Day 205

Thursday, June 27, 2019 -

The other week I asked the men in our Bible study what will they give as the reason they deserve entrance into heaven. I heard a plethora of answers thrown at me, some of which sounded very good, but all of which missed the mark. It is true, Christ’s death, and the cross, all contributed to His atonement for us. But “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 10:22). Leviticus 17:11 says, “for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” And so, Christ’s blood had to be shed for your sin and mine. Ephesians 1:7 sums it up well: “In Him we have redemption through His BLOOD, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” It wasn’t Christ’s death that saved us, not His suffering, nor His death or resurrection. God’s love and mercy do not mean we are automatically saved from eternal punishment, for Christ’s blood had to be shed for our redemption. Without His blood we could not be justified. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His BLOOD, we have been saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:8-9). It is Christ’s blood that washes and cleanses us from our sin; “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, but the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:5-7).

And so, while it is true that God’s mercy, grace, love, justification, and the sacrifice of His Son all lead to the salvation He provides for us (and absolutely nothing we can do or merit), without the blood of Christ shed for you and me, there would be no redemption of our sin. This is a key and pivotal truth that is imperative for Christians to understand, for nothing but the BLOOD of Christ, the perfect, ultimate, sacrificial lamb, merits our salvation. Good deeds and righteousness certainly do not! In fact, they impede many people – perhaps even most! “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live sensibly; righteously, and godly in this present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14).

You see, when we repent of our sin and accept the blood of Christ as redemption for sin, and ask Him to cleanse us and make us righteous, He does just that. He transforms and renews us and takes away our sinful desires and replaces them with a desire to for good deeds. Yet that, too, is not a means to gain access to heaven – eternal life. For it is the BLOOD of Christ that justifies and cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness. Nothing but the BLOOD of Christ.

Editor’s Addition:

“Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” – Robert Lowry

What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?