The Blood of Jesus...cleanses?

. . . the precious blood of Christ . . . 1 Peter 1:19 

Standing at the foot of the cross, we see Jesus’s hands and feet and side all exuding crimson streams of precious blood. It is “precious” because of its power to redeem and atone. By Jesus’s blood, the sins of His people are made right; we are freed from the law, reconciled to God, made one with Him. Christ’s blood is precious in its cleansing power—it “purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18). Through Jesus’s blood, there is not a stain, a wrinkle, or any such thing on any believer. Oh precious blood, making us clean, removing the taint of our overflowing iniquity, permitting us to stand accepted in the Beloved—in spite of the many ways we have rebelled against our God. The blood of Christ is precious in its preserving power. Under the sprinkled blood, we are safe from the destroying angel (Exodus 12:7, 10). Remember, the true reason for our being spared is God’s seeing the blood. Here is comfort for us when the eye of faith grows dim, for God’s eye is always the same. The blood of Christ is precious in its sanctifying influence. The same blood that justifies us by taking away sin later enlivens the new nature and leads it to subdue sin and follow the commands of God. There is no motive for holiness as great as that which streams from the veins of Jesus. And precious—unspeakably precious—is this blood, because it has an overcoming power. It is written, “They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11 ESV). How could they do otherwise? The person who fights with the precious blood of Jesus fights with a weapon that cannot be defeated. The blood of Jesus! Sin dies in its presence, death ceases to be death, heaven’s gates are opened. The blood of Jesus! We will march on, conquering and to conquer, as long as we can trust its power! - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening 

Oh reading this today takes me to a song...a hymn...

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

It's not exactly what you think of in terms of clean.  How can someone's blood clean?  There's plenty of visuals available from television and movies to show that blood doesn't exactly come off most surfaces, let alone skin very easily. 

There's indeed something special about the blood of men and animals.  There's life in the blood.  When Cain murdered his brother, the Lord said that his brothers blood cried out from the ground to Him.

There was much said to the Israelites through Moses about making sure nothing was consumed that had blood in it.

Then we go and see what a sacrifice is. What becomes of it.  Then we read of the shed blood of Jesus.  

While on the cross, a soldier pierced His side, blood and water flowing.  It was the side His heart was on.  The beatings, scourges and all enlarged His heart with water.  It all came out. Yet as you also read the Jewish leaders circulated stories that He wasn't really dead but recovered?  Matters not if you were or weren't Jesus.  When your heart is pierced and the blood comes out...you are indeed dead.

My thoughts that surround the testimony of the soldiers make me wonder what happened to the ground when the blood of Jesus hit it.  There is no way the ground didn't react to the healing power of God that was in it. 

Blood that cleanses.  Yes it does.  But not for your eyes to see in the here and now.  Sacrifices were a substitute for what should have been.  Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice to cover the penalty of sin.  His spilt blood was and is that powerful.  Spiritual things require Spiritual eyes.  Spiritually speaking the stains of sin were washed away by the obedience of Jesus dying on the cross.  Scripture says that where there is no shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.  Hebrews 9:22.

Jesus became, through His shedding of His blood, the requirement to satisfy the penalty of sin.  It required a perfect sacrifice.  All the filthy sins of mankind heaped upon Him were no match for the powet of His blood. 

But it doesn't end there!  Not only does it have the power to cleanse the filth of sin...it's a wrinkle remover!  Scripture says that for those who believe in Christ for Salvation, His blood not only takes away their sin, but now they stand before God without spot OR wrinkle.  Perfection.  In Christ we are made perfect. 

I am taken these days to a song that was sang in our Church in recent months. By the Way of the Cross.  The description of the thief as he appeared in Paradise, awaiting the arrival of Jesus.  He had no merits to his name, nothing that he could claim.  Nothing.  Yet the blood of Jesus said it all.  He wasn't baptized, no seminary school. No chance to read or do anything for Jesus, yet He was saved by the blood of Jesus.  

I am a kind of person who looks for book ends to some situations.  The first, the thief what was saved, did nothing more than believe, I see the last, right before Christ returns being the same way.  The moment the last person to be saved before His return will not have any chance or opportunity for anything but to believe because of the blood of Jesus...and the Rapture will happen. 

Oh it is clear...but it is a mystery.  How something so staining can leave nothing behind.  

Many speak these days of their testimony.  Of the moment they can point to when they know they came to Christ for Salvation.  Mine was oh so long ago when I was but a child.  I don't remember my thoughts at the time.  I only remember the important part.  That I was excited to be called a Child of God.  The sunshine of that day that poured into that office when after the service I made it public is an impression permanently in my mind. 

The blood of Jesus washes away every single kind of sin.  It matters not what the sin is my friend.  Today can be your day to become a Child of God.  Today though your sins be as scarlett, they will be washed white as snow, if only you would believe and ask Jesus to save you.  But what? You say that I don't understand? Your sins are that bad? Read again what was said today.  ALL your sins were ALREADY heaped upon Jesus on the cross.  He ALREADY knows.  Yet He now still says He is at the door of your heart asking to come in.  He still loves you. 

Let today be the day you find the peace and love of God that you have been searching for.  Let the blood of Jesus wash away your sins...come to Christ...He is waiting...just for you.