Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
Ezekiel 36:25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols…
The Amazing Gift of Pardon
Alistair Begg – Truth for Life
February 2, 2013
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:22
“This is the voice of unalterable truth. In none of the Jewish ceremonies were sins even typically removed without blood-shedding. In no case, by no means can sin be pardoned without atonement. It is clear, then, that there is no hope for me outside of Christ; for there is no other blood-shedding that is worth a thought as an atonement for sin.
“Am I, then, believing in Him? Is the blood of His atonement truly applied to my soul? All men are on the same level in terms of their need of Him. Even if we are moral, generous, amiable, or patriotic, the rule will not be altered to make an exception for us. Sin will yield to nothing less potent than the blood of Him whom God has set forth as a propitiation. What a blessing that there is the one way of pardon! Why should we seek another?
“Persons of merely formal religion cannot understand how we can rejoice that all our sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. Their works and prayers and ceremonies give them very poor comfort; and their unease is no surprise, for they are neglecting the one great salvation and endeavoring to get remission without blood.
“My soul, sit down and recognize that a just God is bound to punish sin; then consider how that punishment all falls upon the Lord Jesus, and fall down in humble joy at the feet of Him whose blood has made atonement for you. It is useless when conscience is aroused to trust in feelings and evidences for comfort; this is a bad and sorry habit. The only cure for a guilty conscience is the sight of Jesus suffering on the cross. ‘The blood is the life,’ says the Levitical law, and let us rest assured that it is the life of faith and joy and every other holy grace.”
Oh! how sweet to view the flowing
Of my Savior's precious blood;
With divine assurance knowing
He has made my peace with God.
I’ve just finished reading through the book of Leviticus – and the one thing that really stood out to me was how much blood was shed! It was shed daily – the Levites were up to their armpits in bleed all day long! There were sacrifices to be made daily for the nation – and sacrifices to be made by individuals – and blood was always involved if it was for the atonement of sin. Nothing else would do. Even the poorest of the poor were required to provide a blood sacrifice for atonement. It was never ending – the Israelites would have seen the consequences of sin lived out in front of them every single day. The writer to the Hebrews (9:14) says – “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” “How much more!” Jesus paid the price – made atonement – once for all – and as long as I submit myself to His Lordship, that covers me! Hallelujah! Are you living “under the blood?” Have you surrendered to His Lordship? If so, you ARE forgiven – and your sins have been washed away – never to be brought up again because of what He has done for you!