The blood is powerful
Hebrews 10:19-23
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Climax of the New Covenant
Hebrews lays it out for us: Drawing near to God confidently is the climax of the New Covenant. The blood of the Lamb atones for the sin that shattered the God-man relationship since Eden.
Don’t miss the significance of a man drawing near to God confidently.
A common man can now push through the veil into the Holy of Holies and survive. No, more than survive. He can commune with the God who created the universe, who led a people from Egypt, who wiped out pagan kings, and who still strikes men like Ananias dead.
Are we confident in the promise, or just unconscious of the danger?
I wonder if we come to the throne comfortably in prayer because we do not understand the fierceness of God’s wrath toward the unclean. “Step into the 10,000 degree furnace. You won’t be incinerated.” Really? Imagine taking that step. That’s the picture, except God’s wrath is a blaze infinitely more severe.
The better we understand the danger, the more fully we understand the power of the blood.
We come into the presence of the Holy One of Israel as…a child, not a criminal. God is bound by a covenant oath to accept the payment made on the cross. He can no more dishonor that oath than He can cease being God. Therefore, we enter the Holy of Holies with unwavering faith and full confidence in the powerful blood of Jesus Christ that protects men from the wrath of God.
Exalting Christ in prayer
We skip over the power of this blood too often. We approach God in a way that claims the promise of His listening ear, but fails to do more than a customary hat-tip to the Guarantor of the promise. Relying consciously (even verbally) on the blood of Jesus to draw near to God in prayer exalts Christ. It displays the power of the cross to our own heart and anyone within earshot.
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Powerful post, Daniel.
“The better we understand the danger, the more fully we understand the power of the blood.” Amen! The just and righteous wrath of God is just as much a part of His character as His mercy and lovingkindess…learning about both and feeling the terror of knowing He would be perfectly justified in turning His back on me and punishing me allows me to more fully understand how wonderful His offer of salvation, by His own blood, truly is.
“By the precious blood of Jesus” we can approach and commune with our Holy Father…and spend eternity with HIm. Praise the Lord!
[...] the danger and delight reveal The danger and delight of entering God’s presence reveal to us that the blood of Jesus Christ is both [...]