Month: August 2020

I want to start today’s message with a story. There was this very rich man who lived in the United States, who had heard of a man that lived in France that was very famous for walking the tightrope. According to what he had heard, the Frenchman had the reputation of walking the tightrope at high altitudes, while blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow; however, this was something that the American couldn’t believe. The American then wrote to the Frenchman and said; I don’t believe that what I’ve heard about you is true; I don’t believe that there is a person who can do what you’re credited with. However, I offer you a million dollars to come to the United States, and perform your act over Niagara Falls and walk the tightrope from Canada to New York. The Frenchman immediately replied and said that he would do it.
The day of performance finally came, and many gathered to see this dangerous act. The Frenchman climbed up to the tightrope, someone blindfolded him, and then he started to walk across it pushing the wheelbarrow, while the American looked on and waited for him at the other end of the rope. Everyone was fascinated to see the agility that this man demonstrated while walking, and he soon crossed from one side to another without any problems. Upon reaching the other side, the Frenchman approached the American and said: do you believe that I can do this? To which the American responded; I just finished seeing you with my own eyes, this was something impressive. And the Frenchman answered; no, no, do you believe that I can do this? To which the American answered; we all saw what you did, it was something genuinely worthy of appreciation. And the Frenchman replied; but do you believe that I can do this? And the American answered; I just finished witnessing it with my eyes, of course I believe. To which the Frenchman answered; then get in the wheelbarrow, we are going back. Funny, isn’t it? This message serves to illustrate the subject that we will be exploring today. Today we are going to explore our faith. Let’s now turn to the Word of God.
James 2:14-26 – What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22Do you see that faith was working together
with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 25Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
One of the more serious problems that has confronted Christ’s church from the very beginning is that through history, and at present time, there are many that profess the Christian faith, but that do nothing or very little to prove their faith. In other words, that don’t behave and act in the ways that a Christian should. How must Christians act and behave? The main way that Christians should act and behave is clearly defined in 1 Peter 1:16 when we read: “…Be holy, for I am holy…” In other words, we have to persevere in leading a holy life. But this is something that we are not always willing to do.
I would say that one of the greatest temptations that we confront is to profess our faith, and not having works to back it up. But the truth is that faith without works is a contradiction in terms. Now, I want to make a brief pause here to clarify something. I want to do this because some may think that there is a contradiction between what Paul teaches about salvation, as found in Ephesians 2:8-9 when we read: “…For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast…” And what James teaches us in these verses; however, there is no contradiction at all.
I say this because when Paul first visited the church in Ephesus, he found that there were only twelve believers in the entire city. And these twelve believers had been won over for the Lord by the immature and pompous Apolos. As a result, they had been misinformed about the presence of the Holy Spirit. They appeared to have a lack of consciousness about the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer, and that He was already present in the world[1]. All of this is something that is clearly illustrated in Acts 19:1-7 when we read: “…And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him,
»

