I would be very glad for any one who can help me for specific detail search for the "blood of Jesus Christ" whether it may be mentioned in pronouns or in any forum in the new Testament.
Hi, Tes
Hebrews speaks the most on this topic. I used Heb 10.19 as the source verse for this study. This Search brings up relevant verses for study:
{Section <FigurativeLanguageType = Blood as Sacrifice>} also eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus are used figuratively to refer to abiding with Christ Jesus. I used Jn 6.53 to find this Search in the Context Menu:
{Section <FigurativeLanguageTerm = To Eat Flesh and Drink Blood>} I hope this addresses your question.
Also, as a representation of the New Covenant this Search based on Mt 26.28 is useful:
{Section <FigurativeLanguageType = Blood of Jesus as New Covenant>}
Lastly, you may find this Search to be useful:
{Section <FigurativeLanguageType = Blood of Jesus as Death of Jesus>}
I used this: <Thing Blood> NEAR <Person Jesus>
There's a few false positives to sort through, but it's manageable.
In theory a clause search for thing:blood person:Jesus should find pretty much all of these. It does a fairly good job, but misses at least the following:
The tagging doesn't seem to be the problem, so I don't understand why the search doesn't work for these references. (Although the BWS seems to suggest that the Colossians passage is linked to God, not Jesus?) If anyone can shed light on that, I'd be grateful.
but misses at least the following: Matthew 27:4 Colossians 1:20 Revelation 19:12-13
but misses at least the following:
Did you only get 10 results? I only got 10 hits and was also missing: Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:14, 10:29; 1 Peter 1:2, 1:19; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 12:11.
Also the communion passages would be important (in my opinion).
In theory a clause search for thing:blood person:Jesus should find pretty much all of these.
Concur with theory, but found a complex search has more results (albeit with some false positives)
(<Person Jesus> OR {Section <PreachingTheme = Atonement>} OR {Section <PreachingTheme = God: Grace>} OR {Section <PreachingTheme = Sacrifice>} OR {Section <PreachingTheme = Truth>}) INTERSECTS <Sense blood>
Keep Smiling [:)]
Let me clarify my motive. I am sick of those who always proclaim " I cover you in the blood of Jesus" . So, I want to defend the truth about the Precious blood of Jesus Christ with which I am redeemed,cleansed, sanctified, and interred by faith to the Holy place . A true believer is in Christ. He is where Christ is. If they think that they have the right to claim to do that then they should prove that they are from the tribe of the Levites and they are priests of the old testament not the priests of the new testament. They should mention the blood of animals not the precious blood of our Lord Jesus. This is my point. I know the rules of the Forums. I am not bringing it for theological discussion. but I am interested on resources. I just have mentioned it ,so that you may understand my direction of my search.
specific detail search for the "blood of Jesus Christ" whether it may be mentioned in pronouns or in any forum in the new Testamen
This is my point. I know the rules of the Forums. I am not bringing it for theological discussion. but I am interested on resources. I just have mentioned it ,so that you may understand my direction of my search.
Did the answers given help? Or do you want more?
You mention that you are "interested in resources," which implies you want more than just how to search for the blood of Jesus in the New Testament.
I am very grateful what you have contributed up to now. I have got searches with the word "blood" ,but it would be good ,if I can get pronouns as well. If I could get a specific recourse which relates to my theme would be also very fine.
Might be worth coming at it from a different angle like searching the systematic theologies in your library to see where conceptually this occurs. In my library R.T. Kendall says "I myself pray daily to be covered by the blood of Jesus" Kendall, R. T. (1996). Understanding Theology, Volume One (p. 267). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus.
There are other similar references but as far as I can see he does not suggest that that this is something we can bestow on others.
Might also be worth seeing whether there is anything similar in the Church Fathers.
Good suggestion, but I strongly believe that the blood of Jesus Christ Deals with internal and from internal to external .Covering is not for some one who is in. cleansining,sanctifying, justifying are not external in the New Testament.The blood of our Jesus Christ brings us to relationship with God.
Not wanting to violate the forum guidelines, in similar situations where I had concerns about the theology and the origin of something that was becoming commonplace I found finding the origin of the thinking was a good start and in some cases Google provided a better start point than Logos. Having identified the Biblical passages from which support was claimed using Logos I was able to provide a proper exegesis of the verse in question in context.
I have heard the statement that concerns you many times, it is often used with good intentions but every explanation that I have been given has lacked Bible support.
Graham's suggestions are sound. I also found some interesting material by searching on Everything:
"plead the Blood"
I have heard the statement that concerns you many times,
Would you please elaborate it? I am not aware of your comments. What is the statement that concerns me?
it is often used with good intentions but every explanation that I have been given has lacked Bible support.
