Now the phrase I want you to
think about today and I want to preach about today is found
in verse 7. The phrase that says, not without
the blood, not without blood. Now under the first covenant,
the first covenant that was revealed and instituted by God, they were
given instructions to build a tabernacle with rules and regulations for
sacrifice. and for worship unto God, how
to approach unto God through the blood of a sacrifice. The
tabernacle was divided into two rooms. The common priest went
every day, every morning, every evening into the holy place,
accomplishing the service of God by offering various sacrifices. There's five of them mentioned
in the book of Leviticus, the burn offering, the meat offering,
the peace offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. The
common priest went every day into the holy place bringing
these various sacrifices. But as we read in verse 7, but
into the second went the high priest alone one time, one time
a year. The high priest went alone once
every year to put blood into this holy of holies, into the
holy of holies. Beyond the veil went the high
priest once a year to put the blood on the mercy seat covering
the broken law. This was called the Day of Atonement. We'll read about it in Leviticus
16, verse 34. To enter into the Holy of Holies,
this priest knew to come before God and enter into the Holy of
Holies without the blood meant certain judgment and death for
the priest. Now, always remember this, the
animal sacrifices that were offered under the law never put away
one sin. In Hebrews 10.4 we read, For
it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should
take away sin. The blood of an animal could
not put away the sin of a man. The blood of an animal could
not atone for the sin of a man. These were types and pictures
pointing to and representing how sin is put away through the
blood of a substitute. We read about that in verse 11
and 12 and Hebrews 9. Let's read those two verses.
But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come,
by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands,
that is to say, not of this building, 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. It's not with
the blood of bulls and goats that we're redeemed, and no one
under the Old Covenant, the Old Testament covenant, was redeemed
by the blood of an animal. It simply pointed to how sin
was put away through the substitute Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is
God's high priest representing His covenant people. In Hebrews
chapter 4, if you'd like to turn over there, in Hebrews 4 verse
14, Christ is our great high priest. Seeing then that we have
a great high priest that is passed into the heaven, Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession." Jesus Christ,
that old covenant priest, typified and pointed to the coming of
the high priest, the high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus
Christ is God's high priest representing His covenant people. Jesus Christ
is God's Lamb, God's sacrifice offering the sin. Sacrifice for
his people, Hebrews 2.17, Wherefore in all things it behooved him,
Christ, to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be
a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to
God, to make reconciliation, to make atonement for the sins
of the people." We see we have a high priest, we have a lamb,
which is Christ. Jesus Christ as a lamb and as
a priest of God did make effectual atonement for the sin of his
people. Hebrews 9 26 we read once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself How'd he put away sin with his own blood? God said is the blood that maketh
atonement for the soul and it is the blood of Jesus Christ
Now, how is it? How is it possible? Someone would
might ask this question. How is it possible that his blood
takes away sin? Let me answer that by asking
another question. How could it be possible that his blood not
take away sin? God ordained that his blood,
that Christ should be the bloody sacrifice to take away the sin
of God's people. God purposed it, my friend. In
1 John 4, 10, we read here in his love, not that we love God,
but that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation,
a mercy seat, a sin covering for the sin of his people. God purposed that His blood should
take away our sin. God ordained it and God's purpose
cannot be frustrated. He said, I've spoken it, I'll
bring it to pass, I've purposed it, I'll do it. When you consider
who He is, who Christ is, then it is certain and sure that what
He did is accomplished and effectual unto God. Well, who is He and
what did He do? Turn over to Hebrews chapter
1 verse 3. Here we see who He is and what
He did. who being the brightness of His glory and the express
image of His person, speaking of Christ, and that speaks of
His deity, His glory, and when He had by Himself, upholding
all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sin, He sat down at the right hand of God. Who is
He? He's the express image of the glory of God. And what did
He do? He put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself. So when you consider who He is,
It is certain and sure that what he did is accomplished and effectual
unto God. He purchased a church with his
own blood. Remember, it's redemption always
through the blood. Now here's five precious truths
about the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here's the first one. There is forgiveness of sins
with God, but not apart from the blood, not without the blood. How blessed is this truth that
God against whom we have sinned, we have all sinned and come short
of the glory of God. David said in Psalm 51, against
thee and thee only have I sinned. The God against whom we have
sinned will forgive and remember our sin no more, but not without
the blood. Remember that, not without the
blood. He will not forgive one single sin without the blood
of Christ. Without the shedding of blood,
