Power of the Blood

Power of the Blood

Intro: We have all seen on T.V. or in the movies how Jesus was brutally beaten and nailed to that old rugged cross and we are saddened and groan within as we see our Savior and Lord crucified at the hands of cruel men. But think with me today about the nails that penetrated His hands and feet, and the spear penetrated His side from which His lifeblood flowed, and may we see the importance of what Jesus accomplished thru His precious blood that He shed there. There is truly power in the blood.

I. The power of Jesus’ precious blood redeems our souls from eternal destruction.

Mankind came under God’s curse when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God in His mercy slew the first animals and made coverings for their bodies of the animal skins. The animals shed blood was the means of forgiveness for their sin. And so in the O.T. we see animals blood shed for the forgiveness of man’s sin. Why? It was God’s law!The bible says in:  Hebrews 9:22 ESV

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. So in Hebrews 9:25 (NLT) The high priests would enter the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. That blood only covered their sins; it did not take them away. Why? Hebrews 10:4 ESV For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

That system of animal sacrifices was only a picture of the real thing to come which was Christ. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT) ¹⁸ For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. Ransom means price paid to buy back from captivity. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver.                                                                                          The Price God paid: ¹⁹ Was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Colossians 1:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³ He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 2:13 ESV But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Revelation 1:5 (NLT) All glory to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by shedding his blood for us. Jesus’ blood eternally paid our souls sin debt, and saved us from death, Hell, and the grave.

II. The power of Jesus’ precious blood sanctifies us. Sanctify- To make holy, pure free from sin. This is a continuing process until we die. We continually Grow in this holiness He has given us.

Hebrews 13:12 ESV So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Jesus purified us in God’s eyes by His precious blood. We are to grow in that holiness.

Hebrews 9:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³ For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Worshiping and Serving God in some capacity helps us grow in holiness, exercise faith.

1 John 1:7-9 ESV But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. As we walk in Jesus light and fellowship with one another, we grow in holiness, and as we daily confess our sin, we live in Jesus’ continual cleansing.

III. The power of Jesus’ precious blood opened the door to heaven.

We have an invitation from God to enter into His presence at any time to ask for our needs.  In Jeremiah 33:3 God invites us to call on Him and He will answer us and show us great & mighty things we know not.                                                                                                                                           Hebrews 10:19-22 (NLT) ¹⁹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. ²⁰ By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. ²¹ And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, ²² let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. The priests’ would wash their bodies to denote purity that God required.

IV. Power of Jesus’ precious blood gives us the sure victory over sin, death and hell.

Romans 5:9 ESV Since, therefore, we have now been justified by Jesus’ blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. We have been saved from God’s wrath forever. Revelation 7:14 ESV I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Revelation 12:11 ESV They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.                                                                           

 Power of Jesus’ precious blood has given the tribulation saints the victory over the Anti-Christ. We will sing of the victory we have been given in heaven as we gather around God’s throne.

Revelation 5:9-10 (NKJV) ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, ¹⁰ And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth."

Hebrews 13:20-21 (NLT)
²⁰ Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— ²¹ may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen.

Invitation: Sin dies in the presence of Jesus’ blood; death ceases to be death; and Heaven’s gates are opened. Romans 3:25-26 (NLT)  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for He himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.  Jesus died and shed His blood to forgive your sins and give you victory over death, the grave & hell! Have you believed in Jesus as your Savior? Have you asked Him to forgive you and make you right with God?

Hebrews 10:29 (NLT)  Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who trample on the Son of God, and treat the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and dispised the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.

Don’t be guilty of refusing God’s offer of salvation thru His Son Jesus Christ!

If you've never accepted God’s Son as your Savior, do it right now before it’s eternally too late!

If you have, you need to praise God right now. Take time now and thank Him for all He has done for you.