I haven't understood what you mean. which has lacked Bible support.
Graham's suggestions are sound. I also found some interesting material by searching on Everything: "plead the Blood"
Thank you Beloved for it.
it is often used with good intentions but every explanation that I have been given has lacked Bible support. I haven't understood what you mean. which has lacked Bible support.
I'm not Graham, but I offer this for your study:
Is Pleading the Blood of Jesus Biblical?
“Pleading the blood of Jesus” in prayer is a teaching that can be traced to some of the early leaders of the Word of Faith movement. When people speak of “pleading the blood of Jesus in prayer” they are referring to the practice of “claiming” the power of Christ over any and every problem by using the phrase “I plead the blood of Jesus over _______.”
“Pleading the blood of Jesus” has no basis whatsoever in Scripture. No one in the Bible ever “pleads the blood” of Christ. Those who “plead the blood” do so as if there was something magical in those words or as if by using them their prayer is somehow more powerful. This teaching is born from the misguided and heretical view of prayer that prayer is really nothing more than a way of manipulating God to get what we want rather than praying for His will to be done. The whole Word of Faith movement is founded on the false teaching that faith is a force and if we pray with enough faith, then God guarantees us health, wealth, and happiness and will deliver us from every problem and every situation. In this view, God is simply a way to get what we want instead of being the holy, sovereign, perfect and righteous Creator that the Bible reveals Him to be.
Those who teach this Word-Faith falsehood have an exalted view of man and our “rights” to plead what we want and get God to respond the way we want. This is in opposition to true biblical faith exemplified by Paul’s life and his approach to suffering and trials. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). But Word of Faith teaches that if we suffer or are sick or struggle with sin, it is because we do not have enough faith or that we are not pleading the blood of Jesus to claim what is rightfully ours. But we do not see Paul pleading the blood of Christ or claiming what is “rightfully his” when he was faced with trials and persecution. Instead we see his unwavering faith in Christ no matter what the situation: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 2:12).
Paul had “learned in whatever state I am in to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11–13). Paul’s faith was in Christ alone, and he could say with conviction “the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever, Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18).
“Pleading the blood” as it is commonly practiced has more in common with mysticism—reciting a magical formula and hoping it works—than it does with biblical prayer. Saying certain words does not make our prayers magically more powerful. Furthermore, “pleading the blood” of Christ is not needed to defeat Satan. He has already been defeated, and if we are truly born-again, Satan has no power over us other than what God allows for His purpose and glory. Colossians 1:13 makes this perfectly clear: “For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins.”
Rather than “pleading the blood” of Christ for protection or power, Christians should obey the command in James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Rather than practicing an unbiblical model of prayer, we are to follow the simple precepts of Scripture—leading a pure life before God, taking captive all our thoughts to avoid giving sin a place, confessing our sins when we fail those first two precepts and putting on the full armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6:13–17.
The Bible gives us numerous instructions in victorious living in Christ, and pleading “the blood of Jesus” is not one of them. We have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and He is our High Priest and mediator who “always lives to make intercession” for us (Hebrews 7:25). As His sheep we are already under His protection, we simply need to live day by day trusting in Him for what He has already promised and provided.
Got Questions Ministries. (2002–2013). Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
C
it is often used with good intentions but every explanation that I have been given has lacked Bible support. I haven't understood what you mean. which has lacked Bible support. I'm not Graham, but I offer this for your study: Is Pleading the Blood of Jesus Biblical? “Pleading the blood of Jesus” in prayer is a teaching that can be traced to some of the early leaders of the Word of Faith movement. When people speak of “pleading the blood of Jesus in prayer” they are referring to the practice of “claiming” the power of Christ over any and every problem by using the phrase “I plead the blood of Jesus over _______.” “Pleading the blood of Jesus” has no basis whatsoever in Scripture. No one in the Bible ever “pleads the blood” of Christ. Those who “plead the blood” do so as if there was something magical in those words or as if by using them their prayer is somehow more powerful. This teaching is born from the misguided and heretical view of prayer that prayer is really nothing more than a way of manipulating God to get what we want rather than praying for His will to be done. The whole Word of Faith movement is founded on the false teaching that faith is a force and if we pray with enough faith, then God guarantees us health, wealth, and happiness and will deliver us from every problem and every situation. In this view, God is simply a way to get what we want instead of being the holy, sovereign, perfect and righteous Creator that the Bible reveals Him to be. Those who teach this Word-Faith falsehood have an exalted view of man and our “rights” to plead what we want and get God to respond the way we want. This is in opposition to true biblical faith exemplified by Paul’s life and his approach to suffering and trials. Paul wrote in 2 Timothy that “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12). But Word of Faith teaches that if we suffer or are sick or struggle with sin, it is because we do not have enough faith or that we are not pleading the blood of Jesus to claim what is rightfully ours. But we do not