When the Lord Jesus comes back the next time, it will be for love, to rescues those who love Him from the great days of Jacob’s Troubles. When He returns for the final time, approximately seven years later, it will be in wrath, and righteous indignation. “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” (Rev. 19:13)
There is very little talk of the blood these days, it almost seems as if it is reprehensible to most who claim to serve the Lord, offensive even. “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Heb. 9:22) Why? Because that is how the Almighty desired it should be so. “And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.” (Gen. 4:10)
On the day that we will return with the Lord, the blood in the valley of the Son of Hinnom will be up to the bridles of the horses, it will flow like a river, the blood is important throughout the entirety of the Word of God, yet many seem to despise it. From the blood that was to be put on the doorpost and lintels so that the angel of death would pass over those whose faith was in the Lord, to the blood that dripped from the torn flesh of our Savior, blood is one of the keynotes of the entire Word of God. Without that shed blood, there would be no opportunity for salvation, but consider this, your blood did not need to be shed.
We have only to believe, and we are saved, and that salvation will work in us and through us by the power of the Holy Spirit the work of God for His glory, even if it costs us our blood. Here is the faith of the saints, we realize that our lives have no meaning outside of Christ, if He calls us to die for Him, we do so, willingly. The flesh will fear, the soul will rejoice for we will soon be with Him. The truth of Philippians 1:21 becomes a reality to us, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Without the sacrifice of Christ, without the shedding of His blood, we would know no hope.
It is widely believed by many men of God that Christ placed His blood on the alter in heaven, just as the blood was sprinkled on the alters here on earth. The ending and beginning of all things is the blood. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” (Lev. 17:11) And it is truth in two respects, when it is gone, we die, when we are covered in the blood of Christ, we live.
Our sins, our garments that are red with sin are covered with the blood of Christ and are made shining white. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)
There are not many these days who stand behind the pulpit and preach on the blood, it has become offensive to those who sit in the pews. They want to imagine the Christ who died for them, but not the One who suffered, not a cross dripping with blood, but one shining in brilliance. “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men.” (Isaiah 52:14) Rarely will you see this image of a torn Savior, beaten and bloodied, nearly beyond recognition of a man.
When we offer ourselves to the Lord, we do not just offer Him our time, our resources, our energy and thoughts, we offer Him our lives, even unto the death, a death that we have allowed Him to choose for us. Few will contemplate this truth, quick and painless as possible is how they desire their last moments here on earth to be, and sadly that is how they want their walk with Him to be in this life.
I have met few in my life that want to be a part of the fellowship of His suffering, perhaps occasionally mentally, but not in the flesh, for it would require their blood to be spilled on the ground. Serving Christ with all your heart is to leave every decision of your life in His hands, if you cannot do that to the point of blood, then this verse is for you. “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” (Heb. 12:4) The question is, do you want to?
