people consists in02:00:29
the fact that they both receive their life
from one Father, and both have a share in02:00:34
the same sanctification. Jesus is the sanctifier;
they become the sanctified. Sanctification02:00:44
is the bond that unites them. Scripture: Therefore,
Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people02:00:52
with his own blood, suffered outside the gate
(Hebrews 13:12).02:00:59
If we are willing to understand and experience
what sanctification by the blood means, then02:01:05
it is of the utmost importance for us first
to grasp the fact that sanctification is the02:01:10
characteristic and purpose of the entire sufferings
of our Lord, which provided the fruit and02:01:16
means of blessing. His sanctification has
the characteristic of those sufferings and02:01:23
therein lay its value and power. Our sanctification
is the purpose of those sufferings; only in02:01:31
attaining that purpose do they work out the
perfect blessing.02:01:36
It was as the Holy One that God foreordained
redemption. His will was to glorify His holiness02:01:43
in victory over sin by the sanctification
of man after His own image. With the same02:01:49
objective that our Lord Jesus endured and
accomplished His sufferings, we must be consecrated02:01:55
to God. And if the Holy Spirit, the Holy God
as Spirit, comes into us to reveal the redemption02:02:02
that is in Jesus, this continues to be the
main objective with Him. As the Holy Spirit,02:02:09
He is the spirit of holiness.
Reconciliation, pardon, and cleansing from02:02:17
sin all have an unspeakable value; they all,
however, point toward sanctification. God's02:02:25
will is that each one who has been marked
by the precious blood should know that it02:02:29
is a divine mark, which characterizes his
entire separation to God. This blood calls02:02:36
him to an undivided consecration to a life
wholly for God, and this blood is the promise02:02:43
and the power of a participation in God's
holiness through which God Himself will make02:02:47
His abiding place in him and be his God.
Oh, that we might understand and believe:02:02:56
Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people
with his own blood, suffered outside the gate02:03:03
(Hebrews 13:12).
How Is Sanctification Obtained?02:03:10
In general, an answer to this question is
that everyone who partakes of the blood also02:03:18
partakes of sanctification and is a sanctified
person in God's eyes.02:03:25
Man continues to experience the blood's sanctifying
effects in proportion to how close he walks02:03:30
with God, even though he still understands
little of how those effects are produced.02:03:36
Let no one think that he must first understand
how to acquire or explain everything before02:03:42
he may pray that the blood reveal its sanctifying
power in him. No, it was in connection with02:03:48
the rite of cleansing, the washing of the
disciples' feet, that the Lord Jesus said,02:03:53
What I do thou dost not understand now, but
thou shalt understand afterwards (John 13:7).02:04:03
The Lord Jesus Himself sanctifies His people
by His own blood. The man who gives himself02:04:10
to worship and communicate with the Lamb will
experience through the Lamb's blood a sanctification02:04:15
beyond his comprehension. The Lord Jesus will
do this for him.02:04:21
But the believer needs to grow in knowledge
also, because only in this way can he enter02:04:27
into the full blessing which is prepared for
him. We have both the right and the duty to02:04:33
inquire about the essential connection between
the benefit of the blood and our sanctification.02:04:39
We can know in what way the Lord Jesus will
work those things in us, which we have learned02:04:44
to be the chief qualities of sanctification.
We have seen that the beginning of all sanctification02:04:52
is separation to God as His possession to
be at His disposal. Isn't this just what the02:04:58
blood proclaims? That the power of sin is
broken; we are loosed from its bonds; we are02:05:05
no longer its bondservants; but we belong
to Him who purchased our freedom with His02:05:11
blood. Scripture: Ye are bought with a price,
therefore glorify God in your body and in02:05:19
your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians
6:20). This is the language which tells us02:05:27
that we are God's possession. Because He desires
to have us entirely for Himself, He has chosen02:05:34
us, bought us, and set upon us the distinguishing
mark of the blood to live only for His service.02:05:41
The idea of separation is clearly expressed
in the words we often repeat, Jesus also,02:05:48
that he might sanctify the people with his
own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let02:05:53
us go forth, therefore, unto him outside the
camp, bearing his reproach (Hebrews 13:12-13).02:06:04
Going out from all that is of this world was
the characteristic of Him who was holy and02:06:09
undefiled, separate from sinners, and this
must be the characteristic of all His followers.02:06:16
As a believer, the Lord Jesus has sanctified
you through His own blood, and He desires02:06:21
you to experience the full power of that sanctification.
Endeavour to gain a clear impression of what02:06:29
has taken place in you through that blood.
The Holy God desires to have you entirely02:06:36
for Himself. No one, nothing, may have the
least right over you, nor do you have any02:06:44
right over yourself. God has separated you
unto Himself, and He has set His mark upon02:06:51
you - the blood of Jesus. That blood is the
life of the eternal Son of God, the blood02:06:57
that on the throne of grace is always before
God's face. This blood assures us of full02:07:03
redemption from the power of sin and is a
sign that we belong to God.02:07:09
Let every thought about the blood awaken in
you the glorious confession, "By His own blood,02:07:16
the Lord Jesus has sanctified me; He has taken
complete possession of me for God, and I belong02:07:22
entirely to God."
We have seen that sanctification is more than02:07:28
separation, which is only the beginning. We
have also seen that personal consecration02:07:34
and hearty, willing surrender to live only
for and in God's holy will is part of sanctification.02:07:42
In what way can the blood of Christ work this
surrender in us and sanctify us in that surrender?02:07:49
The answer is not difficult. It is not enough
to believe in the power of the blood to redeem02:07:54
us and to free us from sin, but we must, above
all, notice the source of this power.02:08:02
We know that it has this power because of
the willingness of the Lord Jesus when He02:08:06
surrendered Himself. In shedding His blood,
He sanctified Himself and offered Himself02:08:11
entirely to God and His holiness. This is
what makes the blood so holy; it possesses02:08:18
the sanctifying power. In the blood we have
a representation of the utter self-surrender02:08:25
of Christ. The blood speaks of the consecration
of Jesus to the Father as the opening of the02:08:30
way and supplying the power for victory over
sin. The closer we come in contact with the02:08:37
blood and the more we live under the realization
of having been sprinkled by the blood, the02:08:43
more we shall hear the voice of the blood,
declaring that "Entire surrender to God is02:08:49
the way to full redemption from sin."
The voice of the blood will not speak simply02:08:55
to teach us or to awaken thought; the blood
speaks with a divine and life-giving power.02:09:02
It works out in us the same perspective that
was in our Lord Jesus. By His own blood, Jesus02:09:09
sanctifies us that we might hold nothing back
and surrender ourselves with all our hearts02:09:15
to the holy will of God.
But consecration itself, even along with and02:09:21
following separation, is still only a preparation.
Complete sanctification takes place when God02:09:28
takes possession of the temple and fills it
with His glory. Scripture: There will I testify02:09:35
of myself unto the sons of Israel, and the
place shall be sanctified with my glory (Exodus02:09:43
29:43). Actual, complete sanctification consists
of God imparting His own holiness - Himself.02:09:55
The blood speaks here. It tells us that heaven
is opened; the powers of the heavenly life02:10:01
have come down to earth; every hindrance has
been removed, and God can make His abode with02:10:06
man.
Immediate nearness and fellowship with God02:10:11
are made possible by the blood. The believer
who surrenders himself unreservedly to the02:10:17
blood obtains the full assurance that God
will give Himself and reveal His holiness02:10:22
in him.
How glorious are the results of such a sanctification.02:10:29
Through the Holy Spirit, the soul's communication
is with the living God, accompanied by the02:10:33
tenderest caution against sin and guarded
by the fear of God.02:10:39
But to live in watchfulness against sin does
not satisfy the soul. The temple must not02:10:46
only be cleansed, but it must also be filled
with God's glory. All the virtues of divine02:10:52
holiness, as revealed in the Lord Jesus, are
to be sought and found in fellowship with02:10:57
God. Sanctification means union with God - fellowship
in His will, sharing His life, and conformity02:11:05
to His image.
Scripture: Therefore, Jesus also, that he02:11:12
might sanctify the people with his own blood,
suffered outside the gate. Let us go forth,02:11:18
therefore, unto him outside the camp (Hebrews
13:12-13). Yes, He is the One who sanctifies02:11:28
His people. Let us go forth unto him. Let
us trust Him to make known to us the power02:11:36
of the blood. Let us yield ourselves to its
blessed effectiveness. That blood, through02:11:43
which He sanctified Himself, has entered heaven
to open it for us. It can make our hearts02:11:50
a throne of God that the grace and glory of
God may dwell in us. Yes, let us go forth02:11:56
unto him outside the camp. He who is willing
to lose and say farewell to everything in02:12:03
order that Jesus may sanctify him will not
fail to obtain the blessing. He who is willing02:12:10
at any cost to experience the full power of
the precious blood can be assured that he02:12:15
will be sanctified by Jesus Himself through
that blood.02:12:20
May the God of peace sanctify you completely.
Amen.02:12:29
Chapter 6
Cleansed to Serve the Living God02:12:37
Now in Christ Jesus ye who at another time
were far off are made near by the blood of02:12:45
the Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)
How much more shall the blood of Christ, . . . purge02:12:52
your conscience . . . to serve the living
God? (Hebrews 9:14)02:12:59
After our study of sanctification through
the blood, we need to consider what the intimate02:13:04
communication with God involves. Sanctification
and intimacy are closely related in Scripture.02:13:12
Without sanctification there can be no intimate
communication. How could one who is unholy02:13:18
have fellowship with a holy God? On the other
hand, without this communication there can02:13:24
be no growth in holiness; it is only in fellowship
with the Holy One that holiness can be found.02:13:31
The intimate connection between sanctification
and communication appears plainly in the story02:13:36
of the revolt of Nadab and Abihu. God made
this the occasion of a clear statement about02:13:43
the peculiar nature of the priesthood in Israel.
He said, I will be sanctified in those that02:13:50
come near me (Leviticus 10:3). Then again
in the conspiracy of Korah against Moses and02:13:58
Aaron, Moses spoke for God and said, Tomorrow
the LORD will show who are his and who is02:14:05
holy and will cause the one who is holy to
come near unto him; the one whom he has chosen02:14:11
he will cause to come near unto him (Numbers
16:5).02:14:18
We have already seen that God's election and
separation unto Himself of His own are closely02:14:23
connected to sanctification. It is evident
here also that the glory and blessing secured02:14:29
by this election to holiness is nothing more
than communication and intimacy with God.02:14:36
To enjoy His love in this way is indeed the
highest, the one perfect blessing for man,02:14:42
who was created for God. The psalmist sings:
Blessed is the man whom thou dost choose and02:14:49
cause to approach unto thee that he may dwell
in thy courts (Psalm 65:4). We see that consecration02:14:58
to God and nearness to Him are the same thing.
The sprinkling of the blood that sanctifies02:15:04
man and takes possession of him for God grants
him the right of communication.02:15:11
The priests in Israel had this right. In the
record of their consecration, we read: And02:15:17
he [Moses] brought Aaron's sons, and Moses
put of the blood upon the tip of their right02:15:23
ears and upon the thumbs of their right hands
(Leviticus 8:24). Those who belong to God02:15:31
may, and indeed must, live in nearness to
Him; they belong to Him. This is illustrated02:15:38
in the case of our Lord, our Great High Priest,
who by his own blood he entered in once into02:15:45
the sanctuary (Hebrews 9:12). It is the same
with every believer, according to the Word:02:15:52
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,02:15:57
let us draw near . . . having our hearts purified
from an evil conscience (Hebrews 10:19, 22).02:16:07
The word enter, as used in this verse, is
the peculiar word used of the approach of02:16:12
the priest to God. In the same way, in the
book of Revelation, our right to draw near02:16:18
as priests is declared to be by the power
of the blood. We were redeemed from our sins02:16:24
by his own blood, who hast made us unto our
God kings and priests, to him be the glory02:16:32
forever (Revelation 5:10). These are those
who came out of great tribulation and have02:16:40
washed their long robes, and made them white
in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they02:16:45
are before the throne of God and serve him
day and night in his temple (Revelation 7:14-15).02:16:54
One of the most glorious blessings made possible
for us by the power of the blood is that of02:16:59
drawing near the throne into the very presence
of God. To understand what this blessing means,02:17:06
let us consider what is contained in it. It
includes:02:17:10
1. The right to dwell in the presence of God;
2. The privilege of offering spiritual sacrifices02:17:16
to God; and
3. The power to acquire blessing for others.02:17:22
The Right to Dwell in the Presence of God
Although this privilege belonged exclusively02:17:29
to the priests in Israel, we know that they
had free access to the dwelling place of God.02:17:35
They had to abide there continually. As members
of the household of God, they ate the showbread02:17:40
and partook of the sacrifices. A true Israelite
thought there was no higher privilege than02:17:47
this. The psalmist expressed is as such: Blessed
[happy] is the man whom thou dost choose and02:17:55
cause to approach unto thee that he may dwell
in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with02:18:00
the goodness of thy house even of thy holy
temple (Psalm 65:4).02:18:08
It was because of the proven presence of God
that believers in those days longed after02:18:13
the house of God with such strong desire.
The cry was, when shall I come and appear02:18:19
before God? (Psalm 42:2). They understood
something of the spiritual meaning of the02:18:26
privilege of drawing near to God. The psalmist
says, But as for me, to draw near to God is02:18:34
good; I have put my hope in the Lord GOD,
that I may declare all thy works (Psalm 73:28).02:18:43
It represented to them the enjoyment of His
love, fellowship, protection, and blessing.02:18:50
They could exclaim, Oh how great is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for those that fear02:18:55
thee; . . . Thou shalt keep them in the secret
place of thy face (Psalm 31:19-20).02:19:04
The precious blood of Christ has opened the
way for the believer into God's presence,02:19:08
and communication with Him is a deep, spiritual
reality. He who knows the full power of the02:19:15
blood is brought so near that he can always
live in the immediate presence of God and02:19:20
in the enjoyment of the unspeakable blessings
attached to it. The child of God has the assurance02:19:27
of God's love, and he experiences and enjoys
it. God Himself imparts it. He lives daily02:19:35
in the friendship and fellowship of God. As
God's child, he makes his thoughts and wishes02:19:40
known to the Father with perfect freedom.
In this communication with God, he possesses02:19:46
all that he needs; he lacks no good thing.
