We continue this short series about the blood of Christ by noticing that,
7. The Blood gives us Boldness before God. (Hebrews 10:19).
When sin is troubling the conscience, we are afraid to draw near to God. Sin presents itself as an impassable and impenetrable barrier. Nothing but the blood can remove it. And such is the authority of the blood that it gives believers boldness to enter the very presence of God Himself.
Because of the blood, we are delivered from trying to worship or work our way into the presence of God. Understanding and grasping this brings freedom from all manner of legalism. We can now with holy, guilt-free boldness come into the Lord’s presence and find a welcome there. What immense provision God has made for us by the blood.
The blood of Jesus is the new and living way into His presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-20). Everyone who is cleansed by the blood is welcome there.
So how is it with you? Have you claimed the privileges of the blood? You may be the greatest churchgoer, and the most highly respected citizen in your area, but without the blood of Christ, your state is hopeless before God. When we trust in that precious blood, however, we discover perfect peace with God." (Philippians 4:7; Colossians 1:20). If sin is burdening you, the blood is what you need. No good work can make you acceptable to God. To have acceptance in heaven, we must be cleansed by the blood. It is only then we can have boldness to enter the presence of God.
Conclusion There’s a non-factual, ancient legend about the Holy Grail which tells how Joseph of Arimathea, got permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus down from the cross and bury it. That part of the story is true. But then the legend goes on to tell how Joseph also had in his procession the golden cup which Christ had held at the Last Supper and which contained the blood which, at the cross, had flowed from the Lord’s wounded side.
According to this legend, Joseph carried the cup to Glastonbury, on an island in Somerset in England. There he formed an order of knights whose work it was to protect the precious blood. The chief of these knights was made their king. At certain times the king unveiled the golden cup that held the precious blood, at which times a glorious and radiant light fell on the faces of all who stood about, filling them with rapture and filling them with strength from on high. Only the pure in heart could look upon the cup and behold the wondrous light which streamed from the precious blood.
Of course, this is a silly story, which contrasts sharply with the truth of the blood presented to us in the New Testament.
Here are two reasons why this is a silly story.
1) The Blood needs no protection from the hands of sinful men.
2) According to this legend, only the pure in heart could look upon the blood. But this is nonsense. There is no one pure in heart. We have all sinned. And it is the sinner, not the pure in heart, who is welcome to look upon the blood. As the hymn-writer said,
“I hear the words of love I gaze upon the blood I see the mighty sacrifice And I have peace with God.”
To summarize what we have considered, the blood is 1. Precious blood.
2. It is shed for many.
3. It makes atonement.
4. It is the means of remission.
5. It is the ground of justification.
6. It cleanses from all sin.
7. It gives boldness before God.
And that’s the Gospel Truth!