… through his blood, the forgiveness of sins …
Summary: Blood holds a unique place in Scripture and life. We cannot live without it. In the salvation narrative, blood is both the price of salvation and the symbol of salvation.
When we read through the Bible, it is easy to be put off by the blood. From beginning to end, the Bible is filled with bloodshed. In the beginning, eight verses into the fourth chapter, Cain kills his younger brother, Able, with a rock. You can bet that wasn’t pretty! A few verses after that, Cain’s family is at it again as Lamech kills a young man. From there, it gets worse.
In Egypt, one of the curses Moses brings upon the Egyptians is the curse of blood. The water in the Nile, and everywhere else, was turned to blood. On the way out the door, when the Israelites are preparing to leave Egypt, it is blood that saves them from the destroyer. When the Israelites are in the desert on their way to Canaan, God gives them the Law, the sacrifices, and the tabernacle. Blood is everywhere!
Blood is significant. After the flood, God gives Noah this command: “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.” (Genesis 9:4) Then he adds:
“Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind.” (Genesis 9:6)
With God, there is no room for imperfections. “As for God, his way is perfect…” (Psalm 18:30) Jesus makes the point that even being angry with someone can be the equivalent of murder (Matthew 5:21-22). If we are held to such a standard, then all of us are effectively murderers, and we all deserve death.
Pause and let that sink in for a moment…
In God’s perfect eyes, every human being on the planet is deserving of death. Everyone. Yet, as Paul points out again and again, we are loved by God. He doesn’t want to see us die.
This is where things get a little confusing. Physical death is not the BIG DEATH as far as God is concerned. Rebelling spiritually and ending up in the lake of fire for eternity is the BIG DEATH. Physical death is just a part of physical life. Remember, the body’s self-awareness is the result of Adam and Eve eating from the forbidden tree. That part of us doesn’t count for anything. Only the spirit counts for eternity.
Still, in the physical realm where we live, no one wants to die. But we are all under a death sentence because of our rebellion.
What do we do?
The answer is … nothing. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. But there is something God can do. He can pay the price for our sins himself. He can’t murder, but he can allow us to murder him, and he does. When that happens, there is something we can do. We can accept his forgiveness of our sins. We can bow our heads and say, “Thank you!” We can offer up praise for the God who would not leave us to die, and we can say, “Amen!”
Application: Take a moment and thank God for saving us.
Food for Thought: Why is it important to understand that there are two kinds of “death?”
It is important to be protected by the “second death” through the blood of Christ being applied to us. We all deserve death as we all have sinned. To get our name written in the book of life we need Christ. To not do so is an eternal death. Romans 3: 21 – 26. Revelation 20: 11 – 15. God has provided what we need through Christ. We would be wise to take this indescribable gift that gives us a saving relationship with our Creator. John 3: 16
Rich,
Oftentimes wisdom is opposed to self interest. When you write that we are “wise” to accept God’s gift of life, that is true. So wisdom is associated with our spiritual life. Foolishness is the opposite of wisdom, and that is always centered on self-interest. Learning to tell the difference is our daily challenge.
Understanding that there is a second death means understanding that you are headed there unless you accept God’s grace and be washed clean by Christ’s blood. Also, understanding that there is a second death, and that Christ paid our debt, means understanding that God wants to have a personal relationship with you. On the opposite side of that coin: not believing in the second death would produce a person without hope and one that seeks to get as much out of life on Earth. A person who thought along those lines would also not be interested in a meaningful relationship with God.
If I were to pick a good starting point in a relationship with God, I would say it is understanding about your second death.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Well said, Chris!
Satan, the Deceiver, lies to us on many levels. One of his more powerful lies is the idea that life is just a cosmic accident. If people don’t believe in their spiritual nature, they can’t understand the second death.
02-10-2023, Why is it important to understand that there are two kinds of “death?”
First we must accept death means “separation.” And there is a physical death (separation) as well as a spiritual death (separation). And just as there is temporary earthly body, there is an eternal heavenly body for those who are granted eternal life, belong to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:40-50
God told Adam, You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly ” die.” Adam and Eve disobeyed God, did eat the forbidden fruit, were separated from God, the tree of Life, and began the process of physical death as God had warned them.
Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3: 22-24
The Second Death is the “eternal separation of all unrepentant spirits from God.” It is written that the spirit goes back to God who gave it and we know that no one can live but for God’s spirit/breath. Only the wicked will suffer the Second Death, the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of our Holy Lord, who will not allow even a speck of sin in His presence.
2 Thessalonians 1:9, Hebrews 9:22
God provided a way for all to avoid the second death. Eternal Life through His Son Jesus Christ.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ron,
I really like the word you picked to describe death. “Separation” sums the situation up nicely. Your description of the situation is excellent!
Jeff,
What a wonderful celebration we will have when this brief separation from loved ones is over and we are reunited by the power of God.
Blessings,
Ron
Amen! Amen!!