His soul is kept in perfect rest and peace,02:19:53
because God is with him. He receives all required
direction and teaching. God's eye is always02:20:00
on him and guiding him. Through communication
with God, he is able to hear the softest whispers02:20:06
of the Holy Spirit. He learns to understand
the slightest sign of his Father's will, and02:20:12
he follows it. His strength continually increases,
for God is his strength, and God is always02:20:19
with him.
Fellowship with God exerts a wonderful influence02:20:24
on the believer's life and character. The
presence of God fills him with humility, fear,02:20:30
and holy caution. He lives as in the presence
of a king. Fellowship with God produces godlike02:20:37
attitudes in him. Beholding the image of God,
he is changed into the same image. Dwelling02:20:45
with the Holy One makes him holy. He can say,
To draw near to God is good; I have put my02:20:52
hope in the Lord GOD (Psalm 73:28). O you
who are the children of the new covenant,02:21:00
don't you have a thousand times more reasons
to speak of this now that the veil has been02:21:06
rent asunder and the way opened for living
in God's holy presence? May this high privilege02:21:12
awaken our desires. Communication with God,
fellowship with God, dwelling with God and02:21:20
He with us. May we never be satisfied with
anything less. This is the true Christian02:21:28
life.
But intimacy with God is not only blessed02:21:31
because of the salvation enjoyed in it, but
also from the service that may be rendered02:21:36
because of that closeness.
Let us therefore consider:02:21:42
The Service of Offering Spiritual Sacrifices
to God02:21:45
Our service of bringing spiritual sacrifices
to God is a further privilege. The enjoyment02:21:52
of the priests in drawing near to God in His
dwelling place was secondary to something02:21:57
higher. They were servants of the Holy Place
to bring what belonged to God into His house.02:22:05
Only as they found joy in drawing near to
God could that service become truly blessed.02:22:12
The service consisted of bringing in the blood
of sprinkling, the preparation of the incense02:22:17
to fill the house with its fragrance, and
the ordering of everything that pertained02:22:21
to the arrangement of His house according
to God's word.02:22:25
They had to guard, serve, and provide for
the dwelling place of the Most High, so it02:22:31
would be worthy of Him and of His glory, so
His good pleasure might be fulfilled. If the02:22:37
blood of Jesus brings us near, we should live
before God as His servants and bring Him the02:22:42
spiritual sacrifices which are pleasing in
His sight.02:22:47
The priests brought the blood into the Holy
Place before God. In our communication with02:22:52
God, we can bring no offering more pleasing
to Him than a believing heart that honors02:22:57
the blood of the Lamb. Every act of humble
trust or hearty thanksgiving of the blood02:23:03
is acceptable to Him. Our abiding and communication
from hour to hour must be a glorifying of02:23:10
the blood before God. The priests brought
the incense into the Holy Place to fill God's02:23:16
house with fragrance. The prayers of God's
people are the delightful incense with which02:23:22
He desires to be surrounded in His habitation.
The value of prayer does not consist merely02:23:28
in its being the means of obtaining things
we need. No, it has a higher aim than that.02:23:35
Prayer is a ministry of God in which He delights.
The life of a believer who enjoys drawing02:23:42
near to God through the blood is a life of
unceasing prayer. In a deep sense of dependence,02:23:49
grace is sought and expected for each moment
and each step. In the blessed conviction of02:23:55
God's nearness and unchanging goodness, the
soul pours itself out in confidence that every02:24:01
promise will be fulfilled. In the midst of
the joy that the light of God's face brings,02:24:06
there arises thanksgiving and adoration along
with prayer.02:24:12
These are the spiritual offerings - the perpetual
offerings of the priests of God. They have02:24:18
been sanctified and brought near by the blood,
so they might always live and walk in His02:24:23
presence.
But there is more. The priests had the duty02:24:28
to attend to everything for cleansing or provision
that was necessary in the ministry of the02:24:33
temple. What is the ministry now under the
new covenant? Thanks be to God, there are02:24:40
no outward or exclusive arrangements for divine
worship. No, the Father has determined that02:24:46
whatever anyone does who is walking in His
presence is a spiritual offering. If a believer02:24:52
walks as in God's presence, whatever he offers
is a service to God; it is a priestly sacrifice,02:24:59
well pleasing to God. Scripture: Whether therefore
ye eat or drink or whatever ye do, do everything02:25:08
to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).
And whatever ye do whether in word or deed,02:25:15
do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to the God and Father by him (Colossians02:25:23
3:17). In this way, all our actions become
thank offerings to God.02:25:31
How little Christians recognize the glory
of a life of complete devotion, always in02:25:36
communication with God. Because I'm cleansed,
sanctified, and brought near by the power02:25:42
of the blood, my earthly calling, my whole
life, even my eating and drinking are a spiritual02:25:49
service. My work, my business, my money, and
my house become sanctified by the presence02:25:56
of God, because I walk in His presence. The
poorest earthly work is a priestly service,02:26:03
because it is performed by a priest in God's
temple.02:26:06
But even this does not exhaust the glory of
the blessing of communication with God. The02:26:12
highest blessing of the priesthood is that
the priest appears as the representative of02:26:16
others before God.
The Power to Acquire Blessing for Others02:26:24
This is what gives glory to the nearness of
God. In Israel, the priests were the mediators02:26:30
between God and the people. They carried the
sins and needs of the people into the presence02:26:35
of God; they obtained the power to declare
the pardon for sin and the right to bless02:26:40
the people from God.
This privilege now belongs to all believers02:26:46
as the priestly family of the new covenant.
When God permitted His redeemed ones to approach02:26:51
Him through the blood, it was so He might
bless them that they might become a blessing02:26:56
to others. Priestly mediation, a priestly
heart that can have sympathy with those who02:27:02
are weak, is a priestly power to obtain the
blessing of God in the temple and convey it02:27:07
to others. In these things, communication,
the drawing near to God through the blood,02:27:14
demonstrates its highest power and glory.
We can exercise our priestly dignity in a02:27:21
twofold manner:
By Intercession02:27:26
The ministry of intercession is one of the
highest privileges of the child of God. It02:27:31
does not mean that we pour out our wishes
in prayer to God and ask for the necessary02:27:35
supply. That is good as far as it goes and
brings a blessing with it. But the peculiar02:27:42
ministry of intercession is something more
wonderful and finds its power in the prayer02:27:47
of faith. This prayer of faith is different
from the outpouring of our wishes to God and02:27:53
leaving them with Him.
In the true prayer of faith, the intercessor02:27:59
must spend time with God to appropriate the
promises of His Word and permit himself to02:28:04
be taught by the Holy Spirit to know whether
the promises can be applied to this particular02:28:09
case. He takes upon himself, as a burden,
the sin and need, which are the subject of02:28:15
prayer, and claims the promise concerning
it. He remains in the presence of God until02:28:21
God awakens the faith that the prayer has
been heard.02:28:25
In this way, parents sometimes pray for their
children; ministers for their congregations;02:28:31
laborers in God's vineyard for the souls committed
to them, until they know that their prayers02:28:36
are heard. The blood is what has the power
to bring us near to God and grant the liberty02:28:42
to pray until the answer is obtained.
Oh, if we understood more perfectly what it02:28:49
means to dwell in the presence of God, we
would demonstrate more power in the exercise02:28:54
of our holy priesthood.
Instrumentality02:28:58
A further expression of our role is that we
not only intercede for others, but we also02:29:05
become the instruments by whom a blessing
is ministered. Every believer is called, and02:29:12
he feels himself compelled by love to labor
on behalf of others. Scripture: God was in02:29:19
Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them and02:29:25
having placed in us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as02:29:32
though God did exhort you by us (2 Corinthians
5:19-20).02:29:39
Believers know that God has blessed them that
they might be a blessing to others, but they02:29:46
seem to have no power for this work of bringing
blessing to others. They say they are not02:29:51
able to exercise an influence over others
with their words. This is not surprising if02:29:57
they do not dwell in the sanctuary. We read
that the LORD separated the tribe of Levi02:30:02
. . . to stand before the LORD . . . and to
bless in his name (Deuteronomy 10:8). The02:30:11
priestly power of blessing depends on the
priest-like life in the presence of God. He02:30:18
who experiences the power of the blood to
preserve him will have courage to believe02:30:23
that the blood can deliver others. The holy,
life-giving power of the blood will create02:30:29
in him the same result as through Jesus's
sacrifice of Himself to redeem others.02:30:36
As we communicate with God, His love will
set our love on fire, and He will strengthen02:30:41
our belief that He will surely make use of
us. The spirit of Jesus will take possession02:30:47
of us to enable us to labor in humility, wisdom,
and power; our weakness and poverty become02:30:54
the vessels in which God's power can work.
From our words and example, blessings will02:31:00
flow, because we dwell with Him who is pure
blessing, and He will not permit anyone to02:31:05
be near Him without also being filled with
His blessing.02:31:09
Beloved, isn't the life prepared for us a
glorious and blessed one? The enjoyment of02:31:17
the nearness to God, the performance of the
ministry of His house, and the imparting of02:31:22
His blessing to others are blessings.
Let no one think that the full blessing is02:31:29
not for him or that such a life is too high
for him. In the power of Jesus's blood, we02:31:35
have the assurance that drawing near is for
us also, so draw near to God, and he will02:31:43
draw near to you (James 4:8).
For those who truly desire this blessing,02:31:51
I give the following advice:
First, remember that this power is designed02:31:56
for all of us. All who are God's children
have been brought near by the blood. All can02:32:03
desire the full experience of it. Remember
that the life in communication and nearness02:32:09
with God is for all of us. The Father doesn't
want any of His children to be far off. We02:32:16
cannot please our God as we ought, if we live
without this blessing. Grace to live as priests02:32:23
is prepared for us; free entrance into the
sanctuary as our abiding place is for us.02:32:30
We can be assured of this, for God bestows
on us His holy presence, His indwelling as02:32:35
our right as His children. Let us embrace
this truth.02:32:40
Then, we must seek to make the full power
of the blood our own possession. That power02:32:47
makes communication and intimacy possible.
Our hearts can be filled with faith in the02:32:53
power of the blood of reconciliation. Sin
has been so entirely atoned for and blotted02:33:00
out that its power to keep us away from God
has been completely removed. Live in the joyful02:33:06
profession that sin is powerless to separate
us for even one moment from God. By the blood02:33:14
we have been fully justified and thus have
a righteous claim to a place in the sanctuary.02:33:20
The blood will cleanse us, so we can expect
the fellowship that follows and the inner02:33:25
deliverance from the defilement of sin. May
we repeat with the writer of the book of Hebrews:02:33:32
how much more shall the blood of the Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit offered himself02:33:37
without spot to God, purge your conscience
from the works of death to serve the living02:33:42
God? (Hebrews 9:14). We must let the blood
sanctify us and separate us for God to be02:33:51
filled by Him. Let the pardoning, cleansing,
and sanctifying power of the blood guide and02:33:58
direct us. This will automatically bring us
near to God and protect us.02:34:04
And last, we must not hesitate to expect that
Jesus will reveal the power of the blood to02:34:10
bring us near to God.
* The blood was shed to unite us to God.02:34:16
* The blood has accomplished its work, and
it will perfect it in us.02:34:21
* The blood has unspeakable virtue and glory
in God's sight.02:34:27
God draws near with joy and good pleasure
to the heart that surrenders itself entirely02:34:32
to the complete effectiveness of the blood.
The blood has irresistible power. Be assured02:34:40
that the blood is able to preserve us every
day in God's presence by its divine life-giving02:34:45
power. Our abiding with God is as sure and
certain as the blood is precious and all powerful.02:34:55
They have washed their long robes, and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore,02:35:01
they are before the throne of God and serve
him day and night in his temple (Revelation02:35:07
7:14-15). That eternal glory also affects
our lives on earth. The fuller our faith and02:35:16
experience of the power of the blood, the
closer our intimacy and assurance of nearness02:35:22
to the throne. Unbroken ministry of God widens
and the power to serve the living God increases.02:35:29
O Lord, may this word have its full power
over us now, here and hereafter!02:35:39
Chapter 7
Dwelling in the Holiest02:35:50
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,02:35:54
by a new and living way, which he has consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is to say,02:36:01
his flesh; and having that great priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a02:36:07
true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts purified from an evil conscience02:36:13
and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews
10:19-22)02:36:19
In these words, we have a summary of the main
points of this epistle and of the good news02:36:25
about God's grace, as the Holy Spirit caused
it to be presented to the Hebrews and then02:36:31
to us.
Through sin, man was driven out of paradise02:36:36
and away from the presence and fellowship
of God. In His mercy God sought to restore02:36:42
the broken fellowship from the beginning.
Through the symbolic types in the tabernacle,02:36:47
He gave Israel the expectation of a time to
come when the wall of partition would be removed02:36:53
and His people might dwell in His presence.
Scripture: When shall I come and appear before02:37:00
God? was the longing sigh of the saints of
the old covenant (Psalm 42:2).02:37:08
Many of God's children under the new covenant
also sigh because they do not understand that02:37:14
the way into the holiest place has been opened
and every child of God may have his real dwelling02:37:19
place there.
For those who long to experience the full02:37:24
power of redemption, let's take note of what
our God says to us about the Holy Place and02:37:30
our freedom to enter through the blood. Hebrews
10:19-22 shows us what God has prepared for02:37:37
us; then we learn how we prepare to enter
into that fellowship and to live in it.02:37:45
Read the text again with attention and see
that the words let us draw near are the center02:37:53
of it all. The following outline may be helpful:
I. What God has prepared for us02:38:00
A. The sanctuary; the Holy Place; the Holiest.
B. The blood of Jesus.02:38:08
C. A new and living way.
D. A Great Priest.02:38:13
II. How God prepares us
A. A true heart.02:38:19
B. Full assurance of faith.
C. Hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience.02:38:26
D. Bodies washed with pure water.
Read the text again with an eye on this outline:02:38:35
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,02:38:41
by a new and living way, which he has consecrated
for us, through the veil, that is to say,02:38:49
his flesh; and having that great priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a02:38:56
true heart in full assurance of faith, having
our hearts purified from an evil conscience02:39:04
and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews
10:19-22 emphasis added)02:39:15
What God Has Prepared for Us
The Sanctuary02:39:21
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter
into the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus,02:39:26
. . . let us draw near.
