The Witness of the Blood

What a privilege, church. Amen.

To to just know when you come in that that the Lord is here.

And I think probably every time I sing that song or hear that song, I go back to thinking of Jacob out in the middle of the wilderness and wrestling with the angel of the Lord. And when it's all over with, he says, "The Lord was in this place and I knew it not.

How could you miss it? I don't want to miss it when the Lord's in the house." That's right.

Amen. Amen.

I don't want to miss it when his spirit begins to move and he comes into a place and the holy presence of the Lord is here as he is today. I think it'd be good if you just give him some more praise from your heart, Lord. So thankful to know, God, that the almighty God, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, is here among us today, God. That you're touching lives, that you're here to work in Jesus name. In Jesus name. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Amen. We'll look to the word of the Lord this morning. Going to read from 1 John chapter 5 verses 5-9. This is a text we've been working with for the last. This will be the third week now. And as I did the first week, I'm going to read it again from the New American Standard Bible. Begins this way. Who is the one who overcomes the world? But the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God. This is the one who came by water and blood. Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the spirit who testifies because the spirit is truth. I'm thankful for that spirit that's here today. Aren't you? Spirit of truth. For there are three that testify. The wa spirit and the water and the blood. And the three are in agreement. Or these three are one. If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater. For the testimony of God is this, that he has testified concerning his son. So today, we're going to wrap up our three lessons series. In fact, we'll wrap up this this quarter and begin something different when we return in a couple weeks, three weeks actually in September, begin a new series. But this what we've been studying is what I've titled the three witnesses. talked about the witness of the spirit in the first lesson, the witness of the water last week and we will finish with this witness of the blood. Now, just as a reminder, the premise of our study, or if you're here for the first time or haven't been caught up with with it, the premise of it revolves around John's purpose in writing this first epistle, this first letter, uh, paramount to his discussion was that to proclaim that Jesus came as flesh and blood. wanted to make sure everyone understand that he came as a man. And while he didn't specifically mention it in his letter, this focus makes it clear that John was facing some false doctrine and some things and philosophies that were attacking the church. And so he wanted to preach truth in the face of these gnostic teachings. And as we observed in lesson one, he opens that epistle in first John chapter 1 and one with this. He said, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled or touched of the word of life. For the life was manifested, the life was revealed and we have seen it and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the father and was manifest unto us. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you." So what he was saying there is I want to declare what I know of Jesus Christ and he speaks specifically of the the physical senses three of them he said we heard what he said we saw him with our eyes and we handled or we were able to touch him. So the emphasis here is that he physically saw, he heard, he touched Jesus. And what he was getting at was that he was flesh and blood. Not some idea, not some philosophy, not some angel, not something else. Jesus was a real person. So John gives his witness in those first couple verses there. But in he also understood that some wouldn't probably wouldn't believe him because he was just a another man also. But he said, I can point to some better evidence than that. And so in verse nine of a text he said this if we receive the testimony of people in other words if you will believe me or maybe maybe you will he said the testimony of God is greater. So if you don't believe me believe God the testimony of God is this he has testified concerning his son. Now where did he testify? Verse seven tells us that there are three that bear witness or there are three that testify. That word testify literally means to be a witness or to to bring forth proofs. So what proofs did God use to witness to Jesus? He gives these three in verse eight. The spirit and the water and the blood. So we've studied the first two. We talked about the witness of the spirit, the testimony of the spirit and of the water. Today we'll look at this third one, the blood. Lesson one showed us how the spirit worked in every aspect of Jesus' life. It was present at his conception. It was there at his baptism. It was there at Mount Transfiguration. It was there working through him through gifts of the spirit, through miracles, through signs and through wonders. It was there uh before his crucifixion. It was there all the way through. It was there at his resurrection, bringing him back to life. And