May God be pleased to bless us
this morning as we consider his word together. Let us turn to
the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews chapter 9 and we'll read verse
22. The epistle of Paul to the Hebrews
chapter 9 and reading verse 22. And almost all things are by
the law purged with blood. and without shedding of blood
is no remission. The psalmist David on two occasions
in Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 and the first verse in both occasions
he says this The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. The fool hath said in his heart,
there is no God. And you may think, well, why
say or make such a statement as that? What's the relevance
with regards to the text that you read this morning? well it
is relevant and it's relevant because of this in the word of
God there are approaching 200 times when people are spoken
of as being foolish or as being fools and I expect naturally
speaking we are reluctant to consider that we are a foolish
person or that we are fools and yet We have all that number of
times in the Word of God spoken about that. Now the truth is,
so many people say today that there is no God. But many people
today may perhaps not be so bold as to say in those words or with
regard to that full situation. But there may be. many who are
prepared to speak it, would regard to the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, when the Apostle wrote to
the Corinthians in the first epistle, in the 18th verse, the
first chapter we read, for the preaching of the cross is to
them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it
is the power of God. And this very clearly places
us in a position as to whether we consider the preaching of
the cross foolishness or whether it is to us the power of God. It's one or the other. And for
us today, it is either the power of God or we are fools. because we consider it to be
irrelevant to our situation. And then we should not forget
that the Lord Jesus Christ himself also gave warning to these things
when he was about to ascend up to his father in glory. And on the previous occasions
he was After he was raised from the
dead, he journeyed and went on that way and met with those two
disciples on the way to Emmaus. And what did he speak to them?
They were speaking about the things of God. And yet they hadn't
really understood. They hadn't really believed the
things that Jesus had spoken to them. And he comes and addresses
them in this way as he goes with them. And he said, Oh fools and
snub heart to believe all the prophets have spoken. Ought not
Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his
glory and beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded
unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. So we have a view there that
very easily it is to become a fool and to not believe the great
truths which God has laid before us in his word. Now, one of the
great truths we've read together this morning, in this 22nd verse,
and it says, and without shedding of blood is no remission. There's no forgiveness without
the shedding of blood. And this is a vital word that
all of us needs to understand and to appreciate and to bless
God for. It's not something we want to
just have as a theory in our heads. We need it to sink down
into our hearts, so it may have a very wonderful and gracious
effect. Now, the Apostle, he just tells
us that almost all things are by the law purged with blood.
He's referring to natural things, which were in actual fact purged
with fire or water, and we can read about that in the book of
Numbers, where there's a list of those things which are. But
one thing is very clear, one thing that could not be cleansed,
one thing that could not be purged through fire and washing, and
what was that? Sin. Sin could not be purged,
could not be taken away, could not be cleansed apart from the
shedding of blood and therefore it is a very vital consideration
for us today and every day in our lives to realize this great
truth without shedding of blood is no remission. Now you may
have noted that in this ninth chapter the Apostle is at pains
to lead up to this and he runs through the situation which existed
when they worshipped in the tabernacle. And of course that was followed
by the temple. They did worship in the tabernacle
for some 500 years. It was a very considerable period
in the history of the world. But the Apostle tells us there
very vital truths and it's just worth running over those that
we read together this morning. He speaks about these ordinances
and divine service and a worldly sanctuary and he says there was
a tabernacle made and he speaks about this tabernacle and as
I expect you remember there are two sections to it the outer
section and the inner section the holy place and the most holy
place and he speaks here and he says in the holy place there
was the candlestick and the table and the showbread which is called
the sanctuary And after the second veil, that's that very glorious
and special veil which were embroidered the cherubims on, which is called
the holiest of all, which had the golden censer and the Ark
of the Covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was
the golden pot that had manna and Aaron's rod that budded,
and the tables of the Covenant, which of course were the tables
of stone, the Ten Commandments, which Moses had received from
God. They were placed in this tabernacle
and there they were in this holy place and over it was the cherubims
of glory shadowing the mercy seat which of course was on top
of the ark of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when
these things were thus ordained the priests went always into
the first tabernacle. That was the first section where
there was a golden candlestick And we know they had to keep
that alight. And there were the incense and
the showbread, they were there. But into the second, the most
holy place, went the high priest alone, once every year. And the significant thing, not
without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors
of the people. The Holy Ghost thus signifying
that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest
while as the first tabernacle was yet standing and the true
holy place was of course heaven and this holy place typified
heaven and therefore Paul says which was a figure for the time then present in
which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not
make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the
conscience which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings
and carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation
but Christ now we come to the whole glorious gospel but Christ
being come and high priest of good things to come by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands. The tabernacle
was made as perfect as they could, but it was made with hands and
it wasn't perfect. That is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, the blood of the dear Redeemer,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He entered, in once, into the
holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Now just ponder
there, my friends. It's very important. It's glorious
truth. And it's relevant to your salvation
and my salvation. Because it's only by His own
blood, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shed, that He entered
in once. into the holy place, into glory,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. It won't fade away. It's established in heaven. It's eternal. The Lord Jesus
obtained this eternal redemption for us. Oh then, what a blessing
if we are amongst those who are included in those for whom the
Lord did die And it was done for us. We are part of those.