To bring us into the sanctuary is the end02:39:31
of the redemptive work of Jesus, and whoever
does not know what the sanctuary is cannot02:39:36
enjoy the full benefit of redemption.
What is this sanctuary or Holy Place? It is02:39:44
where God dwells; the sanctuary is the dwelling
place of the Most High. This doesn't only02:39:50
refer to heaven, but also to the spiritual
holiest place of God's presence.02:39:57
Under the old covenant, there was a physical
sanctuary, the dwelling place of God in which02:40:01
the priests entered into God's presence and
served Him:02:40:05
Scripture: Nevertheless the first [covenant]
had its justifications of worship and its02:40:11
worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle
made: the first, in which was the lampstand02:40:17
and the table and the showbread, which is
called the sanctuary. And after the second02:40:22
veil was the tabernacle which is called the
Holy of Holies, . . . the priests went always02:40:28
into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the
service of God. But into the second the high02:40:34
priest went alone once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for his own ignorance,02:40:40
and for that of the people: The Holy Spirit
signifying in this, that the way into the02:40:45
sanctuary was not yet made manifest, as long
as the first tabernacle was yet standing.02:40:51
(Hebrews 9:1-3, 6-8)
Under the new covenant is the true spiritual02:40:59
tabernacle, which is not confined to any place.
The Holiest is where God reveals Himself.02:41:07
Scripture: True worshippers shall worship
the Father in spirit and in truth, for the02:41:13
Father seeks such to worship him. God is a
Spirit and those that worship him must worship02:41:19
him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
We also know that ye are the temple of the02:41:29
living God; as God has said, I will dwell
in them and walk in them and I will be their02:41:34
God, and they shall be my people (2 Corinthians
6:16).02:41:41
What a glorious privilege it is to enter into
the Holiest and dwell there - to walk all02:41:47
day in the presence of God. What a rich blessing
is poured out there. In this sanctuary, we02:41:54
can enjoy the favor and fellowship of God;
we experience the life and blessing of God,02:42:00
and we find His power and the joy of God.
We can spend our lives in the purity and consecration02:42:06
of the Holiest; the incense of sweet savor
is burned and sacrifices acceptable to God02:42:12
are offered. It is a holy life of prayer and
blessedness.02:42:19
Under the old covenant, everything was physical;
the sanctuary was made of local, physical02:42:25
materials. Under the new covenant, everything
is spiritual, and the true sanctuary owes02:42:30
its existence to the power of the Holy Spirit.
Through the Holy Spirit, a real life in the02:42:35
Holiest is possible, and the knowledge that
God dwells there can be as certain as the02:42:40
priests of old entering the Holy Place. The
Spirit makes the work that Jesus has accomplished02:42:46
indisputable in our experience.
As one who has been redeemed, it is a fitting02:42:52
thing for you to make your home in the Holiest,
for Christ cannot reveal the full power of02:42:58
His redemption elsewhere. But in the Holiest
He can bless you richly. Oh, understand this,02:43:06
and let the objective of God and of our Lord
Jesus be yours also. May it be the one desire02:43:14
of our hearts to enter into, to live in, and
to minister in the Holiest. We can confidently02:43:21
expect the Holy Spirit to give us a correct
understanding of the glory of entering into02:43:26
a dwelling - the sanctuary.
Liberty through the Blood02:43:31
Admission to the Holiest belongs to God. He
thought of it and prepared it; we have the02:43:39
liberty, the freedom, and the right to enter
by the blood of Jesus, which exercises such02:43:44
a wonderful power that a son of perdition
may receive full freedom to enter into the02:43:49
divine sanctuary through it. Scripture: Ye
who at another time were far off are made02:43:57
near by the blood of the Christ (Ephesians
2:13).02:44:02
And what gives the blood this wonderful power?
Scripture says the soul (or life) of the flesh02:44:09
is in the blood (Leviticus 17:11). The power
of the blood is in the value of the life.02:44:18
The power of the divine life dwelt and worked
in the blood of Jesus.02:44:22
But that power could not be exercised for
reconciliation until it was first shed. By02:44:29
bearing the punishment of sin by His death,
the Lord Jesus conquered the power of sin02:44:34
and brought it to nothing. The power of sin
is the law, and by perfectly fulfilling the02:44:41
law when He shed His blood under its curse,
He made sin entirely powerless. So the blood02:44:48
has its wonderful power, not only because
the life of God's Son was in it, but also02:44:53
because it was given as an atonement for sin.
This is the reason Scripture speaks so highly02:44:59
about the blood. Through the blood of the
everlasting covenant, God has brought again02:45:05
from the dead our Lord Jesus (Hebrews 13:20).
Scripture: By his own blood he entered in02:45:14
once into the sanctuary designed for eternal
redemption (Hebrews 9:12). The power of the02:45:21
blood has destroyed the power of sin, death,
the grave, and hell, and the power of the02:45:27
blood has opened heaven's doors.
And now we have liberty to enter through the02:45:33
blood. Sin took away our liberty to approach
God; the blood perfectly restores this liberty02:45:40
to us. Whoever takes time to meditate upon
the power of that blood and believes it for02:45:46
himself will obtain a wonderful view of the
liberty and directness with which we can now02:45:51
have communication and intimacy with God.
Oh, the divine, wonderful power of the blood!02:46:00
Through the blood we enter into the Holiest.
The blood pleads for us with an eternal, ceaseless02:46:06
effect. It removes sin from God's sight and
from our conscience. Every moment we have02:46:13
free, full entrance, and we can approach God
and commune with Him through the blood.02:46:20
Oh, that the Holy Spirit might reveal to us
the full power of the blood! Under His teaching02:46:27
what a complete access we enjoy for intimate
fellowship with the Father! Our life is in02:46:33
the Holiest through the blood.
A New and Living Way02:46:38
Scripture: Having therefore, brethren, boldness
to enter into the sanctuary by the blood of02:46:45
Jesus by a new and living way, which he has
consecrated for us, through the veil, that02:46:51
is to say, his flesh, the blood bestows our
right of entrance (Hebrews 10:19-20). The02:46:58
way, as a living and life-giving one, bestows
the power. He has consecrated this way by02:47:07
His flesh, but this does not mean it is merely
a repetition in other words of the same thought02:47:13
as through His blood. By no means.
Jesus shed His blood for us; in this we cannot02:47:20
follow Him. But the way by which He walked
when He shed His blood, the rending of the02:47:25
veil of His flesh, in that way we must follow
Him. What He did in the opening of that way02:47:32
is a living power that draws and carries us
as we enter the sanctuary. The lesson we have02:47:38
to learn here is that the way into the sanctuary
is through the rent veil of the flesh.02:47:44
The veil that separated God and us was the
flesh. Sin has its power in the flesh; only02:47:52
through the taking away of sin could the veil
be removed. When Jesus came in the flesh,02:47:58
He could rend the veil only by dying and so
conquer the power of the flesh and sin. He02:48:05
offered up the flesh and delivered it to death.
This is what gave worth and power to the shedding02:48:11
of His blood.
And this remains now the law for each one02:48:17
who desires to enter the sanctuary through
His blood; it must be through the rent veil02:48:22
of the flesh. The blood demands and the blood
accomplishes the rending of the flesh. Where02:48:30
the blood of Jesus works powerfully, there
follows the putting to death of the flesh.02:48:36
He who desires to spare the flesh cannot enter
into the Holiest. The flesh must be sacrificed02:48:42
- given over to death.
In proportion as the believer perceives the02:48:48
sinfulness of his flesh and puts to death
all that is in the flesh, he will better understand02:48:54
the power of the blood. The believer doesn't
do this in his own strength; he comes by a02:49:01
living way which Jesus has consecrated; the
life-giving power of Jesus works in this way.02:49:08
The Christian is crucified and dead with Jesus;
they that are Christ's have crucified the02:49:15
flesh. The apostle Paul tells us, I am crucified
with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not02:49:23
I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith02:49:29
of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself
for me (Galatians 2:20). It is in fellowship02:49:39
with Christ that we enter through the veil.
Oh, glorious way, the new and living way,02:49:46
full of life-giving power, which Christ has
consecrated for us! By this way we have the02:49:53
liberty to enter into the sanctuary through
the blood of Jesus. May the Lord God lead02:49:59
us along this way through the rent veil, through
the death of the flesh, to the full life of02:50:05
the Spirit; then we shall find our dwelling
place within the veil in the sanctuary with02:50:10
God. Each sacrifice of the flesh leads us
through the blood and further into the sanctuary.02:50:19
Compare this further with 1 Peter 3:18 which
says, Christ . . . being put to death in the02:50:26
flesh, and 1 Peter 4:1 which says, Christ
has suffered for us in the flesh that we might02:50:34
live in the Spirit. God sent his own Son in
the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,02:50:41
condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk02:50:47
not according to the flesh, but according
to the Spirit (Romans 8:3-4).02:50:52
The Great Priest
Scripture: And having that great high priest02:51:00
over the house of God, let us draw near with
a true heart in full assurance of faith. (Hebrews02:51:09
10:21-22)
Praise God, we have not only the work but02:51:13
also the living person of Christ as we enter
the sanctuary; not only the blood and the02:51:18
living way, but Jesus Himself as High Priest
over the house of God.02:51:24
The priests who went into the earthly sanctuary
could do so only because of their relationship02:51:29
to the High Priest; none but the sons of Aaron
were priests. We have an entrance into the02:51:36
sanctuary because of our relationship to the
Lord Jesus. He said to the Father, Behold02:51:42
here am I, and the children whom thou hast
given me (John 17:11).02:51:49
He is the Great High Priest. The epistle to
the Hebrews has shown us that He is the true02:51:56
Melchizedek, the Eternal Son, who has an eternal
and changeless priesthood, and as High Priest02:52:04
He is seated on the throne. He lives there
to pray always; therefore He is able also02:52:10
to save to the uttermost those that come unto
God by him (Hebrews 7:25). A great and all-powerful02:52:19
High Priest He is.
As the High Priest over the house of God,02:52:24
He is appointed over the entire ministry of
the house of God. All the people of God are02:52:31
under His care. If we desire to enter the
sanctuary, He is there to receive us and to02:52:37
present us to the Father. He Himself will
complete in us the sprinkling of the blood.02:52:44
Through the blood He has entered; through
the blood He also brings us in. He will teach02:52:50
us the duties and our communication there.
He makes our prayers, our offerings, and the02:52:57
duties of our ministry acceptable, however
weak they are. What is more, He presents us02:53:03
with heavenly light and heavenly power for
our work and life in the sanctuary. Just as02:53:10
His blood obtained access, His sacrifice of
His flesh is the living way. As we enter,02:53:17
He keeps us abiding there and able to walk
well-pleasing to God. As the sympathetic High02:53:24
Priest, He knows how to stoop to each one,
even the weakest. That is what makes communion02:53:30
with God in the sanctuary so attractive; we
find Jesus there as the High Priest over the02:53:36
house of God.
And when it seems as if the Holiest is too02:53:40
high or too holy for us and we cannot understand
what the power of the blood is or how we are02:53:47
to walk on the new and living way, we may
look up to the living Savior Himself to teach02:53:52
us and to bring us into the sanctuary. He
is the High Priest over the house of God.02:54:01
Let us draw near to where God waits for us;
the blood gives us liberty, the living way02:54:06
carries us, and the High Priest helps us.
Let nothing hold us back from making use of02:54:13
these wonderful blessings which God has designed
for us. Our right has been obtained for us02:54:19
by the blood of Jesus; by His own footsteps
He has consecrated the way. He lives in His02:54:26
eternal priesthood to receive us and to sanctify,
preserve, and bless us. Let us no longer hesitate02:54:34
or turn back. Let us sacrifice all for this
one thing in view of what God has prepared02:54:40
for us. Let us draw near by the hand of Jesus
to appear before our Father and to find our02:54:48
life in the light of His countenance.
But can we know how to be prepared to enter?02:54:56
Our text gives us a glorious answer to this
question.02:55:01
How We Are Prepared
With a True Heart02:55:07
This is the first of the four demands made
on the believer who wishes to draw near. It02:55:13
is coupled with the second demand, full assurance
of faith, and it is chiefly in its connection02:55:19
with the second that we understand what a
true heart means.02:55:24
The preaching of the gospel begins with repentance
and faith. Man cannot receive God's grace02:55:30
by faith, if at the same time sin is not forsaken.
In the progress of the life of faith, this02:55:37
law is always binding. The full assurance
of faith cannot be reached without a true02:55:44
heart - a heart that is wholly honest with
God and surrendered entirely to Him. The Holiest02:55:51
cannot be entered without a true heart - a
heart that is truly desirous of seeking what02:55:57
it professes to seek.
Let us draw near with a true heart - a heart02:56:03
that truly desires to forsake everything to
dwell in the Holiest - forsaking everything02:56:08
to possess God. A true heart abandons everything
in order to yield itself to the authority02:56:15
and power of the blood. A true heart chooses
the new and living way in order to go through02:56:22
the veil with Christ by the rending of the
flesh. A true heart gives itself entirely02:56:28
to the indwelling and lordship of Jesus.
Let us draw near with a true heart. Without02:56:36
a true heart there is no entrance into the
Holiest.02:56:40
But who has a true heart? The new heart that
God has given is a true heart. Scripture:02:56:49
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, they are
a new creation: old things are passed away;02:56:55
behold, all things are made new (2 Corinthians
5:17). By the power of the Spirit of God who02:57:04
dwells in that new heart, you can place yourself
on the side of God against the sin that is02:57:10
still in your flesh. Tell the Lord Jesus,
the High Priest, that you submit and cast02:57:17
down before Him every sin and all of your
self-life, as you forsake all to follow Him.02:57:24
And as regards the hidden depths of sin in
your flesh, of which you are not yet conscious,02:57:29
and the malice of your heart - for them also
provision is made. King David wrote, Search02:57:36
me, O God, and know my heart (Psalm 139:23).
Subject yourself continually to the heart-searching02:57:46
light of the Spirit. He will uncover what
is hidden from you. He who does this has a02:57:52
true heart to enter into the Holiest.
