Recently I spent a few days in the hospital because I was losing blood. This time gives one the chance to think about things that you’d probably not usually think about. I thought of the hymn “Power in the Blood” and recognized the spiritual truth but also the physical truth of the power in blood. We need blood! The loss of blood left me so weak that I had a hard time walking or getting around. I couldn’t believe how quickly I became tired.
You all know that nothing is free when you’re at the hospital, with one exception—blood! A 99 year old volunteer came to tell us that the 2 units of blood that I was given were received at no cost. To my surprise, the one thing I desperately needed and there was no charge. However, before I received the free units, someone gave a gift of blood, so it was not without cost.
The spiritual application is much like the above scenario. We need Christ’s blood which was shed for us. It is a FREE GIFT to us, but not without cost. Jesus came to give us abundant life and this required His sacrifice of coming as a baby to earth and showing us how to live. Then by His shedding of blood for our sins, we can have life and hope and assurance of life everlasting.
Just like I experienced sickness and weakness from the loss of blood, we too can allow sin into our lives which makes us sick. Sometimes we may recognize we aren’t feeling well, or maybe we know that we are doing things that hurt us. That’s the way it is with sin—it can be the disease that kills us! So we’ve got to go for the cure. That doctor is Jesus who knows what we need.
Prescriptions—yes, pills for this and pills for that with the promise you’ll feel better after taking them. Of course all this comes with a cost. Spiritually there is a cost too! Even though salvation is a free gift it is not without cost. The rich young ruler in Mark chapter 10 had done everything right except giving his all. It may be easy to visit the sick or those in prison, give big amounts for good civic and church projects or even spending much time doing good works. But we need to give everything—our heart and soul to the great physician, the only one who can heal our greatest illness—sin!
Thank God for his plan of salvation to all who believe. There IS power in the blood.
George H. Bonnema