SLAVERY THAT LEADS TO FREEDOM

INTRO: The word slave is not a very popular word today. But when you apply that word to our relationship to Christ it takes on a new meaning. Slavery to Christ will bring the most rewarding freedom now and forever. I am Christ's slave.  1 Corinthians 7:22-23 ²² For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. ²³ You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.
7:22-23 Slavery was common throughout the Roman Empire, so many of the believers in Corinth were slaves when the Lord called them. Paul said that although the Christian slaves remained enslaved to other human beings, they were free from the awful power of sin in their lives. Romans 6:18, New Living Translation¹⁸ Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness. In the same way, if a person was free when the Lord called him, he was now a slave of Christ. Romans 6:22, New Living Translation²² But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. Because God paid a high price to bring His people to Himself, He has complete authority over their lives. ‘In twentieth century Christianity, we have replaced the expression “total surrender” with the word “commitment”, and “slave” with “servant.” This has important consequences for how we view our lives as Christians: ‘we commit ourselves to do something, but when we surrender ourselves to someone [as slaves], we give ourselves up’ (p18). FROM BOOK/Slave of Christ- MURRAY J. HARRIS The prescription for freedom from worry, doubt, fear, sin, eternal death and hell, is “slavery”- “total surrender” utter devotion and allegiance of your heart to Christ. It’s a freedom that also brings peace, holiness and eternal life. Bill Bright of Campus Crusade said “when you study in the Scripture, the Scripture clearly teaches we're not our own. We've been bought with a price, (1 COR. 6:20) the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. So none of us really have any rights. I'm simply acknowledging that when I say, 'Lord I want to be your slave.' I know I'm a Son of God, an heir of God, and a joint heir of Christ. I'm seated with Him in the heavenlies, but by choice; like Paul, Peter and others, I've chosen to be a slave."And it's the most liberating thing you can imagine.” God speed the day when more men will be His slaves. THERE ARE ETERNAL REWARDS AS A SLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST: I will be raised from the dead imperishable.        1 Corinthians 15:52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. Imperishable means- never to perish, die or decay. THIS BODY PERISHES AND IS BURIED, BUT WHEN JESUS RETURNS AT THE RAPTURE IT WILL BE RAISED TO LIVE FOREVER. With great emphasis Paul passed on to these Corinthians a secret—knowledge given to him by divine revelation from Christ. The phrase not all of us will die in verse 51 means that some Christians will still be alive at the time of Christ’s return. They will not have to die before they get their new resurrection bodies. Instead, they will all be transformed, immediately in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, New Living Translation 13 And now, brothers and sisters, I want you to know what will happen to the Christians who have died so you will not be full of sorrow like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus comes, God will bring back with Jesus all the Christians who have died. 15 I can tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet him ahead of those who are in their graves. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever. 18 So comfort and encourage each other with these words.

A trumpet blast will usher in the new heaven and earth. Christ will return, the dead will be raised out of the graves with transformed bodies. Those still alive will be transformed, also receiving their new bodies. This change will happen instantly for all Christians, whether they are dead or alive. All will be made ready to go with Christ

I will put on immortality.  1 Corinthians 15:53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.I have a Mortal body– One certain to die. I will have an Immortal body- One certain to live eternally. God does offer the prospect of true sinless immortality, eternal life—not just of the soul, but also of the whole individual—spirit, soul and body! Because “flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God” (1 Cor.15:50) We must all be changed. Because Christians are promised eternal life in God’s Kingdom, then our present perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. Death is the transformation from this life to the next. Each person will still be recognizable, will still be the person God created him or her to be, but each will be made perfect with a body that will be able to live forever in the Kingdom. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5, New Living Translation SAYS: 1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ² We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³ For we will not be spirits without bodies, but we will put on new heavenly bodies. ⁴ Our dying bodies make us groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by everlasting life. ⁵ God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. Jesus by His death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead brought us freedom from perishable bodies by paying for and providing us bodies that will never perish.

INVITATION: As a slave of Jesus Christ we have freedom not only now but also in the future. You cannot be a slave of Christ and enjoy all the freedom He brings till you ask Him to forgive your sins and invite Him into your life to take charge of you and then your future is secure in heaven. He will give you His Spirit as a guarantee. The alternative is no freedom, but bondage now and forever in hell.

LIVING IN THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD If you are needing help that only God can give to help you with whatever you may be facing, please stay on this page till you read this article. It can change your life. It did mine. Read on! For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13) The Word of God is a living, powerful force that will be activated only by those who will believe.  Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) 12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. If you are fighting any kind of battle right now, God has the answer for your need. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, do it right now. Confess you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life. If you are sincere, You will be saved according to God's own word you read below. You will never be ashamed or disgraced again and your eternal home will be Heaven.                     Romans 10:9-11 (NLT) 9 If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” When you receive God’s word for what it says, it will effectively work in your life. The truth of God’s word has literally changed the lives of millions of people, of which I am one. After many years of battling alcohol the word of God set me free. I was saved from Hell and delivered from alcoholism in 1978. I know first hand what God’s word can do when you believe it and act on it. I have been preaching the gospel now for 23 years and God is still changing my life for the better. When you put your trust in the living Word of God, that will activate His power to confirm His Word through your life!  In John 15:7 Jesus states, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."  God's Word will enter your heart and come alive inside of you as you are to live by the power of God's Spirit which indwells you. His Power will be activated through your life when you are living in the power of Jesus Christ.  In John 15:5 Jesus says, "I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." When you base your life on The Word of God you will never fail, because you are in agreement with God Almighty. "Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. "But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great." (Luke 6:47-49) The Bible is God Almighty's living instruction manual speaking to you.  If you will base your life on it you will always be living in His presence, grace, mercy, peace and power! "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11) Read God's word daily as much as you can. That will allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63) Whatever you may be dealing with, give it to God and let His Spirit begin to work as you release it to Him. God is more than willing and able to help you than you realize. May you take heed to God's word in this article and then begin to read God's word on your own and I promise you, you will be glad you did, and that will last for an eternity. May God give you the grace to believe Him more each day. Please leave me a comment in the comment box below this article. I would love to here from you!