Hebrews 9.22. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood. And without shedding of blood is
no Remission. Think of that statement. Without
the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins. No forgiveness of sins. Have you ever asked yourself
the question, why? Why must there be shedding of
blood for the remission of sins? Let me give you the answer. The person and work of Jesus
Christ. That is the answer. Now when we speak of the person
and work of Christ, you can't separate the person and the work
of Christ. Jesus Christ, who He is, what
He did, that is the person and work of Christ. And who He is,
is defined by what he did. And what he did is completely
dependent upon who he is. So when we're talking about the
shedding of his blood, we're talking about the person and
work of Jesus Christ. Paul said, we preach Christ crucified. There's his person, There's His
work, the shedding of His blood. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2,
verse 2, I've determined not to know anything among you save
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. His person and His work. Now, without the shedding of
blood, there's no remission of sins. has something to do with
the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Now, a wrong view of
his work is the result of a wrong view of his person. And a wrong
view of his person will certainly make a wrong view of his work. These two things cannot be separated. Now, Hebrews chapter nine, could very well be called a summary
of Old Testament worship. Look in verse 1. Then verily the first, speaking
of the first covenant, the Levitical sacrificial system given in the
law, then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of a divine
service and a worldly sanctuary. Now, when you read This entire
ninth chapter, we've been looking at this on Wednesday nights for
the last several weeks, but something that hit me was how many times
blood is mentioned in this chapter. Like I said, I've entitled this
message blood. 10 times blood. There's something shocking about
blood. Ten times blood is mentioned
in this chapter. The most prominent part of Old
Testament worship was blood. Verse 22, once again, and almost
all things are by the law purged with blood. Everything in that
tabernacle was covered with blood. The Ark of the Covenant, the
gold Ark. I don't know if you could even
see the gold. Blood was sprinkled on the Ark. When you saw the
priest go in with the blood, he didn't have pristine white
garments on. They were stained with the blood
of the sacrifice. Blood, the blood of the Testament. There was a morning and evening
sacrifice offered every day for 1400 years, every morning and
every evening. That amounts to 1.2 million sacrifices
of blood. And that's just the morning and
evening. That's not to mention all the other countless offerings
that were done. blood sacrifice. And the Lord
meant for this to be placard before the children of Israel. I don't know how much they understood
about it, but they saw blood. Now, Moses understood, the believers
understood, but I'm sure that the children of Israel, many
of them, all they saw was blood. And I guess they just took it
for granted. This is what we need to do. The first time blood is mentioned,
in scripture is with reference to Cain and Abel. Cain brought a bloodless sacrifice. God had no respect, none, nada,
nothing. Abel brought a blood sacrifice. And the scripture says God had
respect to Abel and to his offering. Abel could not be separated from
that offering. Well, there was a discussion
afterwards. There was a fight afterwards. There was an argument
afterwards, and I'm sure Cain thought, this is not fair. I
brought my best, and God rejects it and has no respect for it.
Abel brings a blood sacrifice and God has respect for it? Why
that's not fair. There was an argument. It became
more and more heated. And finally Cain bashed his brother's
head in and killed him. The first blood shedding was
over the blood. And what did God say to Cain? Your brother's blood cries to
me from the ground. You can't be hid. I know what
was done. God said in Leviticus chapter
17 verse 11, it is the blood. Shed blood. It is the blood. that maketh atonement for the
soul. You'll remember the Passover.
What did God say to put over the door? Blood. The blood of that Passover lamb
without spot or without blemish that was slain. He said, you
take the blood and put it over the post of the door. And God
said, when I pass through in judgment, when I see the blood,
I will pass over you. God did not say, when I see your
faith. God did not say, when I see your
good works. God did not say, when I see your
sincerity. God did not say, when I see your
efforts to strive against sin. God said, when I see the blood. He didn't say when you see the
blood. You know, if you're in the house with the blood over
the door, you couldn't see it, could you? God said, when I see the
blood, I will pass over you. Now, were there
any exceptions to this rule? What if somebody that very day
had committed a sin that is so horrible that propriety won't
allow us to even mention what it is. If he was in the house with the
blood over the door, did God pass him by in mercy? Absolutely. One thing. God was looking for. When I see
the blood, I will pass over you. Now, is there anyone thinking
that seems almost barbaric? All this talk of blood, that
seems almost primitive. Blood, why this emphasis on blood? Now, when we ask a question like
that, and I've asked it, I bet you have too. Bet you have too. Somebody says, I've never even
thought it. Well, then you've never thought. You've considered this. When
we ask a question like that, why this emphasis on blood, there
are really two reasons that create this response. And these two reasons go together.
