THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS
BY THE SPIRIT IN SCRIPTURE?
George V. Wigram
If we read the contexts of the following references, we shall see, as to the blood of Jesus Christ, that:
1. It connects the disciple with a covenant (Matt 26: 28 etc)
2. The knowledge of it is eternal life (John 6: 32-69)
3. It is the proof of the death of Jesus (John 19: 33)
4. The purchase money of the flock (Acts 20: 28)
5. The propitiation provided by God (Rom 3: 25)
6. The finished justification (Rom 5: 9)
7. The centre of union among the saints on earth (1 Cor 10: 16)
8. Freedom from guilt (Eph 1: 7)
9. Our nighness - to God as sons - to Christ as bride - to the Holy Ghost as temple (Eph 2: 13)
10. Redemption, even the forgiveness of sins (Col 1: 14)
11. The power of deliverance from Satan’s kingdom into Christ’s (Col 1: 20)
12. The secured approach of the sinner to the holiest where God dwells, and Christ, who gives good things to come (Heb 9: 7-12)
13. It is to be known as such (Heb 9: 12-14)
14. Both the place to which it thus leads, and the blessings of the place (as well as the people for whom they are) are connected with it (Heb 9: 18-28)
15. It is the taking away of sin, the setting apart of the saints to God, and that by which they are already perfected (Heb 10: 11-14)
16. The power of heavenly filial service (Heb 10: 19)
17. The sanctification of those that know it (Heb 10: 27-31; 13: 12)
18. The measure of our obedience to God (Heb 12: 1-4)
19. The testimony of good things to us, but judgment on the world (Heb 12: 24)
20. The sanctification as of an eternal covenant (Heb 13: 12, 20)
21. The knowledge of it is the proof of election (1 Pet 1: 2)
22. It is the saint’s ransom (1 Pet 1: 18)
23. The saint’s daily resource for cleansing (1 John 1: 7)
24. God’s witness upon earth (1 John 5: 8)
25. The cleansing of our persons - so sung of on earth (Rev 1: 5)
26. Our redemption so sung of in heaven (Rev 5: 9)
27. The cleansing of our robes (Rev 7: 14)
28. The victory over Satan (Rev 12: 11)
The blood, the death, and the cross of Jesus (though all found together in the one great act of man’s rebellion against God), are often presented by the Spirit as having different things more immediately connected with each of them. At present I shall only speak of the blood. The blood, when spoken of as known so as to be valued, always seems to involve, more or less remotely, the idea of atonement. In itself it is atonement; even that by which alone God can be just, and yet the justifier of the sinner; and, so it is that which not only enables God to bless, but the sinner to draw near for blessing. And yet it has more uses and applications in connection with atonement, than most are aware. For it may be looked at as presented with the view of giving eternal life to them that believe; as in itself propitiation; as the removal of sin; as justification, forgiveness, nearness, peace; as that which alone cleanses the conscience of a sinner, or can keep a saint’s conscience clean; which has cleansed the person in one place, and the robes in another; which is redemption - an approach to the holiest - the securer and retainer of that place - our purchase money - our sanctification - the proof of our election - our power over Satan, the power and measure of our obedience to God, that in which we have communion one with another the seal of the everlasting covenant. In such various lights does the Spirit make mention of the blood! May the saints, however weak, know God’s estimate of the blood in all varied applications of it, and, through the Spirit, learn to adopt God’s estimate, and to set aside their own.
Ignorance of the blood, or carelessness to it, is the world’s condemnation. Passages bearing upon this I shall not now notice, except as connected with the saint’s victory over the world - writing merely with the view of endeavouring to help Christians to see the blood as connected with themselves. May the Holy Spirit, who bears witness with the blood, reveal to us that which flesh and blood cannot, while we muse on these things!
From: The Inquirer
1840
This article was also reproduced in the 1st Series of A Word in its Season in August 2000