Theres
Power in the Blood
Study by Patricia Backora
God
knew from the beginning that fallen man could not perfectly keep
His Law. Ultimately, man is not a sinner because he sins; rather,
he sins because he is a sinner by nature! The Law was given to Moses
at Mt. Sinai by god to make mankind aware of his total depravity
and need for a Redeemer. Paul tells us in Galatians 3:24 that the
Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Our failure to keep
it reaffirms the truth stated in Romans 3:23: For all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God. Only Christ could qualify to
redeem people from the penalty of broken Law, for he lived out His
entire life without committing a single sin . He was not crucified
to pay for His own sins, for there werent any ( John 8:46;
II Cor. 5:21. Through the shedding of perfectly innocent Blood,
he atoned for the sins of all who would accept His free offer of
salvation, whether born before or after His Atonement ( John 3:16-17;
7:37-38; Hebrews 9:28; Rev. 22:17). Otherwise, a perfectly holy
and perfectly just God could not have justly forgiven one single
sinner.
The
Governors Reprieve
Psalms 14:1-3; Romans 3:23
Some
people wonder why God waits so long to put the wicked on trial for
all theyve done. The sad truth is, God found all mankind guilty
of sin a long time ago and fallen mankind has already been condemned
to death. Jesus says in John 3:18: He that believeth on him (the
Son of God) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned
already.
Every unconverted man or woman, and every child who has awakened
to an awareness of sin is already condemned to eternal separation
from Gods presence because all have sinned and fallen short
of Gods glory. Every unconverted person in the whole wide
world is sitting on death row.
Your
only reprieve from eternal death is to accept our divine Governors
pardon and walk free from the prison cell of sin. The wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ (Romans
6:23). This reprieve was provided by the substitutionary death of
Christ.
Care
must be taken by preachers to ensure that all conversions are genuine,
that people have not responded to altar calls out of peer pressure.
A superficial decision for Christ is NOT the same as
deep surrender, accompanied by the washing of regeneration
(newness of life) and renewing of the Holy Ghost spoken of
in Titus 3:5 . Salvation is contingent upon repentance toward God
and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21). This is an
individual experience. No one is ever automatically saved by being
brought up in church, or christened as an infant!
Adams
Sad Legacy
When
God confronted Adam and Eve for their trespass in the Garden, they
faced Him wearing aprons of fig leaves theyd sewn together
because they were ashamed for God to see their nakedness. Their
sin was fully exposed to Gods sight. God had to take the life
of animals and use their skins to make clothes which would provide
better protection for the bodies of Adam and Eve.Their spiritual
nakedness also had to be remedied. Only through the offering up
of temporary animal sacrifices could sin be concealed from Gods
sight, until the one true Sacrifice was offered for sin once and
for all, and the sins of believers were taken away as far as East
is from West.
Abel,
a son of sinful Adam, became a child of God through faith in the
coming Redeemer, and satan didnt like it one bit. Most likely
the devil worried that God might use Abel to provide a line of descent
for the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15) , although God
Himself would be the Father of Christ.
Satan had engineered Adam and Eves loss of fellowship with
God in Eden, and begun to kill their physical bodies. Untold destruction
had been wrought in their psyches. The sin nature had embedded itself
in the very genetic code of man, to be passed down through countless
generations. Adam lived to witness the outworking of this hereditary
sin nature when his son Abel became the worlds first homicide
statistic, slain by his jealous brother Cain. The story is recorded
in Genesis 4:1-15.
Evidently
sibling rivalry existed between these two young men, at least in
Cains heart. Cain approached God in a spirit of competitiveness,
while Abels attitude was one of contrite faith toward God.
Blood sacrifice was what God required as an atonement for sin, for
without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin
(Hebrews 10:28). Gods penalty for sin is death. The soul which
sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4b). Romans 6:23 says: The wages of sin
is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Christs own sinless soul was made an offering for
sin on our behalf (see Isaiah 53:10). Had Christ committed even
one sin during His lifetime on earth, He would have disqualified
Himself from paying the penalty of our sins, and God could not justly
have forgiven one sinner.
