“HOW is it with you as to the future?” said a mother to her daughter, who was rapidly passing away from this world, and who for some time previous had confessed Christ as her Saviour.
“I’m all right, unless the blood fails,” was the daughter’s reply.
Unless the blood fails! Beloved reader, that can never be. If the blood of Christ could fail, Christianity is a myth; man’s case is utterly and irretrievably hopeless; the world itself could not stand, and there is no alternative but the lake of fire for the whole human race. No, it cannot fail, because it is the blood of Christ.
Then, have you trusted therein? If death were at your door this hour (and it may be for aught you know), could you say, “I’m all right, unless the blood fails”?
“Trusting in that precious blood,
There is perfect peace with God.”
What was it that sheltered Israel on the night of the destruction of the Egyptian first-born? Blood. They were told to sprinkle the blood of the lamb upon the doorposts and lintel of their houses outside, and the Lord said, “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)). Not when they saw it, for it was night, and they were under its shelter inside; no, but, “When see” I it. They sprinkled it in the obedience of faith, and were passed over. Have you taken shelter, so to speak, under the blood, even the precious blood of Christ? There is no shelter elsewhere. God’s eye is on the blood of Christ, and the moment you, the sinner, trust therein, His eye is on it for you. And you are all right, “unless the blood fails”!
Careless, skeptical souls often cry, Can you show us anything? Show anything! No, indeed; nor do we want to. Sight would not be faith. And we are justified by faith, not sight. To show anything now is virtually to deny faith. Scripture says, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:88Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: (1 Peter 1:8)). “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:2929Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:29)). “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:11Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)).
“No one ever came back to tell us,” said a clever dying man to a Christian, who was seeking the salvation of his soul.
“Oh! yes, there was One,” was the reply.
“Who?”
“Why, Christ, to be sure.”
He came back from the dead, showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs; Himself proclaimed peace, the result of His own death and blood-shedding. But His prophetic words are only too true, as seen in the answer of Abraham to the rich man in hell, “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead” (Luke 16:3131And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:31)).
Ah! poor sinner, you may neglect or despise now, but, be assured, if once your ruthless enemy, death, should overtake you, hell, even hell forever, will be your sad and awful doom, and even the blood of Christ will naught avail you then. “Beware lest He take thee away with His stroke; then a great ransom cannot deliver thee” (Job 36:1818Because there is wrath, beware lest he take thee away with his stroke: then a great ransom cannot deliver thee. (Job 36:18)).
But God hath set forth Christ as “a propitiation” (or mercy seat) “through faith in His blood” (Rom. 3:2525Whom 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; (Romans 3:25)). What was it that made the dying thief a fit companion for God’s Beloved One in paradise? Was it his works, his righteousness, his religion? He had none. He was an ungodly Jew; so bad that his life was forfeited at the hand of man in this world. But yet his spirit passed from that cross to the presence of Christ. Why was it? ‘Twas the death and blood-shedding of the One who was crucified at his side. His precious blood washed him whiter than snow (Psa. 51:77Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)). “The blood of Jesus Christ His” (God’s) “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)). Are you cleansed thereby? If not, how is it? Are you vainly thinking to stand before God on the ground of your works, your religion, or aught else? What is that but the way of Cain? “Woe to them” is the solemn statement of the Word of God (Jude 1111Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. (Jude 11)).
A poor dying woman, who had led a careless, ungodly life, said to one who visited her, “I’m going to heaven.”
“You going to heaven; such a sinner as you?” was his surprised reply.
“I know I’ve been a great sinner, sir; but oh! it’s the blood, it’s the blood, it’s the blood.”
Yes, my reader, “it’s the blood.” “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 is the blood” that alone can cleanse you from your sin. “It is the blood” that alone can give a title to glory. The redeemed in glory sing, “Thou art worthy... for Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy Blood” (Rev. 5:99And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)). John strikes a chord on earth, “Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Rev. 1:55And 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, (Revelation 1:5)). Mark, dear reader, “His own blood.” Have you an interest therein? Are you among the us?
Tens of thousands of sheep, goats, bullocks, etc., were offered in days of old, but their blood could never take away sins (Heb. 10:44For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. (Hebrews 10:4)). Nothing but the blood of Jesus could do that. “Lebanon,” we read, “is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt-offering” (Isa. 40:1616And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering. (Isaiah 40:16)). But when the fullness of time was come Christ was manifested. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,” said John. And again, “Behold the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, 3629The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)
36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! (John 1:36)). He was both a burnt-offering and a sin-offering also. God gave, God sent, Him. He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit without spot to God (Heb. 9:1414How 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 9:14)). Peace was made by the Blood of His cross (Col. 1:2020And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (Colossians 1:20)). God raised Him from the dead. And all who believe are redeemed, not by silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:1919But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:19)). “Without shedding of blood is no remission” (Heb. 9:2222And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)). His blood was “shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt. 26:2828For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:28)). Mark it well; without it no remission. But the blood of Christ was shed; and with it there is full, free, complete remission. Trust therein, and your sins are pardoned, remitted, blotted out, gone completely and forever from before the eye of God.
“Christ’s blood will not fail,
Naught else can avail.”
His blood was shed for many. Have you put in your claim? Can you say, “Yes, thank God, it was shed for me”?
Some reply, “Oh! I know He died for all; I know His blood was shed for many; but I am not: sure whether it was for me.”
Why not? It is simply unbelief. You do not take the word as it stands. “All” means everybody; you, to be sure. Rest there, and you may join in singing,
“Not all the blood of beasts,
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away its stain.
But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Took all our guilt away,
A sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they.”
A dying youth was rejoicing in Christ. A visitor said to him, “The blood of Jesus Christ His (God’s) ‘Son cleanseth us from all sin,’ so that not a spot or stain remains.”
“Not a speck,” he whispered, and in a few hours fell peacefully asleep through Jesus.
“Not a speck!” Oh, how blessed! Sin still in us till we leave this world; but not a speck upon us in the sight of God through the infinite value, the marvelous efficacy, the all-cleansing virtue of “the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:1919But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:19)). Well may God in His own Word call it “precious blood.” Precious it is in His sight, for it is the blood of His beloved Son; precious to every one who is washed therein; precious, indeed, it will be to you, my reader, if you will but believe therein. It will never, never fail you.
And when are we to be justified by the blood of Jesus? Now. “Being now justified,” says the apostle, “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)). Again, “In whom we have” (not hope to 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)).
What wondrous fullness! Oh! who will dare despise that “precious blood”? Where will you find a refuge in the day of His wrath, if you fail to get an interest in His “precious blood” now? Where will you obtain redemption but in Him whom God raised from the dead?
In Him, and in Him alone, is salvation to be found; and now is the time to find it. The last grain of sand in the hour-glass of the day of grace will soon run through. Woe, woe, woe to all who are outside the then closed door. Come, then, poor sinner, to the Saviour now. His blood will make you meet for the holy presence of God; naught else can avail.
E. H. C.