Matthew 26:28 (NIV) This is my blood of the covenant,
which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
If you have been a believer in Christ for long period of time, you have probably noticed the gradual change or evolution of the topic and the message of many of the songs that are sung in church or played on Christian radio today. I am not referring to the style (rock, southern gospel, contemporary, hip hop, country, traditional) or even the tempo of the songs, “The relative speed at which music is or ought to be played”. What I am referring to is, the difference between worship which acknowledges who God or Jesus is in a song, and praise, which is singing about what Jesus does which usually has an emphasis on how I feel about what God or Jesus does.
When we listen to or sing Christian songs, do you pay close attention to the message of the song? Is the song about who God or Jesus is, or about how we feel because of God and Jesus? Some Christian songs do not even mention God or Jesus. If you do not have a relationship with Him, you could easily think the song is about someone else other than God or Jesus.
If you listen to music played on Christian radio, is the blood of Jesus a popular topic of the songs that are played? Are contemporary songs about our sins being forgiven by the blood of Jesus being sung in the church today? In a church service, songs about the blood of Jesus are usually sung before receiving communion or just before or on Easter. And that is important! Because at least on these special occasions this is only time most Christians think about, sing or hear anything about the blood of Jesus.
If you know someone or if you are that someone like me, you might have many Christian albums and songs downloaded onto your cell phone. How many songs do you (and or someone you know) have on their cell phone that are about the blood of Jesus? When I looked on my cell phone, I only found four, “Nothing but the blood”, Are you washed in the blood”, “There is power in the blood”, and “Oh the blood” all sung by different contemporary music artists in different styles.
I am not trying to be nostalgic, nor is it my intent to be critical. My point and concern are, why are songs about the blood of Jesus very rarely sung or heard today? Is it because they tell us of a Biblical truth that our enemy would be very happy if Christians did not pay much attention to?
“… Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,” Revelation 1:5 (NIV)
Because of the limited space of this bulletin message we can only briefly look at three of the many applications and benefits of the blood of Christ in the life of a Christian.
In the New International Version concordance of the Bible, when looking up the verses in the New Testament that specifically mention and or refer to the blood of Christ Jesus, we find that there about thirty-five.
If you ask most Christians what is the most important thing that the blood of Christ does for you? The answer you would probably get is that the blood of Jesus forgives us of our sins. The recognition of the forgiveness of our sins is the most common benefit or application of the blood of Christ in the life of a Christian. It was Jesus who first said this in Matthew 26:28 (NIV), “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.“
The forgiveness of our sins can only be accomplished by the blood of Christ. In spite of this Biblical fact, some believe and practice a religious tradition which is Biblically incorrect that says, a person needs to do a certain amount of good works to have their sins forgiven, something like spiritual community service. But what does Scripture tell us? “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace…” Ephesians 1:7 NIV.
Ephesians 1:7 also tells us, “In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood”. Redemption is not a word we commonly use today. But if we hear on the news “that the hostages were freed because of the ransom that was paid”, we understand what was necessary and used to free the hostages. This the same idea that the definition gives us, “Deliverance upon payment of ransom”. Jesus’ blood is the ransom payment for the forgiveness of our sin. 1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV, 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Justification is another Biblical word that we do not use in our every day conversations or think about unless we are reading the Bible. Scripture tells us that if it was not for Jesus’ blood we could not be justified. Romans 5:9 (NIV), Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! “Justification is a legal term which pictures the sinner in the court of God to receive condemnation for the sins he has committed. But instead of being condemned he is judicially pronounced as not guilty, being declared by God to be righteous.” (Foundations of Pentecostal Theology). Justification from sin is only possible because of the blood of Christ, by God’s grace and our faith. Romans 3:23-25 (NIV) explains this very clearly, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.
When we increase our understanding of what the Bible teaches us about the blood of Christ and how it applies to our life and relationship with God, we will begin to fully experience the applications and benefits that God intends and provides for you and me.
Pastor John
