Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

“Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold…, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without spot and blemish” (1 Peter 1 :18, 19).

Throughout the Scriptures the shedding of blood is shown to be indispensable in making atonement for man’s sin. Lev. 17:11b says “for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” The writer of Hebrews says “and almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without the shedding of blood is no remission” (9:22). Scripture then emphatically declares that there is no atonement without blood. However, not just any blood will do. It must be the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter: 18,19). The word “precious” means that which gives worth or value to something. Christ’s blood is precious because of who He is and what He accomplished by shedding His blood for us.

Christ’s blood is precious because of whom He is. He is the very Son of God. He is a member of the triune Godhead. The blood of bulls and goats, the blood of lambs and calves offered in the Old Testament could never take away sin. They only pictured for us the necessity of the blood, the coming of one who would make an offering for sin once and for all. The blood of sinful men could not atone for sin. It must be the blood of one who is pure. Only the precious blood of Jesus would do. He only was born without sin and though He was tempted He never once failed to do the Father’s will. He was totally without sin.

The blood of Jesus is the ground or basis for many precious blessings for us as believers. First, the blood is precious to us because it is satisfying blood. It is the basis for propitiation. Propitiation is that which turns away the wrath of a holy God and makes the believer acceptable and pleasing in God’s sight. It satisfies the demands of God’s law and turns a judgment seat into a mercy seat. Paul wrote concerning Christ in Romans 3:25 “whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood.” 1 John 4:10 again speaking of Jesus Christ says “whom God set forth to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Second, the blood of Jesus is precious to us because it is justifying blood. It is the basis for our justification. Romans 5:9 declares “much more then being justified by his blood….” On the basis of the shed blood of Christ, God the Father declares the believing sinner righteous in His sight and clothes him in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. The penalty has been paid, and the believer can stand before God free from the guilt and penalty of the law just as if he had never sinned. Moreover, he stands just as if he had fulfilled the law in every respect because his righteousness is now Christ’s righteousness.

Third, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious to us because it is reconciling blood. It is the basis of our peace with God. Paul in Colossians 1:20 writes “Christ made peace through the blood of the cross.” Romans 5:1 says “Therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have peace with God because Christ paid our sin debt. It comes to us as a free gift by faith where we simply believe and accept what Christ has done for us.

Fourth, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious to us because it is redeeming blood. It is the basis for our redemption from the curse of the law (Gal.3:13). Paul writes in Ephesians 1:7 “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace.” The word “redemption” means to deliver by paying a price. Man is viewed as a slave sold under sin, but Christ paid the price for our deliverance and freedom. Material things could not bring our deliverance, could not release us from our bondage; only the precious blood of Christ could do that (1 Peter 1:18,19).

Fifth, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious to us because it is forgiving blood. It is the basis of the forgiveness of our sins (Eph. 1:7). Because of the blood of Christ where sin did abound grace did much more abound (Rom. 5:20). David said our sins are separated from us “as far as the east is from the west.” (Psalms 103:12) This means that our sins will never be charged to us again.

Sixth, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious to us because it is sanctifying blood. Hebrews 13:12 says “Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate.” When we are sanctified we are separated from the world and separated unto God. We are not our own anymore; we are Christ’s because He purchased us with His own blood.

Seventh, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious to us because it is cleansing blood. The Scriptures gloriously declare “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The word “all” in this verse means every kind of, every one of. As the old song says “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.”

Finally, the blood of Jesus Christ is precious to us because it is conquering blood. It is the basis for our victory over the devil. The Scriptures declare “and they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11). Satan may assault us fiercely but he cannot overwhelm us. There truly is victory in Jesus; there truly is power in the blood. As someone has written: