As the old hymn says, “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” In this message, Dr. Stanley explains the effects of sin in our lives and how Jesus’ blood redeems, justifies, and sanctifies us. Discover forgiveness and freedom at the foot of the cross. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to www.intouch.org/watch
the subject of this sermon we sing about
we don’t talk much about it and I’m not
too sure we believe all that we ought to
believe about it but it’s important that
you listen very carefully because it
affects every single one of us and you
may be one of those persons who’s never
heard it before you need to listen to it
carefully because it’ll affect the way
you live and the way you die and so when
I think about it being that serious I
think about to think that some people
shun the whole idea and they’re not just
electing it but there are those
denominations that cut these pages out
of their hem books because they’ve
decided that it’s not important that it
offends people so all kinds of ideas and
attitudes about it
but the truth is without it you and I
wouldn’t be here today
so what’s the subject the subject is the
blood of Jesus Christ
and more than likely many of you who may
be listening or watching you’ve never
heard a sermon on it you’ve thought
about it you’ve wondered about it maybe
you’ve even mentioned it in your prayers
but you haven’t fully understood what
it’s all about so I’m to ask you to
listen very carefully
your whole eternal future may depend
upon it so I want to talk about the
blood of Jesus how it applies to every
single one of us so I want you to turn
if you will to the 1st Peter chapter 1
and I want us to begin reading just a
few of the verses here beginning in
verse 17 of first Peter chapter 1 if you
address his father the one who
impartially judges according to each
one’s work conduct yourselves in fear
during the time of your stay here on
earth
knowing that you were not redeemed with
perishable things like silver ago from
your futile way of life inherited from
your forefathers but with precious blood
as of a lamb unblemished and spotless
the blood of Christ for he was foreknown
before the foundation of the world
but as appeared in these last times for
the sake of you who through him are
believers in God who raised him from the
dead and gave him glory so that your
faith and your hope are in God now
when’s the last time you heard a message
on the blood of Jesus well it’s been a
while since I preached one and more than
likely it’s been a while since you’ve
heard one and the more I’ve thought
about it and the more the Lord began to
speak to my heart to remind me this is
the heart of the gospel that all the
things we can say about other subjects
and all that relates to it this is the
very heart of the truth of what you now
believe and it’s the message they need
to get you to heaven or you’ll lose and
miss it so I want you to listen very
carefully because I just really want to
say two things about it and the first
one is the seriousness of sin when you
sin against God especially if you keep
on sinning against God especially if you
keep on doing the same thing over and
over and over again you set yourself up
for divine chastisement and if you’ve
never trusted Christ as your Savior
you’re gonna be rejected one of these
days when you stand before the judgment
sin is serious business with God because
it has eternal consequences and it
doesn’t make any difference who you are
it doesn’t make a difference where
you’re from what’s your vocation how
much wealth you have you name it there
is nothing that matters sin is
disobedience to a holy God
and he warns us from the beginning of
the Bible to the end that God hates sin
because of what it does to his children
to his creation and you and I read the
Bible enough to know that all through
the world of God sin is sinned as a
destroyer a divider you name it all the
qualities that we mentioned that’s what
sin is so in light of that you say well
what’s the nature of sin and I want you
to think about this is the true nature
of sin we said it’s serious but how
serious is it
so the true nature of sin first of all
it deceives it started to save you
because you wouldn’t keep doing what
you’re doing if sin didn’t deceive you
that is your okay it’s all right God
loves you God understands and so you
just keep disobeying God and being
deceived into thinking that you are an
exception to the laws of God to the
consequences of sin you’re deceived
secondly it disappoints sin always makes
big-time office if you’ll do this you’ll
feel fantastic if you’ll do this he or
she will do thus and so and so when you
think about the disappointments all of
us have had in life about different
things but sin is a disappointment
because it makes awesome promises it
cannot produce it may be temporarily
satisfying but that’s what sin if sin
had no satisfaction whatsoever
you wouldn’t be sinning it has temporary
satisfaction but it’s a deceiver and it
disappoints it is destructive all you
need to do is to look around and realize
how destructive sin is it takes many
many pathways but ultimately it’ll
destroy you it destroys families it
destroys marriages it destroys jobs
it destroys future destroy children you
name it sin is destructive by its nature
and then think about it
ultimately sin brings death now what do
I hesitate about that because I want to
say that sin oftentimes brings death
over a period of time sometimes it’s
instant but the worst thing is that it’s
eternal and its effect the Bible says
the soul that sinneth that you’ll die
the wages of sin is death and so if I
had to stop right there this would be a
terrible life but thank God we don’t
have to stop there so let’s think about
this
what is the saving power that brings
about forgiveness of sin
it’s the saving power of the blood of
Jesus Christ and I want you think about
this go back if you will to the 3rd
chapter of Genesis all the way back to
the beginning and when you do here’s
what you’ll discover you’ll discover in
this perfect Garden of Eden that Adam
and Eve had everything going their way
but then had a choice God gave them a
choice and so they sinned against God
and the scripture says in the verse 20
of chapter 3 now the man called his
wife’s name Eve because she was the
mother of all living
they’d sent against God the Lord God