Let's not be afraid to tell God that we draw02:57:59
near with a true heart. Let's be assured that
God will not judge us according to the perfection02:58:05
of what we do, but according to the honesty
with which we forsake every known sin and02:58:11
accept conviction by the Holy Spirit of all
our hidden sin. A heart that does this honestly02:58:19
is a true heart in God's sight. We can approach
the Holiest with a true heart through the02:58:25
blood. Praise God, through His Spirit we have
a true heart.02:58:32
In Full Assurance of Faith
We know what place faith occupies in God's02:58:39
dealings with man. Without faith it is impossible
to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Here at the02:58:47
entrance into the Holiest, everything depends
on the full assurance of faith.02:58:53
We must have a full assurance of faith that
a Holy Place exists where we can dwell and02:58:58
walk with God and where the power of the precious
blood has conquered sin so perfectly that02:59:04
nothing can prevent our undisturbed fellowship
with God. The way that Jesus sanctified through02:59:10
His flesh is a living way, which carries those
who tread on it with eternal living power.02:59:18
This is where the Great High Priest over the
house of God can save to the uttermost those02:59:23
who come to God through Him; by His Spirit
He works in us everything that is needful02:59:28
for life in the Holiest. We must believe these
things and hold fast in the full assurance02:59:35
of faith.
But how can we get to this point? How can02:59:40
our faith grow to this full assurance? By
fellowship with Jesus, the author and finisher02:59:48
of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). As the Great
High Priest over the house of God, He enables02:59:55
us to appropriate faith. By considering Him,
His wonderful love, His perfect work, and03:00:02
His precious and all-powerful blood, faith
is sustained and strengthened. God has given03:00:09
Him to us to awaken our faith. By keeping
our eyes fixed on Him, faith and the full03:00:14
assurance of faith become ours.
In handling the Word of God, remember that03:00:22
faith comes by hearing, and the ear to hear
by the word of God (Romans 10:17). Faith comes03:00:30
by the Word and grows by the Word, but not
the Word as law but as the voice of Jesus.03:00:38
Scripture: The words that I have spoken unto
you, they are Spirit and they are life (John03:00:45
6:63). Take time to meditate on the Word and
treasure it in your heart but always with03:00:53
a heart set on Jesus Himself. It is faith
in Jesus that saves. The Word that is taken03:01:00
to Jesus in prayer and talked over with Him
is the Word that is effective.03:01:08
Remember that for whosoever has, to him shall
be given (Matthew 13:12). Make use of the03:01:17
faith that you have; exercise it, declare
it, and let your believing trust in God become03:01:23
the mission of your life. God wants children
who believe Him; He desires nothing so much03:01:29
as faith. Make it your habit to exercise trust
in God's guidance and God's blessing in everything.03:01:38
To enter into the Holiest, full assurance
of faith is necessary. Let us draw near in03:01:44
full assurance of faith. Redemption through
the blood is perfect and powerful; the love03:01:52
and grace of Jesus is overflowing; the blessedness
of dwelling in the Holiest is surely for us03:01:58
and within our reach. Let us draw near in
full assurance of faith.03:02:06
The Cleansed Heart
The heart is the center of human life, and03:02:13
the conscience is the center of the heart.
Through his conscience, man recognizes his03:02:19
relationship to God; it tells him when all
is not right between God and himself - not03:02:25
merely that he commits sin, but that he is
sinful and alienated from God. A clear conscience03:02:33
bears witness that he is pleasing to God (Hebrews
11:5). It bears witness not only that his03:02:39
sins are forgiven but also that his heart
is sincere before God. He who desires to enter03:02:46
the Holiest must have his heart cleansed from
an evil conscience. The words are translated03:02:52
our hearts purified from an evil conscience.
The sprinkling of the blood accomplishes this03:02:59
cleansing and will purify your conscience
to serve the living God.03:03:05
We have already seen that access to the Holiest
is by the blood. But that is not enough. There03:03:12
is a twofold sprinkling: the priests who drew
near to God were not only reconciled through03:03:17
the sprinkling of blood before God on the
altar, but also their very persons had to03:03:22
be sprinkled with the blood. The blood of
Jesus must be brought by the Holy Spirit into03:03:28
direct contact with our hearts to cleanse
them from an evil conscience. The blood removes03:03:34
all self-condemnation. It cleanses the conscience,
which then witnesses the complete removal03:03:40
of guilt. There is no longer the least separation
between God and us. The conscience bears witness03:03:47
that we are pleasing to God, our heart is
cleansed, and we are in true living fellowship03:03:53
with God. Yes, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses
from all sin - not only from the guilt but03:04:00
also from the stain of sin.
Through the power of the blood, our fallen03:04:06
nature is prevented from exercising its power.
Just as a fountain cleanses the grass with03:04:12
its gentle spray and keeps it fresh and green,
so the blood works with a ceaseless effect03:04:18
to keep the soul clean. A heart that lives
under the full power of the blood is a clean03:04:24
heart, cleansed from a guilty conscience and
prepared to draw near with perfect freedom.03:04:30
The whole heart, the whole inner being, is
cleansed by a divine operation.03:04:37
Let us draw near, having our hearts purified
from an evil conscience. Let us in full assurance03:04:44
of faith believe that our hearts are cleansed.
Let us honor the blood by confessing before03:04:50
God that it cleanses us. The High Priest will
make us understand the full meaning and power03:04:56
of the words having the heart cleansed by
the blood. We gain access to the Holy Place03:05:03
prepared through the blood, and our hearts
are prepared by the blood for that encounter.03:05:09
Oh, how glorious to have our hearts cleansed
and to abide in the Holiest.03:05:16
The Washed Body
We belong to two worlds, the seen and the03:05:22
unseen. We have an inner, hidden life that
brings us in touch with God and an outer,03:05:29
bodily life by which we are in relationship
with man. If this word refers to the body,03:05:35
it refers to the entire life in the body with
all its activities.03:05:41
The heart must be sprinkled with blood; the
body must be washed with pure water. When03:05:47
the priests were consecrated, they were washed
with water as well as sprinkled with blood:03:05:53
Scripture: And Aaron and his sons thou shalt
bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the03:06:00
testimony and shalt wash them with water.
(Exodus 29:4)03:06:03
And thou shalt take of the blood that shall
be upon the altar and of the anointing oil03:06:11
and sprinkle it upon Aaron and upon his garments
and upon his sons and upon their garments,03:06:17
and he shall be sanctified, and his garments
and his sons and his sons' garments with him.03:06:25
(Exodus 29:21)
And if they went into the Holy Place, there03:06:30
was not only the altar with its blood, but
also the laver with its water.3 03:07:29
So also Christ came by water and blood. Scripture:
This is Jesus, the Christ, who came by water03:07:38
and blood; not by water only, but by water
and blood (1 John 5:6). Christ also loved03:07:48
the congregation [church] and gave himself
for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse03:07:54
her in the washing of water by the word, that
he might present her glorious for himself,03:08:00
a congregation, not having spot or wrinkle
or any such thing, but that she should be03:08:05
holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:25-27).
Jesus had His baptism with water and later03:08:15
with blood (Luke 12:50).
There is for us also a twofold cleansing - with03:08:23
water and blood. Baptism with water is unto
repentance for laying aside of sin; the apostle03:08:31
Paul declared, Be baptized and wash away thy
sins (Acts 22:15-17). While the blood cleanses03:08:41
the heart and the inner man, baptism is the
yielding of the body with all its visible03:08:46
life to separation from sin.
Scripture: let us draw near with a true heart03:08:53
in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
purified from an evil conscience and our bodies03:08:58
washed with pure water (Hebrews 10:22). The
divine work of cleansing is through the sprinkling03:09:07
of blood; the human work of cleansing is through
forsaking sin; these are inseparable.03:09:15
We must be clean to enter into the Holiest.
Just as we would never dream of approaching03:09:21
a king unwashed, so we would not come into
the presence of God in the Holy Place without03:09:26
being cleansed from every sin. In the blood
of Christ, God has given us the power to cleanse03:09:32
ourselves. Our desire to live with God in
the Holiest must be united with forsaking03:09:38
even the least sin. The unclean may not enter
the Holiest.03:09:46
Praise God, He desires to have us there and
to minister to Him. He desires our purity03:09:52
that we may enjoy His blessing - His Holy
fellowship. He has provided through the blood03:09:58
and by the Spirit for us to be clean.
Let Us Draw Near03:10:06
The Holiest Place is open even for those in
our congregations who have not yet turned03:10:11
to the Lord. For them also the sanctuary has
been opened. The precious blood, the living03:10:17
way, and the High Priest are for them also.
With great confidence we dare to invite even03:10:25
them. My friends, if you are still far from
God, don't despise God's wonderful grace any03:10:31
longer. Draw near to the Father who has so
earnestly sent this invitation; at the cost03:10:38
of the blood of His Son, He has opened a way
into the Holiest Place. He waits in love to03:10:44
receive you into His dwelling place as His
child. Let us all draw near. Jesus Christ,03:10:53
the High Priest over the house of God, is
a perfect Savior.03:10:57
Let us draw near. The invitation comes specifically
to all believers. Don't be satisfied to stand03:11:06
in the porch. It is not sufficient to hope
that your sins are forgiven. Let us enter03:11:12
within the veil and in spirit press on to
real nearness to our God. Let us live nearer03:11:18
to God, and wholly take our abode in His holy
presence; our place is the innermost sanctuary.03:11:27
Let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith. He who gives himself sincerely03:11:34
and entirely to God will experience freely
the full assurance of faith and all that the03:11:40
Word has promised. Our weakness of faith arises
from duplicity of heart. The blood has so03:11:46
perfectly atoned for and conquered sin that
nothing can hold the believer back from free03:11:52
admission to God.
Let us draw near, having our hearts sprinkled03:11:58
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed
with pure water. Let us receive faith into03:12:04
our hearts in the perfect power of the blood,
and let us forsake all that is not in accord03:12:10
with the purity of the Holy Place. Then we
will begin to feel more at home in the Holiest03:12:17
Place. In Christ, who is our Life, ye who
at another time were far off are made near03:12:24
by the blood of the Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
Then we learn to carry on all our work in03:12:32
the Holiest. Everything we do is a spiritual
sacrifice that pleases God in Jesus Christ.03:12:41
The call to draw near has special reference
to prayer - not as though we were not always03:12:46
in the Holiest, but some moments are more
intimate, when the soul turns itself entirely03:12:52
to God to be engaged with Him alone. But our
prayer is too often a calling out to God from03:12:59
a distance, so there is little power in it.
Let us draw near with each prayer. Yes, let03:13:06
us take time to draw near and then pray. Then,
we can lay our desires and wishes before our03:13:14
Father in the assurance that they are an acceptable
incense. Then, prayer is a true drawing near03:13:22
to God, an exercise of inner fellowship with
Him; then, we can have courage and power to03:13:29
carry on our work of intercession and to pray
blessings on others. He who dwells in the03:13:36
Holy Place through the power of the blood
is truly one of God's saints, and the power03:13:41
of God's presence goes out from him upon those
who are around him.03:13:47
Let us draw near, let us pray for ourselves,
for one another, for everyone. May we abide03:13:55
in the sanctuary that we may carry the presence
of our God with us everywhere. Let this be03:14:02
the fountain of life for us that grows from
strength to strength and from glory to glory.03:14:12
Chapter 8
Life in the Blood03:14:20
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Unless ye eat the flesh of the Son03:14:27
of man and drink his blood, ye shall have
no life in you. Whosoever eats my flesh and03:14:34
drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will
raise him up at the last day. For my flesh03:14:40
is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood03:14:47
abides in me, and I in him. The Spirit is
he that gives life; the flesh profits nothing;03:14:55
the words that I have spoken unto you, they
are Spirit and they are life. (John 6:53-56,03:15:05
63)
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it03:15:09
not the fellowship of the blood of the Christ?
(1 Corinthians 10:16)03:15:16
The drinking of the blood of the Lord Jesus
is the subject brought before us in these03:15:21
words. Just as water has a twofold effect,
so it is with this holy blood.03:15:28
When water is used for washing, it cleanses;
but if we drink it, we are refreshed and revived.03:15:36
He who desires to know the full power of the
blood of Jesus must be taught by Him what03:15:41
the blessing of drinking the blood is. Everyone
knows the difference between washing and drinking.03:15:49
Necessary and pleasant as it is to use water
for cleansing, it is much more necessary and03:15:53
reviving to drink it. Without its cleansing,
it is not possible to live as we ought, but03:16:00
without drinking, we cannot live at all. Only
by drinking can we enjoy the full benefit03:16:07
of its power to sustain life.
Without drinking the blood of the Son of God03:16:12
- that is, without hearty appropriation of
it - eternal life cannot be obtained.03:16:18
To many people there is something unpleasant
in the phrase drinking the blood of the Son03:16:24
of man, but it was more disagreeable to the
Jews, for the use of blood was forbidden by03:16:30
the law of Moses under severe penalties. Scripture:
For the soul of all flesh, its life, is in03:16:39
its blood; therefore, I have said unto the
sons of Israel, Ye shall not eat the blood03:16:44
of any flesh, for the soul (or the life) of
all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall03:16:51
be cut off (Leviticus 17:14).
When Jesus spoke of drinking his blood, it03:16:59
naturally bothered them, because it was an
unspeakable offence to their religious tradition.03:17:05
Our Lord would not have used the phrase if
He had been able to make the deepest and most03:17:09
glorious truths concerning salvation by the
blood plain to them and us any other way.03:17:15
In seeking to become partakers of salvation,
we must endeavor to understand three aspects:03:17:22
1. What is the blessing in drinking the blood?
2. How is this blessing worked out in us?03:17:30
3. What should our attitude be toward drinking
the blood?03:17:36
The Blessing in Drinking the Blood
We've seen that drinking expresses a more03:17:42
intimate connection with water than washing
and therefore produces a more powerful effect.03:17:47
A blessing exists in the fellowship with the
blood of Jesus that goes much further than03:17:53
cleansing or sanctification, and we can see
how far the blessing indicated by this phrase03:17:58
reaches.
