It is accepted and agreed upon by all who name the name of Jesus that it is His blood that cleanses us and saves us. The great debate seems to fall around when and where we contact that blood. Some contend that nothing is required of us, but His blood automatically has saved all. Others argue that the blood is applied only through belief or acceptance (sometimes accompanied by the sinner’s prayer). Still others affirm that the blood is only appropriated through obedience to the Gospel. What does the Bible have to say on the subject?
Jesus shed His blood in His death (John 19:33-34).
We are baptized into His death (Romans 6:3).
Jesus shed His blood for remission of sins (Matthew 26:28).
We are baptized for remission of sins (Acts 2:38).
Jesus shed His blood so we could have a clean conscience (Hebrews 9:13-14).
Baptism is an appeal for a clean conscience (1 Peter 3:21).
Jesus shed His blood so we could be washed from our sins (Revelation 1:5).
We are baptized to be washed from our sins (Acts 22:16).
[Editor’s Note: God, through the inspired Bible, makes the inescapable correlation between the saving blood of Jesus Christ and immersion (Colossians 2:12) in water for the remission of sins. Hebrews 5:8-9 declares that Jesus Christ saves obedient souls. The penalty for not obeying the Gospel is “flaming fire,” “everlasting destruction” and eternal separation “from the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; 1 Peter 4:17). Obedient souls will comply with our Lord’s instruction (Luke 6:46) to believe and to be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:16), at which time the sacrificial blood of Christ on the heavenly side is applied to those souls. ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