One is an ignorance of the holiness, righteousness, and justice of
God. That's why we would have that
response. And the other is an ignorance
of the sinfulness of sin. Those two reasons are actually
different sides of the same coin. They're different sides of the
same sheet of paper. That's the inhale and the exhale
of unbelief and ignorance of the character of God and ignorance
of the sinfulness of sin. And the only way I know to describe
the sinfulness of sin is the cross of Jesus Christ and the
shedding of his blood. Without the shedding of blood,
the shedding of blood is death. You see, sin separates us from
God. He says your sins have separated
you. Sin separates from God. God's holy. Without the shedding
of blood, there is no remission of sin, but with the shedding
of His blood, that separation is taken away. Ephesians 2.13
says we're made nigh by the blood of Jesus Christ. Now the first
time the word blood is used with reference to the Lord Jesus Christ
is when the Lord instituted the Lord's table and He said, this
is my blood. of the New Testament. This is my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for many. Notice he didn't say it's shed
for everybody, but he did say it's shed for many. For the remission
of sins. The writer to the Hebrews calls
this blood, the blood, Hebrews 13, 20, the blood of the everlasting
covenant. Everlasting means without beginning and without an end. The blood
of Jesus Christ has no beginning. He's called the Lamb having been
slain from the foundation of the world. Before there was ever
a creation, before there was space or time, when all there
was was God in the Trinity of His sacred persons, Christ was the Lamb slain. That is God's eternal purpose. And the reason this world was
created was for the lamb to be slain. And then we're given a
view of eternity future. And John sees a lamb as it had
been slain coming up to the very throne of God and taking the
book. The Lamb having been slain and
the cry of heaven is worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Now we see the shedding of His
blood is the subject of the Eternities. And it better be our subject
right now all the time. The Lamb having been slain. When the writer to the Hebrews
warns of that willful sin that ends up in damnation, that's the unpardonable sin.
That's the sin of which there is no forgiveness. That's the
sin of rejecting After you know the way of salvation, if we sin
willfully after we've received the knowledge of the truth, the
truth of how God saves sins by Christ, if we reject that, there's
no hope. Now here's how he described that
sin. He said, of how much sorer punishment,
suppose ye, shall be he be thought worthy who hath trodden underfoot
the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, that
everlasting covenant and unholy thing. Now, how do you count
the blood and unholy thing? That word unholy is the word
generally translated common, common. And the definition of
common is that which is general to all as opposed to that, which
is peculiar to the few. Put that together. My blood of the New Testament
shed for many. for the remission of sins without
the shedding of blood. There is no remission. Paul said to the elders at Ephesus,
feed the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. You know when I'm talking about
this, I'm doing so, I better be doing so with fear and trembling. Not in some kind of cocksure
arrogance, but in fear and in trembling. Speaking of the blood
of God, the God man. That's why Peter called this
the precious blood of Christ. Do you remember what Judas said?
I have betrayed the innocent blood. This is the only innocent blood
there is. My blood. It's got sin running
through it. Yours does too. There's one who
had innocent blood, Jesus Christ, the righteous. Now, let me say
something about this man. He never committed a sin. The only man to never commit
a sin, even when he was made sin and God, the father can do
this. The scripture says, for he had made him to be sin for
us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of
God in him. Even when he was made sin, he
never committed a sin. He was made sin, but he never
committed a sin. He's holy, harmless, spotless,
undefiled. You see, if he ever committed
a sin, he couldn't do anything for me or you. He is the innocent
blood. I think of what Pilate said,
I am pure or I'm innocent from the blood of this just person.
No, you're not Pilate. But you see Pilate's statement
with regard to the Lord Jesus Christ. Blood. When he was in Gethsemane's garden,
and I wish I could say this the way
it ought to be said, that one of the things that's so difficult
about preaching is you know you're not giving it what it needs.
I know that. But when the Lord was in Gethsemane's
garden, he saw a cup brought before him. And the scripture
says that he, at that time, sweat great drops of blood. Blood was coming out of his pores
as he looked at that cup. And he cried out, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me. What was in that cup? The sins of the elect. The sins of those he was representing. And he was going to drink that
cup. He was going to be made sin.
The scripture says he bore our sins in his own body on the tree. And when he drunk the contents
of that cup, he was bearing our sins in his own body. If He bore my sins, I don't bear
them. Sin can't be two places at once. But the thought of drinking that
cup, such was His holiness, such was His love to His Father. He
was overwhelmed, the Son of God, and said, if it be possible,
let this cup pass from me. Was it possible? No. He's the
Lamb slain. from the foundation of the world. His bloodshedding is His death
as the sinners substitute. There was a transference of the
sins of His people to Him, just like the high priest put his
hands on the scapegoat and the sin was symbolically transferred.
Here the sin was not symbolically transferred, it was actually
really transferred. where he bore the filth, the
iniquity of my sin in his own body on the tree. And he experienced
at that time everything about sin, but the commission of it. He was forsaken of his father.