so, he was confirming who Jesus was, the son of God. Last week, Dr. Cardon spoke of the uniqueness of Jesus' baptism. The really a demarcation point in history when other things everything that happened before happened just washings and purifications of the flesh. But when Jesus was baptized and the spirit got involved, the water testified of him. And so today we will begin studying the significance of the blood in the life and probably more specifically in the death of Jesus Christ. And after we do that, we will look at the question and try to answer why the blood. And finally, we'll see how the blood still testifies today in the lives of those who are redeemed by that blood. So let let's begin with Jesus. In our text, John wrote in verse five and six, he said, "This is he that came by water and blood." Even Jesus Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood. Now to be sure of the New Testament writers, it's only John that that uses that phrase or puts it together. It is only him that although Paul talks about the water, the washing of the water, he talks about the blood in in several different places. The writer of Hebrews talks about both. Peter talks about both, but they never put it together quite like John did does. It's only him that he that includes both of these elements together in his writing. Others will speak of them. They don't do so in different contexts. And and maybe it's because John wrote years after them. He was writing this several years probably after Paul was probably even dead as Peter and he's writing his book and he he was compelled no doubt by his circumstances or the things that he was dealing with to make this connection in a unique way. It is as if he chose these two elements, I think, as as kind of demarcation points in the life of the man Jesus. Making both of these elements point to Jesus humanity. The last two lessons, as we already mentioned, referred to Jesus' baptism, the confirmation of when he come out out of the water, the spirit uh that rest upon him as he came out of the waters of baptism and the voice from heaven, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. So really at the beginning of his ministry, his baptism and the spirit both testified to who Jesus was. And while Jesus was on the cross at the end of his earthly ministry, John alone makes this observation in John chapter 19:es 33-35. He said that when they the soldiers came to Jesus and they saw that he was dead already, they break not his legs. That was their custom to hurry the death along. Uh but since Jesus was already dead, they didn't break his legs. But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side and forth with there came out blood and water. Only John makes that observation. But he said this, "He that saw it," John writes, in other words, me that saw this bear record, and my record or his record is true, and he knoweth that he saith is true, that you might believe. So he he wanted to make it clear. I saw this blood and water coming forth. He as every Jew knew the life is in the blood. And as the blood of Jesus poured out of his side, the blood and water, John literally as a Jew was standing there watching the very life of Jesus leave that physical body. And he so he said, "I bear record. I I saw it. This is a true testimony of what I saw." I don't think any gnostic that would come later on that John was dealing with would ever convince John that Jesus did not come as a man. For while angels never die and the internal spirit of God that fills the universe, it cannot die. Yet John saw Jesus die on the cross. And to that to John, this was a very powerful witness to who Jesus was. So when he looked at that blood, he said, "There's a man that is dying for sin. He is giving his life. But the story is so much bigger than that. It takes a much larger view of scripture than just this glimpse that John is giving us. And of course, John had all this in mind as he wrote it, but doesn't necessarily include it in his letters to understand that this view, this this idea of blood, the significance of the blood goes from the very beginning all the way through the end of the book. That we see it over and over. And to understand it, we have to look at the fall of the human race and God's ultimate solution for sin. Spoiler alert, of course, you already know this. What we are going to learn is the blood of Jesus shed on that cross provides redemption for all. In Peter's words in 1 Peter 1:18, he said this, "For as much as you know, you were not redeemed, you were not bought back, you were not freed from sin, bought back from sin with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation or your vain lifestyle that you received by the tradition of your fathers. That didn't save you. But here's what did. Here's what redeemed you. It was the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot." So when John looks back and he remembers the cross, it may not have all occurred to him as he watched Jesus die and no doubt was was wondering is this the end of everything? But looking back after the resurrection, after Pentecost, and seeing God moving and the church growing and all the things he was facing, John was absolutely convinced that blood that came forth came forth for a reason. That man that died and gave his life on the cross whom God exalted to his to power through at the resurrection. He looked upon that and no doubt he understood that blood is of utmost importance. In Genesis chapter 2, God had instructed Adam and Eve said, "You can eat of anything of the garden." We know the story. We know it well, right? He said, "You can eat of any tree with one exception. Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." Of course, as humans are prone to do, you tell them not to. So that's the very thing they do. Everybody, but you know, those of us in here, don't touch that. Why? Stay away from it. You don't want to go. Although their sin, of course, we know they they succumb to the temptation and their sin brought forth spiritual and then ultimately physical death. But here's what we know. God gave him a promise of redemption. Aren't you thankful to know that God has a plan that when we mess up and when Adam messed up and he messed up, God just didn't say, "Well, that wipe it off and try again. We'll do something different." But he had a plan. The Bible said from the foundation of the world, it was already in place. And he had this plan where the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross would be sufficient for atoning any sin committed. Even in the midst of the tragic consequences of the fall, God gave a couple precedents for the first fear of the future. The first one was a judgment upon Satan before he ever spoke to Eve or to Adam. He looked at the serpent and he said, "I'm going to put immity between you and the woman, between thy seed and her seed, and it's going to bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." So he immediately tells Satan It's personified through the serpent. He tells him, "Your head is going to be bruised. You think you want a victory. You think that you destroyed what I've created. You think that you put in action things that are going to destroy this perfect creation I have. But I've got a plan already. And the seed of that woman is going to bruise your head. Yes, you're going to bruise his heel." Speaking of the death of Jesus, but ultimately, devil, you're going to lose. The second and pertinent thing to our study today was the death of the animals that would be provided through a substitution of their blood, a covering for Adam and Eve's sin. These two principles, the defeat of the devil and the shedding of blood are the basis of the doctrine of the atonement. And from that point on in in Genesis chapter 2 and and chapter 3, the principle being established, we see this continuous thread that carries throughout the Bible. And so to restore that broken relationship with God, mankind had to overcome sin. We understand that God is holy and sin is unholy. That light has no fellowship with darkness. Righteousness has c no communion with wickedness. And and sin separated man from God. But God, not man, God desired to restore that relationship. He said in Isaiah 59:2, he said, 'Your iniquities, your iniquities are what caused the separation between you and your God, and your sins have caused him to hide his face, has hidden his face from you that he will not hear. It's not on God's part. Why do we look at God sometimes being the bad guy in the story? You know, I'm not saying we do, but people do. Well, who's God think he is telling me how to live? He's righteous. He's holy. He created us for a purpose to have communion with the almighty God. And when we allow sin to block those things, it's not God that's being wicked. It's us. And so sin stood between God and his creation. And it blocked the relationship that God desired and designed. Furthermore, it doomed mankind to exist ultimately in a a fiery abyss that's prepared for the devil where there would be separation for God from God. And since we're all under that same combination, no one could help anyone else. Think about it. If you have a bunch of people on death row, one of them can't stand up and say, "I'll die for all of you." Doesn't work. You're going to die anyway. So, how does that replace my death? that does not work. We're all under the same sentence. It would take one that was holy, one that was sinless, one that could come to restore mankind. And so God established this precedent that blood would pay the price for sin. When Adam and Eve sin, of course, we understand they they saw their nakedness and so they sewed together fig leaves and they tried to cover themselves and to cover their nakedness, their shame, their the obvious fact that they had sinned. But God had to provide the covering. And unto Adam also, to his wife, did the Lord God make coats of skin, and he clothed them. No doubt Adam and Eve watched in horror at the death of an animal. They'd probably never seen that. Never seen one die because nothing hurt or destroyed. There was no carnivores at the time. There was no animals tearing other animals or people hunting animals or any of that kind of thing. They'd never seen that. And suddenly, they see an animal die and its blood poured out on death and its skin to cover them. Through this act, God set the standard for the covering of sin. It takes the shedding of innocent blood. We call that the atonement uh in our Bibles. That word is used. It's only used once in the New