But 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
The
sacrifice of Jesus and the blood He shed on the cross was the price He
paid for the sins of all mankind. His spilled blood and torn flesh bring
life to those who accept Him as Savior. It is a great mystery as to why His
innocent life was required as a sacrifice for your sins and mine. We cannot
intellectually understand the vicarious suffering of the Lord, nor why this was
the plan through which salvation would come. However, anyone that does not accept
the atoning work of Jesus Christ have become “bloodless” ones without power.
And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22
From
a medical standpoint, the function of human blood in the body is to keep it
healthy and alive. The same is true of the blood of Jesus. His blood keeps the
body of Christ healthy and alive.
Another
of the main functions of the blood in the human body is to facilitate cleansing
of the system. This is also one of the main purposes the blood of Jesus does
for us. As members of the body of Christ, we are in need of cleansing when we
come to the Lord. This cleansing process is an ongoing process, as we walk in
the Lord, so that we will remain free from sin.
But 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. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:7-9
Just
as the human body needs cleansing, we also need that cleansing work in our
spirits and souls. When the Holy Spirit points out sin to us, we need to repent
and confess that sin so that we can be cleansed of it. The scripture says that
if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we will be in fellowship one
with another.
® As
Believers, if we have broken fellowship with any member in the body of Christ,
one or both of us will be walking in darkness and sin.
God
never divides and separates His body. We should always strive to walk in peace
and harmony with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Of course, if there
are those who refuse to fellowship with us, then we must leave them in the
hands of the Lord and pray for them. However, we should be very sure that there
is nothing at our end of the relationship that is preventing fellowship, lest
we be guilty of “walking in the dark.”
The Spirit of Christ
always seeks to reconcile any division. He requires those that are strong to
bear the burdens of those that are weak. The Lord would have those that are
mature to pray for and love those that are immature. If those involved in
conflict would put on the nature of Christ during those times, the Lord would
bring forth victory each time.
We’re
not to defend our position, but are to trust God to defend us even if we have
been unduly wronged. Fighting back with words and hostile feelings only compounds
the problem. We must ask for God’s grace and love for those who oppose us. We
must recognize it is the enemy at work against our marriages, homes,
friendships and churches. Dependence upon God and His power is the only way for
our victory to come. If we are to be cleansed and purged by God, we must yield
completely to Him and His working in conflicting situations.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he
shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and
prepared unto every good work. Flee from youthful lusts: but follow
righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a
pure heart. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, ‘knowing that they do
gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto
all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the
devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 2 Timothy 2:21-26
Not
only does the blood of Jesus bring cleansing to the body, but the Scripture
says it will :
“…purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living
God.” Hebrews 9:14
The
Lord desires that all the evil in our hearts and minds and consciences be
purged so that we can have the mind of Christ. This cleansing process is
accomplished by applying the Word of God to our lives.
Now ye
are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. John 15:3
By
fellowshipping with Jesus through His Word and reading the Word, we are made
clean. The more of His Word that we know and apply, the cleaner our vessel
shall be. The Word of God cleanses and the blood of Jesus cleanses. When Jesus
offered up His blood, He did it so that you and I could become clean, holy
vessels.
The
blood of Jesus also brings life to us, just as the blood in the physical body
carries the life. Those who do not know the Lord Jesus are dead and have
no life in them. Also, those who refuse to accept Christ will never have any
life in them.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto
you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no
life in you… He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me,
and I in him. John 6:53, 56
® Anything
that is not life is not from the Lord. Death and sickness are the enemies of
man.
“Jesus
said, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am
come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10
If
we do not accept the life of Christ, eternal death will result. Just as life
leaves when the blood flows out of the natural body, so it is true with those
who have not the divine flow within their veins.
Sin Requires Shedding
of Blood
Under
the Old Testament law, the penalty for men’s sins (that were not punishable by
death) was the sacrifice of an animal’s life. The shedding of blood was
required to atone for their sin. We might wonder why such a terrible thing was
required by God. Why were innocent little lambs and doves slain and their blood
sprinkled on the altar? Perhaps we can understand this if we place ourselves in
the situation of being instructed to kill an animal for telling a lie or
committing some other sin. When one must kill an innocent animal because of his
sin, it illustrates the awfulness of sin. God wanted man to understand that
when he sinned, it meant death for something or someone.
If
we were still under the Old Testament law today, we would be required to take a
little lamb and kill it for our sins. This would be difficult for most of us
because we would cringe at the thought of slaying anything innocent. The Lord
wanted us to realize that the penalty of sin would cause a life to be taken.