made garments of skin for Adam and his
wife and clothed them
he killed a lamb shed blood and covered
them the Bible says in that birth with
skins so in the very beginning of the
Bible with the first sin God shed blood
in their behalf God began in the very
beginning to say if you’re going to be
saved the blood has to be shed there is
a cost the sin the price of sin is blood
if the price of sin is the blood of
Jesus but all the way back in those days
before they knew anything about what you
are
know about the issue was forgiveness
required death in the shedding of blood
so when you come to Jesus after he came
into the world and he’s talking about
sin and you remember what he said about
he began to talk about the blood to his
disciples and then that might have the
Lord something
what’s the Lord’s Supper all about it’s
all about the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ bringing about salvation to
remind it to us of what happened then
with that in mind I want to give you
four words there four words I want to
give you which really describe this
whole redemptive plan of God they all
have to do with the blood of Jesus
they’re all a part of that but you can
just wrap up the whole message of
salvation in four words and the first
one is redemption the one we just read
about a few moments ago Redemption and
when you think about that word and you
think about what it says listen to what
he says verse 18 of that first chapter
verse Peter
knowing that you were not redeemed that
is you weren’t saved with perishable
things like silver and gold isn’t
interesting that God took the most
precious things of valuable things to
say look your most valuable commodities
will do you one bit of good he said
knowing that you were not redeemed with
perishable things like silver or gold
from your futile empty way of life
inherited from your forefathers but with
precious God said it was precious blood
as of a lamb unblemished and spotless
the blood of Christ
so first word is redemption and
redemption means you you redeem
something you you pay and you get it
back the blood of Jesus Christ is the
only thing in existence that could ever
take care of our sin he redeemed us he
bought us back
from a life of sin then the second word
is reconciliation and I want you to turn
to Colossians chapter one of him for a
moment
reconciliation chapter 1 beginning in
verse 19 listen to what he says for it
was the father’s good pleasure for all
the fullness to dwell in him that watch
this and through him to reconcile all
things to himself having made peace
through the blood of his cross through
him I see were the things on earth or
things in heaven and although you were
formerly alienated separated from God
and hostile and mine engaged in evil
deeds yet he has now reconciled you in
his fleshly body through death in order
to present you before him holy and
blameless and beyond reproach sin has
separated every single one of us from
God and those of us who have saved have
been reconciled we trusted the Lord
Jesus Christ as our Savior his work at
Calvary we’ve been reconciled so there
is redemption there is reconciliation
reconciliation brings people together
reconciliation base husbands and wives
the yellow have been separated their
divorce and reconciliation brings
sinners to oneness in their relationship
to Jesus Christ Union reunion and
harmony then does a word justification
if you’ll turn to Romans chapter 5 for a
moment justification and look if you
will and that now that’s beginning
tonight let’s begin in the eighth verse
but God demonstrates his own love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us so when he talks
about God’s love for us
what does he do he goes straight to the
reason the ultimate reason and the price
for God’s love for us he says God
demonstrates his love toward us in that
while we were yet sinners Christ died
for us much more then having now been
justified by his blood we shall be saved
from the wrath of God through him now we
see something is justified it’s declared
no longer guilty that is when God
justifies us he declares us no longer
guilty be civil with this God just say
you’re not guilty or not guilty you’re
not here to know it’s the blood of
Christ that makes it possible so that if
a person rejects Jesus they reject the
only person who can take care of their
sin because he’s the one who brought
justification as a reality
it’s the shedding of the blood of the
Lord Jesus Christ so he says we were
redeemed reconciled and justified and
it’s not what we do but it’s what he did
for us then does one of the word that’s
the word sanctified sanctification look
if you will in Hebrews chapter 13 for a
moment and I want you to notice just one
verse here Jesus that scripture says in
verse 12 therefore Jesus also that he
might sanctify the people through his
own blood suffered outside the gate that
a sanctified something is to set it
apart and so is what he’s saying he’s
saying he has right he has redeemed us
he’s reconciled us he had a sub I
justified us and now he has sanctified
us those four words cover the Christian
life and every aspect of our life what
is God though he’s doing something that
with sin in our life so let’s deal with
a sanctification for just a moment
sanctification is an act just like
redemption is but sanctification is a
process that goes on and on for example
somebody says well if I’ve sinned after
I’ve been saved everybody has and God
knew that every one of us would so
sanctification is not only something
that happens once we’re redeemed once
we’re reconciled once we justified once
sanctification happens not only once but
on and on it goes for example if you
turn to first John a passage that you
know no doubt pretty well because we’ve
all called upon God in this and I want
your job well as many verses but let’s
just let’s just start with verse 7 of
chapter 1 but if we walk in the light as
he himself is in the light we have
fellowship with one another listeners
and the blood of Jesus his son cleanses
us from all sin and we talk about
believers so I watch this as a believer
we walk in the light we have believer he
himself is in the light we have
fellowship for one another and the blood
of Jesus his son the present end is
continually cleansing us from all sin if
we say that we have no sin we are
deceiving ourselves and the truth is not
in us if we confess our sins that means