see Paul pleading the blood of Christ or claiming what is “rightfully his” when he was faced with trials and persecution. Instead we see his unwavering faith in Christ no matter what the situation: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 2:12). Paul had “learned in whatever state I am in to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11–13). Paul’s faith was in Christ alone, and he could say with conviction “the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever, Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18). “Pleading the blood” as it is commonly practiced has more in common with mysticism—reciting a magical formula and hoping it works—than it does with biblical prayer. Saying certain words does not make our prayers magically more powerful. Furthermore, “pleading the blood” of Christ is not needed to defeat Satan. He has already been defeated, and if we are truly born-again, Satan has no power over us other than what God allows for His purpose and glory. Colossians 1:13 makes this perfectly clear: “For He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son in whom we have redemption through His blood, the remission of sins.” Rather than “pleading the blood” of Christ for protection or power, Christians should obey the command in James 4:7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Rather than practicing an unbiblical model of prayer, we are to follow the simple precepts of Scripture—leading a pure life before God, taking captive all our thoughts to avoid giving sin a place, confessing our sins when we fail those first two precepts and putting on the full armor of God as outlined in Ephesians 6:13–17. The Bible gives us numerous instructions in victorious living in Christ, and pleading “the blood of Jesus” is not one of them. We have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and He is our High Priest and mediator who “always lives to make intercession” for us (Hebrews 7:25). As His sheep we are already under His protection, we simply need to live day by day trusting in Him for what He has already promised and provided. Got Questions Ministries. (2002–2013). Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
Wow! Amazing! I have no words to thank you . May the Lord bless you and your ministry. I praise the Lord.My heart is alet to hear more of this Biblical Truth. I am a penticostal believer it disturbs me when ever it is said unbiblical about the Blood of Jesus Christ.
Hi Tes, below I have copied and pasted relevant material from one of my Logos resources.
Lesson 7—The Power of the Blood for the Individual, Family, and Nation
The blood of Jesus is powerful. It protects, as in the case of the Passover blood protecting the children of Israel in Egypt. It purges away sin, as in the case of Jesus, the Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world. And it pulverizes Satan, our enemy, in his attempts to neutralize our testimony to the truth of God’s Word in our lives.
The Passover Lamb
In Exodus 12:1–7, 12, 13 (read these verses), the Lord spoke to Moses about executing judgment against the gods of Egypt. He told Moses to tell the people of Israel to place the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes as a means of supernatural protection in what has come to be known as the Passover.
From these verses we learn that God was going to judge supernaturally the gods of Egypt. In this final visitation, God showed that He was greater than the Egyptian god Osiris, the Egyptian giver of life. However, through the blood of the covenant God would deliver Israel from death. All Israel had to do was apply the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes in what came to be known as the Passover. In addition, they were commanded by God to have a Passover meal consisting of roasted lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread.
In our day, God’s judgment is once again upon the land, not in the sense of God’s specifically sending death upon the firstborn, but when a nation, culture, or home walks away from the life-giving principles that God established to worship the false gods of pleasure, self, and materialism; when a people deliberately choose to walk away from the truths that God established, they also walk away from God’s protective covering. Thus death, disease, and destruction are loosed. This doesn’t happen because God is sitting up in heaven waiting to hurl thunderbolts of judgment upon them. But just as a man or a woman, throwing aside his or her umbrella in a rainstorm, is going to get wet, so are those who forsake God’s protective covering. They are prey to natural and supernatural forces that bring destruction.
Divorce, child abuse, AIDS, poverty, drug addiction, alcoholism, sexual problems, disease, and occult forces seek to ravage the home in our time in order to destroy it. It is precisely here in the nitty-gritty of life that the blood of the covenant has the supernatural power to stop these forces in our homes and nation. Once again, the blood of the covenant or blood of the Lamb has the power to render evil inoperative in our families and nation. Just as the ancient Hebrews applied the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of their homes, so in our day we can apply the blood of the Lamb—Jesus Christ—on the doorposts of our homes!
What this means is that as we choose to walk under the covering of the blood in our homes, we can appropriate the supernatural power of blood to break the power of Satan in our homes. On a practical level, the blood of the Lamb breaks the generational curse over families and destroys the bondages of alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual problems, disease, death, and occult forces that have been passed down from our ancestors. The blood of the Lamb is a living supernatural property that can cleanse us from the most deep-rooted bondages of sin and despair. It has literal wonder-working power to cleanse us from the decay and erosion that sin brings, and it bathes us in the pure rejuvenating flow of the Spirit of God. The blood of Jesus Christ binds up the shame and releases us to experience the fullness of His glory—the awesome wonder, majesty, and glory of the Lamb upon the throne, the triumphant Christ who brings us before the very throne room of God as children of His heavenly family, to live forever with Him in the splendor of eternity!