He felt the hot wrath of God. He experienced the full equivalent
of what I deserve. He took my sins and my sorrows. He made them his very own. He bore the burden to Calvary
and suffered and died alone. The prophet said, all we like
sheep have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way. and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Without the shedding of blood,
there is no remission of sins. But remember whose blood was
shed. Now really, this is the most
important point. Whose blood was shed? If I died for you,
it might be a very, I love you, I want to take your
place. If I died for you, it might be
a good gesture on my part, but what good would it do you? None at all. It's not gonna put
away your sin. I'm a sinner. You see, the point
is whose blood was shed. Who is he that condemneth? Paul
said in Romans 8, 34. It is Christ that died. There's the difference. Who can
charge me with anything if Christ died for me? The Christ, the
Son of God, the spotless Lamb of God, His blood is the blood
that was shed. You see, Jesus Christ is not
capable of not having what He intended to have by His death.
He's incapable of failure. The teaching of universal redemption And most religious institutions
in Lexington, Kentucky and the United States of America and
around the world teach what is called universal redemption. That Jesus Christ shed his blood
for every son of Adam so they could all be forgiven. If that's true, he didn't get
what he intended, did he? If that's true, God is not just. He makes somebody pay for the
same sin twice. Now, if I commit a crime and
go to jail for five years and pay my time and pay my dues and
get out, judge can't say, well, you're going to have to do it
all over again. No, because my payment's been made. To say that Jesus
Christ can pay for somebody's sins and then they're going to
have to turn around and pay for themselves would deny the very justice of
God. You see, the only hope that I have that
God will accept me is that Jesus Christ died for me and paid for
my sins. And if he can die for somebody and pay for their sins
and they wind up in hell anyway, guess what? I know I'll be in
hell. My hope is his death. I glory in the cross. That's
what Paul said. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews chapter
13 verse 12 says, wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctify the
people with his own blood suffered without the gate. What did he do by his blood?
He sanctified the people. Everyone he died for is sanctified
made. Holy made other declared by God
himself to be holy by the, which will we are sanctified once for
all. through the offering, the bloody
death of the body of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10, 14 says, wherefore
by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Romans 5, 9 says, being now justified
by his blood, by his blood, by the shedding of his blood, Everybody
He died for is now, right now, present tense, justified. Now
don't miss that. That means right now, Jesus Christ
died for you. You stand before God having never
sinned. Perfect before God. Being now justified. Without
guilt. before God by His blood. Remember, without the shedding
of blood, His blood, there is no remission of sins. Colossians 1.20 says, having
made peace by the blood of His cross. Now, do you hear that
language? Let me repeat it. Having made peace That means
it's been made. Having made peace. Have you made your peace with
God? Oh no. He made my peace with God. And
God is at complete peace with me. He doesn't have any reason
to be mad at me. And you know it scares me to say something
like that because I can think of all kinds of reasons. But
He has no reason to be mad at me because Jesus Christ made
my peace. So that God looks at me and says
I'm satisfied. I'm at peace with Him. There's
no reason for me to be mad. And the only peace I have is
seeing God's peace because of Christ. That gives me peace.
The peace of God that passes all understanding. Ephesians
1, 7 says, In whom we have redemption through His blood. Don't miss
that. We have. redemption through His
blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Now let me tell you something
about the forgiveness of sins. There's not some kind of process
you need to go through in order to achieve the forgiveness of
sins. There's no steps you need to take before you can be forgiven. Salvation begins with the complete forgiveness
of sins because of the shedding of His blood. Without the shedding
of blood, there is no remission for sin. Hebrews 9.12 says, Having
obtained, having obtained, He By one offering neither by the
blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered once
into the holy place Don't miss that once Remember how the high
priest had to go in every year? Repetitively every year Christ's
own did it once why? Because he obtained He accomplished
he achieved this eternal redemption of for us. That is why the writer to the
Hebrew says, the blood that speaks better things than that of Abel.
We touched on that in Sunday school this morning. Or was it
here? I can't even remember. It's either
there or here. But the blood of Abel God said
to Cain, your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.
Vengeance, justice, put him to death. Oh, the blood of Christ
says justify him, save him. He's accepted. Oh, isn't that
better things than that of Abel? Isn't that infinitely better? Revelations 1.5 says he washed
us from our sins in his own blood. And Revelation 7.14 says, we
have washed our garments white in the blood of the Lamb. Now,
He washed us. He washed us from our sins. And
then it says, we wash our garments in His own blood. You know what
that is? It's faith. That's faith. You look to Him. You're washing your garments
right, not in your works, but in His own blood. You know, Romans 3, 25 speaks
of faith in His blood. Do you believe His blood is all
that's needed to make you without spot before God? Faith in His blood. Turn with me to 1 John. I've
been quoting, but I want you to see this. 1 John 1. Verse 7. But if we walk in the light. The light of how God saves sinners
by Christ. That's the light. That's the
light. He said, I'm the light of the
world. And that's after he looked at that woman and said, woman,
where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? No
man, Lord. Neither do I condemn thee. Go
and sin no more. Now, how is it that he could
look at this woman who was guilty and say, I don't condemn you.
