“Without shedding of blood there is no remission” Heb. 9:22 1. Aim: To show the great power in the blood of Jesus. 2. Heb. 9:22 - central message of the Bible - “Without shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness) of sin 3. Song “There is Power in the Blood” a. Chorus - There is power, wonder-working power in the blood of the lamb b. Each verse declares the truth that there is power in the blood

Trail of blood from Eden to Calvary Slaughter-House religion Blood is repulsive to many today Cross has been glamorized Blood mentioned more than cross Blood used 99 times in N.T. 1. There is a trail of blood from Eden to Calvary. There may have been enough animal blood shed in the OT to fill the Dead Sea. Some call the Bible “the slaughterhouse religion” 2. Blood is repulsive to many today a. People like to hear about the cross - many sermons are preached about the Cross b. The cross has been plated with gold - it has been glamorized. c. There is no way to glamorize the blood - 6. But The blood of Christ is mentioned about 3 times more often than the cross of Christ a. The word blood is used 99 times in N.T., 50 times it refers to the blood of Christ. b. The blood & the cross go together, you cannot separate the two. For it was on the cross that Christ shed his blood. 7. Why is the blood Necessary? Why does God require death in order to provide forgiveness? What is so special about Blood? 8. These questions will be answered as we discuss the POWER OF THE BLOOD. Power In The Blood

I. Power to Purchase His Church I. THE BLOOD OF CHRIST HAS POWER TO PURCHASE HIS CHURCH

I. Power to Purchase His Church “…shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Acts 20:28 Blood Purchased Church Saved By the Blood A. Acts 20:28 – Paul speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus “…shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” 1. Church - the people — not a building 2. The Lord adds the saved to the church when they are baptized into Christ- Acts 2:47 3. The Church and the kingdom are the same - Col. 1:13-14 B. We are saved by the blood of Christ, and the blood is what purchased the church

II. Power to Forgive II. POWER TO FORGIVE

II. Power to Forgive Mercy Justice Man sinned against God – Gen. 3:1-7 God must punish man – Gen. 3:14-17 God’s justice required a penalty The penalty was physical death God’s Plan A. Man sinned against God 1. When Adam & Eve sinned they separated themselves from God, and God sent them forth from the Garden 2. The Justice and Holiness of God required that there be punishment for man's sin. 3. A hatred of unrighteousness and a will to punish it is as essential to God as His love of righteousness. 4. God would cease to be holy if He did not hate sin 5. God must punish sin. It is not an optional matter that sin be punished. God cannot wink at wickedness. 6. God's justice could only be satisfied if the full penalty was paid for sin. The penalty for Adam and Eve’s sin was that from that point forward all humans would experience a physical death. 7. But God devised a plan to extend mercy to man in offering him forgiveness, but at the same time through this plan God would maintain His righteousness and His justice. Mercy Justice

Blood was in this plan “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” Lev. 17:11 B. Blood was in this plan of atonement = God’s pan to reconcile mankind back to God 1. Lev. 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” CLICK It is blood that makes atonement = reconciliation 2. Life is very closely connected with the blood which flows through the body. 3. If it runs out, the life of the body goes away. 4. Heb. 9:22 & 23 “. . .without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness) of sin.” 5. No man has ever been pardoned of sins except through the blood shed for remission of sins. Reconciliation Heb. 9:22

Law of Moses ~ Blood was required Day of Atonement - Lev. 16 All sins were atoned with blood Blood taken into Holy of Holies Sprinkled on Mercy Seat One time each year 7th month - 10th day C. Under the Law of Moses - Blood was required 1. The Day of Atonement came once a year - Lev. 16 - 7th month 10th day. a. This was the most inportant day of the Jewish year. This was the day for making provision for sin. Sin in every form had to be atoned for. b. There was no remission of sins without blood 2. All sins were atoned with “blood” a. Blood of a kid goat taken into tabernacle b. Taken into Holy of Holies by High Priest c. The blood was then sprinkled by priest 7 times Eastward upon the mercy seat d. Then the high priest goes out into the Holy Place and puts blood on the horns of the altar of incense. 3. This blood atonement was done only 1 time each year on this special day - 7th month 10th day - the day of atonement as God had commanded

Law of Christ ~ Blood was required Animal blood could not forgive Heb. 10:3-4 God sent His Son as sacrifice He was without sin - Heb.4:15 Blood of Christ shed for our sins D. Under the Law of Christ in the NT, we learn of blood atonement 1. According to Heb. 10:3-4, It was not possible that the blood of animals could forgive sins, it only covered the sins of the people 2. Therefore God sent His son as the perfect sacrifice for all mankind a. He was Divine b. But he took on the form of man c. And according to Heb. 4:15, He was without sin d. The blood of Christ was shed for my sins, your sins, and the sins of every person that has, or will ever live upon this earth e. Notice what the NT says about the power of the blood of Jesus

Heb. 9:12 “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

Romans 5:9-10 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

Ephesians 1:7 “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”

1 Peter 1:18-19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

John 1:29 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

II. Power to Forgive The blood of Christ is the Ransom – Matt. 20:28 Blood represents life – Gen. 9:4 His blood pays man’s sin debt His blood flowed backward His blood flows forward E. There is power in the blood of Christ to Forgive 1. The blood of Christ is the ransom price that is paid for sin - Mt. 20:.28 “...to give his life a ransom for many.” 2. Blood represents life, and the blood of Christ pays man's sin debt. 3. Jesus’ blood flowed backward to all those who obeyed God's will for them, and His blood flows forward for those who obey God's will today.