Not only must the blood do something for us03:18:03
by placing us in a new relationship with God,
but it must also do something in us, entirely03:18:09
renewing us within. The words of the Lord
Jesus draw our attention to this renewing03:18:15
when He says, Unless ye eat the flesh of the
Son of man and drink his blood, ye shall have03:18:21
no life in you (John 6:53). Our Lord distinguishes
two kinds of life. The Jews in His presence03:18:31
had a natural life of body and soul. Many
among them were devout, well-intentioned men,03:18:38
but He said they had no life in them unless
they ate His flesh and drank His blood. They03:18:44
needed another life, a new, heavenly life,
which He possessed and which He could impart.03:18:50
All creature life must obtain nourishment
outside of itself. The natural life was naturally03:18:56
nourished with bread and water. The heavenly
life must be nourished with heavenly food03:19:02
and drink by Jesus Himself. Unless ye eat
the flesh of the Son of man and drink his03:19:09
blood, ye shall have no life in you. Nothing
less than His life must become ours - the03:19:16
life that He, as the Son of Man, lived on
earth.03:19:21
Our Lord emphasized this more strongly in
words that follow, in which He again explained03:19:27
what the nature of that life is: Whosoever
eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal03:19:33
life, and I will raise him up at the last
day (John 6:54). Eternal life is the life03:19:42
of God. Our Lord came to earth the first time
to reveal that eternal life in the flesh and03:19:49
then to communicate it to us who are in the
flesh. In Him we see the eternal life dwelling03:19:56
in its divine power in a body of flesh, which
was taken up into heaven. He tells us that03:20:02
those who eat His flesh and drink His blood,
who partake of His body as their sustenance,03:20:07
will experience the power of eternal life
in their own bodies. Scripture: I will raise03:20:14
him up at the last day (John 6:54). The marvel
of the eternal life in Christ is that it was03:20:22
eternal life in a human body. We must be partakers
of that body, and then our body, possessing03:20:30
that life, will one day be raised from the
dead.03:20:34
Our Lord said, My flesh is food indeed, and
my blood is drink indeed (John 6:55). The03:20:43
word translated indeed here is the same as
the one He used when He spoke His parable03:20:49
of the true Vine, I AM the true [the indeed]
vine, thus indicating the difference between03:20:57
what was only a symbol and what is actual
truth (John 15:1). Earthly food is not real03:21:05
food, for it does not impart real life. The
one true food is the body and blood of the03:21:11
Lord Jesus Christ, which imparts and sustains
life, and not merely as a shadow or in a symbolic03:21:18
manner. No, this word indicates that in a
full and real sense the flesh and blood of03:21:24
the Lord Jesus are the food by which eternal
life is nourished and sustained in us: My03:21:31
flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed.03:21:37
In order to point out the reality and power
of this food, our Lord added, He that eats03:21:42
my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me,
and I in him (John 6:56). Nourishment by His03:21:52
flesh and blood effects the most perfect union
with Him. This is the reason that His flesh03:21:58
and blood have the power of eternal life.
Our Lord declares here that those who believe03:22:04
in Him are to experience not only certain
influences from Him in their hearts but are03:22:09
also to be brought into the closest abiding
union with Him.03:22:14
This then is the blessing of drinking the
blood of the Son of Man - becoming one with03:22:19
Him, becoming a partaker of the divine nature
in Him. How real this union is may be seen03:22:27
from the words which follow: As . . . I live
by the Father, so he that eats me, he shall03:22:34
also live by me (John 6:57). Nothing, except
the union that exists between our Lord and03:22:42
the Father, can serve as a type of our union
with Him. Just as in the invisible, divine03:22:48
nature, the two Persons are truly One, so
man becomes one with Jesus; the union is as03:22:56
real as that in the divine nature, with one
difference: as human nature cannot exist apart03:23:02
from the body, this union includes the body
also.03:23:07
Our Lord prepared for Himself a body into
which He took up a human body. By the body03:23:13
and blood of Jesus, this body became a sharer
in eternal life, in the life of our Lord Himself.03:23:20
Those who desire to receive the fullness of
this blessing must be careful to enjoy all03:23:25
that the Scripture offers them in the holy,
mysterious expression to drink the blood of03:23:30
Christ.
How This Blessing Is Worked Out in Us03:23:38
The first idea that presents itself here is
that drinking indicates the deep, true appropriation03:23:44
in our spirit by faith of all we understand
concerning the power of the blood.03:23:51
We speak sometimes of drinking in the words
of a speaker, when we heartily give ourselves03:23:56
up to listen and receive them. So when anyone's
heart is filled with a sense of the preciousness03:24:03
and power of the blood, when he is lost in
the contemplation of it with real joy, when03:24:08
he takes it for himself and seeks confirmation
of the life-giving power of that blood, then03:24:13
it may be said that he drinks the blood of
Jesus. He absorbs into the depths of his soul03:24:20
all that faith enables him to see of redemption,
cleansing, and sanctification by the blood.03:24:28
There is a deep truth in this representation,
and it gives us a very glorious demonstration03:24:34
of the way in which the full blessing by the
blood may be obtained. And yet it is certain03:24:40
that our Lord intended something more than
this by so repeatedly making use of the expression03:24:46
of eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
What this further truth is becomes clear by03:24:52
his institution of the Lord's Supper. For,
although our Savior did not actually deal03:24:57
with that Supper when He taught in Capernaum,
He spoke of it later at the Last Supper.03:25:05
In the Reformed Churches, there are two views
regarding the Lord's Supper. According to03:25:10
one, which is named after the reformer Zwingli,
the bread and wine are merely tokens or representations03:25:17
of a spiritual truth. They are meant to teach
us that as sure as bread and wine, when eaten03:25:23
or drunk, nourish and revive, even more surely
the body and blood, recognized and appropriated03:25:30
by faith, nourish and quicken the soul.
According to the other view, which bears the03:25:37
name of Calvin, there is something more than
this in the eating of the Supper. He teaches03:25:42
that in a hidden and incomprehensible way
through the Holy Spirit, we become so nourished03:25:47
by the body and blood of Jesus in heaven that
even our body, through the power of His body,03:25:53
becomes a partaker in the power of eternal
life. In this way, he connects the resurrection03:25:59
of the body with the eating of Christ's body
in the Lord's Supper. He writes thus:03:26:06
The bodily presence which the Sacrament demands
is such, and exercises such a power here (in03:26:13
the Supper) that it becomes not only the undoubted
assurance in our spirit of eternal life, but03:26:18
also assures the immortality of the flesh.
If anyone asks me how this can be, I am not03:26:25
ashamed to acknowledge that it is a mystery
too high for my spirit to comprehend, or my03:26:30
words to express. I feel it more than I can
understand it. It may seem incredible indeed03:26:37
that the flesh of Christ should reach us from
such immense local distance so as to become03:26:42
our food. But we must remember how far the
power of the Holy Spirit transcends all our03:26:48
senses. Let faith then embrace what the understanding
cannot grasp; namely, the sacred communication03:26:56
of His flesh and blood by which Christ transfuses
His life into us, just as if it penetrated03:27:02
our bones and marrow.
The communion of the flesh and blood of Christ03:27:09
is necessary for all who desire to inherit
eternal life. The apostle refers to the congregation03:27:16
[church], which is his body (Ephesians 1:22-23).
Later, Paul refers to Christ as the head and03:27:25
our bodies as the members of Christ (Ephesians
4:15; 1 Corinthians 6:15). We see that all03:27:34
of this cannot take place if He is not attached
to us in body and spirit. The apostle Paul03:27:41
again makes use of a glorious expression,
We are members of his body, of his flesh,03:27:47
and of his bones (Ephesians 5:30). Then He
cries out, This is a great mystery (Ephesians03:27:56
5:32). It would therefore be foolish not to
recognize the communion of believers in the03:28:02
body and blood of the Lord - a communion that
the apostle esteemed so great that he wondered03:28:07
at it, rather than explained it.
There is something more in the Lord's Supper03:28:13
than simply the believer appropriating the
redemptive work of Christ. This is made clear03:28:19
in the Heidelberg catechism in Question 76:
"What does it then mean to eat the crucified03:28:26
body of Christ and to drink His shed blood?"4
The 03:28:54
answer is, "It is not only to embrace with
a believing heart all the sufferings and death03:29:00
of Christ and receive pardon of sin and eternal
life, but also to become more united to His03:29:06
sacred body by the Holy Spirit who dwells
both in Christ and in us. So, though Christ03:29:13
is in heaven and we are on earth, we are flesh
of His flesh and bone of His bones, and we03:29:20
live and are governed for ever by one Spirit."5
The thoughts that are expressed in this teaching03:29:46
are in entire agreement with Scripture. In
the creation of man, the remarkable thing03:29:52
that should distinguish him from the spirits,
which God had previously created and which03:29:56
should make man the crowning work of God's
wisdom and power, was that he should reveal03:30:02
the life of the spirit and the glory of God
in a body formed out of dust. Through the03:30:08
body, lust and sin came into the world. Full
redemption is designed to deliver the body03:30:14
and to make it God's abode. Scripture: For
since by a man came death, by a man came also03:30:22
the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam
all die, even so in the Christ shall all be03:30:29
made alive (1 Corinthians 15:21-22). Redemption
will be perfect and God's purpose accomplished03:30:40
only then. This was the purpose for which
the Lord Jesus came in the flesh, and in Him03:30:46
dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily
(Colossians 2:9). For this He bore our sins03:30:55
in His body on the tree, and by His death
and resurrection He delivered the body as03:31:00
well as the spirit from the power of sin and
death.03:31:03
As the firstfruits of this redemption, we
are now one body, as well as one Spirit, with03:31:10
Him. We are of His body, of His flesh, and
of His bones. It is because of this that in03:31:18
the observance of the Lord's Supper, the Lord
comes to the body and takes possession of03:31:22
it. Not only does He work by His Spirit on
our spirit to make our body share in redemption03:31:28
at the resurrection. No, the body is also
the temple of the Spirit, and the sanctification03:31:34
of soul and spirit will progress more gloriously
in proportion as the undivided personality,03:31:41
including the body, which exercises such an
opposing influence, has a share in it.03:31:47
Thus, in the sacrament we are intentionally
fed by the real natural body and the real03:31:52
blood of Christ. We do not follow the teaching
of Luther that the body of Christ is so in03:31:58
the bread that even an unbeliever who eats
the holy body receives the power of the holy03:32:03
body and blood from heaven and becomes a partaker
of eternal life.03:32:09
All that has now been said about the Lord's
Supper must have its full application to the03:32:14
drinking of the blood of Jesus. It is a deep
spiritual mystery in which the most intimate,03:32:20
the most perfect union with Christ, is effected.
It takes place where through the Holy Spirit,03:32:27
the soul fully appropriates the communion
of the blood of Christ and becomes a true03:32:32
partaker of the disposition which He revealed
in the shedding of His blood. The blood is03:32:38
the soul, the life of the body, where the
believer as one body with Christ desires to03:32:44
abide perfectly in Him. Through the Spirit
in a superhuman powerful way, the blood will03:32:50
support and strengthen the heavenly life.
The life that was poured out becomes his life.03:32:57
The life of the old "I" dies to make room
for the life of Christ in him. By perceiving03:33:04
how this drinking is the highest participation
in the heavenly life of the Lord, faith has03:33:09
one of its highest and most glorious offices.
Our Attitude toward the Drinking03:33:15
Beloved brethren, you have already heard that
this is one of the deepest mysteries of the03:33:22
life of God in us. It behooves us to draw
near with deep reverence while we ask the03:33:28
Lord Jesus to teach us what He means by drinking
His blood.03:33:33
Only those who long for a full union with
Jesus will understand what it is to drink03:33:38
the blood of Jesus. Scripture: He that eats
my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me,03:33:46
and I in him (John 6:56). He who is satisfied
with just the forgiveness of his sins and03:33:55
does not thirst to drink abundantly of the
love of Jesus will miss many blessings. If03:34:01
he does not desire to experience redemption
for soul and body in its full power to acquire03:34:06
the same disposition that was in Jesus, he
will only have a small share in the benefits03:34:11
offered through the blood. On the other hand,
if his chief objective is also the object03:34:18
of Jesus, and he desires that the power of
eternal life should operate in his body, he03:34:23
will be concerned that these words are too
high or too mysterious. He longs to become03:34:30
heavenly minded because he belongs to heaven;
therefore, he desires to also obtain his meat03:34:36
and drink from heaven. Without thirst, there
is no drinking. The longing after Jesus and03:34:43
perfect fellowship with Him is the thirst
that is the best preparation for drinking03:34:48
the blood.
It is by the Holy Spirit that the thirsty03:34:52
soul will drink of the heavenly refreshment
of this life-giving drink. This drinking is03:34:58
a heavenly mystery. In heaven, where God the
Judge and Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant03:35:04
abide, there is the blood of sprinkling (Hebrews
12:23-24). When the Holy Spirit teaches us,03:35:14
He bestows more than our human understanding
can grasp. All the thoughts that we can entertain03:35:20
about the blood or the life of Jesus and our
share in that blood as members of His body03:35:25
and the impartation of the living power of
that blood are but feeble rays of the glorious03:35:30
reality, which the Holy Spirit will bring
to fruition in us through our union with Jesus.03:35:37
Where in our human bodies do we find that
the blood is actually received? Isn't it where03:35:44
one member of the body after another receives
the blood stream, which is continually renewed03:35:49
from the heart? Each member of a healthy body
ceaselessly and abundantly drinks in the blood.03:35:57
So the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus who
unites us to Him will make this drinking of03:36:02
the blood the natural action of the inner
life. When the Jews complained that what the03:36:09
Lord had spoken concerning eating His flesh
and drinking His blood was a hard word, He03:36:14
said, the Spirit is he that gives life; the
flesh profits nothing (John 6:63). It is the03:36:23
Holy Spirit who makes this divine mystery
life and power in us - a true living experience,03:36:29
in which we abide in Jesus and He in us.
On our part, we must have a quiet, strong,03:36:36
settled expectancy of faith that this blessing
will be granted to us. We must believe that03:36:42
all that the precious blood can do, or bestow,
is for us.03:36:48
Let us believe that through the Holy Spirit
the Savior Himself will cause us to drink03:36:53
His blood unto life. Let us believe and appropriate
those effects of the blood, which we understand03:37:00
- namely, its reconciling, cleansing, and
sanctifying effects.03:37:06
We may then say to the Lord, "O Lord, Your
blood is my life drink. You who have washed03:37:12
and cleansed me by that blood, You will teach
me every day to eat the flesh of the Son of03:37:17
Man and to drink His blood, so that I may
abide in You and You in me." He will surely03:37:24
do this. Chapter 9
Victory through the Blood03:37:37
They have overcome him by the blood of the
Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and03:37:42
they loved not their lives unto the death.