It's because, because of the blood of Christ, there was nothing
to condemn her for. Now, if we walk in the light,
as he is in the light, we have fellowship, one with another,
don't we? Our fellowship's in the gospel.
Fellows in the same ship, saved the same way, have the same confession,
have the same faith. You know, there's no difference.
When people believe, they believe the same thing if they believe.
They believe the gospel. Somebody says, well this one
believes this and this one believes something else. No. Every believer believes
the same thing. That Christ is all in salvation. That His blood wipes away, washes
away, makes not to be all sin. Is that what you believe? Is that your hope? If we walk in the light, as he
is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. You know, if
somebody's boasting in their own works, in their own abilities,
you don't have any fellowship with them, do you? You pray the Lord will save them,
you want their salvation, but you don't have fellowship with
them. You see, our fellowship's in the gospel, the gospel of
Jesus Christ. We're having fellowship in the
gospel right now. This is fellowship in the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. But look what he says, if we
walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship
with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanseth
us from all sin. Now that word cleanses is in
the present tense, active voice. He doesn't say it has cleansed
us, although it has. We've seen that from all these
scriptures. With the shedding blood there is remission of sins.
But it says it cleanses us right now from all sin. While my sin was put away by
his blood, as long as I am in this earthen vessel, the body
of this death, I will still commit sin. And I say that to my shame,
I say that wanting to never sin again, but I know that as long
as I'm walking through this world in this sinful body, what Paul
called the body of this death, I'm going to get my feet dirty. And I feel it. And you and I
need cleansing. And this blood cleanses right
now, present tense, from all sin. That's our hope. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's
son, cleanseth us, continual cleansing. I'll tell you what,
I continually need the blood of Christ, don't you? I need
his precious blood. I could say more now, but as
far as my conscious need of it, I do say more now, but I've always
needed it, always, at all times. And my only hope of being saved
is the blood of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10, 19. I want you to turn with me there. I need thee, precious Jesus,
for I am full of sin. My soul is dark and guilty. My heart is dead within. I need
the cleansing fountain where I can always flee. the blood
of Christ most precious, the sinner's perfect plea. Amen. Hebrews chapter 10, verse
19. Having therefore, brethren, boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Where's the boldness? Confidence
to actually enter into the very holiness, the presence of God,
how? By the blood of Jesus. And look what he says in verse
20, by a new and living way. Now that word new, is not the
word that generally means new as in recent time. The word means
literally freshly slaughtered. The blood of Jesus Christ is
always right now. It's not old. It's not something
that it's freshly slaughtered. So poignant to the father, how
poignant is the blood of God's son to God at all times and living. It's not the blood
of a dead animal. He who lives, he who shed the
blood now lives and presents it to the father. And because
of that, we have boldness to come into his very presence.
I have boldness. That boldness isn't in me, it
isn't in my preaching, it isn't in my Bible study, and it isn't
in my praying, and it isn't in anything in me. Boldness in His blood. Hebrews 12, 11, we read of the
accuser of the brethren, which accused them night and day before
God. And let me say this, there wasn't
one false accusation. Everything he accuses you of,
is he having to stretch it? And the scripture says, they
overcame him, the accuser of the brethren by the blood of
the lamb. When we take the Lord's table,
It's called the communion of the blood of Christ. And to take
it unworthily is to be guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord. And that unworthy taking, that means you don't have any
idea why you're doing it. When you take it unworthily,
you're thinking, well, I've reached a measure of worthiness. Surely
I'm ready to take the Lord's table. Don't do it. Don't do
it. That's to take it unworthily.
You take it worthily when you see that the body and blood of
Christ is all you have. and you rest only in Him. When Pilate said, I'm innocent
of the blood of this just person, you know what the response of
the Jews was to that? His blood be upon us and our
children. Such hatred we have for this
man We'll be glad to be accused of his blood. He needed to be
gotten rid of. And we're fine with our children
being accused of it. His blood be upon us and our
children. With a totally different meaning,
here's the very cry of my heart. His blood be upon us and our children. Without the shedding of blood,
there is no remission of sins. Because of whose blood was shed,
there is complete remission, putting away, making not to be
our sins. Let's pray. Lord, we ask that the blood of Thy Son
might be upon us and upon our children. In the name of Him who shed His
blood for the remission of sins, we pray. Bless this message according
to Your will. In Christ's name we pray, amen.