It would yet be many centuries before Christ would come to earth
to die for Abels sins. In Old Testament times, animal sacrifices
were offered up as symbolic substitutes. These sacrifices were counted
by God as acts of obedient faith, anticipating His appointed time
when Christ Himself would die as the Lamb of God to take away the
sin of the world (John 1:29).
Cain
must have heard these truths at the knee of Adam, his sadder but
wiser father. But evidently Cain refused to take consolation in
this mercy of the Lord. Most likely he rankled over the expulsion
of his parents (and hence, himself) from the delights of Paradise.
Humankind had been sentenced to a life of grueling toil, aging,
sorrows of innumerable kinds, and eventual physical death. I can
picture the cogitations of a mind like Cains: Who does my
dad think HE is, teaching ME how to run MY life, after the way HE
fouled up? I could have kicked back and sipped cider under an apple
tree all day! In any event, I wouldnt have had to toil like
a mule day in and day out just to eat! Life sure is a drag, thanks
to good old Dad. Ill placate God in my OWN way, not Dads.
And if God doesnt like it...well, TOUGH!
What
a thorn Cain must have been in the hearts of his parents. Surely
the rebellious nature of their eldest son was a poignant reminder
to them of the sorrow their own disobedience had brought to God.
The treacherous Absalom would bring such anguish to his father King
David many centuries later.
Flashing
his cheesiest smile, Cain brashly approached the stone altar he
had erected. Proudly he brandished his gift to God, a conveniently
bloodless heap of fresh farm produce hed cultivated from the
cursed ground which had been cursed through Adams sin (Gen.
3:17-19). My, Cain thought, wont God be thrilled with MY donation?
Much more than Hell be with Abels! The very idea...presenting
a pile of raw, bloody flesh to the Almighty! Gods finer sensibilities
will surely be offended.
Cain
misread God, if hed bothered to try to understand Him at all.
The faith of Abel is commended in Hebrews 11:4: By faith Abel offered
to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he gained
Gods assurance that he was righteous, God approving of his
gifts; and by faith he, though dead, speaks.
But
God wasnt pleased with Cains self-styled offering, or
his insubordination. It was Abel whod been obedient, humbly
casting himself by faith upon the mercy of a Deity offended by sin.
Abel entertained no delusions about the utter depravity of the human
nature hed inherited from his father Adam. He realized that
only with Gods help could it be held in check. He knew that
man, in spite of his best efforts, falls short of the Glory of God
and that sacrificial blood must be shed to cover his sin from Gods
sight. Leviticus 17:11 says: It is the Blood that maketh an atonement
for the soul. Hebrews 9:22, in the New Testament reaffirms this
bedrock principle of salvation: Without shedding of blood is no
remission (forgiveness of sin).
The
hard-hearted Cain couldnt have cared less about Gods
plan of salvation. Like most people he considered himself no better
or worse than any other human, hardly bad enough to merit Gods
attention. He refused to see his sin nature in the light of Gods
unfathomable Holiness. Unlike his brother Abel, Cain was not accounted
by God as righteous.
Cains
sacrifice was an exercise in futility. God noticed how
Cain glowered as the smoke from his offering refused to ascend heavenward,
how the fire fizzled out no matter how much he fanned it and blew
on it.
Why
are you so angry, Cain? God asked him. And why that
pout on your face? If only youd done what you were supposed
to, you would have been accepted by Me. But because you disobeyed
me, sin is even now lurking at your door. It wants to dominate you,
but you must overcome it (Genesis 4:7).
Even
at that point God was offering Cain a chance to repent and do what
was right: offer an animal sacrifice for his sin. But Cain was a
free thinker who wanted to do things his own way. He opened the
door to that sin God warned him about and it took complete control
of him, causing him to murder his own brother in a jealous rage.
Adam
and Eve had such wonderful fellowship with God in the Garden before
their sin alienated God from them. But Gods Good News is this:
Now the Sacrifice of Christ has availed to restore mans broken
relationship to the Father. Anyone willing to enter in to this provision
of God in Christ can now enjoy the same intimate friendship Adam
had with God before his fall.