Testament and Paul uses it there. And in that place where Paul uses it, it is usually translated, that word is usually translated reconciliation. But the concept is solid because once sins are taken care of, we can be reconciled to a holy God. That is the thing that will stand between us and God is sin. It's the only thing that can stand between us and God. But if the sin can be taken care of, then there's an open door of communion. Aren't you thankful for that? That fellowship, that reconciliation that is there. We'll look at you Old Testament usage here in a bit. But but as we look at that that we see this bloodline that runs through the Bible, we understand then Cain and Abel both brought sacrifices and Abel brought of the flock. So he brought a lamb or an animal to be killed and to be sacrificed and and Cain decided to bring fruits and vegetables and God said, "I'll accept Cain's. I'm not going to accept yours." Why? There was no blood involved. And we see this throughout scripture. We see uh when Abraham goes to offer his son Isaac as God commanded and God provides a ram in the thicket. And so we see a a blood offering. We see a scarlet cord at the fall of Jericho representing blood. We see blood in the tabernacle plan given to Moses by the nation constructed by the nation of Israel that played a significant role and blood sacrifices were s central to the tabernacle worship and later to the worship in the temple. The priest shed the blood of animals in front of the brazen altar and the high priest would carry that collected blood all the way through to the mercy seat of the holiest of holies. Leviticus explains it better than anywhere else in 1711. says this, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls. For it is blood that make maketh an atonement for the soul." Nothing else works, church. You can't stop preaching. We can't stop teaching about the blood. Nothing else works. We've got to have the blood of Jesus applied to our life. So why the blood? We've touched on that answer already, but let let's look at this question in detail. Why did God choose the shedding of the blood? In verse we just read in a li Leviticus provides us the answer. If the wages of sin is death, as Paul wrote, and the soul that sinnth as the prophets wrote, it shall die, then it's apparent that life must be taken to meet the demands of sin. There is no option. There is no choice. And this phrase here is interesting. He said the life of the flesh is in the blood. Literally interpreted that word life there uh is interpreted the soul or the breath of the flesh is in the blood. Think about that. This is in Leviticus. This is some 3,500 4,000 years for 35 2500 years before Jesus is even born. and they're writing that the life of the flesh is in the blood. Wasn't until about the 15th century AD that man finally figured out, hey, that's where the body gets oxygen. Michael Servitus wrote and and he said, "This is how it goes. It circulates." And he he discovered that that's what kept people alive. Leviticus already knew that. Here's where it is. The breath of the flesh, the thing that keeps us functioning is in the blood. God understood that the life sustaining air we breathe was transmitted through the blood. And without blood to deliver it to our body, we're dead. And so the pouring out of blood is certain death. As the blood would I mean they may have noticed that, but they really didn't understand why. And when Jesus poured out his blood, he was literally giving his life as a substitution for ours. We deserve death, but he shed his blood, gave his life that we might live. And here's what he said. I have given it to you. I've given you this life of this blood. I have given it to you upon the altar. That's so significant because blood in the veins doesn't do anything to help anyone else. Blood that's still in running through a body does not off is not offered to anything else. It's only the blood upon the altar. It's only the blood of something that was poured out that works. The blood which is poured out. Here's what that means for us. The scripture doesn't know anything about imitation or influence of Jesus' life. That this this is all we have to do is try to be like Jesus. No, it takes the blood. It takes taking his life for our life. Yes, Jesus was a teacher of morality. Yes, he did those kind of things. But that is not what's going to save you. There are those that look at the word of God and they want to get rid of all the all these kind of ideas and these things. Let's not talk about death. Let's not talk Jesus was a good man. He said some good things. Let's pull out his good teachings and and that's what we'll live by and we'll just leave it at that. We'll just emulate Jesus teaching in his life. But let's forget that cross kind of stuff. One man said Christ neither saves us neither by exercise of power. So he doesn't do it by miracles. Just walk in and say you're saved. Doesn't work that way. Not by his doctrine, not by his teaching, not by his example, not by his influence, not by any subjective influence of his people, anything else like that. But it was only when he poured out his blood. That was the only thing that could save us from sin. The ransom from the curse, the authority of the law, reconciling us to God. So