that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7Now the men were about twelve in all…” As we can appreciate with this here, in his letter to the Ephesians, Paul was focusing his message to all of those who had not yet received salvation, and James epistle is more focused for those who already had received salvation. Therefore, we can confidently say that James’ teaching are not a contradiction, but rather that it teaches us that once we have received salvation, and that we establish a genuine relationship with God, then works that reflect our relationship with God must flow from within us[2]. Keeping this clarification in mind, let’s now continue with our study for today.
In order for you to have a better understanding of what I’m trying to relay to you today, let’s look at all of this from a modern perspective. Now I ask: can an automobile work without gasoline? The answer to this question is NO. Just like an automobile can’t work without gasoline, our faith will not be able to properly function without works. In other words, for our faith to be effective, it has to be accompanied and nourished by works. And this is why here we find that we are told: “…What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?..” This here is a crucial point. I say this because saying that we have faith is something very easily done; saying that we have faith is something that easily flow from our lips, but just because we are able to utter these words doesn’t mean that we possess a genuine faith.
The truth of the matter is that we are capable of saying many things, but words are cheap and what really counts are our actions. This is the main point that James is making in these verses, and it’s the main point that I want to make very clear today. It’s extremely important to understand that our faith must be accompanied by works. What works am I referring to? Works in the sense that when we genuinely accept Christ in our heart, then a drastic change must occur in our life. This is something that is better expressed by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17 when we read: “…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…”
The truth of the matter is that if we say that we have genuinely accepted Christ, then we can’t continue to lead a life in the same fashion that we once did. We can’t continue to lead a sinful life, but rather we must strive towards holiness. This is why in Ephesians 4:22 we find that we are told: “…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the
deceitful lusts…” We can’t say that we possess a genuine faith if a radical change has not taken place in our life. By professing that we are Christians and not to changing we only lie to ourselves.
Professing that we are Christians and not changing is just a bunch of empty words, because if we don’t change our heart will never be in the appropriate place, as we in fact are not living for Christ.
This concept is something that is well reflected in the words of our Lord as found in Matthew 15:8 when we read: “…These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me…” Allow me to explain the main point that I’m trying to make in a different way. Let’s say that an adulterer, or fornicator, or homicidal, or homosexual person arrives to church. Let’s say that this person at that time repents of their sins, and declares that he/she has accepted Christ as the Lord and Savior; up to here everything is well and good. But let’s also say that once this person leaves the church he/she continues in the same sins. Can we honestly say that this person truly received Christ as the Lord and Savior? The answer is NO. The truth of the matter is that this person acted out of emotion and not conviction.
We must always bear in mind what James teaches about faith, and we must constantly reflect on our life. I say this because if we think that we are saved, but continue to lead a sinful life, in other words, we continue to disobey God’s Word, then we must know that we’re lying to ourselves. The reality is that continuing to lead our life without persevering in holiness only produces a feigned faith, and a feigned faith will never allow us to enter God’s kingdom. This is something that is very well stated by the Lord in Revelation 22:14-15 when we read: “…Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie…” And this is exactly why if we say that we are Christians, then our faith must be accompanied by works.
I also want us to note something here that is of the utmost importance. The Word of God tells us: “…If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?..” Now I’m going to say something that perhaps may upset some. These verses here directly deal with a material need; they directly deal with a physical need. Now I ask, do we at times behave in the way that is described in these verses
will act or behave in this fashion, but the sad truth is that most do. However, if we behave and act in this fashion, then we must recognize that if being able to help others, and the key words here are “being able”, we don’t do it, then our faith is in fact dead. In other words, our faith is not producing the desired results that God wants it to produce.
In the verses that we are exploring today we see that James makes reference to Abraham and Rahab, and this is something of extreme importance. I say this because Abraham’s faith was not the only thing that justified him in God’s eyes. Abraham’s faith was accompanied by works. I say this because Abraham obeyed God, and he was willing to give God the very best that he could give Him. Abraham was willing to offer unto God his only begotten son as a sacrifice. This is something that is clearly stated in Genesis 22:9-10 when we read: “…Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son…”
Rahab’s faith was not the only thing that saved her; Rahabs faith was accompanied by works. What type of faith did Rahab have? The answer to this question is well reflected when Rahab, after having received orders from the King of Jericho to throw out the spies from her home, approached the men and said: “…I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you…” (Joshua 2:9). Tell the person sitting next to you: Rahab had an undoubting faith.
By faith and through faith Rahab knew that God had given Jericho to the Israelites, and it was this faith that led her to hide the spies in her home, and to show them the safe path that they must take to avoid being captured. This is something that is clearly reflected in Joshua 2:15-16 when we read: “…Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. 16And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way…”
With these two examples we clearly see that faith has to be accompanied by works. Let’s never forget that faith without works does not speak of God’s love, power, mercy and sovereignty. Let’s never forget that faith without works will not serve to edify the church, but rather to discredit God.
In conclusion; in Matthew 5:16 we find that the Lord tells us: “…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven…” What is the Lord telling us with this? With
seeing the needs of others? Needless to say that not everyone here
this the Lord clearly tells us that our faith must be accompanied by works. Why are works so important? The reason is because our works is our behavior; our Works is what reveals to the non believer the identity of our God. Our works and our behavior is what tells the world that we serve the King of King and the Lord of Lords. Our faith accompanied by works is what separates us from this sinful and wicked world.
Let’s never forget that: “…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also…” I don’t want anyone to misunderstand what I’ve told you today. I’ve not said that we can be saved by works, anyone who says this is very, but very wrong.
Salvation is only through faith and the redeeming work and grace of God. However, I do say that if our faith is not accompanied by works, then we can’t say that we have a genuine faith. Just like the rich man in the story that I told you at the beginning of the service, it’s quite easy to say that we can believe, and that we do believe; however, the question is: will you get in the wheelbarrow?

