God tells Christians in 1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. A great hymn proclaims, There is power, power, wonder working power; In the blood of the Lamb; There is power, power, wonder working power In the precious blood of the Lamb.
Christians are redeemed, brought back to God, for eternity by the blood of Jesus Christ.
How did this idea of a blood sacrifice started?
Do you remember the first public worshipers of God?
Cain and Abel were the first noted worshipers of God.
Genesis 4:4 tells us, Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering. Abel had to sacrifice an animal to worship God.
In Genesis 8:20-21 we read, Then Noah built an altar to the LORD and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma.
In Genesis 15, Abram took some animals and cut them in halves. Abram did this for God.
Please open your Bibles there to Genesis 15.
Let us learn from the Word of God.
Read along with me Genesis 15:7-20………………..
Abram asked God for assurance in getting the Promised Land (v8).
God answered Abram with a covenant (v9-18). A covenant is an agreement and a promise. It was common during Abram’s time to do a “blood cutting” ritual to affirm the covenant.
We can note that God Himself initiated the covenant (v9). God told Abram to bring animals for sacrifice. We can note that Abram knew exactly what to do with those animals. The affirmation of the covenant happens when the two agreeing parties walk between the cut animals (Jeremiah 34:18 talks about this). Abram prepared the blood cutting ceremony, and as he was waiting for God, birds of prey showed up and Abram had to drive them away. Abram got tired of waiting and he fell asleep.
God then told Abram about the future. God gave details of the covenant to Abram. We read in v13-16: Abram’s descendants will be strangers in a foreign country. They will be enslaved and mistreated for 400 hundred years. God will punish the nation they served as slaves. Abram’s descendants will come out of slavery with great possessions. Abram will go to his fathers in peace and die at a good old age. In the fourth generation, Abram’s descendants will come back to the Promised Land.
Then in verse 17, God affirmed the covenant by showing up with fire but interestingly, God did not require Abram to walk with Him.
Obviously, this covenant in Genesis 15 was with Abram and it involved Abram’s descendants. What does it have to do with us?
Well, remember how we started this message with 1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. You see, God is a God of covenants and God still desires to have a covenant with people today, but there is no longer a need to sacrifice animals!
Please turn to Hebrews 9:1-15,…………….……
God’s covenant through Abram was about the Hebrews getting to the Promised Land of Canaan and it was a precursor to the final covenant through Jesus Christ!
God’s New Covenant through Jesus Christ is about believers getting to the Promised Eternal Land of Heaven!
If someone today were to ask for assurance in getting to heaven, what is the answer?
When Abram asked for assurance in getting to the Promised Land, God answered with a covenant.
God answers people’s question today about heaven with a covenant through Jesus Christ!
God initiated the New Covenant through Christ!
John 3:16 tells us……………
God gave us details of the New Covenant!
We have four Gospels!
God affirmed the New Covenant by allowing Jesus Christ to appear to people by walking on earth, dying on a cross, being buried by a world power–the Romans, & rising from the grave, witnessed by over 500 people!
God accomplished the New Covenant once and for all which does not require any work from any person!
Ephesians 2:8-9 proclaims, For it is by grace you have been saved (from your sins), through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.
A covenant, a permanent promise from God for eternal life in heaven is available to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ!
Are you a believer of Jesus Christ?
Remember the ceremony of the “blood covenant”?
The covenant calls for the 2 parties to walk between the cut pieces of animals. When they walk through the blood of the animals, they are agreeing that if they ever break the covenant, they will have to be killed like the animals sacrificed. Think about that for a moment.
A blood covenant is serious business!
God’s final covenant is a “blood covenant” through Jesus Christ!
And God’s final covenant with people does not require anyone to walk the walk Jesus took all the way to the cross. But rejection of this final covenant offered by God through Jesus Christ will bring eternal death.
Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is serious business! Belief in Jesus Christ is a matter of eternal life or eternal death!
Hebrews 9:27-28 tells us, Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
If you have never done so, please accept this covenant through Jesus Christ today. Pray right now to God and receive this gift of eternal life.
If you are already a Believer of Jesus Christ, would you take this prayer time to thank Him and to commit to a life of faith in Jesus Christ?
