Life is in the Blood

1. Read: Leviticus 17:11

2. About the Text:

1) Under the Old Covenant, Israel offered bloody sacrifices to atone for their sins.

2) God accepted these blood sacrifices upon the principle that the life is in the blood.

3) God would not, however, allow the Israelites to eat or drink blood.

4) Once again, the reason for this was because the life was in the blood.

5) Under the New Covenant the blood sacrifices of animals are no longer offered.

6) Hebrews 10:4 states, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

7) In the place of those sacrifices, we have offered for us the blood sacrifice of Jesus which was offered once for all times.

8) Hebrews 10:12 states, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.”

9) Once again we find that life is in the blood.

3. About blood.

1) Did you know there are five to seven liters of blood in your body? That’s three or four 2 liter soda bottles.

2) In that blood, however, there are many things going on.

a. Blood replenishes the body with needed elements.

b. Blood removes harmful elements from the body.

c. Blood repairs injuries to the body.

d. Blood regulates the temperature of the body.

3) The statement that life is in the blood is an amazing

statement for someone of Moses day.

4) Today, medical specialists know that blood performs a remarkable range of functions.

5) It isn’t coincidence that spiritually speaking the blood of Christ performs these functions as well.

6) Let’s look at some of the functions of blood and compare them to the functions of the blood of Christ.

4. The concept of agency.

1) Blood is an agent.

2) That is, it acts as a medium to transport other things.

3) So also the blood of Christ is an agent.

4) It is the medium whereby we have access to other things.

5. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Physical blood carries all kinds of nutrients.

1) Oxygen.

2) Vitamins

3) Minerals

4) Other nutrients.

2. The blood of Christ brings us life giving nutrients as well.

1) Luke 22:20 states, “Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”

2) Psalm 105:8 tells us what a covenant is: “He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.”

3) The new covenant contains teaching and instruction whereby we may have life.

4) John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

5) 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”

6) The blood of Christ purchased the covenant which is God’s word for us today.

7) Those words supply all the nutrients we need for spiritual life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

3. Just as blood is the agent by which the body is supplied nutrients, so also the blood of Christ is the agent by which spiritual nutrients are supplied as well. Indeed, life is in the blood.

1. Physical blood.

1) It removes carbon dioxide.

2) It transports wastes.

3) It fights infections and removes them from the body.

4) It removes excess salt.

2. The blood of Christ

1) Because Christ shed His blood, he has authority to remove harmful elements from the body.

2) In John 17:1-2 Jesus prayed, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”

3) Matthew 28:18 “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.”

4) Because he has this authority, this power, he can remove harmful things from the body.

5) He commands us to remove sinful activities from our lives. Consider Colossians 3:5-10 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

6) He also commands that sinful influences be removed from the body.

7) Consider 1 Corinthians 5:11 “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.”

8) Romans 16:17-18 states, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”

9) 2 Thessalonians 3:6 states, “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”

3. Just as physical blood removes impurities from the body, so also the blood of Christ supplies the necessary authority to remove impurities from his body as well. Once again, life is in the blood.

1. Physical blood.

1) When the body is injured, blood will rush to that area to repair it.

2) The blood will then coagulate around the injury preventing loss of blood.

3) This process works for internal organs, bones, and any other portion of our body that may be injured.

4) The result is the restoration of the members of the body.

2. The blood of Christ

1) It is sin that damages and injures the body of Christ.

2) The blood repairs injury created by prejudice. Ephesians 2:13 states, “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

3) The blood of Christ helps repairs injury to the body by providing forgiveness to those who seek it.

4) It repairs injury created by sin. Ephesians 1:7 and Colossians 1:14 both state, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

5) The blood will not repair an injury, however, of which one is unwilling to repent. Hebrews 10:26 states, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”

6) Luke 17:3 states, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he

repent, forgive him.”

3. Just as physical blood repairs injury to the body, so also the blood of Christ repairs injury through repentance and forgiveness. This is God’s spiritual process of coagulation!

1. Physical blood.

1) Our physical blood aids in keeping our body temperature at normal levels.

2) Blood gets cooled when it passes near the surface of the body.

3) It in turn cools our internal organs, especially our brain.

4) When our body gets overheated, our heart rate will increase to cool more blood.

2. Christ’s blood, provides for the “cooling” of the body as well by love one of another.

1) It was Christ’s love for man that caused him to shed his blood for us.

2) Romans 5:8 says, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

3) 1 John 4:10-11 says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

4) Because we love one another, we need to have the actions of love in our lives.

5) Romans 12:9-16 says, “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.”

3. Just as our physical blood regulates the temperature of our bodies, so also the blood of Christ, by showing his love toward us, helps us to regulate ourselves among His body as well.

1. Life is in the blood.

2. Blood has many functions. It serves to…

1) Replenish nutrients.

2) Remove waste.

3) Repair injury.

4) Regulate temperature.

3. So also the blood of Christ serves in a spiritual way to provide these functions for the spiritual body of Christ as well and through such we can understand why life is in the blood!

4. Invitation