(John 14:1-31)

I believe God graciously granted my request, but just late enough to remind me, once again, that preaching (like all Christian living) is divinely enabled. As our Lord puts it in chapter 15, “apart from me, you can accomplish nothing” (verse 5). We can understand this one chapter in John’s Gospel only as we understand the context in which it is found. Chapters 13-17 contain the “Upper Room Discourse” and High Priestly Prayer of our Lord for His disciples. The matters dealt with here are not found in the Synoptic Gospels, but only in John. The events which occur and the words spoken by our Lord take place in a small window of time when our Lord is finally able to enjoy a private moment with His disciples. Jesus has already dismissed Judas, and he is now in the process of betraying the Master (see 13:27; 18:1-3). In his absence, Jesus can speak freely with His true disciples.
The disciples are confused, perplexed, and greatly troubled by what Jesus has just told them: “Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Jewish authorities, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same” (13:33). Jesus had given them some shocking news. One of the 12 would betray Him, and besides this He informs them that He is leaving to go somewhere else, without them. Peter questions Jesus further about this, and seeks to assure Him of his loyalty, but Jesus silences him by telling him that he will deny Him three times before the cock crows (13:38).
The words recorded in chapter 14 (indeed, in 13-17) are intended to minister to the troubled spirits of the disciples—but not to give them immediate comfort. Have you ever noticed that virtually every advertisement for pain relievers claims the same thing—fast relief? I have yet to find any advertisement which says: “Our product will not give you quick relief. If you purchase it and take the recommended dosage, nothing will happen for some time. …” The “relief” which our text offers is not “fast” relief. The Upper Room Discourse is not a “play by play” account of the events that took place in the Upper Room, as the disciples experienced and perceived them at the time. The Upper Room Discourse is a reconstruction of these events, recorded years later, after the death, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord. These words were written by John after the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, who enabled the disciples to recall and understand what they had seen and heard in their last hours with the Lord (see 16:12-16).
The immediate effect of our Lord’s words to His disciples was confusion and sadness. I would like to suggest that this was exactly what our Lord intended them to produce—for the moment. Suppose the disciples really did grasp what Jesus was about to do. Suppose, for example, that the disciples understood that Judas was about to betray our Lord and to hand Him over to the Jewish authorities, so that they could carry out a mock trial and crucify the Son of God on the cross of Calvary. I think I know what Peter would have done—he would have used his sword on Judas, rather than the high priest’s slave. I believe the disciples would have attempted to prevent what was about to happen, had they known what that was. But the confusion our Lord’s words produced threw them off balance. The result was that when Jesus was arrested, they fled. They did not die trying to defend the Savior, and in part this was because they were utterly confused by what was happening. Jesus’ words were not intended to produce instant “relief,” but eternal joy. The confusion and sadness that the Upper Room Discourse created in the disciples enabled Jesus to die just as He knew He must, just as it had been planned, purposed, and promised long before. The disciples were surely not “in control” at this point in time, but, as always, the Master was.
While our Lord’s words in the Upper Room are intended to comfort and encourage His disciples later on, they are also words that apply to Christians today as well. Whose spirit does not find comfort in these words: “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you …”? Let us turn, then, to this assuring, comforting text to find peace for our souls in these troubled times.
News” Is Really “Good News” 
(14:1-3)
1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would have told you. I am going away to make ready a place for you. 3 And if I go and make ready a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.”
The disciples are told what will give their troubled hearts relief: faith—faith in God the Father and in God the Son. I have read the words of verse 1 many times before, but have not really understood them. I suspect I am not alone in this, because there is considerable discussion in the commentaries about how we should take the word “believe.”23 As I now understand this passage, I would paraphrase our Lord’s words in verse 1 in this way:
“Don’t be distressed that I am going away, and that you cannot come with me right now. You believe in God, don’t you? Can you see Him? Does He have a physical body that you can see and touch? No. I am going away, and you will not be able to see Me as you have for these past three years. I challenge you, therefore, to believe in Me in the same way that you believe in God the Father, as your unseen Lord. I will be just as real in My absence as I have ever been while dwelling among you.”
I don’t think that I’m overreaching the text here. I believe that the word “also” in verse 1 is intended to link the way the disciples believe in the Father with the way they must also believe in the Son. The disciples are in danger of a temptation as old as the Garden of Eden.