The
Old Covenant: Promise of the New
Under
the Mosaic Covenant, only those Gentiles who had sacrifices offered
for them according to the Law of Moses could share in the same salvation
God offered Israel. These few converts, like the believing Jews,
looked forward in faith to the coming of that one perfect Sacrifice
Whose blood would make a final atonement for sin.
At the time of the Jews Exodus from Egypt, Gods patience
with stubborn Pharaoh had finally run out. He still wouldnt
let Gods people go. God had already visited nine terrible
plagues upon the Land of Egypt. Now the worst was about to come.
The Israelites needed to avail themselves of the protection God
offered them from the Angel of Death who would fly over Egypt and
slay the firstborn of every family. Gods instructions to them
are recorded in Exodus Chapter 12.
On
the night of their departure, the Israelites were to slay one lamb
for each household, roast it and eat it. But the blood of the lamb
was to be smeared on the side posts and lintel of the house (Ex.
12:7). As the Death Angel flew over the Land of Egypt he would look
down and see the atoning blood on the houses of the obedient Israelites.
Any home protected by the Blood was spared the destruction of its
firstborn son because of Gods promise to the Covenant People
in Ex. 12:13 : When I see the blood I will pass over you . Thus
began the annual celebration of the Jews Passover, a time
of remembrance instituted by God (Ex. 12:14) , a celebration of
their deliverance from Egypt and from the Angel of Death which struck
unbelieving Egyptians. The Paschal Lamb itself came to be called
the Passover (Mark 14:12).
Just
as God delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt, He also promised
to redeem them from the bondage of sin ( Psalms 130:8). In I Cor.
5:7 Jesus is called our Passover Lamb. The blood of bulls and goats,
offered continually in the Temple could never truly take away sin
(Hebrews 10: 1-18), but these sacrifices served as promissory
notes before God attesting to faith in that One Who was to
come to finally take away sin forever through the sacrifice of Himself
( Isaiah 53:3-6; I Peter 1:18-20).
Christ
Suffered to Heal Our Alienation From God
Do
you know why Christs anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane was
so great, as He prayed for the strength to give up His Life for
you and me? The prospect of being scourged, mocked and nailed to
a Cross was terrifying enough, but He knew He faced an even worse
ordeal_temporary alienation from God the Father.
He
Who knew no sin became sin for the sake of sinners, nailed to the
Cross in their stead. At that moment God had to avert His eyes from
the One Who had always been so dear to Him. Gods pure eyes
of Holiness could not look upon that loathsome bundle of sin Christ
had taken upon Himself.
Deep
in Christs soul He felt the absence of fellowship with God
the Father. All He could feel was the dreadful stroke of Gods
wrath against sin falling upon Him. This terrified Jesus, as He
hung on that Tree. Psalms Chapter 88, believed by many to be a Messianic
Psalm (a prophecy of Christ) paints a stark picture of the anguish
suffered by Christ on the Cross of Calvary. In verse 7 the afflicted
Man speaks of the weight of Gods wrath crushing Him, how it
hits him in waves. In verse 8 the Man laments that the Almighty
has separated Him from His friends and made Him loathsome to them.
He feels like a helpless Prisoner.
There is nothing more frightening than to sense that youve
pushed God too far and strayed out from beneath the covering of
the Blood, and you are in danger of the judgment of God. There have
been times when I got careless enough to hang onto wrong thoughts
satan sent me instead of rebuking them in the Name of Jesus. Then
I knew that awful fearful feeling, though God in His mercy restored
me to fellowship with Himself. How did He do that? I regained Gods
abiding peace through the ministrations of Christ, My Heavenly High
Priest, Who ever lives to make intercession for me and sprinkles
me anew with the atoning Blood (I John I:8-10; 2:1-2; Heb. 7:25).Through
the Blood we can experience daily victory over satan, who accuses
the saints before the Throne of God, and will do so until he is
finally denied access to the heavenlies (see Rev. 12:10).
