Constant Coulibaly

While the title of this article may sound provocative, it is intended to encourage reflection on the essential role of the blood of Christ in salvation. There is no doubt the blood of Christ has power to save all men, but only those who come in contact with it enjoy this saving benefit.

One of the many blessings the blood of Christ brings to man is the washing away of his sins (Acts 22:16). And with the washing away of sins comes forgiveness, reconciliation to God and salvation from eternal separation from God in hell (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). However, to receive these blessings, one must contact the blood of Christ. This raises the inevitable question, how is one's connection to Christ established in order to obtain the salvation His blood provides.

Hebrews 9:22 says that “without shedding of blood there is no remission” (NKJV). With the word "remission," the Hebrew writer meant the remission of sins, and this entailed that God remits or forgives the sins of all people for all time on the basis of the blood of Christ shed on the cross. Now, because the old covenant was the shadow of a superior covenant that was to come, which would be sealed by the blood of Christ, making it a superior covenant, it too required blood. Under the old covenant, the sins of God's people were addressed through the sacrifice of animals.

The Hebrew writer states that blood from animal sacrifices was offered by the people of God, but these animal sacrifices were "offered year by year continually" (Hebrews 10:1). This annual ritual was performed by the high priest on a particular day known as the "Day of Atonement" or Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16). On that day in the Jewish year, the high priest would take the blood of sacrificed animals and use it to sanctify the people and himself. This he did to make atonement for the sins of the entire assembly gathered at the tabernacle or later temple on that solemn occasion.

The repeated nature of these sacrifices showed that they could not remove people's sins. Through the blood of animals, the sins of the people were only covered over from God's sight; they were not erased. People's sins were thus carried over from one year to the next, and they understood that their sins had not been taken away.

Sin, under the old covenant, was in a way forgiven in anticipation of the forgiveness that would be provided through the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ. Unlike the continuous animal sacrifices, the sacrifice of Christ happened just once, taking away or removing sin and thus finally and completely solving the problem of sin (John 1:29; Hebrews 10:12-14). Hebrews 9:27-28 declares, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many…” The sacrifices of the past pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ (Matthew 26:28; Luke 22:20).

God, being eternal and not limited by time like humans are, operates without reference to time. While we experience time sequentially, with a past, present, and future, God exists and acts outside those temporal limitations. God is ever-present (Exodus 3:14).

From God's eternal perspective, then, His plan to redeem men through the death of Christ, which was first announced in Genesis 3:15, was already completed by the time animal sacrifices were being offered under the Mosaic law. Similarly, His purpose to forgive sin through the blood of Christ had for Him already been fulfilled. God is confident in regard to the realization of His promises. He is confident because He never fails, and nothing can prevent Him from fulfilling His will. God considered His promise to pardon man through the perfect sacrifice of Christ as already accomplished, from eternity.

The Blood of Christ and Baptism

We now come to the point of how the blood of Christ is contacted. That Jesus shed His blood in His death on the cross is not questionable. The New Testament clearly attests to this. It records that when Jesus died on the cross, one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear and "immediately blood and water came out" (John 19:34 NKJV). Writing to the church in Rome, Paul rhetorically argued that him and the Roman bretren were baptized into Christ’s death (Romans 6:3). He went on to say in the same verse that they were also baptized into Jesus Christ.

Since Christ's death and blood are inseparably connected, it follows that in being baptized into His death, Christians are also baptized into His blood. To be baptized into the blood of Christ is the same as coming into contact with His blood. What then is the connection between Christ’s blood and baptism? New Testament scriptures, such as John 3:5, 23 and Acts 8:36-38, consistently refer to baptism as immersion in water (for the remission of sins). Therefore, the connection to the blood of Christ is made through water baptism. In other words, when we are baptized into the death of Christ, we also come in contact with His cleansing blood through the water of baptism.

So, saying the sinner's prayer alone, as many do, is not enough for one to be saved. Believing in the saving power of Christ's blood is important. As stated in Romans 3:25, Christ is "a propitiation through faith in his blood." However, not all who profess faith in Christ's blood are saved. Salvation comes to those who not only believe in Jesus as the Saviour and trust His blood to cleanse their sins, but also obey His command to be baptized.

The blood of Christ separates us from sin and dedicates or set us apart to love and serve God. But we must access this blood through baptism or immersion in water. Have you been immersed in water in obedience to Christ for the remission of your sins? If not, we humbly urge you to consider taking this important step of faith.