From the Pastor’s Pen

Final Thoughts on I Peter 1:18-19

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.                        NKJV

Have you stood mentally at the foot of the cross and seen the precious blood of Jesus flow from His scourged back, His nail-pierced hands and feet, and His lance-pierced side.  His blood is “precious” because of its redeeming power.  By it, the sins of Christians are covered and cleansed; we are freed from the condemnation of the law; we are reconciled to the perfect Creator of all things, made one with Him, and adopted into His family as His own children.

Jesus’ precious blood has purified out sins which are like scarlet and made them as white as snow (Isa. 1:18).  His blood removes the stains of our iniquity and permits us to stand in the presence of a holy God, accepted in Christ, despite the multitude of ways in which we rebelled against our Creator.

There have been numerous adaptations over the past six centuries of the story of Faust, but the original story tells of an old scholar who rejects the Lord Jesus Christ and dies in his sins.  As his soul departs from his body, he sees the blood of Jesus streaming across the gulf that separates the place of torment from Abraham’s bosom and cries out, “Oh!  If I had but one drop of that precious blood, it would save my soul forever!  But alas, it is too late!”  Then he slips into Hades and is gone.

While the above story may be fictitious, the lesson in it is scriptural.  Jesus shed His precious blood to save us from eternal condemnation.  By His resurrection from the dead, He has conquered sin and death and is able and willing to save all who will truly repent of their sins and by faith receive Him as personal Savior.  Our days on earth, and our opportunities to receive Christ are limited.  Please do not let the opportunity slip by before it is too late.

For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.                             II Corinthians 6:2