God
and Man Reconciled in Christ
A
most wondrous miracle occurred at the moment of Christs death.
He, the spotless Lamb of God, had just made atonement once and for
all for all the sins of humankind. Animal sacrifices had served
as temporary promissory notes pointing toward the final payment
for sin. At the moment of Christs death, these were no longer
needed. Now the Way into the Holiest Place of all had just been
opened for all who would come to Christ for everlasting life. No
longer was access to Gods Presence severely restricted as
it was after the Law of Moses was given, when only the High Priest
might enter into the Holiest Place and even then only once a year.
When Christ shed His precious Blood to make a final atonement for
our sins the heavy curtain concealing the Most Holy Place in the
Temple was ripped in two from top to bottom (Matt. 27:51; Mark 15:38;
Luke 23:45; Heb. 10:19-22. Through the Blood of Jesus we have the
right to enter even into the Holiest Place of all.
After
the crucifixion of Christ the Veil in the Temple separating mankind
from the Most Holy Place ripped asunder. The chief priests knew
this miraculous event had occurred. They also knew there was no
natural cause for it. Not even the recent earthquake could have
caused such stout fabric to rip apart. These learned men, above
all others in Jerusalem, ought to have understood the meaning of
this marvel. For centuries saints and prophets had yearned to be
brought into a greater intimacy with their Maker, for the distance
between God and man to be removed .But instead of giving God thanks
for this unspeakable grace, men too blind to accept the Truth refused
to acknowledge that God Himself had torn the Veil of Separation
and opened the Way into His Holy Presence. Not only did blind leaders
of the blind refuse to enter in themselves, but they misled the
people, thus sealing the doom of their City of Jerusalem and its
Temple (Luke 23:27-31).
Kept
Through the Power of the Blood
You,
as a believer in Christ, have been washed in His Blood and baptized
into His Body by the Spirit of God. As you continue to walk in the
faith of Christ and abide in Him you are also kept by the power
of God (John 15:4-5; II Cor. 13:5; Colossians 1:21-23; I Peter 1:5).
Daily look unto Him to cleanse you of all sin, both known and unknown,
by sprinkling you with His Blood. Commune with Jesus continually
in good times and bad. See the Christ in other Christians and treat
them accordingly. Depend on Christ for wisdom to know how to share
His Love with unbelievers. As you do these things, you will feel
the peace of God rest on you and know you are in fellowship with
Him.
Many
religious groups have it all wrong where it concerns what it takes
to get saved or stay saved. In their ignorance theyll rigidly
enforce rules regarding diet, dress, tithing, donations, and ceremonies
of all kinds. These are nothing but mans foolish attempt to
gain favor with God through outward works of the flesh. Carnal ministers
simply cant trust God to protect His own flock from perdition.
What
really grieves God is that so many think that their abstinence from
harmless amusements like ball games or sports, or from certain adornments,
foods and beverages makes it more likely that they will beat others
to the gates of heaven. That is robbing Him of Glory. It is only
through the Blood of the Lamb sprinkled on the Mercy Seat in heaven
that anyone can freely approach Gods Presence in Prayer Isaiah
52:15; Heb. 9: 13-14, 19-24) It is CHRIST Who makes you acceptable
to God, not your dietary habits or wardrobe.
Mature
saints are often ashamed to have to come to God to ask forgiveness
of sins. They think that since theyve walked with God for
so many years they should be well past the stage where its
easy to stumble into pitfalls of the flesh; so they perceive it
as an agonizing humiliation to come before the Father and confess
they arent so perfect after all. But every believer needs
Gods grace to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh until the
day of his glorification, when the sinful likeness of Adam drops
away like a dead chrysalis from a butterfly and he is perfected
into the likeness of Christ.
Dont
worry. God is never ashamed of repentant people. Repentance toward
God and faith in Christ is what reconciles us to Himself. The danger
comes when we are unwilling to repent. God is well pleased when
we come for help of any kind. You cannot hide anything from Him.
