“And ye shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you…,” “To them gave He power to become the sons of God.” Acts 1:8, John 1:12
Power is an essential element of the Christian experience. In fact, from the beginning of creation to this very day, before and after Pentecost, teaching on the power of Christ has been the bedrock for vibrant faith. Why? As God spoke at creation, we see that His power is revealed in bringing the elements of this creation into being, and this, before there were any raw materials to form it. In other words, creation came about by the spoken word of God, and the manifestation of His power and wisdom, not by any virtue or action of men, as they did not exist. When we come to the time when John wrote his gospel, we discover afresh that the power of creation is also revealed in the bringing to saving faith a lost soul, enabling him to be born again of the Spirit. Paul also writes consistently concerning the power of God, again, not only in order to enter into the kingdom of God, escaping the slavery to sin and death, and Satan’s grip, but rising to heights of devotion and love for God, waiting for Christ’s return. So, the power of God by the Spirit was necessary to bring about creation. It was also necessary to bring about a “new creation” in Christ of the individual who truly repents in order to believe wholly in Christ to deal with his sins, and save his soul. And then there is the power of the resurrection, and this power to be manifested in the life of the believer. Paul’s great desire was to know this power of the resurrection, and this increasingly. A great part of his ministry was to communicate to other believers a vision of this power that is available in Christ, and by which the believer can live victoriously. It is in this framework that we need to consider the power, even the ministry of the blood of Christ to the believer’s heart and life. If on this earth, where the believer is engaged in a spiritual conflict with the powers of darkness, he must know something of the provision of God’s power to overcome and reign in life. Specific in this matter is the knowledge and appropriation of the power of the blood of Christ. Why?
First of all, it is by the blood of Christ that the believer is justified, or rendered just and righteous before God. Paul puts it like this: “Much more then being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:9) There is great power in this truth because it means that only one thing is necessary for being rendered just and holy before God the Father, and it is the precious blood of His son. It is not by anything that we do, say, or think that we are accepted before God. Only by Christ’s blood, and believing that it was shed for us, are we rendered righteous before the Father.
Secondly, it is by the blood of Christ that we are cleansed daily. John writes concerning confessing our sins, that God is “…faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn. 1:9) Herein is power, where the “blood of Christ, His son cleanseth us from ALL sin.” (1 Jn. 1:7) In other words, there is no sin that God cannot forgive and cleanse us from, exept that of the total refusal, and rejection of His dear Son as our perfect and complete Saviour.
Thirdly, we overcome our enemy, Satan, the accuser of the brethren, by the blood of Christ. (Rev. 12:10,11) Since our righteousness is in Christ’s blood, Satan can lay no accusation that will withstand rejection, unless there remains some independent, unconfessed act from God, which is sin.
And forthly, we have access to the Father’s throne with full assurance of being received and accepted by the blood of Christ. (Heb. 10:19,20)
Dear Father, Apply Christ’s blood fully to us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.