Pouring Out of Blood

Christians sing various songs about being cleansed by the blood, and of the power in the blood of Jesus. One will state they are covered by the blood of Jesus, and another will say they are cleansed by it. What is being said can be found in the Bible, like 1 John 1:6-7: 6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. Jesus shed his blood 2000 years ago, how does it cleanse me today? Am I free from sin by accepting his death, or, are my sins only forgiven?

I was 13 the first time I was baptized, and I can remember noticing a difference in my attitude and behavior, and I felt different. However, I have never been able to remember what I was taught in those early years, or, what might have had an influence on me, other than some buddy wanting me to be baptized because he wanted too. The second time I was baptized I was 17, and I can remember much about what I was taught, probably because it was repeated in later years. However, I was knew nothing about the cross beyond that it was a historical event, the approximate date, and generally what is written in the Bible about Jesus= trial, etc. I still had the question, How does that cleanse me from sin.? Today, I feel God has provided some answers.

It was at the last fellowship Jesus had with his disciples before the cross that he made this statement: Jn 15:3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. He was speaking to 11 men (Judas had already left to betray him - Jn 13:10, 29-31) who committed their lives to sharing their experiences and knowledge about the life of Christ and the cross. But did these men understand the cross at this time? No, they did not even believe Jesus would die, even though he had told them many times during his last year with them. These men were clean in God=s eyes because they believed that Jesus was the Son of the living God. They were clean at that point because of receiving the words of Jesus. Is there a difference of being cleansed by the words of Jesus compared to being cleansed by the blood of Jesus? Technically speaking, no. 2 Pet 3:17-18: 17. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. 18. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Grow in Jesus= grace and knowledge! To grow is to gain a deeper understanding of the cross, what it means and how it helps one to stop sinning.

Heb 9:19-22: 19. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, 20. saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God commanded you." 21. And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. 22. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. (Revised Standard) Christians today, believe that by accepting that Jesus died for them, their sins are forgiven. Compared to the multitude of Christians, only a few believe that they can stop sinning while living in this lifetime. Yet, scripture says, Mt 4:48: Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Forgiveness or deliverance: AForgiveness of sins@ is translated Aremission@ in some versions, which is Strong=s number 859 (Greek = aphesis). The meaning of the root of this word is to send away, bid depart, (863, aphiemi). Here is the same Greek word translated differently in another verse: Lk 4:18: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance ⁽⁸⁵⁹⁾ to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty ⁽⁸⁵⁹⁾ them that are bruised... Jesus is quoting Isaiah 61:1. ADeliverance@ and Aliberty@ are used in Luke because that is meaning of the Hebrew in Isaiah. Jesus said, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Verse 21) Jesus came to deliver us from sin and to restore spiritual eyesight. The understanding of this comes from the study of the tabernacle types as relates to the cross.

Shedding of blood: Ex 24:6-8: 6. And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient. 8. And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words. In context, the victim shed its blood and the blood was sprinkled. The focus, however, is on the sprinkling, while nothing is said of what happen to the blood remaining. We find this out by looking at the procedures for ministering the blood in the tabernacle.

Lev 4:30: And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar. Again, the victim shed it=s blood, but the focus is on sprinkling and pouring. Go back to Hebrews 9:22 and look at the underlined phrase as translated more closely to the Greek meaning: apart from a pouring out of blood, deliverance ⁽⁸⁵⁹⁾ absolutely will not come to pass. Here are some other verses: Heb 9:13-14: 13. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? The ashes of the red heifer were mixed with water and sprinkled on those who needed to be purified. Heb 10:22: Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. (also 12:24) 1 Pet 1:2: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:

It no longer makes any sense that our sins will not be forgiven unless the cross is accepted, because scripture says that God is not imputing our sins to us in the first place (2 Cor 5:19). Finger and sprinkling are symbols of faith and teaching, which come by Jesus shedding his blood. We need deliverance from sin, and it is being taught that the understanding of WHY the cross and WHAT Jesus did that will deliver us! Today, people are being cleansed by receiving the divine impressions (grace) on the heart and acting on the instructions. This can be done numerous ways, one of which is through Bible study, and being washed by the water of the spoken word. But how do we reach perfection, or a completion in our understanding so that we stop sinning? It has to do with the sprinkling and pouring out of blood - first the sprinkling, then the pouring out - respectively, first the teaching, then the...? Sprinkling means >to teach=, but what does >pour out= mean?

Lev 17:11: For the life ⁽⁵³¹⁵⁾ of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls ⁽⁵³¹⁵⁾: for it is the blood that makes an atonement (literally = covers) for the soul ⁽⁵³¹⁵⁾. Blood is a symbol for the soul, and it is the blood which covers the soul, or, the understanding of the blood of Jesus by which we are covered - i.e. his knowledge. As you can see, the terms of >sprinkling, covering= in the New Testament come mainly from the sacrifice rituals, being used as symbols of our being cleansed by the Father=s knowledge through the son. Isa 53:11: ...by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many...

Isa 53:12: Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. How did Jesus pour out his soul unto death? Lk 22:44: And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Literally, impurities of the body are removed by sweat. Jesus was pouring out his soul to God - Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: (Mk 14:36) He did not want to go to the cross, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: (Mt 26:38) Jesus knew that his Father could accomplish the same thing another way, and yet, he said, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. The Son of God is our example, and understanding his cross is crucial to understanding how to be delivered from sin.

Summary: In Gethsemane, Jesus knew that it was the will of his Father to let the church and state do what they would, but he could not fully grasp that it was the best way to manifest the love of God for humanity. Jesus provided the pattern we are to follow to learn obedience and experience the magnitude of God=s love for each of us. Heb 5:7-9: 7. Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him (the Father) [who] was able to save him [out of] death, and was heard in that he feared; 8. Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9. And being made [complete] (in his understanding), he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; [Greek - Jesus was not saved from death, but out of it] (comments for clarity)

Lev 4:28: ...if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering... Sin begins in the mind, and is often carried out in the body. So, when a sin comes to one=s attention, they are to go to the Lord in prayer, and pour out the soul, pour out the old way of thinking, and let God sprinkle them with His way of thinking and understanding. To be covered by the blood of Jesus is to be covered with God=s way of looking at the cross. By receiving God=s understanding, i.e. walking in the light of His knowledge, we are being cleansed from sin. And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (Dan 8:14) The 2300 days is a symbol of this experience, which is being made available in our generation. God=s sanctuary is between your ears! (Cf 1 Cor 3:16-17; 2 Cor 6:16) We CAN overcome the sin in our lives! Praise God!!

Mt 11:29: 28. Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Are you meek and lowly in heart? Have you reached the point that you can trust God to the point of death to self, even physical death? The rest we need is seen in Jesus Christ. Search for it with all you heart, mind and soul. 1 Pet 4:8: above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covers a multitude of sins: (American Standard) Amen!