He just carries on. He says, for if the blood of
bulls and goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean
sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh, which, of course,
was a picture, was a situation which directed people to Christ
the Messiah in those Old Testament times. And yet how mysterious
it was. and how difficult it was for
them to understand and view the glory that was epitomised in
those sacrifices and the shedding of blood. But now, how much more? Oh, as the picture unfolds to
us, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal
spirit, we're talking about eternal realities here, not time things,
eternal things, offered himself without spot. The sacrifices
that were offered were as perfect as they could achieve, but there
was no perfection. But here we have the Lord Jesus
Christ who offered himself in perfection. There was no spot. Purge your conscience from dead
works to serve the living and true God. And for this cause,
he is the mediator of the New Testament, the New Covenant,
the New Testament. That by means of death, his death,
for the redemption of the transgressions, that means all those sins, you
see, all those transgressions, they had to be paid for, they
had to be redeemed. had to be redeemed. Here we have
the picture 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. The First Testament was the law
of God and that law said do this and live. If men had been able
to keep the law perfectly they would have lived. there would
have been no need for a Saviour. But they were utterly unable
to, because they had fallen, there was sin. They were not
able to. And therefore, they needed this
redemption. That were under the First Testament,
they which are called, those who are called by God, like the
Apostle says, called by His grace, they are called by His grace,
might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Inheritance, my friends, and
that's what I hope we're looking forward to. We're time beings. Eternity is before us. I'm looking
forward to the inheritance. For where a testament is, there
must also necessity be the death of the testator. It doesn't come
into being, as you know, when somebody dies. It's only then
that their testament, their will, comes into being. It can never
come into being before they die. They have to die before it comes
into being. For a testament is a force after
men are dead. Otherwise it is of no strength
at all, while the testator liveth quite simply because they could
change the terms. 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
the blood of calves and of goats with water and scarlet wood 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. So we have a clear picture there.
In those times, in those days, there was the need for that sprinkling
of blood, for that shed blood to show clearly that life had
been taken and without that there was no cleansing. So we come
then to these words and almost all things are by the law purged
with blood and without shedding of blood is no remission. Well, let me just run through
that. Then, as we think of this this
morning, we commence by saying, the fool has said in his heart,
there is no God. Are we foolish this morning?
Or do we realise the importance, the greatness, the wonder of
the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Dare we pass it by? Dare we pass
over it? Dare we minimise it? Dare we
belittle it? It is so, so vital for your salvation
and my salvation. Remember, without this shedding
there is no forgiveness, There's no hope, my friends, for you
and me without the shared blood of Christ. How important it is then that
we have a right understanding, that we put a right value on
the blood of Christ. Do you think it is invaluable
blood? Do you realise how important
it is? We read in Leviticus chapter
17 that life is in the blood. Yes, how important that is. What do we think of this this
morning? Without shedding of blood is no remission. Therefore is the shedding of
blood, Christ's blood, important to us? Well, the Apostle goes
on. It was therefore necessary. The patterns of things in the
heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things
themselves, with better sacrifices than these for Christ, is not
entered into the holy places made with hands. Oh, they're
temporal. They're passing. into heaven itself, now to appear
in the presence of God for us. Oh, how relevant, doesn't it?
To appear in the presence of almighty God for us, for you
and me, friends, today. And he can only enter in because
he shed his blood. The Saviour had to die. The Saviour
had to shed his blood. Otherwise there was no forgiveness for us. Nor yet that he should offer
himself often as the high priest entereth into the holy place
every year with blood of others. For then must he often have suffered
since the foundation of the world, but now once. In the end of the
world, hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
Himself. It's the only way sin is to be
put away. It's the only way your sin and my sin is to be put away. It's through the shed blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ that He gave Himself as that one sacrifice
for sin. the one sacrifice for sin. Well
we may often think perhaps of these things, we may often ponder
perhaps these things, but do we really appreciate what they
mean? And have they been applied to
our hearts? There's a vast difference between
theory and knowing it in the heart. You can read these things with
your brain. You can read them physically
and they don't move you. You just remain the same. You're
still a fool. But oh, if the Spirit of God
comes and touches our heart, touches
us, you know, in the Word of God, We read many occasions about
the Lord Jesus Christ going about and healing people, naturally
and spiritually. And we usually read He just touched
them. It was just a touch from the
Saviour. And the touch from the Saviour
meant that virtue flowed from Him. And there was healing. And I wonder if we know what
that is to have had a touch from the Saviour. A touch from the
Saviour which has changed us. You may say, well how has it
changed us? It's changed us in this way.
