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===Trust in a Bloodless Religion===
In the lessons of the past three chapters we dealt with baptism, the Lord's Supper, the Sermon on the Mount, works, and the Ten Commandments. We proved that mankind inherits eternal loss if ordinances, sacraments, and man-produced efforts supplant the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bloodless service can never take the place of Christ's shed blood upon Calvary for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11), and without shedding of blood is no remission (Hebrews 9:22). This truth is taught 700 times from Genesis to Revelation. If God said it once, it would be important, but when He states it 700 times, it is only a blinded cultist who would dare mock the precious blood of Jesus as the only remedy for man's sin. In this study we want to see the manifold benefits one receives through the shed blood of the sinless Saviour.

===1. Saved by the blood===

First, a sinner is saved by the blood of Jesus. Have you ever heard a clergyman say, "The message of the cross is passé. Enlightened humanity no longer believes in such a primitive message. Doing one's best is all God requires, so forget fanatic's ravings about the blood. At best this is but a 'slaughterhouse' religion." Do you know why ministers make such blasphemous statements? The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness.

These Christ denying, Bible-hating perpetrators of error are literally enemies of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18). They mock the language of the Holy Book which states, He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). They then create their own plan of salvation. However, their bloodless religion proves that they are taking orders from Satan rather than from the Holy Spirit, for 1 Timothy 4:1 declares, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. Instead of listening to men, begin believing God. He said, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 26:28).

===2. Justified by the blood===

Second, a sinner is justified by the blood. Does this term boggle the mind? It need not. It is simple to grasp when the term "justification" is presented in laymen's language. Do the following: break the word "justify" into syllables. The result: Just-if-I. Now add the words "had never sinned." There you have it in all of its magnificent simplicity. "Just-if-I-had-never-sinned." In other words, when one comes to Christ and has the shed blood applied for the remission of his personal sins, immediately, yea instantaneously God looks upon that blood-applied sinner as though he never committed one single sin. Is this possible? Yes, because God no longer sees the erring one, but He sees His Son and the blood applied to the blood-covered transgressor. Say, isn't that startling news?

You can have a new beginning in life today. Jesus said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28) . God will do what He promised and lift every burden of sin today if you will trust in His shed blood. The moment one makes the move toward the Saviour, he becomes justified-Just-as-if-he-had-never-sinned. All this is true because of Christ's shed blood. Being now justified by his blood (Romans 5:9). Again, 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 (Romans 3:24-25). Why continue being a loser when blessing unspeakable awaits your decision?

===3. Redeemed by the blood===

Third, one experiences redemption through Christ's blood. Is this terminology confusing? Does it sound like the name given to the centre issuing gifts for S & H Green Stamps? Well, the gift about to be discussed dwarfs man's most coveted prizes. Why? What is Bible redemption? It is to deliver a thing or person by paying a price. It is to buy back something. It is pictured beautifully in Leviticus 25:47-49: And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family: After that he is sold he may be redeemed (or bought back) again: one of his brethren may redeem him: Either his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him (a close relative)...may redeem him. Now how does all of this fit into the present situation? Let's see.

God placed Adam and live in the Garden of Eden and said in Genesis 2:17, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof Thou shalt surely die. The slithering, slimy serpent said, Ye shall not surely die (Genesis 3:9 ). Eve listened to the the devil in a snakeskin rather than to God for when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Genesis 3:6). Immediately, this act of transgression brought sin into and upon the human race. This selling out of self to the devil placed all of Adam's descendants under Satan's bondage. That is why Romans 5:12 states, Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon ail men, for that all have sinned. Again inverse 18:

Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation. And again in verse 19: For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners. So, we find ourselves in bondage to Satan through Adam's transgression. We have been sold out to the devil. Who will redeem us, liberate us and set us free? None other than the Saviour. He it is who paid the ransom to buy us back from Satan's enslavement. Now what is the meaning of the word ransom? In modern society when one is kidnapped, the criminal usually asks for "ransom" money to set the victim free. This is exactly what Christ did for sinners when he shed Hid blood. He paid the ransom price to buy back sinners. He came to give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), and there is one God, and one mediator, between God and men, the man Christ Jesus: Who gave himself a ransom for all (1 Timothy 2:5-6). This means that you do not have to be a slave to debauchery.

