The Sprinkling of the Blood

Of all the things men undervalue and underestimate in their lives, the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus, what it all entails, and what it means for us as individuals is perhaps the most undervalued and underestimated.

We see something truly wondrous as something ordinary, because rather than highlight the glory of Jesus and what He did for us on the cross, men would rather seek the limelight for themselves, or promote their chosen denomination. It’s all about Jesus only insofar as the lies we sing, but when it comes down to it, our own self-interests and misguided pride will always win out to the detriment of Christ, His words, and His will if we have a personal agenda or some vested interest.

Given that those of our present generation have become so averse to deep thought that between choosing to spend fifteen minutes alone or physically hurting themselves they would choose the latter, it’s no wonder prefab doctrine, and prefab theology are so popular nowadays.

Although it sounds like I’m making that up, it’s actually the result of a study that was conducted recently. So, basically, men would rather endure physical pain than endure the pain of deep thought, or being alone by themselves, thinking about something more profound than who is going to win the singing competition on television, or when the newest video game is set to hit the market.

Thankfully, and I mean  ‘thankfully’ in the most sarcastic way possible, the modern day church saw the opportunity, and since demand for nonsensical pabulum and extra biblical rhetoric was high, it decided to provide the supply with fervor and gusto. No thought needed, no intellectual curiosity, no deeper introspection of what redemption and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus truly mean, just raise a hand, say a prayer, give some money, and when you get to the pearly gates you get a pat on the head, a cookie, some warm milk, and as an added bonus you get waved right on through.

We use terms like ‘blood bought’ without understanding what it all means, or without seriously contemplating the fact that the only begotten Son of God hung on a cross beneath the blazing sun, bleeding and thirsting and feeling the agony of being nailed to a piece of wood, but also the agony of all our sins, and our trespasses.

The Son of God gave His life that we might have life, and we were sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, washed and made new, wholly beholden to Him, having no other recourse but to surrender our lives as He gave up His.

If we allowed this singular truth to permeate to the innermost parts of our hearts, if we allowed it to take root and blossom, we would no longer be looking for excuses and justifications for our sins, or ways around repentance. We would no longer be spending our time trying to justify compromise and faithlessness, but rather pursue the things of God with the abandon they ought to be pursued with.

Are we living the reality of having been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus? This is the single most important question the church ought to be asking itself today. Not whether or not we are being seen in a flattering light by the world, not whether or not we are being embraced by the godless, not whether or not our denomination agrees with our position, but whether or not we are living the reality of having been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus.

If we are living this reality, then our lives will show it, our ministries will show it, and contrary to popular belief, we will also be more effective for the cause of Christ. Passion is contagious, and once men see that you have been set free indeed, they will be drawn to the reality that you are living, and desire to know more about it.

I think we’ve spent enough time seeing the results of the watered down gospel to conclude that it does not work. We’ve spent enough time seeing seminaries churning out agnostics, and men who doubt the reality of Jesus and who He is, to realize that trying to make the true Gospel more palatable has robbed it of its ability to stop an individual in their tracks and compel them to choose between light and darkness.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.