Spiritual growth is detailed in 2 Peter 1:3-8, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

So, spiritual growth includes: (1) increasing in your knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, (2) decreasing in your frequency and severity of sin, (3) increasing in your practice of Christ-like qualities, and (4) increasing in your faith and trust in God. Perhaps the best summary of spiritual growth is becoming more like Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what it truly means to be spiritual.

Spiritual Growth – How is it done?
In order for spiritual growth to occur, you first need to make sure you possess a true spiritual life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12). When you believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you (John 14:16-17) and you are a new creation in Christ! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Your old nature, which is dominated by sin, is replaced with a new nature that is under the influence of God’s Spirit (Romans 6-7). Spiritual growth can only occur in a person who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Savior.

Learning how to grow spiritually is a life-long journey which occurs as you read and apply God’s Word to your life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches us, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” In order for spiritual growth to occur, we must be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained by God’s Word. Then we will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. This is the essence of spiritual growth.

Another key to Christian growth is walking in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-18, 24-26explains, “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law…Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Walking in the Spirit is allowing Him to fill you (Ephesians 5:18), control you, and guide you. This is brought about by consciously choosing by faith to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you in thought, word, and deed (Romans 6:11-14). Failure to rely on the Holy Spirit’s guidance will result in a believer not living up to the calling and standing that salvation provides. Ephesians 4:1 says, “…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”

Spiritual Growth – What are the results?
Spiritual growth is a life-long process of manifesting the acts of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) less and less and producing the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) more and more. Notice that it is the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit in us. Yes, we must submit ourselves to the Spirit’s leading, but it is the Spirit who produces the fruit of spiritual growth in our lives. What does spiritual growth look like? Galatians 5:22-23 has the answer, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” If you are becoming more loving, more joyful, more kind, more self-controlled, etc., then you can rest assured that spiritual growth is genuinely occurring in your life.

God works in different people in different ways. Some people grow rapidly, while others grow slowly, but steadily. Our focus should not be on comparing ourselves with others, but on comparing ourselves with God’s Word. The Scriptures are the mirror to show us what we are like spiritually and to shine light on the areas that need to experience and learn spiritual growth. James 1:23-25 declares, “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does.”

Grow More!

WHAT DO YOU THINK? – We have all sinned and deserve God’s judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, “Jesus is Lord,” you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

What is your response?