it is only the blood that is on the altar. That's why nothing else works. There's some that say, well, you know, Muhammad wrote some good things and Buddha said some good things and maybe Confucious and others and you know, and let's just put all these religions together. We'll just take all these good ideas these people had. You know, love one another. Let's do this. Be good to your neighbors. Let's live this way. Look positive. Don't do this. And we'll all be okay. No, you have to have the blood. And it's only the blood of Jesus. No one else died for our sins. No one else could die for our sins but the spotless lamb of God. The one that we saw at Jesus' baptism. This is my beloved son. It's in him that I'm well pleased. Nowhere else can you find that. And what did he give it for? To make atonement for your souls. For it is the blood, not the life, not the ministry, not the miracles, not the good teachings. It's the blood that makes atonement for your soul. The Hebrew word there used for atonement. It's interesting because uh it comes from a root word that was used back in in that day that meant covering, but it it doesn't mean that so much in the Bible. It's it's unique because the lit word literally means to atone by offering a substitute. Not any other way. The only way it atones is by offering a substitute. The great majority of usages concerning all the pre priestly ritual and the sprinkling of the sacrificial blood was always making atonement for the wor worshipper. It was a substitute because you're sinful. But this blood is going to atone. It's going to make a substitute for you. There are 49 instances in Leviticus alone and nothing else is implied. It is always this idea of substitution. It is always in connection with the removal of sin or defilement. And it is always something substituting because we can't do it ourselves. The life of the sacrificial animal, specifically symbolized by its blood, was required in exchange for the life of the worshipper. If it hadn't been for the substitution, their only option would be to offer themselves, which wouldn't have worked. It took something as a substitution. It was the symbolic expression of an innocent life given for a guilty life. And in the Old Testament, all these sacrifices anticipated that perfect sacrifice of Calvary. The tabernacle, every article in it depicted some aspect of atonement. It was an object lesson for us. But under the New Testament, we learn of a greater and more perfect tabernacle. That tabernacle back then doesn't exist anymore. They'd like to rebuild it. They'd like to find a way to to get it all going again, but it doesn't exist. In fact, the writer of Hebrews said, "That which is old, that it wax old and it's soon going to be done away with. It won't do us any good anymore. It's it's it's no good. But by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, greater and more perfect because it was not made by human hands. It's a tabernacle in heaven. And the blood shed on Calvary is blood that never loses its power. God honored those Old Testament sacrifices because of the faith and the indivi obedience of the individuals, but also because he understood, I've got something better for you. I've got a better plan. And he knew when the fullness of time was come that Jesus precious blood would become the true atoning agent to purge and set mankind free from sin. Paul wrote in Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law for what? To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." Writer of Hebrews explained the do blood of animals served to cleanse the flesh of the people. He said the bulls blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a hepher, the sprinkling of the unclean. Moses dipping in the blood and sprinkling on his people. All these things he said that sanctified or that separated them to the purifying of the flesh. In other words, it was a temporary thing to make them ceremonially clean so they could appear in the presence of God. And although ceremonially clean, you know, okay, we we'll do this for now and this will be good just so you can come worship. He said it was not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Why? Because it wasn't a one-on-one thing, right? You're killing an animal to atone for the life of a human. Well, that that'll work for a little bit, but that's not going to that's not going to take care of the sins. But when Jesus carried his blood into that perfect tabernacle and al offered it on the altars of a heavenly altar, he said, "Neither by the blood of goats or calavs, but by his own blood he entered once into the holy place and obtained eternal redemption for us." That's why the blood never loses its power. It is eternal redemption. Not one that worked today and we have to do it again next year. Not one that worked today and I s I come back and I have to offer another sacrifice. Amen. But the blood of Jesus covers us with that eternal redemption. How much more? He asked, how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God? It's going to purge not their flesh, not the outside, not making you ceremonially clean. It is going to purge your conscience from dead works so you can serve the living God. It's going to take away that condemnation. It's going to