Sin and the blood of Jesus
By Timothy Glover
For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). What is sin and how can I get rid of its terrible punishment? Many view sin as a violation of social standards. Some may call some sin a disease, implying that the person is not responsible for what he or she does. Yet, John defines it, “whosoever commits sin transgresses the law: for sin is the transgression of law” (1 John 3:4). Some translations read, “sin is lawlessness”. This is the idea. Sin is rebellion against God. When this occurs, we are in effect saying, “God, you can’t be serious” or “you’re too picky” or “you don’t know what you are talking about; I know better.” We may sin by doing what God has forbidden such as the doing the sins given in Galatians 5:19-21. We may sin by failing to do what God has required.
Many things that humanity has rejected as unimportant are very important to God. We may not understand why they are so important. Yet, we must realize that God’s ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts (Isa. 55:8,9). Naaman the leper is a good example of someone who thought God was unreasonable to require of him to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River to be cured. If you read the text found in 2 Kings 5:1ff, you will see that he had a preconceived idea already fixed in his mind. Another way to sin is to act without God’s permission. This is probably the most common among religious people. We have no right to add anything to God’s word that is not in some way authorized by him. We should lay aside every human practice and accept only that for which we can find authority in the New Testament.
The consequence of sin is that we are separated from God (Isa. 59:1,2) and eternal separation will result if not corrected in time (2 Thess. 1:7-9, Matthew 25:41,46).
One thing is clear. Humanity cannot deliver themselves from the slavery of sin (Jer. 10:23). Isaiah uses the figure of helpless sheep by writing, “all we like sheep have gone astray.” We need a Shepherd to lead us. John writes of the good shepherd who was willing to give His life for his sheep (John 10:11). In another figure, he is “the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29). He has come to "seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). Blood sacrifices were made daily in the O.T. era. “Almost all things are by the law purged with ” blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews. 9:22).
However, in the N.T. era, it could not have been just any sacrifice for sin. For, if Jesus was a sinner, then he would have suffered death and separation from God because of his own sins. The pure and spotless lamb of God died not for his own sins. He suffered in our stead because of our sins so we might not suffer eternal separation from God. 2 Cor. 5 says that he was made “to be sin for us who knew no sin” (2 Cor. 5:21). God, who hated sin so much but loving the sinner so dearly, offered up His own willing son. How this should prompt us to gladly obey all that our Savior commands of us and abhor the sin that led him to Calvary.
Still, the blood of Jesus continues to do its work for the child of God who has entered a covenant relationship with him (1 John 1:7-9). John writes that “we sin not, but if we do, we have an advocate with the Father; Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1) Without the blood of Christ or the death of Christ, remission of sins would not exist. Will you not avail yourself of the power that is in the blood by responding in obedient faith?
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