In Analysis: The Blood Is Perfect 
The virgin birth of Christ established His righteousness. 
Judas cried out. “I have betrayed innocent blood.” 
Paul explained, “For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 
Pilate said, “I find in him no fault at all.” John 18:38 
Jesus Himself said, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” John 8:46 
He was spoken of as, “Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Hebrews 7:26 
Again, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” I Peter 2:22 
John added, “in Him is no sin.” I John 3:5

A natural father would have imparted the sin-nature of Adam
to Christ and His death would not have provided redemption. The virgin birth is absolutely essential to the salvation of our souls.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin and did not have original sin. Matthew quotes Isaiah the prophet saying, 
Matthew 1:23 
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 

Jeremiah the prophet had spoken years before on this. He said, “The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth, a woman shall compass a man.” Jeremiah 31:22 
It certainly was a new thing for a woman without a man to give birth to a child. The Adamic nature is passed to the offspring by the blood line of the man. There were no impurities in the blood of Christ. Everything about Christ was perfect including His blood.

II. In Application: The Blood Is Pure 
One of reasons we use grape juice in our Communion Service instead of wine is because wine has to go through a process of fermentation. The process of fermentation is actually bacteria working in the juice. It is a rotting process. This could never give a proper picture of the sinless Blood of Christ. For all that is holy, Satan has his counterfeit…and communion is no exception! Pure grape juice is the true symbol of the pure Blood of the Lord Jesus, just as the bread is to be without leaven.

When Dr. Curtis Hutson was struggling with cancer, on a number of occasions he went through a treatment called “Keylation.” Keylation is similar to dialysis in that the blood is removed from the body and sent through a machine that cleanses the impurities from it and then pumps it back into the body. This treatment prolonged Dr. Hutson’s life for a good long time.
After his blood had been purged of germs, disease, and bad cells, it was then able to work against the enemy cells that were at war with his system. 
The writer of Hebrews stated, “For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:13,14
When the pure blood of the Saviour is applied to the sinner, it provides cleansing. John explained, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” I John 1:7

“What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus
what can make me whole again?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus
Oh, precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

Peter wrote, “For as much 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.” I Peter 1:18, 19
and because it is pure, it is purifying!

III. In Action: The Blood Is Perpetual 
the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were continuous year after year. The blood of bulls and goats provided forgiveness and pardon temporarily only because it pointed to the sacrifice of Christ and His blood being shed for the covering of our sin.
The writer of Hebrews speaks of Christ as one, “Who needed not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.” Hebrews 7:27

Again Paul tells us that it was, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood had he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Hebrews 9:12 
Then again, “But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Hebrews 9:26
The Bible states, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:12.

The death of Christ set into motion a continuous cleansing for those who trust in Him. We are given the gift of eternal life that He purchased with His blood. Thank God we are washed once and for all, forever.
The Bible speaks of the “blood of the everlasting Covenant.” Hebrews 13:20. Our faith in His blood is all it takes to settle it forever and ever.

IV. In Accomplishment: The Blood Is Powerful!
The song writer wrote: 
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There is power in the Blood
would you over evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the Blood
there is power, power wonder working power
In the Blood of the Lamb
There is power, power wonder working power
in the precious Blood of the Lamb

John wrote, “Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.” Revelation 5:9
It takes amazing power to do that! We are told that they overcame the wicked one, Satan, by the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 12:11 
It takes a lot of power to do that, too!
False religion has always denied the blood and its power.
Mary Baker Eddy of the Christian Science movement wrote, “The material blood of Jesus is no more efficacious to cleanse from sin when it was shed upon the cursed tree than when it was flowing through His veins.”
R. B. Theime, a Bible teacher in Texas, declared, “The red liquid that ran through the veins and arteries of Jesus’ mortal body is not related to our salvation.”
Of course, these teachers and many like them stand in complete opposition to the Bible that declares, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

V. In Acquittal: The Blood Is Permanent
Joke—a woman at a photography studio said : “do me justice”/photographer replied, you don’t need justice, you need mercy!