When people had to take a little dove and bring it to be slain upon an altar as
an offering for their sins, the impact of sin became real to them. Sin always
requires a sacrifice.
Today,
we have the Spirit of God that cleanses us from our sins as we confess them. Jesus
was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and His death and shed
blood paid the price for sin once and for all. No longer does an animal need to
be offered for our sins.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast
had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is
written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and
offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither
hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come
to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the
second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of
Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:6-9
Jesus’ Blood Gives
Health and Strength
Another
function of the human blood is its capacity to bring healing to the physical
body. The blood of Jesus spiritually does the same for the body of Christ. When
Satan invades, the Holy Spirit stands ready to come to our aid and bring the
needed healing. The Lord desires that we walk in divine health. If we stay in
close communion with Him, we will find our spiritual man will not become sick
and depleted, needing continual healing. Satan tries to drain us of our
spiritual strength and weaken us to the point where we have no resistance
against His attacks. Staying in the flow of God’s Spirit prevents this, as we
then have His strength to overcome and walk victoriously.
The
natural body becomes weak when proper diet and rest are neglected. This results
in a condition known as “anemia,” and it is due to the lack of iron in the red
blood cells. The iron compound in the red blood cells is medically termed
“hemoglobin.” When this is low, the body becomes weary and fatigued. The blood
carries this compound to all parts of the body to bring strength. We, as
Christians, are admonished to:
“…be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” Ephesians 6:10
Weakness
is just another attack of the devil. We are to be strong in our spirits, souls,
and bodies.
® Believers
should not be spineless individuals, but strong in their witness for the Lord.
Timidity
and shyness can be overcome through Jesus by asking Him for His holy boldness.
Many people suffer needlessly, unable to speak the things in their hearts,
because of fear and timidity. Jesus wants them free. We are to be strong
people, not weak individuals. Physically, we can also call upon the Lord to
strengthen us when we are weary. We are not to walk in weakness but in the
Lord’s strength.
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees Isaiah 35:3
® Weakness
is another area in which we must resist and learn to claim the Lord’s strength.
If we've been abusing our bodies, we need to correct our habits and
get the proper rest and diet. However, if we have been doing this, sometimes
the problem is a spiritual one and needs to be dealt with through prayer. When
we are about the Lord’s business, He gives us the energy and vitality to
accomplish those things that require our attention.
When we give our lives to the Lord, all that we do becomes
His business. Average people become more
than average when they become children of God. What is normal for the children
of this world is not normal for the body of Christ. We have our values messed
up because we have not looked to God’s Word for our “norm” or standard. It is
not normal for a Christian to be weak, fearful, depressed, grieved, or sick.
These things are abnormal for God’s people. However, so many of God’s people
have accepted the world’s standards that they are walking far below their
privileges.
® Another
thing that can cause people to be weak and sickly is for them to take the
communion of the Lord without first examining themselves to see if any sin is
present in their lives.
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said,
Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of
me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying,
This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it,
in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye
do shew the Lord’s death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this
bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body
and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of
that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For
this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 1 Corinthians 11:24-30
The
taking of communion is one of the church sacraments that represents the
spiritual communion with our Lord. The reason we are to examine ourselves
before we take the wine and the bread is so that there is nothing in our hearts
that would prevent our communion with God. If we do not have the proper
relationship with members of the Lord’s body, then we cannot have a proper
relationship with God.
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he
is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he
love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he
who loveth God love his brother also. 1 John 4:20-21
If
we have been taking of Christ’s blood (abiding in His Spirit) and eating his
flesh (assimilating His Word), then we will have blessed communion with the
Father. We shall walk in health and strength for they are the Lord’s blessing
and promise. When we do not walk in the Lord, we find our spiritual body
becomes unhealthy, and we begin to have problems.
There
is a blood disease called leukemia that attacks some people. The disease of leukemia is caused by runaway cells
that are cancerous and in rebellion. When we become rebellious toward God, we
cause the same condition to occur in our spiritual lives. We find that
spiritual cancer will eat away our life. We must ask the Lord to deliver us
from all rebellion and submit to His will in order to remain healthy. The Bible
says:
“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is
as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he
hath also rejected thee…” 1 Samuel 15:23
We
must yield to the Lord to remain spiritually and physically healthy. The Lord
will minister to us the things we need to stay in proper spiritual condition.
(Biblical Studies)