Keeping in mind the dynamic truths recorded in Exodus 12:1–7, 12, 13, how can we practically apply the blood of the covenant to our lives today? Answer the following questions to help appropriate the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, to your daily life.
How can I apply the blood over the doorposts of my home? (Ex. 12:7)
How does the blood keep away evil from my dwelling? (Ex. 12:13)
How can I appropriate the power of the blood over the lives of my loved ones? (Acts 16:31)
How can I appropriate the power of the blood over the community, city, and nation where I live? (2 Chr. 7:14)
Jesus Christ Is the Lamb of God Who Takes Away the Sin of the World
John 1:29 says, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ ” Jesus Christ is the very embodiment of the blood of the covenant as the Lamb of God. It is He alone who has the power to remove man’s sin through His sacrificial death. Through the blood of the Lamb of God the power of sin over our lives is broken and Satan no longer has a foothold in us. When we lived in spiritual darkness we lived under the rulership of the god of this age. However, when we received Jesus Christ into our lives by faith, we died with Christ and are no longer bound to sin and this satanic age. In the cosmic courts of heaven we have been set free by the power of the blood. The blood of God is so powerful it delivers us from the kingdom of darkness and satanic rule (Col. 1:13). We are no longer slaves to sin because of the blood. Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God whose precious life blood has set us free from sin’s power.
Word Wealth
Sin, hamartia. Literally, “missing the mark,” failure, offense, taking the wrong course, wrongdoing, sin, guilt. The New Testament uses the word in a generic sense for concrete wrongdoing.1
The blood of the Lamb of God supernaturally releases us from the dominion and power of Satan’s grasp. It has within it enough power to change the course of human history forever. We must learn to think of the blood as more than a red liquid within the body. When it comes to the blood of Christ, there is an actual supernatural property within it that has a power so great that it can transform the very universe. The property of the blood of the Lamb can take people who are in the grips of spiritual and physical death and bring them into eternity. Praise God!
In answering these questions, we will see how the supernatural power of the blood can transform lives:
How can the power of the blood take away my sin? (Heb. 9:14)
How can the power of the blood completely transform my life?
How is Jesus Christ the Lamb of God? (John 1:29)
How does Jesus Christ’s being the Lamb of God relate to the blood of the covenant? (Heb. 9:12)
The Power of the Blood Can Effectively Break Satan’s Attempt at Dominion in Our Lives
All of us live in a world that is contaminated by the death force of sin. This contamination puts us under the dominion of the god of this age. The power to resist temptation is dismantled. In other words, nonbelievers find themselves moving according to the world spirit of this present age. It is for this reason that the world continues to move in a direction that is evil. It is a natural thing to do because it is going with the flow of this world system.
When confronting the world spirit of this age we need to ask ourselves the question, “How can the death force of sin and the very real forces of evil be destroyed by the power of the blood?” (Eph. 1:7)
Keeping in mind that Christ’s blood is far more than just a red liquid that coursed through His veins, describe how the blood of Jesus Christ is a supernatural property that contains the power of God to dismiss darkness forever and bring people into the fullness of the light. (Acts 26:18)
How are the powers of darkness and the grip of Satan broken as the rejuvenating stream of God’s life force (eternal life) is released through the blood? (Rev. 12:11)
How are the bondages and grips of hell’s fury removed as the presence of God within the blood is released? (Heb. 9:14)
To repeat, it is important to deepen our understanding of Christ’s blood as far more than the red liquid that coursed through His veins. The blood of Jesus Christ is a real and supernatural property that contains the power of God to dismiss the darkness forever and bring people into the fullness of the light. The blood of Jesus Christ is a supernatural property that possesses the life force of God Himself. Therefore when this blood was shed for the sins of humankind, the enormous power of God’s life force within it was released. Eternal life was activated. Subsequently, the grip of Satan and the powers of darkness are broken as the rejuvenating stream of God’s life force is introduced into the human personality. In other words, the bondages and grips of hell’s fury are removed as the presence of God within the blood of the Lamb is released.
When the phrase power in the blood is used, it is referring to the supernatural power that is contained in Christ’s blood. This power is able to banish Satan, sin, and darkness with the very force of its holy presence. The consuming fire of God’s holiness purges darkness and the dominion of sin with a force often not recognized in religious circles.