From a hard heart to a soft heart. From a heart of stone to a heart
of flesh. It's meant that our hardness
has been removed, and we've fallen down, and we've
bowed down, and we worshipped. And why have you worshipped?
Because of the shed blood of the Saviour. That's the difference. That makes
a difference. This shed blood of the Saviour.
Yes, it softens hard hearts. Breaks down rebellion. And it's
the blessed work of the Spirit of God. What a wonderful thing
it is, isn't it? You and I can't produce this
ourselves. If you and I could produce this
ourselves, God would not have the honour and glory. But my
friends, we are impotent. We are unable to. We are helpless. Sin has made us helpless. It's
separated between us and our God. Yes, there's that vast chasm
which we cannot pass over. The only way is through the shed
blood of the Saviour. Well, is it anything to you and
to me as we pass by, as we behold these great and glorious truths,
which they are contained in the Word of God? Do we bless God
that he wonderfully enabled the Apostle Paul to write these truths,
to expound them? You know, the Apostle, he had
a wonderful understanding of the law of God is brought up
at the feet of Gamaliel. We should not forget the providence
of Almighty God. In a way, these things are revealed
to us that there was the Apostle Paul filled with pharisaical
zeal with regard to the truth of those ceremonies which were
ordained in the time of Moses, which were to be fulfilled so
very carefully And yet, in and of themselves, there was no true
virtue. It was only as faith was given
to look beyond those things to the Saviour. And so the Apostle
Paul was greatly blessed with this revelation. We know he went
and he was in the desert for some time. We know he spent time
in prison. We know this was written from
Italy. It may well have been written when he was in prison
in Rome. We see so much favour of God who gave the Apostle this
view. We know of course he was privileged
to be caught up in the third heaven to see those blessed truths
which he wasn't able to disclose. But nonetheless he was blessed
with that view of the Saviour. And so he was able to write these
things. And so today, you and I are blessed
with this revelation of this wonderful truth of God. And yet,
oh, my friends, unless our eyes are opened, we're fools, aren't
we? Oh, fools and slob heart to believe
these great and glorious truths. And yet, to the living soul,
They are the life of the soul. Is your life centred upon what
Christ has done? It's not what you've done. It's
not what you've done. We can never save ourselves.
It doesn't matter how you try. We cannot save ourselves. Because
all that we do is mixed with sin. In me there is in my flesh
what is no good thing, said the Apostle Paul from a full heart,
and look out of himself for the Lord Jesus Christ. There was his hope. It is our hope today, my friends,
fixed upon Christ and indeed him crucified. As you think of
that, think about the Saviour endured in order to save us, in order for the Lord to appear
in the presence of God for us, how much he suffered, how much
he endured. And yet, so willingly, never
underestimate the cost of your salvation. Never underestimate
what it costs the Lord of life and glory, the only begotten
Son of God, He suffered so greatly. He agonised in order that we
might receive the gift of eternal life. Remember the love, the
great love of the Saviour. How it was epitomised as we see
Him in that upper room on that Passover night, instituting there
that supper of remembrance. And how he spoke those beautiful
words, do this in remembrance of me. What were we to remember? Two things. His broken body and his shed
blood. That's what the Church of God
were commanded to remember. His broken body and his shed
blood. Do this in remembrance of me."
