Leviticus 17:11 (NKJV) For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
We learnt from Chapter 6 of the Book of Ephesians that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon in the entire armoury of God that He has given us, but if we want the sword to be effective against the fiery darts of the evil one, we must take time to build up the truth.
One foundational truth is the power of the blood that has made atonement for our sins. Atonement is derived from the Hebrew word “kaphar”, which means to ransom, to cover, to forgive, to make amends, to appease or to reconcile—to atone by offering a substitute.
Salvation is a “done deal” that is offered to us purely by the grace of God. However, it cost the Heavenly Father dearly, because the second Person of the Godhead, Jesus, had to take our place on the cross. In fact, everything that is written in the Old Testament points towards the ultimate work of the Messiah on the cross.
However, to understand why blood is necessary for the atonement of our sin, we must first consider the attributes of God. For instance, God is good, holy, just, eternal, faithful, impartial, merciful, righteous, loving, and wise. Nonetheless, human beings often struggle to comprehend the requirements of God when it comes to holiness, justice, mercy, and righteousness especially towards sin. Because of our fallen nature, we tend to be more relaxed, tolerant, and indifferent towards sin, especially non-believers or believers who are carnal in their ways. In contrast, God in His holiness cannot allow or tolerate sin unless the penalty of sin has been meted out. In other words, the wrath of God towards sin must be appeased.
The opening Scripture reveals to us that sin can only be atoned for by blood. Therefore, we will see a bloodline from the Old Testament to the New Testament, all the way until the final atonement by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Nobody can use their own works to attain God’s love because the atonement for sin must be made by blood. There is life in the blood. Therefore, an innocent party must always take the place of the sinner through the shedding of blood whether it is an animal or the work of the Messiah.
When we truly understand the extent that God has gone through to establish peace with us, we will be secure in His love, assured of our salvation, and able to enter a place of rest in His love.
Sermon Series: The Power of the Blood (Part 1)
宝血的大能
利未记 17:11 因为活物的生命是在血中，我把这血赐给你们，可以在坛上为你们的生命赎罪。因血里有生命，所以能赎罪。
我们从以弗所书第六章学到圣灵的宝剑是上帝给我们整套军装中唯一的攻击性武器。我们若想宝剑有效地对抗恶者的诡计或火箭，我们必须花时间来建立真理。
其中一个基本真理是宝血的大能，祂赎了我们的罪。赎罪源于希伯来文“kaphar”，意思是赎回，掩盖、原谅、弥补、安抚、和解 – 以付出代价的弥补。
救恩是一个已经成就的事实，完全是因着神的恩典赐给我们的。然而，这对天父来说是极大的代价，因为三一真神的第二位格——耶稣——必须在十字架上代替我们的位置。事实上，旧约中所写的一切都指向弥赛亚在十字架上的最终成就之工。
可是，想要了解为何罪的赎价必须有血，我们需要先明白上帝的属性。比如，上帝是善良、圣洁、公正、永恒、信实、公平、仁慈、公义、慈爱、有智慧的。尽管如此，人类常常很难理解上帝对圣洁、公正、怜悯和公义的标准要求，尤其是与罪相关的要求。因为我们堕落的本性，我们倾向于对罪更加放松、宽容和漠不关心，尤其是当我们还没信主又或者作为一个信徒，我们仍凭血气行事的时候。相比之下，上帝的圣洁不能允许也不能容忍罪，除非罪的惩罚已被完成。换句话说，上帝对罪恶的忿怒必须被平息。
上面的经文向我们揭示了罪只能通过血来赎罪。因此，你将看到贯穿旧约到新约的血的脉络，直到通过耶稣基督的宝血的最终赎罪。
没有人可以凭自己的能力来获得上帝的爱，因为罪必须用血来赎。血里有生命。所以无论是动物还是弥赛亚的救赎大功，无辜的一方都必须通过流血来代替罪人。
一旦我们明白上帝为了与我们建立平安而付出的代价，将帮助我们在祂的爱中得到安全感，确认我们的救恩，并在祂的爱里进入安息之地。
讲章系列： 宝血的大能
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