What the power of the blood means in the most real terms is that the power of Jesus Christ is readily available to anyone who needs it! Thus, when hell’s forces are arrayed against us and the fury of demonic forces is at the very worst, the blood makes it possible for us to find salvation, healing, and deliverance. As the blood of the Lamb flows from Calvary into our lives, marriages are restored, victims of abuse are healed, bodies are freed from disease, occult energy is banished, oppression is lifted and the invading army of God’s incredible glory is released into our lives at every dimension.
In prayer, it is common to plead the blood. Although there is no direct reference to this phrase in the Bible, it is clear that the blood of Jesus Christ—the blood of the Lamb—has great power in our lives. In Revelation 12:11 the scripture reads, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Pleading the blood—applying the power of the blood of Jesus Christ—is simply making use of this divine resource that God has given us. When we apply the blood of Jesus Christ in our lives we are making use of this divine resource by faith.
Faith Alive
How can we, as individuals, apply the power of the blood over our homes? What specific steps must we take to appropriate the blood’s power, or plead the blood, over our lives? The following is a suggested prayer exercise in appropriating this power:
Go to God in prayer and appropriate the power of the blood over your home and family. Begin by spending some time in worship and praise before Him. Allow His presence to fill you and His glory to be poured out in your midst.
As a priest and intercessor for your family, your prayer might be something like this: “Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to You and worship You. I praise Your name, Jesus! God, I come to You, cleansed in the blood of the Lamb. I plead that blood [or, apply the blood] over my home and family. I bind the powers of darkness. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Lesson 8—Entering God’s Presence Through the Blood
It is not possible to live without sin in this life (1 John 1:8), but it is possible to live with a clear conscience (Acts 24:16). How does this work?
Going Boldly to the Throne of Grace
Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can go boldly to the throne of grace. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The gospel of Jesus Christ is called the Good News because through the blood of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed of our sins, shortcomings, mistakes, and failures. This is liberating, because it means that anyone can come to God if they ask for forgiveness. The key concept here is the word grace.
Grace, charis. From the same root as chara, “joy,” and chairo, “to rejoice.” Charis causes rejoicing. It is the word for God’s grace as extended to sinful man. It signifies unmerited favor, undeserved blessing, free gift.1
The Bible teaches us that salvation is a free gift from God. In addition, we are encouraged to “come boldly to the throne of grace” regularly in our Christian walk. The reason this is good news is because of the blood of Jesus Christ. We can be confident that when we go to God we will receive unmerited favor and undeserved blessing. In other words, God does not treat us on the basis of how good we have been during the week or how spiritual. His love and goodness toward us is constant because of grace.
After studying the word grace, write in your own words how salvation is a free gift from God. (Eph. 2:8)
Second, how does understanding that salvation is a free gift based on unmerited favor apply to Hebrews 4:16? In other words, why can I go boldly to the throne of grace?
In our society, we hear the phrase unconditional love used constantly. The reason for this is that our society does not practice unconditional love. Instead, human love is dispensed on the basis of how well you measure up or perform. Thus, love is conditional. The result of this is that people are placed in a psychological bondage and never feel quite good enough or measure up.
When it comes to ideas about God, people generally feel unworthy and that they do not measure up. They attempt to alleviate this feeling through doing good things or trying to be spiritual. Yet this is exactly the opposite of what the Bible teaches. Ephesians 2:8, 9 states: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” The idea here is that it is impossible to earn acceptance with God. It’s not that good works are bad. It’s simply that no amount of good works can make a person holy or pure enough to be justified in God’s sight. Trying to please God with good works is the spiritual equivalent of trying to fill an ocean with a teaspoon of water. The whole notion is rather preposterous. Yet, in a spiritual sense, this is exactly what every other religion teaches.
After reading Ephesians 2:8, 9, write down in your own words the answer to the question, “Why is it impossible to earn acceptance with God?”
People have an innate desire to be unconditionally loved. However, in the area of human relationships, they have no real basis for finding unconditional love. And in relationship to a holy God, men and women are truly sinners, and this reality cannot just be swept under the carpet. Fortunately, God has provided a way for us to be totally accepted and loved by God. It is through the blood of Jesus Christ that God does away with sin. Since the sin is removed by the blood, man can come to God as a holy and pure being, justified by grace. This truth is revealed in Romans 3:24: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
What reason does the above verse give us for God’s unconditional love?
Therefore, God is free to love us unconditionally only after the condition of sin has been removed through the blood. The same principle follows through in human relationships. Only people who have experienced being loved by God and who have the love of God in them through the Holy Spirit can truly love others. First John 4:7, 8 states: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”
Why is it that only people who love God and know God’s love personally can truly love unconditionally? (1 John 4:7, 8)
Love, agape. A word to which Christianity gave new meaning. Agape denotes an undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable goodwill that always seeks the highest good of the other person, no matter what he does. It is the self-giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return, and does not consider the worth of its object. Agape describes the unconditional love God has for the world.2
The key truth here is that God is love. You cannot remove God from the equation of love and still have love. When the world talks about unconditional love, they always come up empty because they have removed God, who is love, out of the equation.