What a simple ordinance. You compare it with the Old Testament. All those ceremonies, so involved,
so complicated, had to be carried out so carefully. And yet now,
in this Gospel age, the Church of God is wonderfully privileged,
being able to come together around the table, to partake of those
elements of bread and wine, symbolising the broken body and the shed
blood of the Saviour. And why was it instituted? Love. Love of the Lord Jesus
Christ to us today, so that we can be reminded of the greatness
of this transaction and how good it is, how needful it is, lest
we forget so easily how sad it is that we wretched sinners of
the earth forget the cost of our salvation. We have this before
our eyes more and more, how it must influence our lives, how
it must do us good. It must bring glory to our God. So today, if we think of these
simple words, without shedding a blood, is no remission, no
forgiveness, no hope of eternal life, without shedding a blood,
no hope of being found in glory. Lord bless God today. that we have such an account. We have a record of the death
of the Saviour. Now remember, He had instituted
that supper of remembrance. And then, oh what a time of suffering. What a night, what a day of suffering
He was to pass through. Agony, wasn't it? And try and
understand the agony. The agony was brought upon him
because he not only had to endure a physical trial, so testing,
he had to wait for the sins of his whole church that he was
carrying. What a wait that was. Your sin, my sin. Oh, my friends, might it not
influence us? wonderfully as we think of the
suffering Saviour carrying our sin, all our sins, every sin,
the sins of our life, through our life, our sins up to the
present time, the sins even in chapel this morning. The Lord
Jesus Christ carried those sins. The agony endured Gethsemane's
garden. He shed, as it were, great drops
of blood. He prayed to his father in his
being in agony. He prayed more fervently. If
it be possible, let this cut pass from me. Nevertheless, not
my will but thine be done. What a great and glorious example
we have. Do we not? He desired to fulfill
his Father's will, whatever the cost. What a blessing. What an example. May we remember
it in our other lives. Whatever the cost. There can't be a greater cost,
can there? Than what the Saviour endured. Our religion will cost
us. Be sure of that. It will cost
us. But my friends, there is a favour
in it. I'll tell you why. It brings
about fellowship with Christ. Fellowship in his sufferings.
The Apostle Paul knew the value of it. May you and I know the
value of it. The Apostle Paul suffered much,
didn't he, in his life. He wasn't ashamed of the Gospel.
No, he wasn't ashamed of following his Saviour. He desired to serve
the Lord at every opportunity. Wherever he was, he desired to
serve his God. He was bought with a price. He
tells us He reminds us of it. How good it is for us today to
be reminded of it without shedding a blood is no remission. So the Saviour came from Gethsemane
to the Judgement Hall. Remember, He was condemned, the
just. He was a just Saviour, the just
for the unjust. You and me. Yes, unjust. He died so that we might live. Oh, bless God for the great and
glorious gospel. What he faced in that judgment
hall of humiliation. How humiliated he was. Oh, my
friends, just think, the Lord of life and glory. Almighty God
humiliated for you and me. What humiliation it was! Yes,
spat upon, mocked. We don't like being mocked, do
we? The Saviour was mocked, crown of thorns, pushed down on his
head, blood ran down, lashed with cords, his back bleeding, Forget, previously in Gethsemane,
sweating as it were, great drops of blood. My friends, without
shedding of blood, there's no remission. Oh, we have the great
evidence here of what the Saviour's sinner suffered, didn't he? Oh,
my friends, what he suffered, how great it was. He shed his
blood so willingly, what he endured, no tongue can tell. Well, have
we some appreciation? Do you realise this morning the
value of Christ's blood? Because without it, there'd be
no hope for you and me. And without shedding of blood
is no remission. Then, of course, shed His blood
also on that cross. His nails were knocked into His
hands and into His feet. Again, blood was shed. Oh, my
friends, what a picture we have. See how clear it was without
shedding of blood. There's no remission. No forgiveness. The Saviour had to pass this
way. in order to fulfil the divine
and righteous law of God. It was the ordained way. God
ordained that this was the way, because quite clearly, when that
blood was shed, death occurred. The Saviour gave His life a sacrifice
so that we might live forever. So the last verse in this chapter
we read, so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and
unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time
without sin unto salvation. Have you looked to the Saviour?
Have you looked to him? as your only hope of salvation. Oh, have you heard those words? Look unto me, and be ye saved
o'er the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there's none else. You look to the Saviour to receive
that cleansing blood. Oh, my friends, remember those
who do not Those who pass by are fools. They are fools. They have not
followed. They have not heard. They have
not listened. Oh, my friends, have you in our
hearts heard the Word of God? Have we been blessed by it? Has
the Holy Spirit applied His Word, applied these truths to our hearts,
so that it has had an effect? And if it's had an effect, what
has it done? We've bowed down and worshipped.
We've worshipped. What's been the effect? We've
been made willing in the day of His power. The day of His
power made us willing to bow down and worship the Lord as
we've seen what He's done for us. Oh, this morning, may we
truly come and desire to praise and to glorify our God. May it be to praise God from
whom all blessings flow, and indeed this great, wonderful
blessing, the shedding of blood. Without it, there's no remission.
With it, there's full forgiveness. Well, you and I, this morning,
rejoice. Go on our way rejoicing in what
Christ has done and be able to say, from a fully humble heart,
my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Amen.