(Revelation 12:11)03:37:49
For thousands of years there had been a mighty
conflict between the old Serpent, who led03:37:54
man astray, and the seed of the woman for
possession of mankind. Scripture: And the03:38:00
LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou
hast done this, thou art cursed above all03:38:05
beasts and above every animal of the field;
upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt03:38:12
thou eat all the days of thy life; and I will
put enmity between thee and the woman and03:38:18
between thy seed and her seed; that seed shall
bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his03:38:24
heel (Genesis 3:14-15).
Often it seemed as though the kingdom of God03:38:33
had come into power; then at other times the
might of evil obtained such supremacy that03:38:39
the strife appeared to be hopeless.
The life of our Lord Jesus was the same. By03:38:45
His coming with His wonderful words and works,
the most glorious expectations of a speedy03:38:50
redemption were awakened. The disappointment,
which the death of Jesus brought to all who03:38:56
had believed in Him, was terrible. It seemed,
indeed, as if the powers of darkness had conquered03:39:02
and had established their kingdom forever.
But, Jesus is risen from the dead, an apparent03:39:09
victory that proved to be the terrible downfall
of the Prince of Darkness. By bringing about03:39:14
the death of the Lord of life, Satan permitted
Him, who alone was able to break open the03:39:19
gates of death, to enter his kingdom. Scripture:
He also himself likewise took part of the03:39:27
same, that through death he might destroy
him that had the empire of death, that is,03:39:32
the devil (Hebrews 2:14). In that holy moment
when our Lord shed His blood in death, and03:39:41
it seemed as if Satan was victorious, the
adversary was robbed of the authority he had03:39:46
thus far possessed.
Our text gives a grand representation of these03:39:52
memorable events. The best commentators, in
spite of differences in details, are united03:39:58
in thinking that we have in Revelation 12
and 20 a vision of the casting out of Satan03:40:03
from heaven as a result of the ascension of
Christ.03:40:08
We read in Revelation 12:5, 7-9: The woman
brought forth a man child, who . . . was caught03:40:17
up unto God and to his throne. And there was
war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought03:40:24
against the dragon; and the dragon fought
and his angels, and did not prevail; neither03:40:30
was their place found any more in heaven.
And the great dragon was cast out, the serpent03:40:35
of old, who is called the Devil and Satan,
who deceives the whole world; he was cast03:40:41
out into the earth, and his angels were cast
out with him.03:40:47
Then follows the song from which the text
is taken: Now is come salvation and virtue03:40:53
and the kingdom of our God and the power of
his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren03:40:58
is cast down, who accused them before our
God day and night. And they have overcome03:41:05
him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word
of their testimony; and they loved not their03:41:11
lives unto the death. Therefore, rejoice,
ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them (Revelation03:41:20
12:10-12).
The point which deserves our special attention03:41:25
is that while the conquest of Satan and his
being cast out of heaven is first represented03:41:30
as the result of the ascension of Jesus and
the war in heaven, in the song of triumph03:41:36
which was heard in heaven, victory is ascribed
chiefly to the blood of the Lamb. This was03:41:42
the power by which the victory was gained.
Through the whole book of Revelation, we see03:41:47
the Lamb on the throne. He has gained that
position because He was slain; the victory03:41:53
over Satan and all his authority is by the
blood of the Lamb.03:41:59
We have looked at the manifold effects of
the blood, but it is fitting to understand03:42:03
how that victory is always ascribed to the
blood of the Lamb.03:42:08
We shall consider victory:
1. As gained once for all;03:42:13
2. As being ongoing; and
3. As one in which we have a share.03:42:20
Victory - Once for All
In the picture given in our text, we see what03:42:26
a high position Satan, the great Enemy of
the human race, once occupied. He had entrance03:42:33
into heaven and appeared there as the accuser
of the saints and as the opponent of whatever03:42:38
was done in the interests of God's people.
We know how this is taught in the Old Testament.03:42:45
In the book of Job, we see Satan coming with
the sons of God to present himself before03:42:50
the Lord and obtain permission from Him to
tempt His servant Job:03:42:55
Scripture: Then Satan answered the LORD and
said, Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast03:43:03
thou not made a hedge about him and about
his house and about all that he has on every03:43:08
side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands;
therefore, his substance has increased in03:43:15
the land. But put forth thy hand now and touch
all that he has, and thou shalt see if he03:43:21
will not blaspheme thee to thy face. And the
LORD said to Satan, Behold, all that he has03:43:29
is in thy power; only upon himself do not
put forth thy hand. So Satan went forth from03:43:36
the presence of the LORD (Job 1:9-12).
In Zechariah 3:1 we read that he saw Joshua03:43:47
the high priest, standing before the angel
of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right03:43:51
hand to resist him. The English Revised Version
says Satan stood at his right hand to be his03:43:59
adversary.
Then in the book of Luke, our Lord states:03:44:04
I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven
(Luke 10:18). Later, in His agony of soul03:44:13
as He anticipated His sufferings, He said,
Now is the judgment of this world; now shall03:44:18
the prince of this world be cast out (John
12:31).03:44:24
It may seem strange that the Scriptures should
represent Satan as being in heaven, but to03:44:29
understand this correctly, we must remember
that heaven is not a small dwelling place03:44:34
where God and Satan had communication as neighbors.
No, heaven is an endless sphere with many03:44:41
different divisions, filled with innumerable
hosts of angels who carry out God's will in03:44:47
nature. Among them, Satan still held a place.
We must also remember that he is not represented03:44:54
in Scripture to be the black, grisly figure
as he is generally pictured, but rather as03:44:59
an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He
was a prince with ten thousands of servants.03:45:10
When he had brought about the fall of man,
he transferred the world to himself and became03:45:15
its prince; he had real authority over all
that was in it. Man had been destined to be03:45:21
king of this world, for God said unto them,
. . . fill the earth and subdue it and have03:45:27
dominion over it (Genesis 1:28). When Satan
conquered the king, he took his entire kingdom03:45:35
under his authority, and this authority was
recognized by God. In His holy will, God had03:45:42
ordained that if man listened to Satan, he
must suffer the consequences and become subject03:45:48
to his tyranny. God never abused His power
or exercised force by doing this but always03:45:56
acted out of His righteousness. So Satan retained
his authority until it was taken from him03:46:02
in a lawful manner.
This is why he could appear before God in03:46:07
heaven as the accuser of the saints and in
opposition to them for the four thousand years03:46:12
of the old covenant. He had obtained authority
over all flesh, and only after he was conquered03:46:19
in flesh, as the sphere of his authority,
could he be cast out forever as the accuser03:46:25
from heaven. So the Son of God had to come
in the flesh to fight and conquer Satan on03:46:31
his own ground.
For this reason also, after our Lord was recognized03:46:37
as the Son of God, He was led up of the Spirit
into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil03:46:43
(Matthew 4:1). Victory over Satan could be
gained only after He had personally endured03:46:52
and resisted his temptations.
But even this victory was not sufficient.03:46:58
Christ came in order that through death he
might destroy him that had the empire of death,03:47:04
that is, the devil (Hebrews 2:14). The devil
had that power of death because of the law03:47:12
of God. That law had installed him as jailer
of its prisoners. Scripture says, The sting03:47:19
of death is sin, and the power of sin is the
law (1 Corinthians 15:56). Victory over and03:47:29
the casting out of Satan could not take place
until the righteous demands of the law were03:47:34
perfectly fulfilled. The sinner must be delivered
from the power of the law before he could03:47:41
be delivered from the authority of Satan.
It was through His death and the shedding03:47:46
of His blood that the Lord Jesus fulfilled
the law's demands. Ceaselessly, the law had03:47:53
been declaring that the wages of sin is death
and the soul that sins, it shall die (Romans03:48:01
6:23; Ezekiel 18:20). By the ministry of the
temple and the sacrifices with the shedding03:48:09
and sprinkling of blood, the Law had foretold
that reconciliation and redemption could take03:48:15
place only by the shedding of blood.
As our security, the Son of God was born under03:48:22
the law. He obeyed it perfectly. He resisted
the temptations of Satan to withdraw Himself03:48:29
from under its authority. He willingly gave
Himself up to bear the punishment of sin.03:48:36
He would not listen to the temptation of Satan
to refuse the cup of suffering. When He shed03:48:42
His blood, He had devoted His whole life to
the fulfilling of the law. When the law had03:48:48
been perfectly fulfilled, the authority of
sin and Satan was brought to an end. Therefore,03:48:54
death could not hold Him. Scripture: Through
the blood of the eternal testament, God brought03:49:02
Him again from the dead (Hebrews 13:20). So
also by his own blood he entered in once into03:49:11
the sanctuary designed for eternal redemption
to make His reconciliation effective for us03:49:17
(Hebrews 9:12).
The text gives us a striking description of03:49:24
the glorious result of the appearing of our
Lord in heaven. Concerning the mystic woman,03:49:30
we read: She brought forth a man child, who
was to rule all the Gentiles with a rod of03:49:36
iron; and her child was caught up unto God
and to his throne. And there was war in heaven:03:49:43
Michael and his angels fought against the
dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,03:49:49
and did not prevail; neither was their place
found any more in heaven. And the great dragon03:49:55
was cast out, the serpent of old, who is called
the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole03:50:02
world; he was cast out into the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him (Revelation03:50:09
12:5, 7-9). Then follows the song of victory
with the words of our text: They have overcome03:50:18
him by the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:11).
In the book of Daniel, we read of a previous03:50:26
conflict between this Michael, who stood on
the side of God's people Israel, and the opposing03:50:31
world powers. But only in Revelation can Satan
be cast out, because of the blood of the Lamb.03:50:40
Reconciliation for sin and the fulfilment
of the law have taken all his authority and03:50:45
rights from him. The blood that had done such
wonderful things in heaven in blotting out03:50:51
sin and bringing it to nothing had a similar
power over Satan. Now he has no right to accuse.03:50:59
Scripture: Now is come salvation and virtue
and the kingdom of our God and the power of03:51:06
his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren
is cast down, . . . And they have overcome03:51:11
him by the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:10-11).
Victory - Ongoing and Progressive03:51:23
Satan has been cast down to earth, so the
heavenly victory must now be carried out here.03:51:29
This is indicated in the words of the song
of victory, They have overcome him by the03:51:35
blood of the Lamb. This was primarily spoken
concerning the brethren mentioned, but it03:51:41
refers also to the victory of the angels.
The victory in heaven and on earth progresses03:51:47
simultaneously and rests on the same ground.
We know from Daniel what fellowship there03:51:53
exists between heaven and earth in carrying
on the work of God:03:51:59
Scripture: And he said unto me, Fear not,
Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst03:52:06
give thy heart to understand and to afflict
thy soul before thy God, thy words were heard,03:52:12
and I am come because of thy words. But the
prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood03:52:17
me twenty-one days: and behold, Michael, one
of the chief princes, came to help me; and03:52:24
I remained there with the kings of Persia.
(Daniel 10:12-13)03:52:31
As soon as Daniel prayed, the angel became
active, and the three weeks' battle in the03:52:36
heavenlies were three weeks of prayer and
fasting on earth. The conflict here on earth03:52:42
is the result of a conflict in the invisible
region of the heavenlies. Michael and his03:52:47
angels, as well as the brethren on earth,
gained the victory by the blood of the Lamb.03:52:55
In the twelfth chapter of Revelation, we see
how the conflict was removed from heaven to03:53:00
earth. Scripture: Woe to the inhabiters of
the earth, exclaimed the voice in heaven,03:53:07
for the devil is come down unto you, having
great wrath, knowing that he has but a short03:53:13
time. And when the dragon saw that he was
cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman03:53:18
who brought forth the man child (Revelation
12:12-13).03:53:23
The woman signifies nothing but the church
of God out of which Jesus was born. When the03:53:30
devil could not harm Him anymore, he persecuted
His church. The disciples of our Lord and03:53:36
the church in the first three centuries had
experienced this. In the bloody persecutions03:53:42
where hundreds of thousands of Christians
perished as martyrs, Satan did his utmost03:53:47
to lead the church into apostasy or to root
it out altogether. In its full sense, the03:53:53
statement that they have overcome him by the
blood of the Lamb and by the word of their03:53:58
testimony; and they loved not their lives
unto the death applies to the martyrs.03:54:06
After centuries of persecution came centuries
of rest and worldly prosperity. In vain, Satan03:54:12
had tried force, but by winning the favor
of the world, he might have better success.03:54:18
Conformed to the world, everything in the
church became darker and darker, until the03:54:23
Roman apostasy reached its climax in the Middle
Ages. Nevertheless, during all these ages03:54:30
many fought the fight of faith in the midst
of surrounding misery. By their reverence03:54:36
and witness for the Lord, the statement was
often established: They have overcome him03:54:41
by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of
their testimony; and they loved not their03:54:46
lives unto the death.
Satan's authority was broken down by this03:54:51
secret power through the blessed Reformation.
They have overcome him by the blood of the03:54:58
Lamb. The discovery, experience, and preaching
of the glorious truth that we are justified03:55:06
freely by his grace through the redemption
that is in Jesus, the Christ, whom God purposed03:55:12
for reconciliation through faith in his blood
gave the reformers such wonderful power and03:55:18
glorious victory (Romans 3:24-25).
Since the days of the Reformation, the church03:55:26
has been inspired by a new life to obtain
victory over deadness in proportion to how03:55:31
the blood of the Lamb is glorified. Yes, even
in the midst of the wildest heathen where03:55:38
the throne of Satan has been undisturbed for
thousands of years, the blood of the Lamb03:55:43
is still the weapon to destroy Satan's power.
The preaching of the blood of the cross as03:55:49
the reconciliation for the sin of the world
and the basis for God's free, forgiving love03:55:55
is the power by which the most darkened heart
is opened and softened. That heart is transformed03:56:03
from being a dwelling place of Satan to a
temple of the Most High.03:56:09
This provision for the church is also available
for each Christian. In the blood of the Lamb,03:56:16
he always has victory. When the soul is convinced
of the power of that blood to effect a perfect03:56:22
reconciliation and the blotting out of sin,
it robs the devil of his authority over us03:56:28
and works in our hearts a full assurance of
the favor of God. When the soul lives in the03:56:34
power of the blood to destroy the power of
sin, the temptations of Satan cease to ensnare03:56:40
the individual.
