The Life is in The Blood

Roby Ellis

"10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul" (Leviticus 17:10-11).

Blood is essential to life. Red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body while helping to rid them of waste products like carbon dioxide. White blood cells detect foreign material and fight off diseases. Platelets aid in coagulation (clotting), a self-repair mechanism of the body. Blood also helps to regulate the body's temperature and pH levels. Without enough blood, the body would die. The human body contains (on average) about 10 ½ pints of blood. Prior to the 19^th century, many illnesses were attributed to excess blood in the system, and because of this many people (including the first US president) died from attempts to relieve the body of this excess blood. When one considers this heavy use of blood in the Scriptures, it becomes clear that it has played an important role in God's plan for redeeming man. Just as blood is necessary of sustain physical life, Christ's blood is essential to sustain spiritual life.

We live because the blood sanctifies us. The word 'sanctify' means to set something apart as holy. The children of Israel were sanctified in Egypt by the blood of the Passover lamb which they applied to the frames of their doors according to God's instructions (Exodus 12:1-13). God's children are still sanctified by the blood - in our case, the blood of Christ (Hebrews 13:10-12). We must take care that we never despise the blood by which we have been sanctified (Hebrews 10:29), for otherwise there remains no more sacrifices for us (Hebrews 10:26).

We live because the blood cleanses us. The blood cleanses the physical body by removing things it no longer needs and that could potentially be harmful if retained. In like manner, John writes that Christ's blood "cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7), Just as waste products must be removed from the physical body, even so must harmful things be removed from our hearts. If not remedied, sin will kill us (Romans 6:23), but praise be to God that the blood of Jesus Christ is powerful enough to purge us from every sin! At the last supper, Jesus told the disciples, "28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). The New Testament teaches that it is by means of His blood that we are redeemed (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:18,19) and have our sins washed away (Revelation 1:5; Hebrews 9:22). To receive the benefits, however, one must allow himself to be washed (Acts 22:16) and continue to walk in God's light (1 John 1:7).

We live because the blood protects us. The blood in our bodies protects us from things foreign to the body. White blood cells protect us from diseases and infections. The blood also reacts to our surroundings to keep the body working properly by maintaining the body's temperature. As long as we are covered by the blood of Christ, we need never fear what happens outside the body of Christ. There is no force in this world great enough to separate us from Christ's love (Romans 8:38,39), and Jesus says that no man is able to pluck us from the Father's hand as long as we hear the good Shepherd's voice and follow Him (John 10:28,29). To complete the analogy, the blood has the power to create a beautiful harmony in the body, in which each part supplies the need of the other, just as God designed it (1 Corinthians 12).

Without proper application of the blood, the Israelites would have died in Egypt, and so it is with you and me. Christ shed His blood to save us. Will you be washed and let that blood save you?