He loves you, imperfect though you are. The precious Blood of His
Son can cleanse you from every transgression under the sun. The
very fact you care indicates you are growing more mature. It would
be a far greater disgrace not to come and confess your sins so God
can blot them all out. Nothing is to be gained by self-sufficiency.
You began your walk with God by acknowledging your own helplessness
to save yourselves, and you must continue it by leaning on His everlasting
arm.
So
long as you realize your utter dependency on God, He is able to
lift you up and carry you over the rough spots of life. The Blood
of Christ is sufficient to wash away every sin. It can give you
victory over the evil one who would destroy you. Through the merits
of the Blood, Christ is able to save you to the uttermost and see
you safely to heaven. Only those who finally reject Christ after
once knowing Him can be lost again, as Peter indicates in II Peter
2:20-22, where he speaks of a sow being washed and returning to
the dirty pig pen, or the dog returning to his vomit. Where eternal
security is concerned, we need to maintain a reverent attitude toward
the Spirit of God and heed his warnings of when repentance is needed
in our lives.
When
God adopted you as His child, it was for keeps. Dont ever
let any lie of satan make you feel unfit to be in His Presence.
So long as you walk softly and humbly before God with a contrite
heart, trusting in the Blood of Jesus to cleanse you from every
sin, you can approach His Throne with a holy boldness. Before you
approach God in any other kind of prayer be sure that your heart
is right before Him by petitioning Him for the forgiveness of all
sin, and for the cleansing of the Blood of the Lamb. Ask God to
help you to forgive others who have hurt you. Thats not always
easy, I know, so you have to let Christ in you do this for you.
If you sense that demonic forces are hindering you from making these
vital petitions, ask God to dispatch angelic helpers to lift the
oppression of satan. You really do need Gods angels to wage
war in the heavenlies on your behalf. Dont say within yourself
that youre not important enough for God to intervene to this
extent. He gave His dear Son to give up His Life for your sake.
God would even have sent Him to do this just for you if YOU had
been the only one requiring salvation, His love for you is so unspeakably
great.
Achieving
Peace Through the Blood of Christ
The
blood of Jesus can set you free from false religious spirits masquerading
as piety. I have seen saints who consider it a mark of spirituality
to go around looking sad all the time. They continually beat on
themselves about their imperfections. They honestly feel guilty
about looking or feeling happy, even about wearing bright clothing.
Every trial, no matter how nasty it is, is embraced as being from
the Lord and seen as a penance to be endured for personal cleansing.
Well, Ive got news for you. The devil isnt interested
in perfecting you. Hes out to destroy you, or at the very
least render your personal ministry ineffectual by hobbling you
with endless hindrances. If personal suffering could redeem the
soul, every deathbed would be a launching pad to heaven! The Blood
of Jesus redeems our soul and sanctifies it ever afterward, as we
continue to trust in Him. Paul asks in Galatians 3:3: Having begun
in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Folks, we began
this journey by faith and we must finish it by faith.
Jesus
came to destroy the works of the devil, not put a positive spin
on them (I John 3:8). We are told in James 4:7 and I Peter 5:8-9
to resist the devil. Revelation 12:11 tells us we can overcome satan
by the Blood of the Lamb. How can we apply this principle?
Whenever
you get a negative thought that denies the Truth of Gods Word
it is always from the devil. Old Sluefoot especially lies about
the bedrock truths of salvation. Hell use the same old line
on you he used on Eve: Did God really say that? If that
happens, dont act defensive, but go on the offensive. Proclaim
loudly that you are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb and the righteousness
of Christ has been imputed to you by faith (Romans Chapter 4). You
are made one spirit with Him by faith ( I Cor. 6:17). In Gods
eyes you as a believer are just as innocent as Jesus!
Because
of the power of the Blood of Jesus to cleanse and sanctify the soul,
the devil has no right to accuse any believer of sin (Romans 8:32-34),
especially one who walks softly and tenderly before God, wearing
the Helmet of Salvation by faith (Eph. 6: 17).
