Nothing but the Blood!

It can forgive, forget, and make you new;

It can can heal sickness 

It can justify you;

It allows to to go before the throne;

To get to God, you must go though it alone!

Nothing but the blood!

I have always known that the blood of Jesus was important. I grew-up listening to my grandparents sing hymns about it. I heard time and again that there was 'Power in the Blood' along with several other cliche style 'churchy' sayings. 

At age 7 I came to a realization that I needed Jesus. I knew that I could never be good enough. I asked Him into my heart to be my Savior. When I was 21 I realized that having Him as my Savior wasn't enough, I wanted Him to be the Lord of my life. I wanted to let Him lead me. He needed to be my guide. I could no longer do that on my own. I had tried and failed too many times.

Since that time I have had seasons of growth, waiting, rebellion, repentance, and closeness with Jesus. I have studied His word and prayed for wisdom to understand. I have leaned on Him during the tough times and rejoiced and praised Him during the good times. I haven't been perfect, that's why He is necessary!

Lately, my views on a lot of things that I believe have been tested. I have searched and found scripture to either back what I believe or teach me differently. In these intense times of seeking God's face, I have found some amazing scripture about the blood of Jesus. (I know that all scripture is amazing, 2 Timothy 3:16 says "All scripture is God-breathed..." it doesn't get any more amazing than that. However, there are times when a verse or a group of verses stand out to me so big that amazing is simply the only word to use!)  

Have you ever stopped to really think about the blood, to understand it's importance? I did this week and let me tell you, I am in awe! Here's an example:

In Hebrews 10 Paul is talking about the sacrificial system set up in the Old Testament as a means of covering the sins of the people. Let me pick up in verse 11:

" Every priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over, which are never able to strip away sins [that envelop and cover us]; 12 whereas Christ, having offered the one sacrifice [the all-sufficient sacrifice of Himself] for sins for all time, sat down [signifying the completion of atonement for sin] at the right hand of God [the position of honor]"

With the sacrificial system that the priests used, it was simply a cover-up for sins. The sins were still present, the blood just masked them. These sacrifices had to be repeated over and over! 

The blood of Jesus did away with that system! He was the ultimate sacrifice!

His blood doesn't just cover our sins, it erases them! More than that, as if there needs to be more, the blood allows us to go before the throne of God. We no longer need priests to do that for us. We are covered by the blood of Jesus, we are forgiven, and we are justified by faith! We can now approach the throne! 

Without the blood of Jesus, I am nothing. I am a sinful, imperfect person. I am destined to be separated from God eternally. When you apply the blood, it changes all of that! Now, I am a joint heir with Christ! I am a child of God. I am FORGIVEN! I can now go before God on my own. I can have a personal relationship with Him! 

That my friends, is some pretty powerful stuff! 

Because of this, today I stand thankful and in awe of my Heavenly Father Who loved me so much that He sent Jesus to die, for me!!! So that I no longer have to face ultimate separation from God, but instead, ultimate fellowship! An eternity of worshiping and praising HIM!!! All because of the BLOOD!!!

"What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

Oh! precious is the flow

that makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know;

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Nothing can for sin atone;

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

Naught for good that I had done;

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!*"

*"Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" by Robert Lowry