The Blood Of Christ

Christians often speak ot the blood of Christ and it's cleansing power. Much is believed and taught on this subject. Some go so far as to pretend to confess to agree Christ is the Son of God, and the blood without any other act will make them clean. The resurrected Lord, himself taught that no unclean thing can enter into his Fathers kingdom. Therefore nothing entereth into eternal rest save it be those who have washed their garments in the blood by their faith and the repentance of their sins and their faithfulness into the end. Jesus made it clear that his blood, shall not cleanse them if they hear him not. Salvation comes because of the atonement, the Father can not see your sins because they are covered by the blood. Read Revelation 5:9. Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. If we walk in the light as he is in the light, John expressed it in (John 1:7) We have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. It is important for you to remember the ransom for your soul was the payment in full of Jesus Christ shedding his earthly blood. His innocense, his love, his emotions and his concerns was expressed with every drop of blood. He was the sacrifice for our sin. In some profound sense God was in Christ suffering for men and women and setting faithful persons free from sin and all else that enslaves. Mystery surrounds the cross so that all explanations fall short of what happened there, but when any person responds to the mystery of God is love and activity in the cross. Then out of the mystery life takes on new meaning. The payment of his Son's blood at the cross was certainly a supreme demonstration of God's ultimate love for us.

Washing feet

The apostle John described the events of Jesus Christ's last evening with His disciples: "Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end." During the meal Jesus "rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded" (John 13:1-5).

Washing guests' feet was normally the job of the lowliest household servant. In the first century it was an act of hospitality. Rather than ask a servant to perform this function for His guests, Jesus humbly chose to carry it out Himself to teach an important spiritual lesson. The account continues: "So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet'" (verses 12-14).

Jesus left His disciples with a lasting reminder of the importance of humble service to others. This reinforced an earlier lesson He had given them that is recorded in Matthew 20:25-28, where He warned His disciples about presuming to rule over their brethren: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The simple act of washing the feet of others teaches us a vital lesson intimately associated with the Passover. He concluded: "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). How many Christians today obey this simple instruction to wash each other's feet, and exemplify that attitude in their lives? As the redeemed possession of God through Christ's sacrifice, our lives should be devoted to the service of God and our fellowman.

     

The prophetic Day of the Lord

The Day of the Lord includes a series of cataclysmic events leading up to the return of Jesus Christ and His forceful suppression of humanity's rebellion against God.

It's important to understand that prophecies concerning the Day of the Lord can at times have a former and later fulfillment. What that means is that the messages of the ancient prophets applied in part to the people to whom they were preaching, but many of these prophecies also refer to a future time when God will intervene in the affairs of mankind—a time that is yet to occur.

Many references to the Day of the Lord in the biblical books of Isaiah and Joel refer to punishment God poured out on ancient Israel and Judah. But when reading these prophecies, and comparing them with historical information, it is clear that they are dual in nature and were only partially fulfilled. These verses primarily look to the future when God will pour out His judgment on an unrepentant humanity before the second coming of the Messiah.

This may not be a popular message in today's environment of feel-good religion, but, as we always do on Good News Radio and in our publications, we turn to the Bible as the Word of God in our search for truth.

Many centuries ago, the prophet Zechariah was inspired to write: "Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

"Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two .

     

God commands annual assemblies

But how does God want us to conduct ourselves on these days? Consider His basic instruction: "These are the LORD's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times ..." (Leviticus 23:4, NIV). Other versions of the Bible, such as the King James and New King James, use the phrase "holy convocations," but the meaning is the same. These are annual occasions on which we should gather with other believers. As with the weekly Sabbath, God commands special worship services on each of the Holy Days.

God revealed to the early Christians the principle of meeting with others of like mind on the Sabbaths and Holy Days: "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:23-25). What better time to encourage and exhort each other than on the days that depict God's great plan of salvation!

When we assemble at the times of these annual festivals, we allow ourselves a wonderful opportunity to learn more about God's plan of salvation. Nehemiah 8 records a striking instance of God's people gathering to observe the Feast of Trumpets (verse 2). During their religious service, the leaders "helped the people to understand the Law ... So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading" (verses 7-8). The early Church continued to keep these yearly feast days according to these same principles, but with much greater spiritual understanding (Acts 2; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

In Nehemiah's day, because the people had neglected God's festivals, they needed encouragement. "And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, 'This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.' For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, 'Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength'" (Nehemiah 8:9-10). Then, after they were taught God's law, "all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them" (verse 12).

These special days are meant to be enjoyed by the whole family—everyone who attends! Especially at the Feast of Tabernacles, sufficient time is available for proper family activities and recreation as well as rejoicing over the knowledge God reveals.

To properly rejoice on God's days of celebration, we are not to do our customary work (Leviticus 23:3, 7-8, 21, 25, 35-36). Notice that, even though preparing food for the Holy Days does entail work, God says that this kind of effort is entirely appropriate. However, on the Day of Atonement we are to forgo all regular work including, of course, food preparation (verses 28, 30-31).

We also demonstrate our obedience and commitment to God by arranging time off from our jobs so we can observe the Holy Days. With proper planning and respectful communication with employers, most people can work out the details required to be able to take these days off. It is our responsibility to use wisdom and patience when informing family members of our decision to observe the festivals