God dwells where the holy blood of the Lamb03:56:44
is applied, and Satan is put to flight. In
heaven, on earth, and in our hearts the blood03:56:52
of the Lamb provides an ongoing victory. They
have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb.03:57:00
A Shared Victory
If we are counted with those who have been03:57:06
cleansed in the blood of the Lamb, we also
share in the victory. To have the full enjoyment03:57:12
of this, however, we must understand the following
facts:03:57:16
No Victory Without Conflict
We must recognize that we dwell in the Enemy's03:57:23
territory. What was revealed to the apostle
in his heavenly vision must hold true in our03:57:29
daily lives. Satan has been cast down to the
earth and has great wrath because his time03:57:37
is short. He cannot reach the glorified Jesus
now but seeks to reach Him by attacking His03:57:43
people. We must live under the consciousness
that every moment we are watched by an Enemy03:57:50
with unimaginable cunning and power. He does
not tire in his endeavor to bring us under03:57:56
his authority. He is literally the prince
of this world (John 14:30). All that is in03:58:05
the world is ready to serve him, and he knows
how to make use of it in his attempts to lead03:58:11
the church to be unfaithful to her Lord and
to inspire her with his spirit - the spirit03:58:16
of the world.
He not only uses temptations that are commonly03:58:20
esteemed to be sin, but he also knows how
to gain an entrance into our earthly engagements03:58:26
and businesses. He seeks to influence in our
daily bread, financial affairs, and politics.03:58:34
He tries to control our literature, science,
and knowledge; in all things, he works to03:58:39
turn all that is lawful in itself into a tool
for his devilish deceptions.03:58:46
The believer who desires to share in the victory
over Satan through the blood of the Lamb must03:58:51
be a fighter. He must understand the character
of his Enemy. He must allow himself to be03:58:58
taught by the Spirit through the Word what
the secret cunning of Satan is by which he03:59:03
so often blinds and deceives men. The believer
must know that this battle is not against03:59:09
flesh and blood, but against principalities,
against powers, against the lords of this03:59:15
age, rulers of this darkness, against spiritual
wickedness in the heavens (Ephesians 6:12).03:59:23
He must devote himself to carrying on the
conflict until death. Only then will he be03:59:29
able to join in the song of victory, They
have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb03:59:34
and by the word of their testimony; and they
loved not their lives unto the death.03:59:42
Victory Through Faith
This is the victory that overcomes the world,03:59:48
even our faith. Scripture: Who is he that
overcomes the world, but he that believes03:59:56
that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4-5).
Be of good cheer, said our Lord Jesus; I have04:00:06
overcome the world. Satan is already a conquered
enemy. He has nothing to say to one who belongs04:00:14
to the Lord Jesus.
By unbelief, ignorance, or doubting my assurance04:00:20
in the victory of Jesus, I may give Satan
an authority over me, which otherwise he does04:00:26
not possess. But when I know that I am one
with the Lord Jesus and that He lives in me04:00:33
and maintains that victory which He gained,
then Satan has no power over me. Victory through04:00:40
the blood of the Lamb is the power of my life.
Only this faith can inspire courage and joy04:00:48
in the battle. By thinking of the terrible
power of the Enemy, his never-sleeping watchfulness,04:00:54
and the way he has taken possession of everything
on earth to tempt us, it might be said that04:00:59
the battle is too severe, or it is not possible
to live always under such tension, or that04:01:05
life is impossible. This is perfectly true
if we had to meet the Enemy in our weakness04:01:12
or gain the victory by our own might. But
that is not what we are called upon to do.04:01:18
Jesus is the Victor, so we only need to have
our souls filled with the heavenly vision04:01:23
of Satan being cast out of heaven by Jesus.
Our souls need to be filled with faith in04:01:30
the blood by which Jesus Himself conquered
and with faith that He Himself is with us04:01:35
to maintain the power and victory of His blood.
Then we are more than conquerors through him04:01:43
that loved us (Romans 8:37).
Victory in Fellowship with the Blood04:01:52
Faith is not merely a thought I grasp or a
conviction that possesses me; it is a life.04:02:00
Faith brings the soul into direct contact
with God and the unseen things of heaven,04:02:06
but above all, with the blood of Jesus. To
believe in victory over Satan is not possible04:02:12
without putting myself under the power of
the blood.04:02:17
Belief in the power of the blood produces
in me a desire for an experience of its power;04:02:22
each experience of its power makes belief
in victory more glorious.04:02:28
Seek to enter more deeply into the perfect
reconciliation with God, which is yours. Live04:02:35
by constantly exercising faith in the assurance
that the blood cleanses from all sin and yield04:02:41
yourself to be sanctified and brought near
to God through the blood; let it be your life-giving04:02:47
nourishment and power. You will thus have
an unbroken experience of victory over Satan04:02:54
and his temptations. He who walks with God
will rule as a conquering king over Satan.04:03:02
Believers, our Lord Jesus has made us not
only priests but also kings unto God that04:03:08
we may draw near to Him and rule for Him.
A kingly spirit must inspire us - a kingly04:03:16
courage to rule over our enemies. The blood
of the Lamb must be a token and a seal, not04:03:23
only of reconciliation for all guilt but also
of victory over all the power of sin.04:03:30
The resurrection and ascension of Jesus and
the casting out of Satan were the results04:03:35
of the shedding of His blood. The sprinkling
of the blood will open our way for the full04:03:40
enjoyment of resurrection with Jesus and being
seated with Him in the heavenly places.04:03:47
Therefore, once again, I beseech you to open
your entire being to the incoming of the power04:03:53
of the blood of Jesus; then your life will
become a continual observance of the resurrection04:03:59
and ascension of our Lord and a continual
victory over all the powers of hell. Your04:04:06
heart will constantly unite with the song
of heaven, Now is come salvation and virtue04:04:13
and the kingdom of our God and the power of
his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren04:04:18
is cast down, . . . they have overcome him
by the blood of the Lamb (Revelation 12:10-11).Chapter04:04:29
10
Heavenly Joy Through the Blood04:04:37
Scripture: After this I saw, and, behold,
a great multitude, which no man could number,04:04:46
. . . stood before the throne and before the
Lamb . . . and cried with a loud voice, saying,04:04:52
Salvation unto him who is seated upon the
throne of our God and unto the Lamb. These04:04:58
are those who came out of great tribulation
and have washed their long robes, and made04:05:03
them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation
7:9-10, 14)04:05:11
These words occur in the well-known vision
of the great multitude in heavenly glory,04:05:16
which no man could number. In spirit, the
apostle saw them standing before the throne04:05:21
of God and of the Lamb; they were clothed
with long, white robes and held palms in their04:05:27
hands. They sang with a loud voice, Salvation
unto him who is seated upon the throne of04:05:34
our God and unto the Lamb (Revelation 7:10).
All the angels answered this song by falling04:05:42
down on their faces before the throne to worship
God and offer eternal praise and glory to04:05:48
Him.
Then one of the elders, pointing out the great04:05:52
multitude and the clothing that distinguished
them, put the question to John, Who are these04:05:59
who are arrayed in long white robes? and where
did they come from? (Revelation 7:13)04:06:06
John replied, lord, thou knowest.
Then the elder said, These are those who came04:06:15
out of great tribulation and have washed their
long robes, and made them white in the blood04:06:20
of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the
throne of God and serve him day and night04:06:26
in his temple (Revelation 7:14-15).
This explanation, concerning the state of04:06:34
the redeemed in their heavenly glory and given
by one of the elders who stood around the04:06:38
throne, is of great value. It reveals to us
that not only in this world of sin and strife04:06:45
is the blood of Jesus the one hope of the
sinner, but that in heaven when every enemy04:06:50
has been subdued, that precious blood will
also be recognized forever as the basis of04:06:55
our salvation. And we learn that the blood
must exercise its power with God in heaven.04:07:03
Not only does the blood still have to deal
with sin on earth, but for all eternity it04:07:08
will also bear the sign that the redeemed
owes his salvation entirely to it.04:07:15
If we understand this better, we will experience
a true and vital connection between the sprinkling04:07:21
of the blood and the joys of heaven. A true,
intimate connection with the blood on earth04:07:27
will enable the believer to share the joy
and glory of heaven while on earth.04:07:33
The blood causes joy in heaven because it:
1. Grants the right to a place in heaven;04:07:39
2. Makes us fit for the pleasures of heaven;
and04:07:43
3. Provides details for the song of heaven.
A Place in Heaven04:07:49
It is clear that this is the main thought
in the text. In the question, Who are these04:07:55
who are arrayed in long white robes? and where
did they come from? The elder desires to bring04:08:01
attention and inquiry to who these favored
persons are who stand before the throne and04:08:07
before the Lamb with palms in their hands.
And, as he gives the reply, we expect that04:08:13
he will mention what might be the most remarkable
thing in their appearance. He replies to the04:08:19
question, Where did they come from? by saying
that they came out of great tribulation. To04:08:26
the question, Who are these? he replies that
they are those who have washed their long04:08:32
robes, and made them white in the blood of
the Lamb.04:08:36
That is the one thing the elder draws attention
to as their distinguishing mark. This alone04:08:42
gives them the right to the place which they
occupy in glory. This becomes evident, if04:08:48
we notice the words which immediately follow.
Scripture: Therefore, they are before the04:08:54
throne of God and serve him day and night
in his temple, and he that is seated on the04:08:59
throne shall dwell among them. Therefore - it
is because of that blood that they are before04:09:06
the throne. They owe their place in glory
to the blood of the Lamb. The blood gives04:09:12
them the right to heaven.
A right to heaven! Can such a thing be spoken04:09:19
of in connection with a condemned sinner?
Wouldn't it be better to only glory in the04:09:25
mercy of God who, by free grace, admits a
sinner to heaven, than to speak of a right04:09:30
to heaven? No, it would not be better, for
then we would not understand the value of04:09:36
the blood or why it had to be shed. We might
also entertain false conceptions both of our04:09:44
sin and of God's grace and remain unfit for
the full enjoyment of the glorious redemption04:09:49
which the Savior has accomplished for us.
We have already considered that Satan was04:09:56
cast out into the earth from heaven, and we
see from this incident that a holy God always04:10:02
acts according to law. Just as the devil was
not cast out except according to law and right,04:10:10
so the sinner cannot be admitted in any other
way. The prophet Isaiah said, Zion shall be04:10:17
ransomed with judgment and her converts with
righteousness (Isaiah 1:27). The apostle Paul04:10:26
tells us that as sin has reigned unto death,
even so might grace reign through righteousness04:10:32
unto eternal life (Romans 5:21). This was
the reason God sent His Son into the world.04:10:41
Instead of being afraid that speaking of having
a right to enter heaven might belittle grace,04:10:47
it will be acknowledged that the highest glory
of grace consists in granting that right.04:10:52
The lack of this insight is sometimes found
in the church where it might be least expected.04:11:00
Recently I asked a man, who spoke of the hope
he had of going to heaven when he died, what04:11:05
he rested his hope on. He was not by any means
a careless man, nor did he trust in his own04:11:12
righteousness, but he replied, "Well, I think
that I strive to seek the Lord and to do His04:11:19
will." When I told him that this was no ground
to stand on before the judgment seat of a04:11:25
holy God, he appealed to the mercy of God.
When I told him, again, that he needed more04:11:31
than mercy, he did not seem to have heard
or understood that it was the righteousness04:11:36
of God alone that could grant him entrance
into heaven. I fear there are many who listen04:11:42
to the preaching of justification by faith,
but who have no idea that they cannot have04:11:47
a share in eternal blessedness except by being
declared legally righteous.04:11:54
Entirely different was the testimony of a
young man who was learning-disabled, but whose04:11:59
heart the Spirit of God had enlightened to
understand the meaning of the crucifixion04:12:03
of Jesus.
When on his deathbed, he was asked about his04:12:08
hope for eternity, he intimated that there
was a great book; on one of the pages of this04:12:13
book his many sins had been written. Then,
with the finger of his right hand, he pointed04:12:19
to the palm of his left hand, indicating the
print of the nail there. Figuratively taking04:12:25
something from the pierced hand - he was thinking
of the blood that marked it - he showed how04:12:30
all that was written on that page was now
blotted out. The blood of the Lamb was the04:12:36
reason for his hope.
The blood of the Lamb gives the believing04:12:41
sinner a right to heaven. Scripture: Behold
the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of04:12:48
the world (John 1:29). By shedding His blood,
He bore the punishment of sin. He gave Himself04:12:58
up to death in our place. He gave His life
as a ransom for many. Now our Lord's blood04:13:05
has really been shed as a ransom for us, as
punishment for our sin. Now the righteousness04:13:12
of God declares that the blood fulfilled all
the requirements of the law concerning punishment04:13:17
and obedience. God pronounces the sinner who
believes in Christ to be righteous. Faith04:13:25
is just the recognition that Christ has done
everything for me, and God's declaration of04:13:30
righteousness is just His declaration that
according to the law and right, I have a title04:13:36
to salvation. God's grace grants me the right
to heaven. The blood of the Lamb is the evidence04:13:43
of this right. If I have been cleansed by
that blood, I can meet death with full confidence04:13:49
because I have a right to heaven.
You desire and hope to get to heaven. Listen04:13:56
to the answer given to the question, Who are
they who will find a place before the throne04:14:01
of God? Scripture: These are those who came
out of great tribulation and have washed their04:14:08
long robes, and made them white in the blood
of the Lamb. That washing doesn't take place04:14:15
in heaven or at death, but here during our
life on earth. Do not deceive yourselves by04:14:22
a hope of heaven if you have not been cleansed
by that precious blood. Do not dare to meet04:14:28
death without knowing that Jesus Himself has
cleansed you by His blood.04:14:34
Fit for the Pleasures of Heaven
It is of little use for men to have a right04:14:40
to anything unless they are fit to enjoy it.
However costly the gift, it is of little use04:14:47
if the inner temperament necessary to enjoy
it is lacking. To grant the right to heaven04:14:53
to those who are not prepared for it would
give them no pleasure, but would be in conflict04:14:58
with the perfection of all God's works.
The power of the blood of Jesus not only opens04:15:05
heaven for the sinner, but it also works on
him in such a divine way that as he enters04:15:11
heaven, it will appear that the blessedness
of heaven and him have been fitted for each04:15:15
other.