if we agree with God about it that we’ve
sinned against him he is faithful and
righteous that is he absolutely will
forgive us of our sins and cleanse us
from all unrighteousness so that God
redeems us once and for all and he
reconciles us once and for all and he
justifies us once AdRoll and we look at
the scripture and his sanctification is
once and a continuing process knowing
that we weren’t going to be perfect and
couldn’t be because we still have that’s
something within us and some people call
it us and they
whatever you want to call it we will
still have that we need his continuing
cleansing is continuing sanctifying so
therefore we can say if we confess our
sins he’s faithful and just to forgive
us of our sins and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness watch this people
take that verse they know it so well and
so they look at the end of the day and
say well I’m sure I’ve said oh they can
name several things but Lord you said if
I confess my sin up that you’re faithful
and just forgive us of our sins cleanse
from all watches you knew it by heart so
well and then you just hop in the bed so
I’m forgiven if you don’t take sin
seriously recognizing that every time
you and I have sinned against God and
we’ve come to God and ask for
forgiveness we’re asking for forgiveness
and receiving forgiveness on the basis
that Jesus died at the cross and shed
his blood which was the once and for all
sacrifice for all sin of all time for
all people everywhere sin is a serious
business and it’s so serious it cost God
his only begotten Son
so the cross isn’t all about on shedding
of some blood and we celebrate needs to
know it’s about it’s about holy God
looking at all of humanity and knowing
that every single one of us would sin
against him and we would all be
separated eternally from me unless he
did something about it which he started
in the Garden of Eden with the first
couple atoning for their sin by shedding
blood and he’s been doing it ever since
all through the Old Testament all for
the New Testament and you and I don’t
have to look forward to something it’s
going to happen we can look back to the
cross everybody from the Garden of Eden
till Jesus was crucified was looking
forward everybody from the cross on
we’re looking back and we’re looking
back at the cross of Jesus Christ
it isn’t watches it isn’t something we
just deal with it Easter it’s something
we deal with daily
Jesus died and suffered on the cross in
order that you and I could have a
relationship with God even a weakness in
that frailty we’d be forgiven because
God’s love has no end its ever flowing
in our behalf and our direction and so
when you say well I want to get right
with God within you have to end up at
the cross there’s no other place you
shall I don’t believe in that cross and
all that blood then you’ll never be
saved you died without Christ and be
lost forever there’s a making difference
who you are you say but God understands
just what God understands that from the
beginning of time when sin entered
Humanity in this present moment only one
thing atones takes care brings about
forgiveness of our sin the blood of one
man the person Jesus Christ’s shedding
his blood atone for the sin of the
entire world now somebody says so what’s
another choice there is no other choice
from beginning to end this book talks
about his coming this book talks about
what happened and his and the book talks
about what’s gonna happen again he’s
coming again and the question I would
have for you is this has there ever been
a time in your life when you got serious
about your sin you’ve been joking about
it playing around the baton fouling up
your life messing up other people’s
lives have you ever come to grips with
your sinful lifestyle and tell God that
you’re a sinner you desperately need him
in your life and you’re asking him to
forgive you on the basis that his son
died and paid your sin debt in full and
you’re asking him to forgive you of your
sin and surrendering your life to Him
has it ever happened or has it not well
if it’s never happened the last thing
you want to do is to die
until you’re willing to confess your
sinfulness and recognize listen
forgiveness isn’t cheap forgiveness cost
God his only begotten Son
the shedding of his blood is the own is
the only atonement for sin
and so I would ask you today are you
willing to ask him to forgive you of
your sin not because you’re gonna be
better but because Jesus died for you
because after you trust him as your
Savior he sends the Holy Spirit the
third person of the Trinity into your
life to enable you to live above sin
enabled you to be righteous and godly he
reminds you that he’s willing to forgive
you of your sin God didn’t just save us
and leave us he indwells us with the
Holy Spirit to enable us to live out the
life of a godly person it has the gospel
one sermon he died today you will have
heard the truth it’s all about the blood
of Jesus it’s all about forgiveness it’s
all about cleansing it’s all about God’s
awesome
restoration of our life writing our name
in the Lamb’s Book of Life and being his
child forever there is only one thing
through one person at one time in all of
history they can get you to heaven and
that is the sacrificial substitutionary
death of Jesus Christ the Son of God who
died in your behalf so you would not
have to die in your sin that is the
gospel
and so if you’re one of those persons
who’s here or somebody who’s listening
or watching this is your opportunity
let’s pray together father I pray for
somebody here who is unsaved don’t know
anything about Redemption a
reconciliation or any of these terms
that we’ve used
they just know this sin in their life
and they’re separated from you I pray
right now in Jesus name they would ask
you to forgive them of their sin
surrender their life to you and let it
be the beginning of a brand new life and
you said you would see laws as your
children and so I pray that there would
be confession and the surrender of that
life to Christ and today they’d make it
known to someone that their life was
changed on this Sunday morning when they
trust that Jesus Christ as their
personal Savior and then Lord for all
the rest of us that we would not forget
this message and Lord we get serious
about living godly lives and we pray
this in Jesus name Amen
[Music]
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