A casual stroll down the appropriate supermarket isle reveals that we have at our disposal a wide variety of detergents from which we may choose as the need arises. Which product will we use to cleanse our soiled garments? Despite claims to the contrary, one detergent may be just as good as the next. But, when it comes to purging the soul, it makes a great difference which cleansing agent we select. This is because there is only one cleansing agent for the soul and that is the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
The writer of Hebrews said that “all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Heb. 9:22). However, not just any blood will do the job for “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). The blood of Jesus alone cleanses our souls from sin (1 Jn. 1:7). In the book of Revelation, when John envisioned souls before the throne of God and asked, “Who are these?”, He was told they were those who had “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev. 7:14). Only in a spiritual sense can blood be a cleansing agent. We would not think of washing our linen in blood to make it white. But, in the spiritual realm, it is only the blood of Jesus which can so cleanse our spiritual garments as to make them white as snow (Isa. 1:18).
How can we obtain the benefit of Christ’s blood? The answer is found in Romans chapter five, where we learn that we are “justified by faith…” (vs. 1). Later in verse nine, we are told that we are “justified by His blood….” Putting these two verses together, we conclude that we are justified through our faith in the power of Christ’s blood. Our faith, then, leads us to become united with Christ through baptism into His death and raised up with Him to walk in newness of life (Rm. 6:3-5). Let us never forget that it is Christ’s blood which answers our most urgent need, namely, our need for spiritual cleansing.
— Glen Elliott —