Sunday Sermon: There Is Power In His BLOOD

 “The power in the blood” is one of those phrases that should be in the Bible, but it isn’t. You are more likely to find it in an older hymnbook. Whichever version of the Bible you use, you will probably not find the exact phrase, “the power in the blood.” I’ve searched through nine translations in my library and cannot find it. While I don’t think the phrase is there, I’m certain that the truth of it is.

An old hymn which begins with the question “Would you be free from your burden of sin?” was written by Lewis Edgar Jones in 1899 at a camp meeting in Mountain Lake, Maryland. It has been referred to by many as “the anthem of the Church.” This hymn clearly affirms the truth of the phrase, “the power in the blood.”
Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you o’er evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Refrain:
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the blood of the Lamb;
There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Refrain

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow.
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Refrain

Would you do service for Jesus your King?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you live daily His praises to sing?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.
Refrain

From the words of this hymn it is evident that the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, empowers victories over sin, evil, passion and pride, and enables victorious service for Jesus Christ to anyone who would truly be a follower of Jesus.

In the early centuries of the Church, the Romans, and other peoples around them, accused Christians of “cannibalism” because they spoke so much about partaking of the body and blood of Jesus Christ at their communion services. I hope we are beyond such criticism today.

Come with me on a six point study of the blood of Jesus Christ as found in the New Testament. It is admittedly incomplete as there is so much material on the subject that we could use. And please excuse me if your favorite “blood” verse is not referred to. If you share this brief study with others you can always add your favorite text where appropriate. Remember, our focus is on “the power in the blood.”

1. Powerful Sacrifice Of His Blood
“Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!” — Romans 5:9
Jesus did not wait for us to be good enough before He died for us. We were still deep in sin when our Savior rescued us. He exchanged our sinfulness for His goodness. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). The nails that spilt His blood onto Calvary’s earth also drove home His righteousness which was offered to us while He took the punishment for our sinfulness. It was His sacrificial love which covered all our sins. He was reconciling mankind whom He had created back into friendship with Himself. “For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” (Rom. 5:10).

2. Powerful Substitution Of His Blood
“God was pleased ... through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” — Colossians 1:19-20
At conception, God the Son became man in Mary’s womb. Jesus was man enough to become a substitute for all of mankind. He was completely man as God intended man to be. Exceptionally, Jesus did not sin in thought, word, deed or any other way. Death, which applied to all who had sinned, never applied to the sinless Jesus. So God the Father gave God the Son for everyone else in the world’s history – past, present and future – who would receive Him as their Savior. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn. 3:16). His shed blood covers the sins of multi-millions! No wonder we sing, “There’s power in the blood.”

3. Powerful Salvation By His Blood
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” — Ephesians 1:7
The Christian has nothing to boast about except that Jesus Christ’s blood has made him wonderfully acceptable to God. Once His blood is applied to an individual his sins are forgiven – graciously and justly. Sin does matter, but God has paid the penalty Himself in Christ. From His super-abundant treasure chest of grace God says something like this: “I see you are one who belongs to Me because of My Son. Well done for using the faith I offered you to become one of heaven’s citizens, with Jesus Christ as your Savior.”

Some of my friends have to take blood-thinning tablets every day because they have heart conditions. The blood of Jesus is just right for cleansing our sinful heart condition. While His blood cleanses us once and for all, it is also available when we fall back into the error of our ways. God’s grace never dries up, never wears out, and never will expire until we are with Him in glory.

4. Powerful Sanctification By His Blood
“To God’s elect ... who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood.” — 1 Peter 1:2
Peter ends the above verse with words which describe how Christians can live a sanctified life: “Grace and peace be yours in abundance.” Just as our salvation is all from Jesus Christ and through His blood, so is our sanctification or holy living. Those who have chosen to be strangers in this world, because heaven is our real home, are to show our heavenly life here as a means of attracting people to Jesus Christ. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mt. 5:16).

It was so good to read of the Pakistani people thanking Christians for being first on the scene to help them after their disastrous 2010-2011 floods. This is how Christians should act. We should live to show Christ’s heavenly order here on earth. When we are stretched to do good, we experience God’s provision ourselves. He supplies means to do what He wants to be done. It may be a huge event like the floods mentioned, or it may be a small, personal event, such as helping one person through one of life’s little difficulties. Those who are new creations in Christ show God’s “grace and peace ... in abundance” in their lifestyle.

5. Powerful Security In His Blood
“If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” — 1 John 1:7
Jesus showed by His own life that it is possible to be a “light” in a world of “darkness.” The disciples passed on what they had learned from Jesus. They argued that it was not possible to be a true follower of Jesus and still “walk in darkness” – to live with yourself in charge of your own life, rather than having Jesus Christ clearly in charge, setting the goals, making an agenda and keeping accounts.

If you visit the doctor because you feel ill, he is likely to arrange for you to have a blood test. Chemical analysis can show if there is enough iron in the blood, or whether the white cell count is high or low. Tests like these can show diseases and are invaluable for diagnosis. I venture to suggest that Christians who live with a wrong view of the blood of Jesus Christ will show signs of spiritual sickness and not be a light to others. All sin matters, but it can be cleansed by confession to Jesus with application of His blood. The blood of Jesus does indeed purify us from all sin!

6. Powerful Sovereignty Of His Blood
“And from 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
Watching the news on TV can mislead us into a gloomy and tragic outlook of our world. Ultimately the world will end with the return of our Lord Jesus Christ in glory and power. Revelation 1:7 says that “every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him.” While the Jews and the Romans conspired to execute Jesus by crucifixion, we must never forget that it was our sin that put Him on the cross, and it was His own love that kept Him there until the price for our sin was paid in full.

In recent decades the USA and the USSR have been great nations. Now the world is talking about China as an up-and-coming power. But as Christians we must remember that we worship and serve the Sovereign Lord God. He is the supreme authority, no matter what today’s world leaders do or say. The Word of God stands above the word of any human, no matter how great their position is in history. Jesus is the Word of God and the Word of Life (Jn. 1:1; 1:14; 1 Jn. 1:1-2). It is His voice that we must listen to above all others, because He is “the ruler of the kings of the earth.” Every other voice will pass into oblivion. His will last for all eternity (Lk. 21:33).

His Blood Shed For You
These are my six favorite verses pertaining to the blood of Jesus Christ. They speak of the power of His blood in relation to sacrifice, substitution, salvation, sanctification, security and sovereignty. Earlier this week, I had to visit my doctor’s office and the hospital. In both places I saw signs that said, “Giving blood saves lives.” Now of course in context these appeals have nothing to do with the life- saving blood of Jesus. These posters are merely an important attempt to get people to donate a quantity of blood for hospitals to use in the treatment of those who need blood. I have benefited from blood given. But I couldn’t help thinking, “Yes, Jesus’ blood saves lives, so I must offer it to everyone I can. Why? Because there is power in His blood!”

If you have not yet confessed your personal sins to the one and only holy God and asked for forgiveness on the basis of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for you, may I urge you to do so today. Tomorrow may be too late.

By Colin Salter

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