Self-castigating,
sour-faced saints become that way because instead of focusing on
the perfection of Christ within, they fixate on the remnant of a
fallen Adamic nature which will not be completely cast off till
the day of their glorification. I know everyone feels like crying
at some time, but these people confuse a humble, contrite heart
with a morose disposition afraid to crack a smile for fear of being
carnal. I have seen many under the oppression of religious
spirits. They are continually bowed down, weeping and wailing in
Gods presence instead of singing for joy of heart. Whenever
I get around such people, I can sense a spirit of heaviness on them.
God promises His children the Oil of Joy for mourning and the Garment
of Praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61:3). The Joy of
the Lord is our strength ( Neh. 8:10).
So
next time satan tries to tell you youre such a big sinner
youve got no right to sing and praise the Lord, plead the
power of the Blood of Jesus, praying in the power of the Spirit.
It will make the devil will take off like a ruptured duck! He hates
the Blood of Jesus because it spelled his defeat and the soon-coming
final end of his kingdom, and he knows Who is about to take over
the throne of this earth!
Plead the redeeming power of the Blood of Christ over your home.
Do spiritual warfare by praying in the Spirit against any negative
psychic influences you sense might be coming against you, whether
they are evil spirits, spells or curses. If you know of some ancestor
who was involved in the occult, even go so far as to renounce that
sin in Jesus Name, though it is not your own personal sin
Why? The devil will seize on any excuse to accuse you before the
Father or attack you, and he must be resisted steadfastly in the
faith.Be filled with the Spirit of God and stay filled in order
that your prayers may be more effectual. You cannot rationalize
away a spiritual foe who is very real.
A
Dangerous Doctrine
The
believer who wants to remain connected to Christ by faith and grow
into His likeness is secure. But there is also circulating a demonic
doctrine of unconditional eternal security which leads people to
believe they would even go up in the Rapture if Jesus caught them
on a bed of adultery when He returned for His saints. Their reasoning:
I cant keep Gods law anyway. Jesus paid it all,
so it doesnt matter how I live.
But
it does matter how you live. Paul says in I Cor. 6:9: Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not
deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate; nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals),
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners,
shall inherit the Kingdom of God. Without holiness, no man shall
see the Lord (Heb. 12:14).
In
the Parable of the Unwise Stewards in Luke 12:45-48, Jesus lets
us know He will hold His servants accountable not only for their
faithfulness, but their moral conduct prior to His Coming. Those
who revel in drunken debauchery and mistreat their fellow servants
share in the fate of unbelievers. Other servants are punished with
varying severity for committing lesser sins or for being disobedient.
The motivation of the heart is everything. Colossians 3:2 says:
Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.
And Jesus said in Matt. 6:21: Where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also. if our hearts are centered on Christ, we will
be better able to withstand the wiles of the devil who does his
worst to bring us out from beneath the secure covering of the Blood
of Christ.
To illustrate the correlation between individual responsibility
and true eternal security, I am including an incident from my novel
Tough Love in Christs Millennium in this article. Lord Stephen,
Royal Mayor of Joystar, is taking Saul Savage to task over his careless
attitude toward the grace of God.
Saul
Savage Gets a Lesson in Eternal Security
Once
saved, always saved, remembered Lord Stephen. You never
would have said that, Saul, unless you at least partially believed
it.
That is the belief of many, said Saul softly.
The
covering of the blood of the Lamb does not extend over the head
of one who stubbornly refuses to repent of his rebellion or idolatry,
declared the ruler. Those souls who are ignorant, or weak, or those
who stumble because of the frailties of mortal flesh; let them come
to Christ for cleansing and rest on His perfect righteousness, for
His goodness alone is acceptable to God the Father. Blessed are
those who diligently examine their own hearts to see if they are
walking in the Faith; even those who throughout the days of their
mortality tread softly before God with a submissive, repentant heart.
These souls can rest, knowing they are secure beneath the covering
of the blood of the Lamb, which being sprinkled on their conscience,
maintains them as blameless in the righteousness of Christ.
