The Blood of Christ

The more enlightened we become in regard to God’s plan of the ages, the more fully we can understand the wonderful love of God manifested in the gift of Jesus Christ. God does nothing without a reason, and only as we understand the reason can we rightly value what He does. So we come nearer to the true estimate of the blood of Christ as we understand why he shed His blood and the nature of the results to be obtained.

Man not only became a sinner by disobedience, but he lost his life also. As through one man sin entered the world (in whom all sinned), and through sin, death, so also death passed upon all men. (Rom. 5:12) If he remained in that condition, God’s object in creating man to attain finally to His own image would prove a failure.

As there was no law that could give life, it seems that nothing less than the death of Christ could place man where he could strive for the higher life.

He said of himself, “This is my flesh which I give for the life of the world.” Besides, we being yet helpless, Christ at the proper time died in behalf of the ungodly. Now, scarcely on behalf of a just person will any one die, though, possibly, on behalf of the good some one might venture to die. But God recommends His own love to us, because we being yet sinners, Christ died on our behalf. By much MORE, then, having been now justified by His blood, we shall through Him be saved from wrath. (Rom. 5:6-9) So Paul could say, “Take heed, therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with the blood of his own.” (Acts 20:28) They were sold under sin, but bought with a price. “What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are all bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor. 6:19, 20)

Bought, redeemed and ransomed seem to be used in the same sense, and by the use of these terms we are frequently reminded that we are not our own, but belong to one who has the right to command and require implicit obedience; but as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy, in all manner of conversation, in all your conduct, because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy, and if ye call on the Father, who, without respect of persons, judges according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear; forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1 Pet. 1:15-19)

For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us unto God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. (Rev. 5:9, 10)

We are taught to serve one another, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Matt. 20:27, 28)

He gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Tim. 2:6)

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction. (Hosea 13:14)

But this is not all. We have this precious invitation: Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. Isa. 1:18. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we speak falsely and perform not the truth; but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

It is a singular fact, that a scarlet or crimson object viewed through a red glass in the light, the object appears white; so, though our sins be as scarlet or crimson, when we come where God will view them through the blood of Christ, they are accounted as white. Though we have no righteousness of our own, our faith is accounted unto us for righteousness. Wherefore, remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, … that at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God—Godless—in the world; but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Eph. 2:11-13)

But Christ being made a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctifieth 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, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Heb. 9:11-14)

Therefore, by works of law no human being shall be justified in His presence, for through the law there is an acknowledgement of sin; but now, apart from law, God’s righteousness has been made manifest, being attested by the law and the prophets, even God’s righteousness through the faith of Christ, to all who believe; for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his favor, through that redemption which is by Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth to be a mercy-seat by His own blood through the faith, for an exhibition of His righteousness in passing by the sins frequently committed during the forbearance of God, and for an exhibition of His righteousness at the present time, in order that He may be righteous while justifying him who is of the faith of Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is shut out. Through what law?—of works? No; but by the law of faith. (Rom. 3:20 Emphatic Diaglott)

Questions On Substitution

Question. If Jesus was man’s substitute in death, why should men continue to die since his substitution of his life for ours? Is it not an argument against his view that men continue to die? For, if God be just, he could not hold both the sinner and his substitute for the same Adamic sin.

Answer. It is not only a scriptural statement that Jesus “died for our sins” as our representative or substitute, but also that “He bought us;” and, to appreciate the matter fully, we must give this its weight also. Jesus was man’s substitute in the sense that he met in his own person the penalty which God’s broken law had charged against us. Consequently, God no longer CONDEMNS, because Christ died. (See Rom. 8:34) This much, then, is settled—the condemnation. But now comes the question, if the Law is satisfied why is not the executioner, who has the power of death (the devil—Heb. 2:14), stopped at once? To solve this question, we must remember that while all the work and will of Christ is that of the Father, yet, in the legal aspect of the case now being considered, we see that men are not now amenable to the Father, but to His Son who bought them. The fact, then, that the enemy is not interrupted in his work is in no way chargeable to injustice of Jehovah; and as to the purchaser, Jesus, while he has announced his intention to exercise his authority and release all in his own due time, yet, who shall find fault with Him who bought for us a right to life, if he does not bestow it immediately. Surely we may know that he has some good reason for the delay, even if we cannot know the reason; for we remember that he loved and pitied us; for “greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.”

