Title: One Drop Of Blood (Part 2)
Text: Hebrews 9:11-15
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Introduction:
- (Review From Last Week)
- We talked about what the Blood of Christ and how it changes our lives.
- We looked at 3 points last week that the Blood accomplishes in our lives which are:
a. His Blood forgives the sins of all who repent and believe
b. His Blood ransoms all believers from the power of Satan and evil powers.
c. His Blood justifies all who believe in Him.
- I like this story that shows the Blood of Christ in a practical way, it will help us understand what the Blood is and what it can accomplish if people will receive.
A candy maker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas
Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.
He began with a stick of pure white hard candy: white to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature
of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the solid rock, the Foundation of the Church and firmness of the
promises of God.
The candy maker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the Good Shepherd with which He reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray. Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candy maker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes for the blood shed by Christ on the cross, so that we could have the promise of eternal life.
Unfortunately, the candy became known as the Candy Cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for all those who have "eyes to see and ears to hear". We pray this symbol will again be used to witness to the wonder of Jesus and His great love that came down at Christmas.
- The Blood of Jesus has changed many lives forever and people who have been forgiven feel they must tell the story of Christ shed blood.
- The next time we see a candy cane we can be reminded of the blood of Jesus Christ.
- I mentioned this last week, and I want to mention it again that the Blood of Jesus Christ is central to the NT concept of redemption.
- Christ shed His innocent blood in order to remove, not cover over, our sins, and to reconcile us with God.
- So we must understand what the blood has accomplished, I gave 3 points last week, so now lets conclude with 4 more points and an object lesson that I will do at the end.
Transition:
- 4 things the blood accomplishes in our lives when we apply it through faith in Jesus Christ:
Point 4: His Blood Cleanses Believers Consciences
- The Blood cleanses Christians consciences so that we may serve God without guilt in full assurance.
- Vs 14 of text says, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God.”
- Also Heb 10:22 says, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
- One more scripture in Heb 13:18 says, “Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.”
- Many people have been cleansed by God and have experienced a Guiltless conscience, consider this true story:
Throughout his administration, Abraham Lincoln was a president under fire, especially during the scarring years of the Civil War. And though he knew he would make errors of office, he resolved never to compromise his integrity. So strong was this resolve that he once said, "I desire so to conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left, and that friend shall be down inside of me."
- To be changed that much by the blood of Christ is remarkable. That’s what the blood of Jesus does for us. It cleanses our guilty consciences to the point that we want to keep it from being tainted again.
- But for those who take the Blood of Jesus for granted, this is what they sound like:
A man consulted a doctor, "I’ve been misbehaving, Doc, and my conscience is troubling me," he complained. "And you want something that will strengthen your willpower?" asked the doctor. "Well, no," said the fellow. "I was thinking of something that would weaken my conscience."
- They know that Jesus will cleanse them so it’s no big deal to sin. Some people take advantage of the Blood of Jesus and in doing so mock what God has done.
- I am thankful that Jesus forgives us when we ask, many people in our world are living 24/7 with a guilty conscience and are in torment day and night.
- The Bible says in Isa 57:21, “There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked.”
- People are trying to find peace in all the wrong places, people try to look to material things, spouses, children, money, jobs, good deeds etc.
- The peace of God can only be established one way in a person’s life and that’s through the blood of Jesus Christ applied to the believers in faith. Without it we have guilt beyond our comprehension.
- I like this definition of guilt:
Guilt is like the red warning light on the dashboard of the car. You can either stop and deal with the trouble, or break out the light.
Point 5: One Drop Of Blood Sanctifies People
I John 1:7-10 says, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.”
- The blood of Jesus His Son, purifies us from all sin refers to the ongoing work of sanctification within the believer.
- What does the word sanctification mean?
- Sanctification means to make holy, to consecrate, to separate from the world, and to be set apart from sin so that we may have intimate fellowship with God and serve Him gladly.
- I Peter 1:2 says, “Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His Blood: Grace and peace by yours in abundance.”
- We have learned to words this past two weeks, and they are justification and sanctification.
- Both take place with one drop of Jesus blood.
- Justification means to be righteous in God’s sight and sanctification means to be holy
- Both happen instantly, but sanctification is not only instantly after salvation, it is also a progressive work.
- Meaning it’s a lifelong process by which we continue to put to death the old sinful nature according to Gal 5
- We continue to grow into Christ’s likeness II Cor 3:18 says, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
- We also grow in grace, II Peter 3:18 says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen.”
- We will also exercise a greater love for God and others. Matt 22:37-39 says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.”
- Let me further demonstrate what sanctification is with this story:
The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and applied for membership in a local church. "Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your Life?" inquired an old deacon. "Yes, sir," she replied. "Well, are you still a sinner?" "To tell you the truth, I feel I’m a greater sinner than ever." "Then what real change have you experienced?" "I don’t quite know how to explain it," she said, "except I used to be a sinner running after sin, but now that I am saved. I’m a sinner running from sin!" she was received into the fellowship of the church, and she proved by her consistent life that she was truly converted.
- I also like what John Newton said about sanctification, he said:
I am not what I might be, I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I wish to be, I am not what I hope to be. But I thank God I am not what I once was, and I can say with the great apostle, "By the grace of God I am what I am.
- We need to keep our eyes on God, strive not to sin, but understand that if we do sin God will forgive us if we ask. When we determine to live this way we will grow in sanctification and become Holy as God is Holy.
Point 6: One Drop Of Blood Gives Us Access Directly With God
- This is done in order to find grace, mercy, help and salvation.
- I like what Heb 7:25 says, “Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”
- I am so thankful God intercedes for me and you.
- Christ’s intercession is essential to our salvation.
- Without that and without His grace, mercy and help mediated to us through that intercession, we would fall away from God, once again be enslaved to sin and incur just condemnation.
- Christ prays for us by name and intercedes for us and as a result we grow in Him.
- In the Old Testament they had to sacrifice animals to God in order to be cleansed.
- But in the that ritual people couldn’t come to God, the priests went before the people.
- Anyone who would enter the Holy of Holies would die.
- Well now we have access to the Holy of Holies any time we want. We come to God with our requests and burdens and be confident in the fact that God will help us.
- All because of one drop of blood.
Point 7: One Drop Of Blood Guarantees All The Promises Of The New Covenant.
- The promises being salvation, forgiveness, cleansing, peace, justification, sanctification.
- Hebrews 13:20-21 says, “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
- Let me give you some more promises that I have found from my daily bread that we can claim because of one drop of blood:
A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim.
God’s presence -- "I will never leave thee" (Heb. 13:5)
God’s protection -- "I am thy shield" (Gen. 15:1)
God’s power -- "I will strengthen thee" (Isa. 41:10)
God’s provision -- "I will help thee" (Isa. 41:10)
God’s leading -- "And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them" (John 10:4)
God’s purposes -- "I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil" (Jer. 20:11)
God’s rest -- "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28)
God’s cleansing -- "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)
God’s goodness -- "No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly" (Psalm 84:11)
God’s faithfulness -- "The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake" (1 Sam. 12:22)
God’s guidance -- "The meek will He guide" (Psalm 25:9)
God’s wise plan -- "All things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28)