take away that sins. The blood of bulls and goats could only deal with something you did in the past and and only deal with it temporarily. The sacrifices could not motivate you to turn from sin and live right. Jesus blood went far beyond all that. It covers, it cleanses, it remits, but it also leaves a covering, motivates us to live a life that is holy. The language of the tabernacle, it supplies the New Testament, if you go through that as a study with so much with language of redemption. Paul proclaimed that God set Jesus to be a propitiation for our sins. He says, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." Romans 3:25, "Through faith in his blood, not his teachings, not his good works." When you trust the blood to declare his righteousness, what? For the remissions of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. Christ Jesus is the propitiation for our sin. Another big word there for Christian. And the propitiation was the shed blood of Jesus Christ. That word is translated from a Greek word which which is also translated mercy seat because the priest would go in and he would put the blood on the altar and on the mercy seat to say I'm offering this for sin. Jesus put his blood on the mercy seat in heaven to demonstrate that Jesus becomes our mercy seat. He is the one we go to, right? We go I'm running I'm running to the mercy seat. I'm running to Jesus Christ because there be that we can meet between God and man. He was not only our priest but he is the mercy seat. He is the propitiation. He is the one we turn to. We have redemption as we already mentioned through his blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the redemption of his grace. The audience would have understood as Paul wrote that in Ephesians, they would have understood the idea of redemption. Remember when Paul declared, he said, "I'm a Roman citizen. I was born one." And the guy that the soldier that was looking at him said, "Well, I paid a great price to get my freedom." Paul, you were a citizen. That that's really something. He understood this that that soldier understood this idea of redemption because many of the people were slaves. They they weren't born free. And so the only way they could become free would be to redeem be redeemed or someone that be willing to pay a purchase price. So they understood that concept. Rede redemption means that purchase back of something that was lost or a payment of a ransom, a debt that that was viewed not simply as canceled. It was fully paid for. Jesus blood which he gave for us is the ransom by which we are delivered. He paid the price. Jesus paid it all. Jesus paid it all. It's interesting the New Testament sometimes uses the word buy when talking about the work of the cross. For you are bought with a price. I think we need to see something a little bit of distinction here between buying and redemption because we talk about, you know, there's universal redemption. It's for everybody. Well, Jesus did buy it, but we need to understand there's something different about redeeming it. You have to have the blood applied to your life. Peter wrote of those in second Peter 2. He said, "There were false prophets among the people." He said, "Denying the Lord that bought them, and they bring upon themselves switch swift destruction." So the Lord bought them, but they not denied him. And because of that, there is destruction. You can't say they were redeemed. You can't say that they're waiting for the redemption of the purchased property because even though he bought it, they denied it. You got to take this blood and believe in it. You got to accept it. You got to have it applied to your life. You got to say, "Lord, cover me with that blood. Lord, put it on my heart. Put it on my life." That's what redemption's about. We're cleansed by the blood. The blood of Jesus Christ, John wrote in 1:7, cleanseth us from all sin. Go down in water and baptism. We are identifying with Jesus Christ and his death. In other words, that's where the blood was poured out. That's where the life flowed from Jesus Christ at his death. And he was buried and we are buried with him in that baptism. And that blood is applied to our life. That's why Paul could write there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. How are you in Christ Jesus? Repenting of your sins, being buried with him in baptism. That's where you get the blood an understanding. mean when I go down in that water, the blood of Jesus is going to take care of my sins. So what's that mean for us today? Several things. And we can see this through throughout the last five six hundred years of history because it was kind of fallen away from first 1500 years of the church. One of the hallmarks of the res reformation of the church began to turn back to a biblical understanding of the blood of Jesus Christ to understand that you have to have it. Martin Luther began developed a more biblical theology of the cross. The the Moravians in particular begin to emphasize the blood and revivals that occurred in America and England and it it began to cover uh become more and more popular and more and more focused on by people. another number of groups begin to appreciate a biblical understanding of Calvary. And as mentioned earlier, the Moravians