Posted in theology

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!

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

Posted in theology

It’s All About the Blood

By Elizabeth Prata

PODCAST/AUDIO

I like to write on a variety of Christian topics. Anything related to the Bible, Jesus, the Church- I’m all in.

Lately I want to strip back some layers and get back to some basics. It’s easy to go off-script and get involved in hair splitting theological debates, or write about myself, or the culture- anything that drifts from Jesus. So I want to do a few essays in these turbulent times related to the root of our faith: Jesus, the Gospel, and the blood.

EPrata photo
Continue reading “It’s All About the Blood”
Posted in prophecy, Uncategorized

Today’s Bible Reading: The Scarlet Thread through the Bible

Her are some thoughts based on today’s Bible reading according to the Michael Coley Bible reading Plan, Joshua 1-5. I published the following essay about 5 years ago, in March 2013. It’s been excerpted to remove the discernment lesson about the television series The Bible, but you can read the original article here.

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The article below is on Dr. Adrian Rogers’ website “Love Worth Finding.”  Dr. Rogers is in heaven now with the Lord, but his work remains and continues to bear fruit for the kingdom.

The Scarlet Thread through the Bible
Dr. Adrian Rogers

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by…and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him. Joshua 2:18-19

Rahab, the woman spoken to in this passage, was a harlot in the city of Jericho. As the Israelites came to possess the land, her city was destined for destruction — and she along with it. But she was delivered, and her life transformed, simply by tying a scarlet cord in her window.

This cord represented the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it pointed toward the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. In fact, all of the Bible is about Jesus Christ and His blood redemption, and you will find this scarlet thread throughout the Word of God.

The Prophecy of the Blood

From the very beginning of human history, it is revealed. When Adam and Eve sinned, God shed innocent blood in order to make them clothes from animal skins (Genesis 3:21). This is a picture of the covering of righteousness that we receive when the Lord Jesus Christ died for us.

In Genesis four we read that Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. They instinctively wanted to worship God. Cain sacrificed the fruit of the ground. Abel had already learned that God demanded blood, so he brought a lamb. God accepted the blood of Abel’s lamb, but He did not accept Cain’s offering. Why? Because “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin” (Hebrews 9:22).

And God told Abraham to sacrifice his long-awaited son Isaac (Genesis 22). Just before Abraham plunged the dagger into the quivering heart of his son, an angel stopped him. Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicket. Isaac was set free, but an innocent animal’s blood was shed instead.

Then, God wanted to deliver His people from bondage in the land of Egypt. On the night of the Passover, God instructed each house to slay a lamb and put the blood on their door. God said in Exodus 12:13, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”

And in the tabernacle and later in the temple, thousands upon thousands of sheep, oxen, and turtle doves were killed and their blood spilt as sacrifices for sin.

And finally, the Lord Jesus Christ died upon the cross. His death was the fulfillment of all the prophecy and promises. Revelation 13:8 proclaims that He was slain before the foundation of the world. He came to die; He planned to die; He lived to die; and He was born to die.

Blood is throughout Scripture, but what does Christ’s blood mean to us?

The Power of the Blood

His blood redeems us. There was a price against us that we could not pay, but the blood of Jesus redeemed us. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things…. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

His blood brings us into fellowship with God. According to Ephesians 2:13, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Without the blood of Christ, man is a long way from God.

His blood makes peace with God. Man, by nature, is at war with God; and we can only come to God on His peace terms — the blood atonement. The Bible says in Colossians 1:20, “And, having made peace through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself….”

His blood cleanses. Not only does it remove the punishment of sin, it removes the pollution. I don’t care what sin you’ve committed; “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

His blood gives power over the devil. It’s the blood that Satan fears. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb….” The devil doesn’t want you to learn about the blood. He hates it!

Before this planet was ever swung into space, God had determined in His heart that He would send His Son to die upon the cross. How wonderful it is to trace the scarlet thread of the blood of Christ woven throughout the Bible! How much more wonderful to experience its redemption personally. Praise God for the blood of His Lamb!

~~~~~~~~~end Dr. Rogers~~~~~~~~~

I want you to understand how important the Old Testament is. The scarlet thread runs throughout it. There are pictures and shadows and copies of the Messiah to come. See these verses-

Hebrews 8:5
They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

Hebrews 9:24
For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.

Hebrews 10:1
Christ’s Sacrifice Once for All – For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

The Old Testament as well as the New Testament is beneficial for all edification, correction, and reproof. Think about the scarlet thread that runs through the entire Bible…and the power of the Blood.