the blood of Jesus Christ has loosed us from sin and its consequences of death and division and has opened up to us the revelation of God’s ultimate destiny for us—which is to reign with Him as priests in the kingdom of God.
We were not redeemed by silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Christ! What gives the blood of Christ its worth? It is sinless. But it isn’t simply sinless by nature; it is also sinless by proof.
In the economy of God, the devil wound up being sin’s paymaster. Death is the paycheck for sin. But let us move on to a refinement of terms. Instead of being paid wages, let us think about the payment of fines.
The purchase of blood is Christianity 101, a foundational truth of our faith that we need to understand. If you have been in the faith for a long time, you might not find much new here. But it would grieve me not to remind you of these things. And as we proceed, you may find that your foundation could use some shoring up.
Not only did He make blood in such a way that it could transmit atonement; He also made it so that it could transmit sin. Acts 17:26 says that God “made of one blood all nations of men.” Technically speaking, mankind is a singular race. We all come from the one man Adam. Even the woman came from Adam’s blood.
This Creation is certainly full of wonders. But among all the wonders, two novel creations stand out: nephesh life and mankind. Let us look at the creation of soul life, the life of the flesh that resides in the blood.
The day our original parents were created, the day they became living souls, God named them according to the blood that brought color to their face. Blood defines the essence of man. And by placing life in the blood of man, God took a singular departure from what He had done in the creation of angels.
“The life of the flesh is in the blood.” This is a profound statement. God informs us that the very essence of life in man and animals runs through the river in their veins. Blood carries their life principle, if you will. And this blood is a precious commodity not to be trifled with.
The story of Jesus Christ is bloody—bloodier than most of us are willing to contemplate. Centuries of artistic expression have whitewashed the horror of Calvary. Instead of a naked convict, we have the loincloth-clad Christ. Instead of a face ripped, bloated, and bleeding from hours of beating, we have serenely closed eyes.
The Bible Philes 