At the close of a meeting recently the evangelist was telling some of his audience goodbye. Among them he shook hands with a young woman just as she was going out the door. She had attended the meetings regularly but did not appear to have received blessing. Four words were all the evangelist uttered as, taking her hand, he looked her full in the face: "You need the blood.”
The girl was half inclined to be offended; but as she wended her homeward way, over and over again the words rang in her ear: "You need the blood.”
"Many are worse than I," she thought; "but that does not mend matters. I am afraid to die. Did not the preacher say that 'all have sinned and come short of the glory of God'? I'm sure I have sinned thousands of times so that I really do need the cleansing of the blood.”
Quick as lightning there flashed into her mind the words she had lately heard: "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). This was followed by the verse, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36). There and then that young woman was led by the Spirit of God to cast herself upon the Savior for cleansing and peace. She owned her lost condition and accepted His blood as full payment for her sins. She believed God's holy Word and rejoiced in His gift of eternal life.
The father of this girl was a Romanist. He was ill, and had been confined to his bed for some time. When she reached home she went straight to his bedside and exclaimed, "Father, you need the blood!”
Amazed at such a salutation, he asked for an explanation. With lips made eloquent by the Spirit of God, she told him how Christ had saved her soul. Now she longed to have all dear to her share her joy and to know for themselves that "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." She told her father that "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." John 1:1212But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12). The poor, weary man believed the glad tidings; and, realizing the truth of the Savior's words, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out," (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)) he proved that "at evening time it shall be light.”
The following day the son, also a Romanist, came to see his sick father. Clinging to the young man's hand, the father exclaimed in a trembling voice: "My boy, you need the blood!" Through God's great mercy these words were used to help the lad see his lost condition and to flee for refuge to the only Savior. Thus within a few hours of time father, sister, and brother were all rejoicing in Christ Jesus.
Oh, you who have not yet proved that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," prove it now! YOU NEED THE BLOOD, and only as justified by His blood can you be saved from wrath.
"God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Rom. 5:8, 98But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:8‑9).