Worship

“The Blood is Still the Blood” by Maverick City Music

Scriptural Foundation

“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.” -1 John 1:7, ESV

“And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” -Colossians 1:19-20, ESV

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight” -Ephesians 1:7-8, ESV

“How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” -Hebrews 9:14, ESV

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,” -Hebrews 10:19, ESV

“So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.” -Hebrews 13:12, ESV

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” -Leviticus 17:11, ESV

“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” -Revelation 12:11, ESV

“Knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” -1 Peter 1:18-19, ESV

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” -Isaiah 53:5, ESV

What the Blood of Jesus Accomplishes

Oh, the precious blood of Jesus, shed for you and for me! Let’s apply the truth about the blood of Jesus that was provided for you, His child:

We are cleansed by Jesus’ blood!

We are healed by Jesus’ blood!

We are made righteous and holy by Jesus’ blood!

We are atoned for and our sins forgiven by Jesus’ blood!

We are protected from the enemy by Jesus’ blood!

We are overcomers by Jesus’ blood!

We stand in victory by Jesus’ blood!

We can live fully alive because of Jesus’ blood!

We can have perfect peace because of Jesus’ blood!

We have a way back to the Father by Jesus’ blood!

We have authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons because of Jesus’ blood!

Our judgement has been satisfied by Jesus’ blood!

There is no wrath of God upon us because of Jesus’ blood!

We live in grace because of Jesus’ blood!

He made a way for us to the throne of grace by Jesus’ blood!

We will spend eternity with Him because of Jesus’ blood!

We live under the New Covenant because of Jesus’ blood!

When we stop to reflect on all that was accomplished when Jesus gave His life for us—and that list above is not exhaustive—we are abundantly rich indeed! God made a way and gave access to complete justification and wholeness because the spotless lamb of God was sacrificed for you and me. Not one thing we will do could ever compare or earn our right-standing before God; it was only by His blood. Religion says to work for your righteousness; Jesus says He has given us His righteousness as a free gift. Now live in it.

From Old Covenant to New

God made the first blood sacrifice (Genesis 3:21) to provide skins for Adam and Eve when they sinned and realized they were naked. The law of the Old Covenant required shedding blood for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). For generations, the Jews would offer sacrifices in the temple, and the blood would flow. After the death of Jesus, there was no need for blood sacrifice in the temple because He was the final and perfect sacrifice for the payment of your sin and mine. We don’t fully grasp the way that was made for us and the freedom we walk in (Hebrews 9:15).

Remember how Jesus sent His disciples out to proclaim the Kingdom of God before He went to the cross? They only knew what Jesus had taught them about the Kingdom, but they didn’t have the proclamation about His blood yet. All that was going to be accomplished for our cleansing, justification, and salvation wasn’t even a theory in the minds of His disciples. Jesus died, the New Covenant was established by means of His blood, and the salvation message was sealed! Now we walk in that truth and that authority!

“First he said, ‘Multiple burnt-offerings and sin-offerings cannot satisfy your justice’ (even though the law required them to be offered). And then he said, ‘God, I will be the One to go and do your will.’ So by being the sacrifice that removes sin, he abolishes animal sacrifices and replaces that entire system with the new covenant. By God’s will we have been purified and made holy once and for all through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus, the Messiah!” -Hebrews 10:8-10

Living in Grace Through Christ’s Blood

We live in the New Covenant that did away with the old method of sacrifice and offerings. God’s gift of grace became the foundation of our life with Christ—which means we do not need to strive, strain, earn, or work for our relationship with Jesus. Does He work in us to establish and anchor us in grace, holiness, and surrender? Yes! He is committed to the process of our becoming like Him. He doesn’t get annoyed or impatient while we are sanctified by His blood and are being sanctified daily—the beauty of the now-and-not-yet reality that describes our life in Christ. Jesus’ blood eradicated the need to work our way back to God through the law and ushered in our unending spiritual inheritance through Him. A way has opened up that now enables us to pull down Heaven and walk in our authority and in the abundance of all that was made accessible to us. Oh, the power of His precious blood!

The Power of Dependence on Christ

“It is the constant ‘speaking’ of that blood that keeps heaven open for sinners, and sends streams of blessing down on earth. It is through that blood that Jesus, as Mediator, carries on, without ceasing, His mediatorial work. The Throne of grace owes its existence ever, and always, to the power of that blood.” -Andrew Murray, “The Power of the Blood of Jesus”

We live in dependence on the grace of God; thus we live in dependence on the power of the blood of Jesus. The Spirit and the blood work in tandem and confirm to us what Christ has accomplished for us that is ours for the taking, every moment of every day. He will not remove the power of His blood from your life. We must learn to apply it during every moment that we are learning to live in dependence on Him. What a beautiful intimacy we have with our Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit because of His blood! We don’t look the same to our Father because He sees us through the blood of His Son. May we live in this identity and manifest our inheritance!

A Call to Experience Christ’s Blood

I want to close with this excerpt from Andrew Murray’s book because it offers a beautiful charge to us today:

“May the desire for holiness become stronger in us. Should not the thought that the blood has more power than we know of, and can do for us greater things than we have yet experienced, cause our hearts to go out in strong desire? If there were more desire for deliverance from sin; for holiness and intimate friendship with a Holy God; it would be the first thing that is needful for being led further into the knowledge of what the blood can do.

“The second thing will follow.

“Desire must become expectation.

“As we inquire from the Word, in faith, what the blood has accomplished, it must be a settled matter with us, that the blood can manifest its full power also in us. No sense of unworthiness, or of ignorance, or of helplessness must cause us to doubt. The blood works .in [sic] the surrendered soul with a ceaseless power of life.
“Surrender yourself to God the Holy Spirit. Fix the eyes of your heart on the blood.

“Open your whole inner being to its power.

“The blood on which the Throne of Grace in heaven is founded, can make your heart the temple and throne of God.

“Shelter under the ever-continuing sprinkling of the blood.

“Ask the Lamb of God Himself to make the blood efficacious in you.

“You will surely experience that there is nothing to compare with the wonder-working power of the blood of Jesus.” -Andrew Murray, “The Power of the Blood of Jesus”