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“Salvation: It Requires the Blood of Christ”
Salvation: It Requires
the Blood of Christ
David Sproule
When it comes to our salvation from sin, it is essential that we understand the power at work in salvation! Salvation only comes by means of the BLOOD OF CHRIST!
God “sent His only begotten Son into the world” (1 John 4:9), in order to offer “the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 9:26) and “shed” His blood “for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:28). It is not merely necessary that Christ would come and die. It was necessary that He give His blood in His death, for only “by His blood” (Rom. 3:25) could Jesus satisfy the wrath of God and “make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10). Consider how God has always placed the power of atonement in a sacrifice of blood.
In the Patriarchal Age, the sacrifice of blood was essential. The first acceptable sacrifice of man at the beginning of time was one of blood (Gen. 4:3-5). Noah offered sacrifices involving blood (Gen. 8:20), as did Abraham (Gen. 12:7-8). The Passover was instituted with sacrifices involving blood (Ex. 12:1-13).
In the Mosaic Age, the sacrifice of blood was essential. The old covenant was sealed with blood (Heb. 9:18-20; Ex. 24:6-8). The tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry were sanctified by blood (Heb. 9:21-22). The Law of Moses required multiple animal sacrifices daily (Lev. 1-7; Heb. 10:11). However, we learn that the blood of those animal sacrifices could never take away sin (Heb. 10:1-4). Every year the sins of Israel were remembered (Heb. 10:3; Lev. 16), and atonement had to be secured by the blood of an animal (Heb. 9:7, 25). Truly, “without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Heb. 9:22).
The shedding of Jesus’ blood was absolutely essential for our salvation from sin. The Old Testament prophets foretold of the Savior’s sacrifice (Isa. 53:5-6; Psa. 22:16; Zech. 13:1). The New Testament reveals to us that it is only through the power of the blood of Christ that we can be washed from our sins (Rev. 1:5; 7:14), be cleansed from our sins (1 John 1:7; Heb. 9:14), be forgiven of our sins (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:22), be redeemed from our sins (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19), be justified from our sins (Rom. 5:9), be sanctified from our sins (Heb. 10:29; 13:12), be reconciled from our sins (Eph. 2:13; Col. 1:20), etc. Read those again. Our salvation from sin is only possible because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ that was lovingly shed for all mankind!
Truly our “redemption [is] through His blood,” giving us “the forgiveness of sins” (Eph. 1:7), but we can only be “washed…in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14) by a proper response to the revealed will of the loving Savior!