But while we could trust his wisdom and love in ignorance of the wherefore, as thousands of our brethren in past ages have done, yet, we thank God that we are living in the time when it is pleasing him to reveal to us more of his plans, and to show us why death is permitted still to reign, even after Jesus has legally conquered it, and has “the keys (power to open) of death and hades.” (Rev. 1:18)

It is because God has purposed, not only the restitution of mankind to the perfection of their nature as it existed before marred by death and its cause—sin—but also the selecting out from among men of a “little flock,” who, by a change of nature from human to divine, should be “new creatures,” like unto Christ Jesus the Lord in his exaltation, and sharers of his work and glory—especially in that of restoring mankind.

Now, all can see that this little flock—the Bride, who shall share his throne and work—must be selected FIRST, before “the times of restitution” begin, else she could not share. And if Jesus, immediately on having redeemed men, had begun to restore them—as soon as he had (the keys) “all power given unto him,” (Matt. 28:18)—then it would have precluded the selection of the chaste virgin to be his Bride and helpmeet in the work.

We are glad, very glad, that it was in the plan of God that Jesus should delay using his great power, trusting that, by the grace of God, when he shall take to himself his great power and reign, we too shall be glorified together with him and share in the exercise of his power as he has promised, saying, “Greater things than these shall ye do,” referring to his miracles which were mere shadows of the coming restitution of all things.

It might be asked, Why did Jesus not delay his first coming until the Bride had been selected and the restitution work had become due? As it is closely connected with our previous question under discussion, we here answer it:

Not only was it needful that we should sacrifice with Jesus the human nature, in order to share with him the divine nature and glory, but our human nature, being imperfect and already condemned through Adam, it was necessary that it should be redeemed, or bought from the condition of condemnation, before it could be an acceptable sacrifice for Jehovah’s altar—upon which must come no blemished offering. It will be seen, then, at a glance, that the sacrifice of Jesus, as our ransom from sin, was necessary BEFORE the call could come to the Church to share his sacrifice and glory.

Notice further, that it was not only needful that time should elapse between the ransom and restitution, in which time the little flock may share in his sacrifice, but it was necessary that, during this time, EVIL should rule. Consider for a moment, that if our Prince were ruling now, and right-doing were rewarded and evil-doing punished, etc., it would be impossible for the little flock to be tried and tempted by evil, hence impossible for them to sacrifice themselves for truth and right. So, too, with Jesus’ sacrifice; had it not been for the reign of evil, his witnessing for truth would have needed and brought no reproach, rejection, thorns, or cross, or death.

In the Millennial age, under the reign of Christ, it will be no longer possible to “overcome evil with good,” for the dominion of evil will be ended and the reign of righteousness begun.

Those who regard the putting away of sins as the sacrifice (the discontinuance of evil practices, drunkenness, profanity, etc.,) will not appreciate our position. But those who see sacrifice to be something far beyond—the surrender and sacrifice of human rights, privileges, comforts and welfare—will appreciate the statement that such sacrifice can only be accomplished while there are evil conditions making them possible.

It is thus that the Gospel age is termed “The acceptable year of the Lord.” It is the time during which God will accept of all sacrifices properly presented. No such opportunity was offered before this age except in type. It was not possible, because the ransom was not yet given; all were yet legally under condemnation of death as sinners. True, some believing God’s plan of favor, looked forward, discerning the better sacrifices for sins, and in faith accepted the results. But that God did not treat sin as actually cancelled until Jesus had finished his sacrifice for sins, and presented it as the ransom price of our sins, is evident from the fact, that even the disciples of Jesus were not accepted by Jehovah as sacrifices until then—until Pentecost.

Jesus was an acceptable sacrifice, because in him was no sin. Those during this age, who accept of his ransom, share now in the benefits of his sacrifice, and are reckoned free from sin and its condemnation. Such, being made free from sin, may also become acceptable sacrifices—acceptable through the beloved—so long as the “Acceptable year of the Lord” lasts. When the “little flock”—the Bride, the Lamb’s wife—has been selected according to this law of purifying and sacrificing (or justification and sanctification), then the special call to change nature by sacrifice, termed our high-calling, heavenly-calling, etc.—will cease.

