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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 3, NUMBER 17, MAY 25, 2003 THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul begins with a joyous presentation of some of the bountiful spiritual blessings that are enjoyed by all of those who are “in Christ”. That little phrase, “in Christ”, appears 30 times in the six chapters of this letter and clearly shows the importance of being in the body of Christ. Two of the blessings enjoyed by those who are “in Christ” are pointed out in verse 7 of chapter 1. Paul wrote, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” OH, the marvelous blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 26, at what has come to be known as the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the great memorial that faithful Christians partake of every first day of the week, the Lord’s Supper. In verses 27-28, we find, “And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Looking forward to His death, Jesus stated that His blood would ratify the New Testament and make the forgiveness of sins possible through it. The Hebrew writer addressed this very thing in Hebrews 9. The whole chapter deals with the superiority of the New Covenant and the superiority of the blood that sealed it. In verses 12-22, he wrote, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purges your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took of the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and a scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, saying This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” With the death of Jesus, it was possible for the New Covenant to come into effect. Through His blood, the sins that were committed under the first covenant could be forgiven – all of the blood of the sacrificed animals looking forward to the time when the precious blood of Christ would be shed – and the sins committed by those living under the New Testament can be remitted. The blood of the Lord was the price that was paid to purchase the church of Christ, of which all of us who are members here at Northern Kentucky are privileged to be a part. In Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders recorded in Acts 20, he stated in verse 28: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” Not only was the blood of the Lord said to be the purchase price of the church, but it is also represented as the price of the purchase of the kingdom. In the book of Revelation, chapter 5, and in verses 9-10, John wrote, “And they sang a new song, saying, Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nations. And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” The church is God’s kingdom on earth, and since the value of something is ultimately determined by what someone is willing to pay for it, what is possibly worth more than the church of Christ? It is made up of those who have had their sins forgiven by being washed “with the precious blood of Chris, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). It was the blood of Christ that made it possible for both Jew and Gentile, all people, to be reconciled to each other and more importantly, to be reconciled unto God in one body, which is the church of Christ. In Ephesians 2:13-16, Paul wrote, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” Oh, the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ! Greg Litmer
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