God Still Demands Blood

“Without shedding of blood is no remission.” (Hebrews 9:22)

These days people do not like to talk about blood atonement, blood redemption, and blood bought salvation. Some churches and denominations have even gone through their literature and hymnbooks and carefully removed every mention of the precious blood of Christ, lest they offend the tastes of cultured reprobates. But God still demands blood. We cannot be saved without the blood of Christ. That by which the Lord Jesus Christ redeemed His people from their sins was His own, precious blood.

The Son of God entered into heaven and obtained our eternal redemption “with His own blood” (Hebrews 9:12). Our redemption was accomplished, wrought out, and obtained by the precious blood of Christ by the sacrifice of His life which was represented and present in that blood, which was shed so freely for the remission of our sins and the ransom of our souls. How I thank God for the blood, the precious blood of Christ! Read about it and rejoice (Exodus 12:13; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-20; Revelation 5:9). Let me remind you of just three things about the precious, sin-atoning blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. It was deliberately shed blood. — Had it been possible for His blood to have been spilt involuntarily, by accident, or by some outside force, against His will, it would not have been a proper redemption price. It could not have answered for us as a payment to the justice of God. But it was purposely and voluntarily shed with our Master’s full consent. Christ had the full control and disposal of His own life. He freely gave His life a ransom price for many. He said, “I lay down my life for the sheep,” as a ransom price for them; “I lay it down of Myself” (Matthew” 20:28; John 10:15-18).

2. It was human blood, the blood of a man. —That blood which was so freely shed for us was the same as the blood which flows in our veins. This, too, was necessary. We could not be redeemed with the blood of bulls and goats, which could never be an adequate price of redemption. Human blood must be shed for the atonement of men. Christ partook of the same flesh and blood with the children for whom He died. The only difference was this: His blood was not tainted with sin as ours is.

This was another requirement for our redemption. The ransom price had to be the blood of an innocent, perfectly righteous man. Much notice is given in Scripture to the innocence, holiness, and righteousness of the Redeemer. He was holy in His nature and blameless in life. He knew no sin. He never committed any evil. He is the just and Holy One. He suffered the Just for the unjust.

Great emphasis is laid upon this fact, too: The price with which men are redeemed is “the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot” (1Peter 1:18-19). If He had had any sin in Him, He could not have been a redeemer from sin. His blood could not be the price of redemption.

3. It was divine blood, the blood of a Man who is God. —It was necessary, if atonement was to be made and redemption accomplished for God’s elect, that the blood shed must also be the blood of One who is Himself God as well as man. None but Christ ever made such a claim; and none but Christ meets this requirement. Therefore, we are told that God, Who is Christ, “purchased the church with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). It is the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, which cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Don Fortner

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