in Hebrews 9.22 we read, without the shedding of blood there is
no remission. He will not forgive one single
sin apart from the blood of Christ. But we know this, in Christ there
is forgiveness of sin through His blood. Now turn to Hebrews,
or rather let's try Ephesians chapter 1 verse 5. Hebrews, Ephesians 1 verse 5. having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved, in
whom we have redemption through His blood," there it is, redemption
through His blood, "...the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of His grace." So it's redemption and forgiveness through His blood. Now here's the second glorious
truth. There is pardon of sins, but not without the blood. What
a precious and glorious truth. Our sovereign God delights to
show mercy and pardon sinners. We read in Nehemiah 9, 17, thou
art a God ready to pardon. In Micah 7, 18, who is a God
like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity? and passeth by the
transgression of his remnant." In Jeremiah 50, 20, God said,
I will pardon them whom I reserve. In Isaiah 55, 7, He said, I will
abundantly pardon. When God pardons sinners, it's
complete and everlasting. He will pardon every one of the
sins of His people, but He will not pardon one sin without the
blood. To know my sins are pardoned,
pass. All my sins are pardoned, past,
present, and future, is the most comforting truth to the child
of God. He said, Comfort ye, comfort
ye my people, Isaiah 40, saith God. Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned, for she has received of the Lord's
hand double for all her sin. We know that we have pardon in
Christ. But we know also that it's pardoned
through the blood, through the precious blood. We know we're
not pardoned and redeemed with corruptible things, but with
the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot. There is forgiveness, but not
without the blood. There is pardon, but not without
the blood. Now, thirdly, there is justification
before God, but not without the blood. What greater blessing
Could a guilty sinner receive an experience before God than
to be justified, to be declared before God, declared to be righteous
before Almighty God, to be before Him without blame, holy, unblameable
before Him? That no one can lay anything
to the charge of God's elect because it is God that justifies. But remember, not without the
blood. Romans 3, verse 24 says we're
justified freely by His grace through the redemption, through
the blood that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans 5, verse
8 and 9 we read, but God commendeth His love toward us in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being
now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through
Him. So there is forgiveness, but
not without the blood. There is pardon, but not without
the blood. There is justification before
God to be made righteous before God, but not without the blood.
Now, fourthly, there is reconciliation with God, but not without the
blood. How grand and how marvelous is
this work of Christ? God was in Christ reconciling
his people unto himself. We were estranged from the womb,
without God, without hope, dead in trespasses and in sin. We
were unable to make peace with God. We couldn't satisfy God's
holy law. But God in Christ reconciled
the people unto Himself, but not without the blood. Now here's
the Scripture in Colossians 1.20. He said, Having made peace through
His blood, through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile
all things unto Himself, to present you holy, unblameable, and unreprovable
in His sight. We're accepted in the Beloved,
my friend, reconciled in Christ, but always remember, it's peace
with God through the blood of His cross. Now, fifthly, there
is union and fellowship and communion with God, but not without the
blood. How sweet to enjoy an ever-abiding
presence of God, Christ in you, the hope of glory. He plainly
promised and boldly states, I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake
you. I'll be with you always, even to the end. What a privilege
to enjoy this pleasant fellowship of the Holy Spirit dwelling within
us. But this could never be possible
without the blood of Christ. Now, here's the scripture, 1
John 1, 7. If we walk in the light as he is in the light,
we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ
His Son cleanses us from all sin. Now in closing, do you see
your need of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you see
that it is only the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that can
take away sin? Do you see that if God does save
you or anyone else, He will do so by His sovereign grace? By
grace are you saved, but remember it's Grace through the blood,
not without the blood, justified freely by His grace. But always
remember, it's the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's through
His blood, by grace through His blood. You cannot talk about
one covenant blessings, talking about the covenant of grace and
the covenant blessing, but you cannot talk about one covenant
blessing that is not purchased, secured, guaranteed, maintained,
apart from the blood atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes,
my friend, there is blessing, there is forgiveness, there is
pardon, there is fellowship, there is justification, there
is reconciliation and righteousness before God, but not without the
blood. Remember that. It causes me in
my heart before God to say, thank God for His substitutionary,
satisfying, bloody sacrifice under God. God said, when I see
the blood, I'll pass over you. Not when I see your works, not
when I see your goodness, not when I see your faithfulness,
but the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you would like to
order a copy of today's message, not without the blood, you write
to me and I'll send it to you free of charge. My address is
Zebulon Baptist Church, 6088 Zebulon Highway, Pikeville, Kentucky,
6088 Zebulon Highway, Pikeville, Kentucky
41501.