Introduction
When an Evangelical now speaks about the word “blood” referring to the “blood of Christ”, he means the “death of Christ” not the “life of Christ.” This was not always so. He once believed that the blood of Jesus meant the Life of Jesus, until the advent of a little book by A. M. Stibbs by the name of The Meaning of the Word ‘Blood’ in Scripture which was released in 1948. This little book has been the most important influence in leveling the broad spectrum of Evangelical theology across the globe in changing from the blood-Life concept to the blood-death theory. According to this theory, wherever the blood of Jesus is referred to in Scripture, either in the types or anti-types, it always means the death of Jesus Christ, thus the objective-substitutionary death of Christ for all. So that scriptures that tells us “the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7), should be interpreted as “the death of Christ delivered us from all sin on the cross”, so that man’s salvation is based upon the objective substitutionary death of Jesus for all, and has no reference to the subjective gift of life to change the moral experience of the believer. This has consequentially led most Evangelical religions to base salvation on an objective historical deed of Jesus and not anyway on a subjective transformative regenerating deed of Jesus in the believer. Salvation is now expected to the believer even if he has sin in him, once he believes the objective death of Christ for his sins. This point is simply illustrated by this short statement from this booklet.
“Rather, salvation is only by substitution—trusting Jesus Christ as Savior because He is the One who died in the place of every person. People are saved not because of any righteousness they have in themselves but because of trusting in Jesus Christ, who then becomes their righteousness.” Theodore H. Epp, Forgiveness Through the Blood, p. 10. The conclusion is clear, salvation is entirely objective.This is the topic of our study today. The blood-death theory is examined today and exposed to be totally erroneous. It shows that the only sensible position to believe concerning the blood of Christ, is that it means Life. Blood itself is life-giving fluid, and the Scriptures that speak about blood, i.e. “the shedding of blood”, can only mean “the releasing of Life” or “gift of life”.
The very fact that Jesus presented His mission as one of coming to give Life, which is symbolized by blood, can never be construed to mean that He came to make us have death and have it more abundantly. The gift of God is eternal life (symbolized by blood) not the gift of eternal death; and eternal life is supposed to be in the person, so one cannot interpret this to mean that the believer has eternal death (if as it is claimed the blood means death). So may all be blessed as they understand the teaching of this booklet in Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Texts showing life from Christ in the believer which comes by blood (the life of Christ) spiritually. (John 6:47-63; Romans 8:6; 2 Corinthians 4:10,11; 1 John 3:15; 1 John 5:11-13,16,20).
e. Christ came to give Life (blood) not death. John 10:10,11,17,28; John 15:13; John 17:2,3; John 20:31; John 3:14-16; 2 Timothy 1:10; 1 John 1:1,2; 1 John 2:24,25; Romans 6:23.
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