begin to talk about it. The the the Methodists would would go to their camp meetings and one of their things they would talk about as they pray. Think about the blood. Think about the death of Jesus on the cross and they focused on that. It's an interesting term we use and and the Moravians probably started it, but they talked about I plead the blood of Jesus. When you think of pleading, you think of begging. I'm pleading with you. Please do this. That's not what that's about. It is a legal term. When you plead something, so you go to a court of law and say, "Well, I'm going to plead the fifth." In other words, I'm basing my plea, what I'm going to argue on this. It was a legal term. The legal term we have for our sins is I plead the blood. I can't answer to them. I can't justify them. I can't do anything with it. If I was wrong, I was wrong. When I was wrong, as a sinner, my only option is say, you know what? I plead the blood. We said this, this theme goes through the Bible. Revelation 12:10, the accuser of our brethren who accused them for before God day and night has been cast down. That's why Paul said, "There is no therefore now condemnation." Where does condemnation of the child of God come? It's the accuser of the brethren. Say, "Yeah, I remember what you did. Yeah, you remember that? You remember this?" And that accuse. Here's what he said. They overcame him by what? The blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. Notice that testimony and blood are both cited in that same birth. The blood still testifies today. It still witnesses. When the devil comes along, he's like, "Hey, look at the blood. I'm covered by the blood. And the blood testifies, yes, the blood of Jesus has covered this person. The blood of Jesus has it. You don't have to go through life struggling and wondering, "Well, am I saved? Am I am I this? Am I Did God forgive me? Is it?" Plead the blood because the devil's going to accuse you of it over and over. And he'll bring it up again and again because we're flesh. But because of the blood of Jesus Christ, only relying on that, not relying on our merits, our good works, anything we've done, it won't work. But I plead the blood. And the devil has said, "Well, I can't touch that. I can't touch that." The blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. 1906 worldwide Pentecostal revival at Isuza Street. You've probably heard of it or read stories of it. God poured out the Holy Ghost. miracles happened. Revival popped out all over the world from China to the United States to to Europe to Ireland and all throughout the United States. And all along this along with this, many of them begin to write songs and begin to preach sermons and talk about the blood of Jesus Christ. In fact, they they began a a pamphlet, a little mission that they begin to publish, a monthly paper that was distributed around the globe globe. But in the first year, every monthly issue contained testimonies and articles, an average of 25 of them with references to the blood of Jesus. They understood, "Here's what we base our faith on. Let's never get away from it, church. There's power in the blood. Power in the blood. Wonderworking power in the I see a crimson stream of blood. That blood will never use its power." Pentecostals did not merely understand that life is in the blood. They knew something more. That court of redemption from Adam to the cross, every sacrifice, the priesthood, the Jewish celebration, the day of atone, all anticipated Calvary. And from that day, day of Pentecost on, we can look back and see that blood that was shed since life is in the blood. And here's what I like. We can really understand that abundant life is in the blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "I didn't just come that they have life. I come that they have it more abundantly." Where do you get abundant life? Plead the blood. Not in trying to live better and be better and all those kind of things. Let the blood of Jesus cover you. And not only abundant life, but more than that, we have a promise of eternal life. Why? Because of the blood of Jesus Christ. Let's stand. Aren't you thankful? Couple of you in here that were around years ago in the 90s when I was youth pastor, there was a song the choir used to sing. Youth choir used to sing. I am covered. Covered. Covered by his blood. Aren't you thankful for that church? I am covered. Covered. Covered by his blood. Yeah, devil, you may say this. Yeah, this might be happening. But you know what? I plead the blood of Jesus Christ. Why don't you just lift both hands and give him a great thanksgiving? So thankful, Lord, for the salvation, the redemption, the covering. Lord, that blood is witnessing even this morning. Hallelujah. If someone is not covered by the blood of Jesus, it is for you today. Hallelujah. You can have those sins completely paid for, gone, remitted in Jesus' name. You can be redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Something the angels say, "I can't sing that song. I don't know anything about it. You tell me about it." Amen. The church says, "Let me witness. I've been redeemed. I've been saved." And it's by the blood of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Give him a hand clap of praise. Thank you. Hallelujah.