Seemingly
ignoring the main thrust of Lord Stephens teaching, Saul fixated
on his first statement. Then...eternal security is nonsense?
he gasped.
Those
souls who walk reverently before the Lord in the way I have just
described, even they are at rest from the fear of eternal perdition,
replied Lord Stephen. But many have deluded themselves into
thinking that they can serve both God and idols. Throughout the
ages, many have abused the grace of God by regarding it as a license
to sin.
He
who comes to me, I will in no wise cast out, argued Saul mildly.
Its there in the Bible.
That
same one who comes to Christ can later decide to cast out his own
precious faith in the Lord by his own deliberately perverse way
of life, insisted Lord Stephen. In such a vile manner,
a reprobate can cast Christ out.
*
* * * *
I
would like to share the lyrics of a song about the Blood of Jesus.
I learned from my friends right after I was baptized in the Holy
Spirit in 1970. It was a favorite with my daughter as she grew up.
Its writer is unknown, though it is believed to have originated
on the West Coast. Even its exact title is a mystery, though we
always called it:
The
Butterfly Song
The
Fountain Which flowed from the Nazarenes veins
Where the spike of my sinning was driven in pain
Is the Blood of our God a silken wove thread
That He spins to enfold me from where it is bled.
Into the cocoon comes a flickering flame
You dont have to look at me till Ive been changed
The worm caterpillar is ugly to see
But the Butterfly living is Jesus in me.
Conceived in eternity, born before dawn
And he died for the wretched one singing this song
King Jesus, King Jesus, my God and my Lord
His Blood is the Fountain of Love freely poured.
A
Prophetic Word
Spiritual
Israelites
Exodus
19:5-6; Romans 2:28-29; Titus 2:14; Ephesians 2:11-14; I Peter 2:5-10
There
is a widespread false teaching that love alone is sufficient to
cover sins, and that belief in a blood atonement is no longer necessary
in these enlightened times. That is but one example
of the abominable measures man has taken to try to make My gospel
more palatable to modern tastes. Many sincerely misled people are
being led down the path to perdition, for My Truth does not change
to keep in step with the whims of fallen mankind.
Many
diverse peoples with varying customs and practices existed in Biblical
days, but Israel alone was My Chosen People, and My unique treasure.
Why? Not because they were physically more attractive or more intelligent
than other races, but it was a calling of My grace and election.
I blessed Abraham who believed in My promises, and his faith was
accounted unto him for righteousness. I commanded him to offer up
certain types of animal sacrifices at set times in the right way,
and in locations of My choosing. He always followed My instructions
diligently. By faith he looked forward to that One Sacrifice whose
blood would remove sins from My sight forever. In the days of his
descendant Moses, a fuller revelation of divine ordinance for temporary
animal expiations was instituted. While the priestly tribe of Levi
faithfully carried out My directives in offering sacrifices for
themselves and for the congregation, there were countless tribes
in the earth which scoffed at the notion that blood sacrifice was
necessary to atone for sin. Many peoples contemporary with the ancient
Israelites wanted to do things their way, not My way, so I left
them to their own stubbornness. Those Gentiles who did sacrifice
to their false gods had only a distorted concept of how to offer
sacrifice for sin, just like Cain before them. Many heathen nations
even sacrificed infants and small children, and participated in
orgies in honor of the demons who were the real powers represented
by their idols of wood and stone. I had not entrusted My Word of
faith to them, only to believing Israel.
Many
present-day believers in Christ are descended from peoples who dwelt
in spiritual darkness. But I see them not as Gentiles, but as spiritual
Jews. In My eyes they have become one spirit with Christ, the Lion
of the Tribe of Judah. My Body of believers is a Chosen Nation,
and a Royal Priesthood. These are appointed to offer up spiritual
sacrifices unto Me; the sweet incense of praise and prayer, the
offering of intercessory prayers for transgressors, and the ministry
of proclaiming to sinners the efficacy of My atoning Blood. I could
not have bestowed a greater honor upon My people. Those redeemed
ones who honor My Son as Lord are accounted as the true children
of Abraham, the Father of Faith.
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