“THE blood of Christ in its solitary dignity has settled all.” The speaker was on her death-bed, and these were among her last sensible words to me.
Mrs. M. had for some years been occasionally under my care professionally, and I had long since found out that she was a simple believer in the Lord Jesus. A few months before this, her husband, drawing near to threescore years and ten, passed away from this scene. She had had several children, but all were gone before, and the house being empty, her life-work seemed over.
Within a few months of the death of her husband, she sent for me; and it was easily seen that she was only following him. Knowing that she had a little worldly goods, I one day inquired of a kindly sister-in-law, who waited on her, if she had settled her affairs, and made her will. She replied, that she thought she had, but it might be well for me to inquire, if I thought she was not going to get better.
Going to her bedside, I said: “Mrs. M., you are very feeble; I think the end of the journey is drawing near, and I do not think you will be very much longer with us. Have you made your will yet? Your sister tells me that she thinks all your worldly affairs are settled. Is this so?”
“Oh yes, they are all settled; I have nothing to think about,” she replied, not lifting her eyelids.
“And the Lord has settled all your spiritual affairs?” I continued. She opened her great lustrous eyes, and with intense emphasis replied: “I could do nothing at that; the blood of Christ in its solitary dignity has settled all. I am too weak to speak more.”
What more indeed needed to be heard? Everything settled for time and eternity. Well indeed with her that it was so, for two days after she passed to be forever with the Lord.
“The blood of Christ in its solitary dignity has settled all” What a testimony. It is magnificent in its simplicity. And as I heard the words I took pencil and paper and noted them down, with the determination that wherever my voice could be heard, or stroke of pen reach, the dying testimony of this saint to my blessed Saviour’s blood should, by the grace of God, be made known. That blood had brought rest, peace, and joy to her soul for many a long year, and in full view of eternity it was perfectly charming to see the solidity of her faith in that blood, as she triumphantly declared its far-reaching and settling power. She and her lawyer together could settle her earthly, the blood of Christ alone, her spiritual affairs.
Reader, what do you know about that blood? Is the language of your soul similar? You may not be on your death-bed, or you may, as you read this. But whether hale and hearty, in the prime of life, or fading away in the evening of life, there is but one thing can fit you for the presence of God―the blood of Christ. We hear of that blood all through the Scriptures. Testimony to it runs right through Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. No faith is genuine that slights it. It is hinted at in Genesis 3. Its voice is heard in Genesis 4. “And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand” (vers. 10:11). Then it called for retributive judgment. Now, the blood of Jesus claims blessing for all on whom it is sprinkled, “and speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Heb. 12:2424And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24)).
When God brought His people out of Egypt on redemption ground, He said, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Ex. 12:1313And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13)). It sheltered all under it from the righteous judgment of God. But more than this, listen to what God, at a later day, said to Israel: “The life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul” (Lev. 17:1111For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)). It shelters from judgment and it makes atonement for the soul. Precious blood!
Coming now to the New Testament we read, that when the Roman soldier had pierced the Saviour’s side, then dead upon the cross, “forthwith came there out blood and water” (John 19:3434But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. (John 19:34)). The blood effected atonement; the water gives the sense of purification from sin.
If the question of righteousness is to be settled, it can only be in this way. “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Rom. 3:24-2624Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:24‑26)). Jesus is the object of faith; but it is a Jesus whose blood has been shed, and the one who has faith in Jesus has faith in His blood. Hence we are told, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Rom. 5:99Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)).
Elsewhere we are told, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)). “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:1313But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)). Redemption, forgiveness, and nearness to God are all through the blood.
Again, “Now where remission of these (our sins) is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:18, 1918Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, (Hebrews 10:18‑19)). That blood remits our sins, and give us title to enter the Holiest. Well, therefore, may the Spirit of God say by the pen of Peter, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; who verily was fore-ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God” (1 Peter 1:18-2118Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:18‑21)). If the Holy Ghost says it, well may we echo the words, “Precious blood!”
Again, “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)). The joyful song of praise which the Church raises in Revelation is based too on that blood: “Unto him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:5, 65And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5‑6)).
Nor is the Church alone redeemed by that blood, for the white-robed multitude, who will fill the millennial earth with worship, are they who “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:1414And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)).
Let us see then what the blood does. It shelters from God’s judgment. It makes atonement for the soul. It gives the knowledge of present justification. It is the basis of redemption, forgiveness, acceptance, and peace with God. It is the ground of the remission of sins, and the title to enter the Holiest. It gives the full knowledge of present cleansing from every sin. Again I say, Precious blood!
Reader, can you join my dying friend in saying, “The blood of Christ in its solitary dignity has settled all”? No works of yours are needed. Christ’s blood alone avails, and the moment you trust Him, and it simply, you may know, as Mrs. M. knew, that it “has settled all.”
W. T. P. W.