Words of our text tell us what constitutes04:15:20
the blessedness of heaven and what disposition
is necessary for it. Scripture: Therefore,04:15:27
they are before the throne of God and serve
him day and night in his temple, and he that04:15:32
is seated on the throne shall dwell among
them. They shall hunger no more neither thirst04:15:38
anymore; neither shall the sun be thrust upon
them nor any other heat. For the Lamb which04:15:44
is in the midst of the throne shall govern
them and shall lead them unto living fountains04:15:49
of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes (Revelation 7:15-16).04:15:59
Nearness to and fellowship with God and the
Lamb constitute the blessedness of heaven.04:16:06
To be before the throne of God and see His
face, to serve Him day and night in His temple04:16:11
and be overshadowed by Him who sits upon the
throne to be fed and led by the Lamb - all04:16:17
these expressions point out how little the
blessedness of heaven depends on anything04:16:22
besides God and the Lamb. To see them and
communicate with them, to be acknowledged,04:16:28
loved, and cared for by them - that is blessedness.
Two things are needed to prepare for such04:16:37
intimacy with God and the Lamb:
1. Inner agreement in mind and will04:16:44
2. Delight in His nearness and fellowship
Inner Agreement04:16:53
No thought for heaven is possible apart from
oneness with God's will. How could two dwell04:16:59
together unless they agree? And because God
is the Holy One, the sinner must be cleansed04:17:05
from his sin and sanctified; otherwise, he
remains utterly unfit for what constitutes04:17:11
the happiness of heaven. Scripture: Follow
peace with everyone and holiness, without04:17:18
which no one shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).
Man's entire nature must be renewed, so he04:17:27
can think, desire, will, and do what pleases
God - not as a matter of mere obedience in04:17:33
keeping a commandment but from natural pleasure,
and because he cannot do or will otherwise.04:17:41
Holiness must become his nature.
Isn't this what we have seen that the blood04:17:46
of the Lamb does? Scripture: The blood of
Jesus Christ, his Son cleanses us from all04:17:54
sin (1 John 1:7). Where reconciliation and
pardon are applied by the Holy Spirit and04:18:03
retained by a living faith, the blood operates
with a divine power, killing sinful lusts04:18:09
and desires; the blood constantly exercises
a wonderful cleansing power. In the blood,04:18:16
the power of the death of Jesus operates;
we died to sin with Him. Through a believing04:18:23
intimacy with the blood, the power of the
death of Jesus presses into the innermost04:18:28
parts of our hidden life. The blood breaks
the power of sin and cleanses us from all04:18:34
sin.
The blood also sanctifies. We have seen that04:18:40
cleansing is just one part of salvation, the
taking away of sin. The blood does more than04:18:46
this; it takes possession of us for God and
inwardly grants the same perspective which04:18:52
was in Jesus when He shed His blood. In shedding
that blood, He sanctified Himself for us that04:18:59
we also could be sanctified by the truth.
As we delight and lose ourselves in that holy04:19:05
blood, the power of entire surrender to God's
will and glory, the power to sacrifice everything04:19:11
and abide in God's love, which inspired the
Lord Jesus, is effective in us.04:19:17
The blood sanctifies us for the emptying and
surrender of ourselves, so that God may take04:19:23
possession of us and fill us with Himself.
This is true holiness - to be possessed by04:19:31
and filled with God. This is worked out by
the blood of the Lamb, so we are prepared04:19:37
here on earth to meet God in heaven with unspeakable
joy.04:19:43
Delight in His Nearness
In addition to having one will with God, fitness04:19:49
for heaven consists in the desire and capacity
for enjoying fellowship with God. Here on04:19:56
earth, the blood imparts the true preparation
for heaven. We have seen how the blood brings04:20:01
us near to God; we have liberty by the blood
to enter into the Holiest of God's presence04:20:07
and make our dwelling place there. We have
seen that God attaches such incomprehensible04:20:12
value to the blood that where the blood is
sprinkled, there is His throne of grace. When04:20:19
a heart places itself under the full operation
of the blood, there God dwells and there His04:20:24
salvation is experienced.
The blood makes it possible to practice fellowship04:20:29
with God and the Lamb - the Lord Jesus Himself.
Have we forgotten His word: He that eats my04:20:38
flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and
I in him (John 6:56)? The full blessing of04:20:48
the power of the blood is complete abiding
union with Jesus. Only our unbelief separates04:20:55
the work from the person and the blood from
the Lord Jesus. He is the One who cleanses04:21:01
by His blood, brings us near, and causes us
to drink. Only through the blood are we fitted04:21:08
for complete fellowship with Jesus in heaven
as with the Father.04:21:13
You can see what is needed to mold you for
heaven and make you heavenly minded. See that04:21:19
the blood, which always has a place at the
throne of grace, demonstrates its power in04:21:24
your hearts, and your lives will become an
unbroken fellowship with God and the Lamb04:21:29
- the foretaste of life in eternal glory.
Let this thought enter into your soul: the04:21:37
blood already grants in the heart, here on
earth, the blessedness of heaven. The precious04:21:44
blood makes life on earth and life in heaven
one.04:21:48
Details for the Song of Heaven
What we have said so far has been taken from04:21:55
what the elder stated about the redeemed.
But to what extent is this their experience04:22:01
and testimony? Have we anything out of their
own mouths concerning this? Yes, they themselves04:22:09
bear witness. In the song contained in our
text, they were heard to cry with loud voice,04:22:15
Salvation unto him who is seated upon the
throne of our God and unto the Lamb. The Lord04:22:22
Jesus is in the midst of the throne as the
slain Lamb, as a Lamb whose blood had been04:22:28
shed. As such, He is the object of the worship
of the redeemed.04:22:33
This appears more clearly in the new song
that they sing, Thou art worthy to take the04:22:39
book and to open its seals, for thou wast
slain and hast redeemed us unto God by thy04:22:46
blood, out of every kindred and tongue and
nation and hast made us unto our God kings04:22:52
and priests (Revelation 5:9-10).
It also appears in the apostle's words in04:23:00
the beginning of the book where he spoke after
all that he had seen and heard in heaven concerning04:23:05
the place which the Lamb occupied. At the
first mention of the name of the Lord Jesus,04:23:11
John cried out, Unto him that loved us and
washed us from our sins in his own blood and04:23:18
has made us kings and priests unto God and
his Father; to him be glory and dominion for04:23:24
ever and ever. Amen (Revelation 1:5-6).
Without ceasing, the blood of the Lamb continues04:23:34
to be the power to awaken the saved to their
song of joy and thanksgiving. In the death04:23:41
on the cross, the sacrifice took place in
which He gave Himself for them and won them04:23:46
for Himself. The blood is the eternal seal
of what He did and of the love which moved04:23:53
Him to do it. It remains the inexhaustible,
overflowing fountain of heavenly bliss.04:24:01
That we may better understand this, notice
the expression, him that loved us and washed04:24:07
us from our sins with his own blood. In all
our consideration about the blood of Jesus,04:24:13
we have had no occasion to stop there until
now. And of all the glorious things given04:24:20
by the blood, this is one of the most glorious
- His blood is the sign, the measure, and04:24:26
the impartation of His love. Each application
of His blood, each time that He causes the04:24:32
soul to experience its power, a fresh outflowing
of His wonderful love occurs. The full experience04:24:40
of the power of the blood in eternity will
be nothing else than the complete revelation04:24:44
of how He gave Himself for us and gives Himself
to us in an eternal, unending, incomprehensible04:24:52
love, as God Himself.
Him that loved us and washed us from our sins04:24:58
with his own blood. This love is indeed incomprehensible.
What hasn't that love moved Him to do? He04:25:07
gave Himself for us; He became sin for us;
He was made a curse for us. Who would dare04:25:15
to use such language; who could ever have
dared to think such a thing if God had not04:25:20
revealed it to us by His Spirit? That He really
gave Himself for us, not because it was laid04:25:27
upon Him to do so, but by the impulse of a
love that longed for us that we might be identified04:25:33
with Him forever. Scripture: But God increased
the price of his charity [love] toward us04:25:42
in that while we were yet sinners the Christ
died for us (Romans 5:8).04:25:50
Because it is such a divine wonder, we feel
it so little. But, blessed be the Lord! There04:25:57
is a time coming when we shall feel it. Under
the ceaseless and immediate love-sharing of04:26:02
the heavenly life, we shall be filled and
satisfied with that love. Yes, even here on04:26:09
earth, there is hope that through a better
knowledge of and more perfect trust in the04:26:14
blood, the Spirit will more powerfully shed
the love of God in our hearts. Nothing can04:26:20
prevent our hearts from being filled with
the love of the Lamb and our mouths filled04:26:24
with His praise here on earth as is done in
heaven by sight. Each experience of the power04:26:30
of the blood will become increasingly an experience
of the love of Jesus.04:26:35
It has been said that it is not desirable
to put too much emphasis on the word blood,04:26:43
because it sounds coarse, and the thought
expressed by it can be conveyed in a way more04:26:47
in accordance with our modern habit of speaking
or thinking.04:26:51
I must acknowledge that I do not share in
this view. I receive that word as coming not04:26:58
just from John, but from the Lord Himself.
I am convinced that the word chosen by the04:27:04
Spirit of God and made living and filled with
the power of that eternal life carries a power04:27:09
of blessing that surpasses our understanding.
Changing the expression into our way of thinking04:27:16
has all the imperfection of a human translation.
He who desires to know and experience what04:27:23
the Spirit saith unto the congregations will
accept the word by faith as having come from04:27:29
heaven as the word containing the joy and
power of eternal life. Those expressions,04:27:35
thy blood and the blood of the Lamb, will
make the Holiest, the place of God's glory,04:27:43
resound eternally with the joyful notes of
the new song.04:27:49
Heavenly joy through the blood of the Lamb
will be the portion of all who with undivided04:27:54
hearts yield to its power. It will also be
the portion of all in heaven who have become04:28:00
worthy to take a place among the multitude
around the throne.04:28:05
We have learned what those in heaven say and
how they sing about the blood. Let us pray04:28:11
that these tidings may have the effect on
us that our Lord intended. To live a real04:28:18
heavenly life, we must abide in the full power
of the blood. The blood gives us the right04:28:24
to enter heaven.
As the blood of reconciliation, it works out04:28:29
the full, living consciousness which belongs
to those who are at home in heaven. It brings04:28:35
us into the Holiest - near to God. It makes
us fit for heaven.04:28:42
As the cleansing blood, it delivers from the
lust and power of sin and preserves us in04:28:47
the fellowship of the light and life of the
Holy God. The blood inspires the song of praise04:28:54
in heaven. As the blood of the Lamb who loved
us and gave himself for us, it speaks not04:29:00
only of what He has done for us, but also
of Him who has done it all. In the blood,04:29:05
we have the most perfect impartation of Himself.
He, who by faith gives himself up to experience04:29:13
completely what the blood is able to do, will
soon find an entrance into a life of happy04:29:18
singing of praise and love that heaven alone
can surpass.04:29:24
This life is for you and me. May the blood
be all our glory, not only at the cross but04:29:31
also at the throne. Let us plunge deep into
the living fountain of the blood of the Lamb.04:29:38
Let us open our hearts wide for its operation.
Let us firmly believe in the ceaseless cleansing04:29:45
by which the eternal Priest Himself will apply
that blood to us. Let us pray with burning04:29:52
desire that nothing may be in our heart that
does not experience the power of the blood.04:29:59
Let us unite joyfully in the song of the great
multitude, who know of nothing so glorious04:30:04
as Thou hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood
(Revelation 5:9).04:30:13
May our life on earth become what it ought
to be - one ceaseless song to Him that loved04:30:21
us and washed us from our sins in his own
blood and has made us kings and priests unto04:30:26
God and his Father; to him be the glory and
dominion for ever and ever. Amen (Revelation04:30:41
1:5-6).
About the Author04:30:46
Andrew Murray (1828-1917) was a well-known
South African writer, teacher, and pastor.04:30:55
More than two million copies of his books
have been sold, and his name is mentioned04:30:59
among other great leaders of
the past, such as Charles Spurgeon, T. Austin-Sparks,04:31:18
George Muller, D. L. Moody, and more.Description:
~ Audiobook Description ~ Seek to enter more deeply into the perfect reconciliation with God, which is yours by the shed blood of Christ. Live by constantly exercising faith in the assurance that the blood cleanses from all sin and yield yourself to be sanctified and brought near to God through the blood; let it be your life-giving nourishment and power. You will thus have an unbroken experience of victory over Satan and his temptations. He who walks with God will rule as a conquering king over Satan. Jubilee Bible text. Used by permission. Read by Saethon Williams. Updated and Annotated. Copyright © 2017 by Aneko Press, 203 E Birch St., Abbotsford, WI 54405 Listen to our other great, free Christian audiobooks here: https://www.youtube.com/anekopress ~ Contents ~ Opening Credits...00:00 Preface...00:17 Ch. 1: What the Scriptures Teach about the Blood...01:30 Ch. 2: Redemption by Blood...31:06 Ch. 3: Reconciliation Through the Blood...59:12 Ch. 4: Cleansing Through the Blood...01:23:33 Ch. 5: Sanctification Through the Blood...01:45:51 Ch. 6: Cleansed to Serve the Living God...02:12:32 Ch. 7: Dwelling in the Holiest...02:35:43 Ch. 8: Life in the Blood...03:14:15 Ch. 9: Victory through the Blood...03:37:31 Ch. 10: Heavenly Joy Through the Blood...04:04:33 About the Author...04:30:43 ALSO AVAILABLE AS... ● Audible edition, free trial or buy: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Power-of-the-Blood-of-Jesus-Audiobook/B07CRLKNWV?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-114876 ● Paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Blood-Jesus-Redemption-Sanctification/dp/1622453727?_encoding=UTF8&language=en_US ● Paperback on ChristianBook: https://bit.ly/4a4ornM ● Free eBook on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Blood-Jesus-Redemption-Sanctification-ebook/dp/B0BRBMW4C6?language=en_US ● Free eBook on other popular eBook sites: https://anekopress.com/product/the-power-of-the-blood-of-jesus-ebook/ ♥ Support books like these being sent to prisons and third-world countries: https://anekopress.org/donate/ * * * *
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