WEDNESDAY May 1, 2024

The Blood of Jesus Christ

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:11-13

Paul brought to mind that the Gentiles––called Uncircumsion by the Jews––were once without Christ. They could not be among the commonwealth of Israel and had no part in the promise of the Jewish Messiah. At one point in time, Gentile nations had no hope of salvation, being alienated from the Jews and separated from Christ. It really was a black picture of hopelessness. Yet because of the shed blood of Christ, Gentiles were brought near and salvation was made available to them.

Did the Gentiles need to be circumcised to be saved? No––no one could not be saved through keeping the Law. In the Old Testament according to the Law, God’s people would have to kill a lamb or other unblemished animal for a sin offering. Yet the blood of animals became only a temporal covering for sin. Jesus became the Lamb of God, and His precious blood paid the redemption price in full:

...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Before coming to Christ, we were hopeless––without God, eternally lost, and in spiritual darkness. In Christ, we are saved. The blood of Jesus Christ has taken away our sin once and for all: ...we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all (Hebrews 10:10). Redemption through Christ has paved the way for us to have a relationship with God.

The heart of the gospel is redemption, and the essence of redemption is the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ.
~C. H. Spurgeon~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!