The conditions of trial during the next age will be much easier than now, and the crown, though gloriously grand, will be less so than the one for which we are running. Their aim, the perfection of the human nature; ours, the perfection of the divine—one a heavenly, and the other a glorious, earthly image of it. For the glory of the heavenly is one thing, and the glory of the earthly is another thing. The glory and dominion given to the first man (and his Bride), which is to be restored, placing him again but a little lower than the angels (Psa. 8:5), will but feebly illustrate the superior glory of our Lord—the second Adam (and his Bride)—made so much superior to angels, that to him every knee shall bow and every tongue confess. (Compare Psa. 8:5; Phil. 2:9, 10; Heb. 1:4 and 1 Cor. 6:3.)

Counting The Blood Common

“Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing [a common thing], and hath done despite to the spirit of favor.”—Hebrews 10:29

The Apostle is here evidently contrasting Moses and his Law with the Antitypical Moses and the greater Law. Any one who despised the Law of Moses, the arrangement made and established through the typical Law Covenant, was condemned to death, a sentence from which he is to be released through the merit of Christ. Since that condemnation was merely of a temporal character this does not affect his eternal interests.

It is evident that there is a difference between these two condemnations—that if any one should come under the condemnation of the Antitypical Moses his punishment would be even more severe. This severer, or “sorer punishment,” we understand to be the “Second Death”—utter annihilation. If any one despises the Law of God, in any particular, as expressed through Christ and the New Covenant arrangement, he will be worthy of the Second Death. This principle, we see, will apply all through the Millennial Age, in the sense that any and every one who, after being brought to a knowledge of the provisions and favors that God has brought to him through Christ, shall then treat the matter lightly and fail to reciprocate such love, fail to be obedient to this arrangement for his relief, will be counted unworthy of receiving any more favor of God and will go into the Second Death. Evidently, however, the Apostle is not here considering what will happen at the end of the Millennial Age, and we merely mention it incidentally to show the wide scope of the comparison between Moses and Christ.

The Apostle is not applying this text, however, to the world, but to the Church. All the context shows that he is addressing the Church, those who have been begotten of the holy Spirit, those whose sins have been covered by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness and who, in the strength of that covering, are justified, have presented their bodies living sacrifices. For what purpose do we thus make consecration? It is in answer to our Lord’s invitation to drink of his “Cup”; to be baptized into his death; to suffer with him as members of his Body, that we may reign with him and be his members on the plane of glory, members of the Spiritual Israel, the Spiritual Seed of Abraham, for the great work of blessing natural Israel and through natural Israel, all the families of the earth.

So, then, the Apostle, in bringing this matter to our attention, is discussing the Church and what will happen if any of us—not any of us who have merely turned from sin, and have realized that Christ is the great Atoner for our sins—no, but those of us who have been justified through faith in his blood and have been sanctified—those of us who should then fall away.

We remember that on the night of our Lord’s institution of the last Supper, the same night in which he was betrayed, when he took the cup he said, “This cup is my blood of the New Covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” God’s intention regarding this blood, as the blood that will seal the New Covenant, is that it should be efficacious to the remission of all the sins of Adam and his children. This was the purpose, the object for which our Lord’s blood was shed. “This is my blood,” not your blood. It is the blood or life that I am giving, that I consecrated when I was begotten, and that I am to relinquish today upon the cross (for it was then the same day or part of the same day in which he was crucified). This which is mine today—the blood that will seal the New Covenant between God and men—I invite you to participate in. “Drink ye all of it.” All of you drink of it and drink all of it. Leave none. The invitation to participate in this blood, this cup, is never to be given to any other people or class but you—you who are specially called for this purpose. Not only you Apostles to whom I now speak, but all those who shall believe on me through your word, and who similarly shall make this consecration and undertake to be baptized into my death, I invite to drink of my cup.

The Apostle asks concerning this cup of which we participate in the communion, “Is it not the participation of the blood of Christ”? (1 Cor. 10:16) We answer, Yes. Is not the blood of Christ the blood of the New Covenant? Are we not, therefore, participating in the blood of the New Covenant? In the participation, therefore, in that blood, by the invitation of our Lord, are we not sharers in his “Cup” and all that pertains to it? Yes. What does this mean to us? A great deal. We should be very thankful for the great privilege we have been accorded to share in his “Cup,” to be “baptized into his death.” As the Apostle Paul declares in the third chapter of Philippians, I count all things as loss that I might win Christ; that I might have fellowship in his suffering; that I might be baptized into his death; share his “Cup” of suffering; so should we. Paul counted every other interest and consideration as of no value in comparison with this great privilege of the Gospel Age, which is accorded us.

