I read an article that
got "the gears of my mind” turning. It mentioned putting "faith in
the blood of Jesus," a phrase loosely based on Romans 3:25. (It
never ceases to amaze me how I can read a particular scripture, any scripture,
over and over again, and yet in a split moment have a lightbulb turn on that
never turned on before.)
We all know we should
put faith in God and in Jesus. But how in the world do we put faith in the
BLOOD of Jesus? That phrase seems to carry a significantly different meaning.
So I began to reflect if there was ever a time before where people had to
put (or demonstrate) faith in the value of blood. As I researched different
websites, one in particular extended the phrase "put faith in the blood of
Jesus" to include the words "through actions." Then the
lightbulb turned on. The Israelites preparing to exit Egypt were told to splatter blood on their doorposts. Those that put faith in that instruction and acted on it,
were spared the life of their firstborn. Those that did not obey lost the life
of their firstborn.
For the early Christian
congregations, who were predominantly offspring of Abraham, they were under
command to remember their deliverance from Egypt in a commemoration known as
the Passover. For them to accept that "The Law" (handed down from God
through Moses) and related Jewish customs were no longer needed, was a huge
issue. Yet Paul mentioned that it was a necessary transformation. At Galatians
3:13 Paul reasons that we must now put faith in Christ, that is, that Christ
purchased us (through his sacrificial blood) and thus released Christian
converts "from the curse of the Law."
But faith in the blood
of Jesus goes beyond removal of a curse. It was a huge breath of fresh air, a
"new covenant," just as prophesied at Jer 31:31-34. This
will help obedient ones appreciate that true loyalty to God goes beyond
perfunctory observations of rituals. It is something deep in the heart of a
sincere person. It is no longer "I'm required to obey," but rather
"I desire to, I want to obey." God becomes more than some unseen,
distant entity. He now becomes "Abba, Father." Romans 8:15-17
So for the early
converts to Christianity, putting faith in the blood of Jesus (at least in
part) came down to accepting that works of the Mosaic Law would not win them
approval with our Creator. Back then, as well as today, trust that his Son,
Jesus Christ, provides the ransom and the scriptural instruction we need to
live a truly godly life is what is paramount for all to realize.
(I do not intend this
essay to be an exhaustive consideration of the meaning of our putting “faith in
the blood of Jesus.” The intent here was to provide a snippet of thought in
appreciation that putting faith in anything requires demonstrable action.)