The following explores the concepts of grace, love, and the blood of Jesus Christ:
Why does grace give me the confidence to go to God in prayer? (1 John 5:14)
How does the blood of Christ make it possible for me to go to the throne of grace? (Heb. 4:16)
Why can I really love others only after I have known the love of God? (1 John 4:7, 8)
What does agape love mean? How is it different from other kinds of love? (Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:10)
The Blood of Christ Cleanses Us from All Sin
In 1 John 1:7–10 we read about the provision God has made for us if we sin.
The international ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ teaches a principle called spiritual breathing. The idea is that a Christian regularly confesses to God his or her sins in prayer and asks God to cleanse him or her. Confession is as natural as exhaling. The goal is to stay spiritually alive by not allowing any unconfessed sin to remain in our lives.
Why do all of us in our daily lives miss the mark of God’s standard of holiness and why do we need to regularly ask God for forgiveness? (1 John 1:9)
How does this relate to Campus Crusade’s teaching of spiritual breathing and 1 John 1:7–10?
Take a moment and pray, asking God to show you areas where you have missed the mark and sinned. Perhaps you made an unkind remark to somebody or gave in to a deliberate indulgence of something you knew to be wrong. Also, wrong attitudes, unforgiveness, and lovelessness all fall into the category of sin. How can you apply the principle of spiritual breathing to these areas? (1 John 1:9)
Sin, hamartia. Literally, “missing the mark,” failure, offense, taking the wrong course, wrongdoing, sin, guilt.3
In our humanistic society, sin is often dealt with by saying that sin no longer exists. Along with this denial, an entirely new vocabulary is created in order to justify sin or rationalize it out of existence. For example, a person who commits adultery is having an affair, and homosexuality is called being gay. Below, list three other words that fall into this category, and then write down the word or phrase each replaced.
1.Yet, despite all the word games, depression is at an all-time high in our culture. Some philosophers have called this the Age of Anxiety. The reason for this is that God created humankind as moral beings. When we violate God’s laws, we innately feel guilty. Consciences may be hardened and people may appear to not feel any guilt. However, the prevalence of depression, suicide and anxiety and the widespread use of tranquilizers, drugs, and alcohol, suggest that people are not as immune from violating God’s laws as they think.
Fortunately, God has given us a path to total freedom and a means of doing away with guilt and sin through the blood of Jesus. If we confess our sins to God, we can be set free from the prisons of anxiety, depression, and guilt. However, in order to apply these principles, we must have a firm grasp of what they mean in our life. The following prayer exercise can help us more fully understand the reality of Christ’s forgiveness in our lives:
PRACTICAL PRAYER EXERCISE
Based on 1 John 1:9, spend a few moments and go to God in prayer and ask Him to search your heart and reveal any sin in your life that needs to be confessed. Begin by praising and worshiping Him. Enter His presence with thanksgiving!
Second, ask God to search your heart with His Holy Spirit and reveal to you anything that is displeasing to Him. Do not be afraid to listen. He is not here to condemn you, but to help you grow.
Listen to Him as He reveals shortcomings to you, and then ask to be forgiven for these. Ask His help and grace in following His will.
Finally, praise and thank Him for His forgiveness. Spend some time worshiping Him. Allow yourself to experience a release in your spirit through the cleansing of the blood.
Once you have brought any sin under the blood, you should not allow yourself to feel any condemnation. Being cleansed by the blood should be a life-changing and refreshing experience!
Confidence Through Overcoming Condemnation
Psychologists recognize that the suppression of unresolved guilt can bring about severe psychological problems. Unforgiveness, resentment, hurt, and woundedness all gnaw at the inner personality. The blood of Jesus Christ brings forgiveness and healing. However, even after forgiveness has been asked of God, many people still live under a dark cloud of condemnation and guilt. In the book A Man’s Confidence—A Study of How Men Can Become Confident in Life Through Mastering Guilt, Jack Hayford relates how to overcome guilt and condemnation as God revealed the truth to him from 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Dr. Hayford outlines the crippling effects that condemnation can produce in our lives:
1. Condemnation shakes our assurance toward God. Shaken assurance is a kind of spiritual and emotional drain-off that deadens the soul’s sensitivities.
2. Condemnation cripples our confidence in daily living.
3. Condemnation evaporates our certainty for ministry. This crippling effect of condemnation pinches off God’s life flow through us.