Now, if we should ever lose sight of this wonderful privilege, if we should ever come to the place where we fail to appreciate the fact that we have been invited to share in our Lord’s “Cup,” have been invited to participate with him in this blood of the New Covenant, this blood which is to ratify, to seal the New Covenant, it would be doing despite to all these privileges and favors which have been specially given to us, but never given to any other people in the world and never will be given again, a great privilege never offered to the angels, but offered only to the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and those who would have his spirit during this age.

If, then, we lose our appreciation of that “Cup” and say that it is only an ordinary thing, only such as all nominal Christians have thought it to be; only turning away from sin and trying to live an upright life; it is not a special sacrifice; it is not a participation in the blood of Christ at all, nor drinking of his “Cup,” then we are despising and rejecting all the privileges that were offered to us specially, above those offered to any other people. It would signify that we had despised the whole arrangement and that something was wrong with our hearts—providing, however, we did it intentionally, willingly, knowingly, after we had seen that this is the privilege of sacrifice, after we had known that we were accepted as members of Christ, to “suffer with him, that we might also reign with him.”

For all such as have ever had this clearer knowledge and appreciation, to turn away is to reject this “blood of the Covenant,” and to do despite to it, and to fail to use the privileges offered. In undertaking to use these privileges they had first, of necessity, to make the sacrifice of the earthly nature. It therefore follows that there is nothing left for them, for they have scorned the new nature and the Lord’s provisions which are obtainable only through participation in the sacrifice of Christ. No opportunity for restitution is left them. Hence the only thing for them is that which is appropriate for those who despise God’s arrangement after they have once understood it, and that is the Second Death.

The “sorer punishment” mentioned by the Apostle (Heb. 10:29) is the “sin unto death.” Are we competent to point out who have committed that sin? For our own part we would prefer not to exercise judgment in the matter, but merely to say that such judgment is for the Lord. We will not make any decision until we see the Lord’s judgment.

The Apostle says that we are not to judge one another. If, for instance, you should say, I believe that Jesus died and that he is our Redeemer, but I have lost that idea which I once had of our being invited to become dead with him; to share with him in his suffering at the present time and later the glory that shall follow—should we then say to you, Oh, you have committed the sin unto death; you have despised the blood of the Covenant wherewith you have been sanctified, and therefore, having no restitution privileges to go back to, you have practically gone into the Second Death condition? We answer, No. We do not understand that it would be for us to judge you or to decide respecting you, because we do not know to what extent your previous declarations were true. We do not know that you ever understood what you were doing when you thought that you had made a full consecration. Perhaps you did not understand yourself. Therefore, we prefer to say that since we are not sure in the matter it is not for us to judge. However, we are to remember what the Scriptures say in this connection, “The Lord will judge his people.” If, therefore, we should see that, after you had rejected the blood of the Covenant by which you have been sanctified or specially set apart as a sacrifice, as a member of the Body, God had turned you aside apparently and had withdrawn all light from you and had thrust you out of his favor, to the extent that we could see this, we would be justified in saying to ourselves at least, whether we mentioned it to another or not, that the Lord was dealing with you.

We cannot imagine that if anyone would reject the Lord in any sense of the word it would still leave him in the light of Truth. We must understand that if anyone rejects the Lord, the light of Truth will gradually pass from him, and he will see no more than many do, no more than a nominal church-goer or any worldly person. Such passing into outer-darkness is a sign that the Lord’s favor has been lost. To what extent it has been lost we might not wish to determine, but if, in conjunction with this, there is manifested the character of the Adversary, the spirit of Satan—anger, malice, hatred, envy, strife—then we should conclude that the Spirit of the Lord had left and that the loser was dead—“twice dead, plucked up by the roots.” (Jude 12)

It would not be worth while to pray longer for such a one, especially after we had done all in our power. God is willing to do all that can be done, but he has certain fixed laws and principles, and if anyone has once enjoyed these and then scorned them, the Lord would not change his principles for any prayers, even though offered carefully with tears.