III. Power to Keep on Cleansing

III. Power to Keep on Cleansing Christians can still commit sin 1 Cor. 10:12 ~ “take heed” Jas. 5:19 ~ “err” Blood of Christ Forgives A. After we become Christians, we need to be forgiven of future sins as well 1. It is not the case that we can live a sinless life, Christians can still commit sin - 1 Cor. 10:12 “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” & James 5:19 – says we can err or sin against God after becoming Christians 2. What do we do about those sins after we obey the gospel? 3. God does not just ignore them, but He has provided a means of forgiveness and it involves the blood of Christ

Follow God’s Rule Keeps on cleansing “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 Jn. 1:7 Follow God’s Rule 1 Jn. 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” “Walk in the light” CLICK - follow God's rules, not perfectly, but faithfully “cleanses us” CLICK – Greek word used literally means “keeps on cleansing” us, as long as we are walking in the light Keeps on cleansing

1 John 1:8-10 ~ confess our sins 1 John 2:1-2 If any man sin We have an advocate Propitiation for our sins - Appease - satisfy Repent and pray - Acts 8:22-24 2. I Jn.1:8-10 – tells us to confess our sins to God 3. I Jn: 2:1-2 a. “If any man sins” - there is a possibility b. “We have an advocate” c. Propitiation for our sins 4. “Propitiation” = “To appease, to Satisfy” b. God is justified in offering forgiveness because Christ died - shed His blood. c. God's requirement has been met by the blood of Christ 5. His blood keeps on cleansing us of our sins - as we confess them - 6. Acts 8: 22-24 Repent and pray a. An example of a man who was a Christian but he sinned (Simon the Sourcer) b. Told to repent and pray c. The blood of Christ keeps on cleansing

IV. How Do we Contact the Blood?

IV. How Do we Contact the Blood ? When is the blood applied ? Blood must be applied to sinners “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” Rev. 1:5 A. Salvation from sin means that the blood of Christ must be applied to sinners. 1. Rev. 1:5 “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood.” 2. I Pet. 1:18-19 says we are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. 3. A physical contact with the literal blood of Christ is not intended to be understood. 4. But there is a precise moment when the blood of Christ is applied to the soul of the alien sinner thus cleansing his sins, redeeming him, and reconciling him to God. 5. So when is the blood of Jesus applied to someone? When is the blood applied ?

When is the blood applied ? NO Baptism NO Confess Matt. 10: 32-33 NO Repent Lk. 13:3 Yes B. Is it at: 1. Belief - NO! Although belief is a requirement (Jn.8:24), the Bible no where declares that one can believe into Christ and the merits of His blood. 2. Repentance - NO! Although repentance is a requirement (Lk.13:3), the Bible no where declares that repentance is into Christ and the merits of His blood. 3. Confession - NO! Although confession is a requirement (Mt. 10:32-33), the Bible no where declares that confession is into Christ and the merits of His blood. Believe Jn. 8:24

When is the blood applied ? “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” Rom. 6:3-4

When is the blood applied ? “For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection” Rom. 6:5 1. Read Verse 2. We are baptized into Christ, and when we are baptized into Christ we are baptized into His death! 3. It is only after we have been raised from our watery grave, wherein we were buried with Christ, that we are able to walk in a new life as a Christian We are baptized into Jesus’ death!

Buried with Christ in baptism Romans 6:3-7 Resurrection Death BURIAL 1. Paul says that in baptism we are baptized into Jesus' death. a. None of us can be transported back in time in order to die with Christ on the cross. b. CLICK But each of us can die to sin and CLICK be buried in baptism with Christ into Christ's death. c. Christ's blood was shed for the remission of sins and He shed His blood in his death d. We are baptized into his death - Rom. 6:3 e. It is only when the blood is applied to the soul of the sinner that cleansing takes place. f. It is clear that such cleansing takes place when one is obedient to the truth and is baptized into the death of Christ -and not before. G. CLICK – So only after we are baptized can we walk in a new life, the Christian life, a life with Jesus Christ as our Savior Death of old self Walk in newness of life Buried with Christ in baptism

When is the blood applied ? “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Gal. 3:27 The blood of Christ is applied when we are baptized !

The blood applies at Baptism “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth.” 1 Pet. 1:22 Belief + Baptism=Salvation Mk. 16:16 “The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us.” 1 Pet. 3:21

1. Purchased His church 2. Can forgive sins 3. Keeps on cleansing

Shows 2 Things about God 1. How much He Hates Sin 2. How much He Loves Mankind

What Must I Do To be Saved ? In Christ = SAVED Baptized (Gal.3:27) Confess (Rom.10:10) Repent (Lk.13:3) 1. Christ was crucified, not for His sins, but for mine and yours. Will you show your love to Him by obeying His will? 2. Belief, Repentance, Confession, Baptism = Salvation 3. We are baptized, in water, into the benefits made possible by the shedding of the blood of Christ. 4. Will you come to the cleansing Power of the Blood of Christ? Believe (Jn.8:24) Hear (Rom.10:17)