“Acquit” is a heavy word…it means to pay off, to free, to clear, to absolve. It has a far reaching meaning extending from the past all the way to the future.
Ill.—OJ Simpson wacome back on him now in a court of law. Not even “new evidence” can be presented.
You say, yeah, but I don’t believe justice was done. Well, neither do I… but you and I are guilty and we know it…and we don’t want justice, we want mercy! And we need it to be permanent…sins forgiven AND forgotten! “His mercies are new every morning,” the Bible says.Not only our past sin was covered but also our present and future sins are put under the blood when we trust in Christ as Savior.
Jesus’ blood cleanses from our past sins. Isaiah said, “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.”Isaiah 44:22
David spoke to this when he stated, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 
He promised not to remember them again. “I will remember them no more against you forever.”
Jesus’ blood covers our present sins, both the sins of omission and the sins of commission. Whether it be things we ought to be doing and are not doing or whether it be things we are doing that we ought not to be doing. These are covered fully by His Blood atonement.
Jesus’ blood continues to atone for future sins. This is not to say we can just go ahead and sin…a truly saved person won’t have that attitude. But we can know that despite our very best efforts, we are sinners, and will yet sin, but we don’t have to get saved again. Do we need to confess it to God and make it right? Of course! As we continue to walk thru this life we’ll need daily foot washings, but praise God that one time “all over bath” secures us from all sin: past, present, and future!
“The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” I John 1:7 
Jesus’ blood conquers all sin!

VI. In Appraisal: The Blood Is Precious
We love to sing, “Oh precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the Blood of Jesus.”
Peter used the term precious to describe the Blood of Christ. He said, “But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” I Peter 1:19

Without blood there cannot be life in the physical body. That is just as true in the Bible. Blood flows through the Bible just as it does through our veins. The blood of Christ keeps Christianity alive. Someone has said, “Cut the Bible anywhere and it will bleed.” The blood is spoken of 427 times in our Bible, so it is easy to see, this is not a minor theme. Without the blood, the Gospel is dead and we are deprived of eternal life.
Jesus said, “For this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Matthew 26:28
Paul added, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission.” He also explained, “We have redemption through the blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:14. 
Peter added, “We are not redeemed with silver and gold, and precious stones, but with the precious blood of Christ.” I Peter 1:18 
Then John agreed with Peter and Paul, He wrote, “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.” I John 1:7

The early church understood the blood…the 22 sermons recorded by the four preachers in the Book of Acts all give the same message, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They understood that His death and the provision of “covering by the blood” was the essential ingredient of the Gospel. [“There, that should cover it!” – The idea of payment to cover as well as hiding it from sight.]
– “His gaze always passes thru rose-colored glasses every time He looks on my heart.” Wayne Watson

Can you see this portrait of the blood? It’s hard to see blood…it’s internal. To make it external hurts…you have to be cut or injured. But the Bible paints in broad strokes the blood on a canvas, and then in minute detail God’s Word breaks it down to the cellular level—the importance of the blood of Christ! We can see this today…but even more important is that God sees the blood applied to our lives, and passes over us!

Let’s put the blood of Christ under the microscope and do some forensic study…then we’ll get the complete picture—a portrait of the blood.

I. In Analysis: The Blood Is Perfect 
The virgin birth of Christ established His righteousness. 
Judas cried out. “I have betrayed innocent blood.” 
Paul explained, “For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 
Pilate said, “I find in him no fault at all.” John 18:38 
Jesus Himself said, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” John 8:46 
He was spoken of as, “Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Hebrews 7:26 
Again, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.” I Peter 2:22 
John added, “in Him is no sin.” I John 3:5

A natural father would have imparted the sin-nature of Adam
to Christ and His death would not have provided redemption. The virgin birth is absolutely essential to the salvation of our souls.
The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin and did not have original sin. Matthew quotes Isaiah the prophet saying, 
Matthew 1:23 
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 

Jeremiah the prophet had spoken years before on this. He said, “The Lord hath created a new thing upon the earth, a woman shall compass a man.” Jeremiah 31:22 
It certainly was a new thing for a woman without a man to give birth to a child. The Adamic nature is passed to the offspring by the blood line of the man. There were no impurities in the blood of Christ. Everything about Christ was perfect including His blood