But 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 cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (ESV)
We cannot read through the pages of the bible and fail to see the importance God places on blood. The obvious reason I suppose is found in the Old Testament. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. (Leviticus 17:11 ESV) Remove the blood and life ends. Blood is sacred; especially to God.
God inaugurated the first covenant with blood. God commanded the use of the blood of animals to atone for the sins of his people. The high priest entered into the Holy of Holies once a year, always with blood, to sprinkle the blood upon the mercy seat as a sin offering for the people. As precious as this blood was it could not cleanse the conscience of the guilty parties. As such it had to be offered year after year and was a constant reminder of sin. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Hebrews 10:1-4 ESV).
What the blood of bulls and goats could not do, the blood of Jesus accomplished. The blood of bulls and goats covered the sins of the people, but the blood of Jesus cleanses his people from sin. Jesus as our High Priest, entered into heaven itself to appear in the presence of God on our behalf (Hebrews 9:24). He entered not with the blood of bull and goats but with his own blood so that our consciences would be purified (cleansed) from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). Upon our believing upon that precious blood, that blood has made us clean FOREVER (Hebrews 10:14).
Anyone standing under the flood of Jesus’ blood is made wholly clean. It doesn’t matter what a person has done, no matter what the sin or how many the sins the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to make a sinner clean. Having trusted in that blood we should no longer be bound by the guilt of the sins of our past. The blood of Jesus has washed them all away; we are totally cleansed.As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12 ESV) Even now, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 ESV) That precious blood has enough reaching power to cleanse all of our future sins and present us without spot or wrinkle before the throne of God (Ephesians 5:27).
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22 ESV)
There is a fountain filled with blood flowing from Immanuel’s veins, And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains. (William Cowper)
Have you been cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus?
Scriptures for meditation:
Psalm 65:3
Titus 2:14