You do not have to be in bondage to sin for a lifetime. Christ longs to set you free. He longs that you experience redemption through His blood (Ephesians 1:7), for it is joy unspeakable and full of glory to be redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). It is greater than the following illustration: Years ago, Dr. A. J. Gordon, after long and tedious study, decided to take a walk for some relaxation. Soon he noticed a little boy from his Sunday school walking down the street with a cage full of sparrows. He said, "Tommy, where are you going?" "Preacher, I just caught these sparrows and I am taking them home to my cat." Dr. Gordon replied, "Tommy, that isn't very nice, is it? Let me tell you a better plan. I will buy the sparrows for a price." "Oh, preacher, I could not sell you these birds because I would be cheating; you. They are only insignificant sparrows." Dr. Gordon said, "Never mind, son, here is a dollar for each bird in your cage."

The minister gave the little tyke five dollars, took the cage full of sparrows, prayed that none of his members would see him, dashed up in alley, opened the door of the cage, reached in, took out the sparrows, and hurled them into space. The next morning he related the episode in his sermon and said, 'As the little birds flew into the heavenlies, I could almost hear them singing. 'Redeemed! How I love to proclaim it. Redeemed through Dr. Gordons ransom money "' Friends, this is exactly what the Lord Jesus Christ did for lost humanity He shed His precious blood to pay the ransom price to set victimised sinners free. Receive this gift of love today and be redeemed. Let Christ buy you back from Adam's sell-out to Satan. When it happens you will ;sing, "Redeemed! How I love to proclaim it, Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb." Then one day in eternity to come, in the presence of Christ, you will eternally sing redemption's story.

Revelation 5:9 describes the momentous event: And 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.. What a song and what a time when the largest choir in history sings about the blood of the Lamb! Those who refuse to sing about His shed blood now, because of intellectual snobbery or hatred of the truth, shall be unable to sing in heaven's greatest assembly Get rid of all preconceived ideas and false reasoning's and trust in His blood immediately.

===4. Cleansed by the blood===

Fourth, mankind is cleansed by the blood of the Saviour. It does not matter how far one has gone in the paths of wickedness. The powerful efficacious blood is potent enough, twenty centuries after being shed, to liquidate and obliterate all one's heinous past, the blood of Jesus Christ (God's) Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7). First Corinthians 6:9-11 tells the story adequately: Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revellers, nor extortion's, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed. Amen and Amen. The vilest of sins are mentioned in this horrendous listing, and yet these sinners were washed. Think of it fornicators, idolators, adulterers, homosexuals, thieves, drunkards, hate-filled gossipers, and swindlers-washed. Why'? Because the blood of Christ is sufficient to wash away man's worst degradations. Praise unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood (Revelation 1:5).

===5. Delivered by the blood===

Fifth, one is delivered from the fear of death by the blood. Hebrews 2:14-15 is loaded with hope for the frightened. The text states, As the children are partakers of flesh and blood, (Christ) also himself likewise took part of the same (flesh and blood). Why? Because He had to have flesh and blood to die and He had to taste death to comfort a dying race. The text continues: That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. In simpler English, Christ came from heaven, took a body, died in that body, and destroyed the power Satan wielded concerning the fear of death.

When one trusts in the shed blood of Christ, death's stinging bite no longer is feared. In fact, the trusting child of God can cry out with Paul to die is gain (Philippians 1:21), because to be absent from the body (is) to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). Why not enjoy this kind of peace in a day of frustration. It is yours for the asking. Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. All this is possible because Christ made peace through the blood of his cross (Colossians 1:20).

===6. Prepared by the blood===

Finally, souls are prepared for heaven's entrance by the blood. This is convincingly recorded in Revelation 22:14. I quote from the American Standard Version. To me the greatest version in the world is the King James Version. However, in this one instance the American Standard Version is clearer. Blessed are they that have washed their robes in the blood that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. Did you read that? It takes the blood of Jesus to enter through the gates of the eternal celestial city. Baptism, confirmation, the Lord's Supper, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Ten Commandments are not keys to unlock the gates because God's only key is the blood of Jesus. One is only able to pass through the gates of the eternal city by having washed his dirty sin-soiled linen in the blood of Calvary's Lamb.

Those who reject this message concerning the shed blood of Jesus are in great danger! The writer of Hebrews says in chapter Heb 10:26-29: For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law did without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the Son of God, and hash counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? What is God actually saying in this text? The book is written to Hebrew Christians. They had turned from animal sacrifices to the crucified Christ. It was only a mental assent, however, and soon they slipped back to their animal offerings. Because of it they had no offering for sin having rejected the one and only offering.

Thus they counted the blood wherewith they had been sanctified (or set apart), an unholy thing and insulted the Holy Spirit by this act. The danger of rejection is pronounced in verse 30,31: Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Oh, hear God today. This is His Holy Word. Do not turn away from the true message of grace for man-made teachings. It is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11).

[[What must I do 2|Trust In Good Works]]