You are saved in no other way than through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ
15 November 2020
In our time, many churches simply do not teach, or focus enough on, the doctrine of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. Nowadays people are starting to demand that this gory subject not be elaborated on in church because it may upset sensitive people. Pastors allow this, likely out of fear that they will lose congregation members, and in the process, vital income. While we understand that workers such as preachers expect to be paid for the work they do, this is not a New Testament principle. Paul is a great example of a pastor (of many churches!) who never demanded payment for his work but mostly funded his ministry through making tents, hence the popular term we use today for a pastor who is not on the congregation’s payroll: tentmaker.
Paul warned Timothy about the time when people would not accept true doctrine but convince preachers to teach only what they want to hear:
2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. – 2 Timothy 4:2-4
What is it that is being taught nowadays? That salvation is a way to escape eternal punishment. That good people do not deserve to die in their sins. That salvation becomes a crutch to lean on when you have run out of options. There could be many other examples. The real question is if many “churches” actually teach their members the truth of the meaning of the atonement of Christ’s death – the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is supposed to be just that: the truth, as given in the Bible; the whole truth, containing everything related to the atonement of Jesus; and nothing but the truth, stripped of anything that will make it sound more appealing to entice the masses and soothe their itching ears.
Let us get to the crux of the matter:
18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. – 1 Peter 1:18-21
The apostle makes it clear that we are not redeemed by two things:
- corruptible things like silver and gold (earthly things we have accumulated); and
- the teachings and traditions of those before us.
We are redeemed by one thing only (“thing” used with the greatest of respect here!):
- the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.
Let us consider the true meaning of what Peter says about Christ:
- the blood is precious – there is nothing else like it. The blood of lambs were merely superficial examples that pointed towards the blood of the Lamb.
- It is compared to the blood of a lamb that was without blemish or spot. The Israelites, before leaving Egypt, were required to kill a lamb that was without any defect:
5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats – Exodus 12:5
Indeed, Jesus had no blemish or spot in His character. He lived life among sinners and ordinary men but never sinned Himself.
- Peter makes it clear that the atoning work of Jesus was foreordained before the foundation of the world and that He was made known to the world in the flesh in these last times.
Salvation is pointless if you cannot accept that it is only through the blood of the cross that you are saved. Your works cannot save you. There is nothing that you can add to the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. A simple sinner’s prayer still means nothing if you do not accept the blood of the cross. We often tell people to just believe in Jesus. That is true, but what aspect of Jesus should they believe in? That He came from God? Many others knew it but were still not saved.
Nicodemus was a righteous man, or so it seems in the Gospel of John. He knew that Jesus came from God:
1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. – John 3:1-2
Jesus answers him immediately:
3Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. – John 3:3
He makes it clear that without being born again, you cannot be part of the kingdom of God, in other words be saved and belong to Jesus. Being born again implies an understanding of Jesus’ mission. Even if Nicodemus had not yet known about the crucifixion, he should have known enough of Old Testament scripture to understand Jesus’ mission. Jesus makes this easy for Nicodemus by quoting from the Old Testament Himself:
14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up – John 3:14
Nicodemus surely must have understood from the Old Testament example that people were saved from dying by looking at the bronze serpent Moses made.
That the blood of Jesus is essential to our salvation is typified by the instruction the Israelites received. They had to kill the lamb, a young one who probably grew up in front of them. Without killing the lamb, the next step could not be completed.
21Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. 22And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. – Exodus 12:21-24
The blood on the lintel and the side posts was the sign that when the Lord passed over the door and saw the blood, the inhabitants would not die. In the same manner, the death of Jesus on the cross and blood that was shed is the sign that we are sealed, on condition that we accept it. If we have accepted that Jesus is our passover lamb and have applied His blood and promises to our own lives, then one can be said to be saved.
There are many examples in the New Testament that testify to the importance of the blood of Jesus Christ:
7But 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 cleanseth us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7
John is clear that it is the blood that cleanses us from all sin.
13But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. – Ephesians 2:13
Paul writes to the congregation in Ephesus and tells them that only by the blood of Jesus Christ they were reconciled to God.
19Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, – Hebrews 10:19
The writer to the Hebrews makes it clear that we can enter the holiest, God’s presence, by the blood of Jesus Christ. There is no other way.
18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. – 1 Peter 1:18-21
Peter was in a way in a more advantageous position than Paul. Peter most probably saw the crucifixion take place even if it is not directly stated. Despite his rather irrational behaviour at times, he had a special relationship with Jesus.
5And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, – Revelation 1:5
This is John writing again and he reiterates what he wrote in his earlier letter. He says Jesus Himself washed us in his own blood.
While researching the topic, I found this very precious statement: “Jesus paid a debt that He did not owe, because we owed a debt that we could not pay” (Stewart, n.d.). The writer makes it clear that whereas the offers in the Old Testament had to be repeated year after year, Jesus Christ’s death on the cross was sufficient as a one-time offering, as is seen here:
25Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26For 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. – Hebrews 9:25-26
Conclusion
God’s salvation would not have any effect if there was no power in the blood. If the lamb was killed at the time of the exodus and it was left at that, there would not be any way the household was going to be spared. It was important for the blood to be seen. By the time the Lord passed over the house, the lamb had already been cooked and eaten, as was the requirement. The blood was the only sign that the household was divinely protected. We are saved only by the blood of Jesus, nothing else.
Bibliography
Stewart, D., n.d. We Are Saved by the Literal Blood of Jesus!. [Online]
Available at: http://godlovespeople.com/bible_doctrines/blood_of_jesus.htm
[Accessed 15 November 2020].