The Blood

By Elizabeth Prata

The blood of Christ is not spoken of much. If it is, sadly, too often mystical properties are assigned to it, or it’s just misunderstood.

Admittedly the subject is a difficult one, and resources on the subject are scarce. I’ve found these following resources to be excellent:

Chapel Library is a ministry of Mount Zion Bible Church. Their “purpose is to humble the pride of man, to exalt the grace of God in salvation, and to promote real holiness in heart and life, by sending Christ-centered materials from prior centuries worldwide without charge.” They have a large library and will send you material in pamphlet form through the mail for free, or allow electronic downloads for free.

I ordered several pamphlets on the subject of the blood of Jesus.

These are the three pamphlets I got from Chapel Library:

–Spurgeon’s The Blood of the Lamb: The Conquering Weapon;

–The Blood of the Cross by Horatius Bonar (he wrote a lot about the blood many different times)

–Chapel Library’s monthly topical magazine, Free Grace Broadcaster “The Blood of Christ”.

In the Broadcaster booklet are essays about the blood from Andrew Murray, Stephen Charnock, Wm Reid, 2 from Horatius Bonar, Spurgeon, and LR Shelton.

The recent book “Blood Work: How the Blood of Christ Accomplishes Our Salvation” by Anthony J. Carter is an excellent treatment of the subject. I read it.

In Spurgeon’s The Blood of the Lamb: The Conquering Weapon, I was moved over and over by his points, moved by the way Spurgeon phrased things, and moved by the concept itself of our God who came down from Glory to die on the cross. It was originally a sermon and it can be found here. I will post several of Spurgeon’s quotes that moved me:

Near nineteen hundred years ago Jesus paid the dreadful debt of all His elect, and made a full atonement for the whole mass of the iniquities of them that shall believe in Him, thereby removing the whole tremendous load, and casting it by one lift of His pierced hand into the depths of the sea.

This makes me think of how heavy the load of sin was that Jesus atoned for, and also his mightiness and strength to be able to lift it and fling it away!

We are to preach that the Son of God has come in the flesh and died for human sin, and that in dying he did not only make it possible for God to forgive, but he secured forgiveness for all who are in Him. He did not die to make men savable, but to save them.

Here, Spurgeon reaffirms that Jesus’ atonement is effectual, not potential. IT IS FINISHED Jesus cried, and indeed it is!

[T]hese saints used the doctrine of atonement not as a pillow to rest their weariness, but as a weapon to subdue their sin.

Spurgeon is speaking of how, after salvation, while the saints do rest from their war against God, but now go to war against their sin.

The foul fiend tells out the wanderings of our hearts, the deadness of our desires in prayer, the filthy thoughts that dropped into our minds when we have been at worship. Alas! we have to confess that we have even tolerated doubts as to eternal verities, and suspicions of the love and faithfulness of God. When the accuser is about his evil business, he does not have to look far for matter of accusation, nor for facts to support it. Do these accusations stagger you? Do you cry, “My God, how can I face thee? for all this is true, and the iniquities now brought to my remembrance are such as I cannot deny. I have violated thy law in a thousand ways, and I cannot justify myself.” Now is your opportunity for overcoming through the blood of the Lamb. When the accuser has said his say, and aggravated all your transgressions, be not ashamed to step forward and say, “But I have an advocate as well as an accuser. O Jesus, my Saviour, speak for me!” When he speaks, what does he plead but his own blood? “For all these sins I have made atonement,” says he, “all these iniquities were laid on me in the day of the Lord’s anger, and I have taken them away.” 

That was a longer quote, but I could not help it! The language: ‘foul fiend’! The accuracy: deadness of desires in prayer! Ouch! The crumbling and quivering of the Christian soul who approaches His majesty on the throne, ‘How can I face thee?’ The comfort of knowing He says He has done it, made atonement! O!

Come, brother or sister, the next time thou hast to do with Satan as an accuser in the heavenly places, take care that thou defend thyself with no weapon but the atonement. All comfort drawn from inward feelings or outward works will fall short; but the bleeding wounds of Jesus will plead with full and overwhelming argument, and answer all. “Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?

Satan the accuser has a voice, but no trustworthiness. Satan the adversary opposes, but is already defeated. Satan the evildoer has schemes, but no power against the blood of the Lamb!

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Anyway, these were just some ideas and resources on the blood of Jesus and its effect on God’s plan of salvation!