Applying the Blood

To experience the new birth, the blood of Jesus must be applied.
 

Applied Science

Struggling to cut firewood with only an ax, a backwoodsman went into town and purchased a well-advertised chain saw. Not having any better success at cutting wood with the chain saw, he returned to the store and complained. The salesperson gave him a demonstration of how to operate the chain saw. As the salesperson pulled the cord starting the gasoline engine, the woodsman said, "What is that noise?"The man had a good tool for cutting wood, but he failed to learn how to use it. Without its engine running it offered no more power to accomplish the job than his ace had provided. A fundamental concept is obvious in this anecdote: we must realize our responsibility to do something. Having a chain saw alone does not help us cut wood. We must start the engine. Some seem never to understand that salvation requires action. We have to do something. Jesus came in flesh and shed His blood, but that blood must be applied to be effective for us. Scripture gives a detailed step-by-step formula for the application of that blood. Carefully read the instruction book. The blood of Jesus Christ is efficacious, but it must be properly applied.

By R.L. Gilstrap

Because the blood of Jesus is sufficient for all human beings, no person need fear that any past sin, filthy depravity, or station in life can keep him from becoming cleansed by that blood. However, because God desires us to come to Him freely, of our own will, we may also choose to reject His atonement to live and to die in our sins. Still, Christ continues to call to all mankind that they might experience the new birth.


1. Applying the blood in the Old Testament

Unless the sacred furnishings and objects of the Tabernacle were sprinkled with blood, they were not acceptable for worship of God. Until the people had the blood applied by ritual sprinkling, they were not able to approach a holy God. Hebrews 9:13-14 tells us, "for if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctified to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

 2. Applying the blood in the New Testament

The clear answer of the Bible is that the blood is necessarily applied throughout our conversion and Christian experience. Without the blood of Christ applied to our minds, we could not initially believe the gospel, repentance would be of no effect, and baptism would just get us wet. Except the blood cleanse us, the Holy Spirit could not take up residence within us. Holiness of life and thought are impossible without His blood cleansing us moment by moment.
 

We are washed and completely cleaned by the blood of Jesus, but our feet still get directly just form our daily walk. This requires the blood of Jesus' sacrifice on Calvary to be applied to our lives daily. We appropriate the blood of Jesus for daily cleansing by daily repentance, reading, studying, and applying the principles of Scripture, praying, fasting, and following other spiritual disciplines.

Sinfulness has made us spiritually insensitive to the awfulness of sin and its penalty. But God has made a means through His own blood to simultaneously show us the cost of our sinfulness and pay that cost for us. No one need die in his sins. The price has already been paid in full and reconciliation has already been made. The only reasons the majority of people will go to Hell is because they have reject the price Jesus paid by failing to apply His blood to their lives. He has laid before us a new life in fellowship and peace with Him.

Every believer has authority over disease and sickness through the power of Jesus' blood and of His name.

Created by: Jocelyn Jones

Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church

References: Davis, Richard. Lessons from History for Christian Living. Winter 2012-2013. Hazelwood: Word Aflame Publications, 2013. 84-90. Print.