There can be no question in the minds of believers as to the importance of the truth, “Cleansing by the blood”; but one wants to impress it upon every unsaved reader of Gospel Gleanings.
This truth is either being turned aside by preachers, or overlooked, in their seeking for texts from which to preach the gospel; and yet there cannot be a more fitting, or a more blessed subject to arrest the attention of the sinner who is anxious to be made fit for the presence of a holy God.
It has frequently been pointed out that “Redemption” was no after-thought with God, and must have been planned even before the creation of the world; for when our first parents sinned, God righteously clothed them with coats of skin, which must, of necessity, mean blood-shedding. This thought soon developed when Abel offered the firstlings of the flock, which found acceptance with God. Abel was a man of faith, and evidently entered into God’s thoughts.
The depravity of man’s nature was immediately apparent, when Cain killed his brother. The earth became corrupt, and so filled with violence, that God repented that He had made man, and destroyed the world that then was, by a flood. But this did not frustrate either God’s plans or His purpose, and when the judgment was passed, God smelled the sweet savor of Noah’s sacrifice, and entered into a covenant with him, that He would not destroy the world any more by a flood.
Then Abraham was called out, and the test of his faith was the offering up of Isaac; but God provided a substitute, which Abraham offered as a burnt offering, instead of his son. This points in a very special way to Christ, the Lamb of God’s own providing.
We go on to Exodus 12, where we read of the passover lamb, without blemish, the blood of which had to be sprinkled on the two side-posts and upper door-post of the houses wherein the children of Israel should eat it; and Jehovah says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” This was a night of nights to be remembered. There was a great cry in Egypt: for there was not a house where there was not one dead; but all those who obeyed the word of the Lord, and sprinkled the blood, were saved from the stroke of judgment.
Oh, poor sinner, how do you stand in the light of such an incident as this? Do you question, in your heart, whether God will keep His word or not, in a coming day of judgment? Remember that “God is not a man that He should lie, nor the son of man that He should repent. Hath He said and shall He not do it; or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” Yes! as surely as you are reading this, se surely will eternal judgment overtake you, unless YOU ARE SHELTERED BY THE BLOOD.
The passover speaks of God’s deliverance of His people out of Egypt (type of the world), and points to Calvary, where Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us; and in the thirteenth of Exodus we read, “and every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.” The ass signifies what I am by nature; unclean, self-willed, stubborn; and unless redeemed by God’s appointed Lamb (none other than Christ) I must come under the stroke of God’s judgment.
Then again, in the case of the leper (Lev. 14) two birds had to be taken alive and clean, one of the birds to be killed, and the living bird dipped in the blood, and let fly and then the blood sprinkled seven times on the leper, who was then pronounced clean. This again points to the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin.
Now let us think a moment of Rahab, the harlot (Joshua 2) for do we not see that which saved her was the scarlet line? This was a true token, like the red line in Government rope; and again typifies the blood of Christ in which alone is salvation. Rahab believed the God-sent messengers, and displayed the scarlet line from the window, and this was the means of her salvation. Oh, what grace to a poor sinner who believes the gospel! God never overlooks one such; and are you one who believes the gospel? Now all these events point to the blood of Christ; and in the first chapter of John’s gospel, we read that John the Baptist, seeing Jesus, saith, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” Before any one of us could be cleansed from our sins, the Lamb must needs be slain, and atonement made, as expressed so beautifully in the hymn
“There is a pardon bought with blood;
Amazing truth; the blood of one
Who, without usurpation, could
Lay claim to heaven’s eternal Throne!”
So we read of the One Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus— “Who for sins not His own, Has died to atone!”
Man was not satisfied by nailing God’s beloved Son to that shameful cross of Calvary, but with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith came there out blood and water; expiation and cleansing. Thus was redemption by blood accomplished, and God is justly able to save and cleanse every sinner that believes in Jesus
“Precious blood that hath redeemed us,
All the price is paid;
Perfect pardon now is offered,
Peace is made!”
He made peace by the blood of His cross. Now it is perfectly certain that if Christ made peace with God on my behalf, I have not to make it. How foolish then to tell a poor sinner to make his peace with God! He cannot do it. No, but Another has done it for him. Why do you not believe this, and know the peace of being justified by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ? (Rom. 5:11Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 5:1)).
Have you got peace? Are you resting on the work of Christ?
In the Epistle to the Hebrews, we read that “almost all things are by the law purged with blood,” and again I repeat that “without shedding of blood is no remission.” There was, therefore, a Divine necessity for the blood of Christ to be shed in order that every true believer in Him should be cleansed and forgiven. It is written, “once in the end of the age hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” The glory of the Person gives the value to the work. God was so satisfied with the work of Christ that He raised Him from the dead; and now the message goes out to all, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)).
Then believe in Him and receive this infinite and eternal blessing of “Cleansing by the blood.”
C.H.C.