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Life is in the Blood

by Rusty Kuhn
4/17/2014 / Bible Studies

As we look into the Word of God we see how brutal and bloody the death of Christ was. People often ask, "Was this bloody brutality truly necessary?" I think that in part God was showing us how ugly sin truly is. However, everything Jesus did in His life, death, and resurrection had meaning. Everything was preplanned and very intentional.
Whereas death is the wage of sin, life is the required payment for sin. Leviticus 17:11 tells us that life is in the blood. For this reason in the Old Testament sacrificial system God required the life's blood of animals to be offered as a sacrifice for sin. Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement."
While Israel was still enslaved to Egypt God sent Moses to Pharaoh to demand he let God's people go. Pharaoh's heart was hardened and he refused. God sent nine devastating plagues on the nation of Egypt and Pharaoh still refused to let God's people go. The tenth plague would however change Pharaoh's mind. This plague would bring about the death of every first born male child in all the land. God told Moses to tell His people that they would be spared from this plague of death if they would sacrifice a lamb and place its blood on the doorpost of their homes. When the angel of death came, it passed over every home covered with the blood.
Sacrifice didn't start in Egypt. It started when God Himself sacrificed an animal to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve after they had sinned. The life's blood was taken from this creature not only to cover their nakedness, but also their sin. The giving of life's blood was clearly the requirement of God from the very beginning of creation and passed down from generation to generation. Eventually it was commanded by God in the Law of Moses for Israel to abide by.
God knew that He would have to give His Son as a sacrifice for sin before He ever created Adam and before He ever laid down the foundations of the earth. Revelation 13:8 says, "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain." This verse does not mean that God predetermined whose name would be written down in the book of life and whose name would not be, as some would suggest. For God to create people He had no intention of saving would make Him an unjust God. This verse tells us that God foreknew whose name would be written in the book of life. II Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
The bloodiness of the cross was necessary for the salvation of mankind. Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without the shedding of blood there is no redemption of sins." One of the cruelties of the cross was that those who were crucified died a slow agenizing and humiliating death as their life's blood slowly drained from their bodies. They were literally bled out.
The blood sacrifices of the Old Testament were temporary and insufficient. For this reason the process needed to be continually repeated. I peter 3:18 says, "Christ also died for sins once for all," and Romans 6:10 says, "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all." Jesus sacrifice was sufficient putting an end to all sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrifice only covered the sin causing God to pass over the sin while the blood of Jesus washes away the sin. I John 1:7 says, "the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." The blood of Jesus sets us free and releases us from our sins. Revelation 1:5 says, "To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood." Having been cleansed by the blood we are also sanctified, made holy, by the blood, "Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood." (Hebrews 13:12).
Just before Jesus breathed His last He said, "It is finished," letting us know that all of the work for the redemption of sins was completed. Nothing else needed to be done. Christ work on the cross and the shedding of His blood is sufficient for salvation opening the door for whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. When Jesus breathed His last the word of God tells us that the veil that separated the outside world from the holy of holies, where the very presence of God dwelt, inside of the Temple, was ripped from top to bottom. Because of the blood we can now enter the presence of God. Hebrews 10:19-22 says, "Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
The cleansing power of the blood of Christ is available to anyone that will turn to Him and believe on Him. But how will all know, unless we tell them?

Rusty Kuhn is the founding pastor of New Life Baptist Church in Nicholson, Ms. and the author of Reclaiming the Land: God's Formula for Revival.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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