Dr. Hayford suggests that the solution to the problem of condemnation is the truth of God’s mighty Word (Ps. 36:9). “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Ps. 119:30). It is the light of God’s Word that tells us, “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
It has been said that the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin (John 16:8), but Satan condemns us.
In Revelation 12:10 Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren.” “Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.’ ” Here we see that Satan is busy accusing Christians before the throne room of God.
What we must understand is that the Devil is a liar and the Father of lies. In John 8:44 Jesus Christ said, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
Satan, or the Father of lies, accuses us before the throne room of God. In addition, the spirit of the Devil works through other people and even friends to attempt to undermine the believer with subtle accusations about their motives and character. The purpose of this Satanic propaganda campaign is to destroy our effectiveness for Jesus Christ.
Yet, like all liars, Satan uses grains of truth. There may be things about our personality or behavior that God has not perfected yet. However, we are under grace and not the Law. We have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Our righteousness is not in and of ourselves, but our righteousness is in Christ. God views us as totally sinless and pure through the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, as we grow as believers, we never have to feel condemned or accused, because the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
Thus, when Satan or our conscience or people attempt to accuse us, undermine us, and use subtle remarks to get at us, we do not have to feel guilty and condemned, because our sins and failures are under the blood! As we endeavor to live for Christ, the Devil and people will seek to remind us of our shortcomings. However, because of the blood, we are set free from those accusations. This doesn’t mean that we may not need to grow, change, or mature. But, in the process of being perfected, we are free to enjoy our relationship with God.
The Devil, or the serpent of old, is crafty and a trickster. He will deliberately attempt to set up traps in our lives so that we will fail and miss God’s mark. Then he will be there to condemn and accuse us. Satan’s game plan is to destroy our effectiveness for Jesus Christ through accusation and condemnation. But when we understand what the blood of Jesus Christ does for us, we never have to be victimized by this dark strategy again.
However, there may be places in our lives where repentance and confession of sin are necessary. We may have to choose to turn away from sin and walk the paths of righteousness. As believers in Jesus Christ, we cannot be forced by the Devil to do anything. God has given us a free will and the power to choose what is right. Every believer in Jesus Christ will experience conflict in their souls as they walk with Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul explained it this way: “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice” (Rom. 7:19). Paul analyzed the spiritual conflict inside each believer and recognized that the sin nature inside of us has to be put to death by faith in the power of Christ. The apostle Paul declared in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Unmasking the Satanic Traps
It is vitally important that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we recognize the traps and strategies that Satan will attempt to use against us. In Ephesians 6:11 we are admonished: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil.” In Genesis 3:1 we read, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.”
We must recognize that condemnation and accusation are two of the Devil’s prime strategies in attempting to destroy our effectiveness in Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, we must understand that there are patterns that he uses. Once we recognize the satanic game plan, then we can learn to apply the blood of Jesus Christ more effectively.
After prayerful consideration, list and identify areas in which you have been tempted to sin and feel condemned in a kind of vicious cycle or treadmill experience.
For example, whenever circumstances pile up in your life and you are under pressure, you may find that you lose your temper and say things that you shouldn’t. Then immediately afterward, you feel condemned and unworthy. The Devil comes to you and tells you that you are a terrible witness for Jesus Christ. How can God use you?
The solution is for you to recognize that you are still growing in grace. Although you did lose your temper, you have already confessed it to God. It is under the blood. Therefore, you are free from condemnation!
Use the list below to unmask these satanic traps and treadmill experiences.
1. Write down the area in which you have sinned. For example: Whenever pressure comes into my life and I am tired, I seem to lose my temper and say things that I shouldn’t.
2. Identify the cycle of condemnation and the satanic trap. For example: After I have lost my temper, I feel condemned and unworthy before God. I feel that I am not a good example of a Christian and that God will not use me.
3. Recognize the power of the blood to set you free! Write down how that power has set you free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1). For example: I have confessed my sin of losing my temper, and God has forgiven me. I am growing in grace and asking God to mature me so that when pressure comes, I will have victory over my temper. Until that time, I am free from condemnation. Because of the blood of Christ, God sees me as pure and holy. I am in Christ.There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus! Because of the blood of Christ, I am worthy and can be used by God. My righteousness is not of myself anyway. My righteousness is in Christ. I am free to walk in victory and worship the Lord, even after I
1Spirit-Filled Life Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), 1575, “Word Wealth: 1:29 sin.”
1Spirit-Filled Life Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), 1766, “Word Wealth: 12:9 grace.”
2 Ibid., 1694, “Word Wealth: 5:5 love.”
3 Ibid., 1575, “Word Wealth: 1:29 sin.”
Hayford, J. W., & McGuire, P. (1994). People of the Covenant: God’s New Covenant for Today. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.
