THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST

Revelation 5:9

Intro.

  1. the word "blood" is used over 400 times in the Bible
  2. many people today, do not want to talk about the blood of Christ
  3. our text reveals that we sing about it in heaven
  1. man has two problems: sins and sin
    1. sins
      1. acts of disobedience against God
      2. this is what we need forgiveness from - Ephesians 1:7
    2. sin
      1. sins are external, sin is internal
      2. sins need forgiven, sin needs deliverance
      3. sin is a power within us that compels us to commit sins - Romans 7:11-13
        1. we can seek and receive forgiveness, but then we sin again
        2. life can be a cycle of sinning, forgiveness and sinning again
        3. we should greatly appreciate the wonderful mercy of God
        4. we should want something more – deliverance
    3. man has two needs
      1. forgiveness for what I have done – sins
      2. deliverance from what I am –sinner
    4. God’s remedy is the blood of Jesus Christ - Romans5:9 & 6:6
  2. the results of our sins
    1. the consequences of sin are threefold
      1. sin caused us to be separated from God (God put man out of His presence)
      2. sin produces guilt (Adam & Eve hid)
      3. sin gives Satan grounds for making accusation against us
    2. to save us Jesus had to do something about these three things (sin, guilt, and Satan’s charges)
    3. the Bible shows us that the blood of Jesus is effective in all three areas
      1. God and sin
      2. man and guilt
      3. Satan and charges
    4. it is important that we understand the effectiveness of the blood in these areas
      1. a good understanding is essential for spiritual growth
      2. a good understanding is essential for gaining victory over sin
  3. the blood is primarily for God - Exodus 12:13 - "when I see the blood, I will pass over you"
    1. the blood is for atonement, and has to do with our standing before God
      1. we need forgiveness, lest we come under judgment
      2. sins are forgiven, not because God overlooks them but because He sees the blood
    2. when we understand the value that God has put on the blood, it will become precious and of great value to us as well
    3. God is satisfied by the blood of Christ
      1. God’s holiness demanded that a sacrifice be made for sin
        1. God required that the sacrifice be perfect and without spot
        2. God required that blood be shed as an offering for sin
      2. God is the one who said, "when I see the blood, I will pass over you"
        1. only the blood of Jesus Christ could satisfy God
        2. the blood of Christ totally satisfies God
      3. people make a big error when they try to sense or feel the value of the blood
        1. we must accept God’s value of the blood, if we want to have peace with God
        2. if our value of the blood is based on feelings, we have no peace
        3. salvation is not a matter of feelings, but faith in the Word of God
        4. the blood is precious because God said so - I Peter 1:18-19
      4. if God can accept the blood as a full payment for sin, we can rest assured that the debt has been paid
  4. by the blood we have access to God - Hebrews 10:22
    1. the blood has satisfied God, it must satisfy us also (guilt)
      1. once we had an "evil conscience" (guilt) when we approached God
      2. when our hearts are sprinkled with the blood, our guilt is removed
      3. we must accept God’s Word on this matter (faith)
      4. by the blood of Jesus we are brought close to God - Ephesians 2:13
    2. guilt is to be replaced with boldness - Hebrews 10:17-19; 4:16
      1. the blood never loses its efficiency as our grounds for access to God
      2. we should never think that we can approach God on the bases of our own merit
  5. the blood silences the accuser
    1. Jesus confronts Satan in His present ministry as High Priest - Hebrews 7:24-25
    2. how does the blood operate against Satan
      1. it brings God and man back together - "reconciled"
      2. God can now defend man - Romans 8:33-34
    3. not only does Satan accuse us before God, he also levels his accusations at us
      1. when accused, we may be tempted to look within to prove him wrong
      2. others may just accept the accusations
      3. both of these ways lead to despair and depression
    4. God can deal with our sins, but He can not help us when we are accepting the accusations of the devil
      1. those that heed the accusations of the devil are not trusting the shed blood of Jesus
      2. Christ is our Advocate (I John 2:1), but we often side with the accuser
      3. only faith in the precious blood of Christ can silence the accuser, and put him to flight

Conclusion

  1. the blood of Christ will effectively deal with sin, guilt and Satan
  2. where is your faith resting today
  3. do you know that your sins are forgiven
  4. do feelings of guilt keep you away from God
  5. faith in Jesus and His shed blood can give you hope