As Logos resources are being suggested, please remember that any discussion or debate over this topic really belongs elsewhere:
Thanks for keeping the forum guidelines in mind!
it is often used with good intentions but every explanation that I have been given has lacked Bible support. I haven't understood what you mean. which has lacked Bible support. I'm not Graham, but I offer this for your study: Is Pleading the Blood of Jesus Biblical?
Thanks Beloved
Tes
I think Beloved has explained this quite well. The point that I was trying to make is that when trying to understand some of what I would call "sound bites" that seem to dominate the Church today I have found that I need to trace it back, as far as I am able, to the original teaching and try and track how the current idea deviates from the original thought or intention.
For me a classic is asking God to "enlarge my border" based on the prayer of Jabez while ignoring the fact that "Jabez was more honourable than his brothers".
One parallel area for study would be worldviews and how they corrupt theology. One of the challenges of the current age is "entitlement" and this is definitely reflected in much of what is taught from the Bible where promises are claimed with no regard for their context.
If you can find it Kenneth E. Hagin's last book "The Midas Touch: A Balanced Approach to Biblical Prosperity" is an interesting read.
Billy Graham is famously quoted as saying that many fail to fully commit to Christ because they have been vaccinated and now have just enough of the real thing to stop them catching the real thing. I think the same is true of Biblical truth today, many know just enough Bible to prevent them knowing the whole Bible.
BTW - I'm also Pentecostal and pastor a Church here in the UK that is part of Church of God, Cleveland Tennessee.
I have heard the statement that concerns you many times, Would you please elaborate it? I am not aware of your comments. What is the statement that concerns me? it is often used with good intentions but every explanation that I have been given has lacked Bible support. I haven't understood what you mean. which has lacked Bible support.
Realised that my last post did not address these questions fully.
Sorry if I misunderstood I thought that you had concerns about the way the phrase "I cover you with the Blood" is used and specifically whether it was rooted in the Bible.
To clarify lacking Biblical support, my personal experience is that most of the people that quote this and other similar phrases do so out of habit or because they think it sounds right and when questioned about them they might say its what the Bible teaches but have no idea where it is because they are simply propagating something that they heard someone else say. Sadly to often things are propagated because they sound right rather than because they are right.
In the context of searching and specifically searching the text of the Bible, if you cannot find something that using the techniques originally suggested (thing:blood person:Jesus) then a series of broader searches may help you find pointers to Bible texts from related articles. My preferred approach in this context is to use the broader search to build a list of verses to look at so I will often ignore the commentary and conclusions and focus on the Bible source text being used.
I have heard the statement that concerns you many times, Would you please elaborate it? I am not aware of your comments. What is the statement that concerns me? it is often used with good intentions but every explanation that I have been given has lacked Bible support. I haven't understood what you mean. which has lacked Bible support. Realised that my last post did not address these questions fully. Sorry if I misunderstood I thought that you had concerns about the way the phrase "I cover you with the Blood" is used and specifically whether it was rooted in the Bible. To clarify lacking Biblical support, my personal experience is that most of the people that quote this and other similar phrases do so out of habit or because they think it sounds right and when questioned about them they might say its what the Bible teaches but have no idea where it is because they are simply propagating something that they heard someone else say. Sadly to often things are propagated because they sound right rather than because they are right. In the context of searching and specifically searching the text of the Bible, if you cannot find something that using the techniques originally suggested (thing:blood person:Jesus) then a series of broader searches may help you find pointers to Bible texts from related articles. My preferred approach in this context is to use the broader search to build a list of verses to look at so I will often ignore the commentary and conclusions and focus on the Bible source text being used.
Absolutely you are right Graham. Since as you have mentioned it they say it out of habit with out any Bible base they have nothing to say. What I have got up to now is enough. I am a Pentecostal believer, But I don't agree on every Issue. I am a Bible believer. Many times preachers as well as ordinary believers have made their habit to say so. They say I cover with the blood of Jesus Christ to people, cars, house, children, and so on... instead of mentioning Jesus Himself. Thank you all of you. I think Faithlife has misunderstood. We have not discussed about theology. It was about how to search the software.I am well satisfied with your comments and Beloved as well. God bless you!
I think Faithlife has misunderstood. We have not discussed about theology. It was about how to search the software.I am well satisfied with your comments and Beloved as well. God bless you!
Hey Tes,
Just a reminder, but users with stars are our wonderful and helpful volunteer MVP's who give their time to help thier fellow users. Faithlife employees will have a Faithlife logo under thier name. While this discussion did not get into a theological debate, it did have the potential since we have so many forum users, and sometimes a gentle reminder can help keep things positive.
Understood. Thank you.
