"The precious blood of Christ." – 1 Peter 1:19
Charles Spurgeon was “frequently” confronted by the fear that he might “fall into the habit of preaching about the gospel than directly preaching the gospel.” Accordingly, Spurgeon laboured to “return to the first principle of our faith.”
In this sermon Spurgeon pleaded that the Holy Spirit should “take the things of Christ” and “show them unto us and make them saving to our souls.” This was because his focus was solemn and sacred “precious blood of Christ.”
Indeed, Spurgeon noted that “blood has from the beginning been regarded by God as a most precious thing.” Such seriousness applied even to food as the people of Israel were to “by no means eat the blood with the flesh.” Blood was the “fountain of vitality” and pictured the sacred life that God had bestowed. And so, God declared that he would require judgment for the shedding of the blood of mankind, the reflection of his image.
But, Spurgeon also noted that it was “strange” that the “thing which defileth” should “turn out to be that which alone can cleanse.” Indeed, the “precious blood of Jesus Christ” was the only thing which could provide sole satisfaction to God’s justice.
Spurgeon loved to think about Jesus’s blood. He earnestly believed that “powers of speech would fail to convey…an idea of [its] preciousness!” Spurgeon challenged his congregation to place “innocence,” “merit,” “dignity,” and “Godhead itself” “in the scale” in order to measure the “inestimable value” of Jesus’ blood.
Spurgeon claimed that “the precious blood of Christ is useful to God’s people in a thousand ways,” and that “the real preciousness of a thing…must depend upon its usefulness.” With this in mind here a several selections from Spurgeon’s twelve points on the “precious blood of Jesus Christ.”
In the first point of his sermon, Spurgeon focused on the “Redeeming Power” of Jesus’ blood. Here Spurgeon asserted that the blood “redeems from the law.”All of mankind was “under the law which says, ‘This do and live.’” And when all “were slaves” Christ came and “paid the ransom price.” The result was that all washed by the blood of Christ became “entirely free.”
Indeed, because Christians are “sheltered beneath the cross of Christ,” the “most tremendous lightnings” of the law can no longer harm them. Truly, “happy is that man who knows his full redemption from the law.”
In the third point of his sermon, Spurgeon drew attention to the “Cleansing Power” of Jesus’ blood. Here Spurgeon lamented that “sin has a directly defiling effect upon the sinner,” and so “hence the need of cleansing." Indeed, sin was a “plague” to man and a “hateful thing” to God. Thus, no unclean man could stand before a holy God.
However, Spurgeon celebrated that there is power in the blood. Spurgeon declared “whatever the sin may be,” even “murder,” “adultery,” or “theft,” there is power “in the veins of Christ to take it away at once and forever.” And so, no one could have “spiritual beauty…apart from Christ.” Only the “precious blood” could remove the “hell-stains of abundant iniquity” and make a way to be found “accepted in the beloved.”
In the fourth point of his sermon, Spurgeon illustrated the “Preserving Power” of Jesus’ blood. Here Spurgeon called his congregation to “remember the dreadful night of Egypt, when the destroying angel was abroad to slay God’s enemies.”
Indeed, Spurgeon cautioned his congregation, saying, “the [Israelites] were not better than others…there was nothing except the bloodstain on the lintel and on the two side posts.” Only when God saw the blood would he “pass over.” And truly, it was “not our seeing the [blood] which really saved us…but it was God’s seeing it that saved us.” And so, “if my eye of faith be dim” it was imperative to remember that the “undimmed” eye of God always see the precious blood of his son.
Finally, in the twelfth point of his sermon, Spurgeon heralded the “Overcoming Power” of Jesus’ blood. Here Spurgeon exclaimed “he who fights with the precious blood of Jesus, fight with a weapon that will cut through the soul and spirit, joints and marrow.” Indeed, the blood of Christ “makes hell tremble,” while “sin dies at is presence,” and “death ceases to be death.”
Why you should take up and read:
For Charles Spurgeon his solution to the fear of “preaching about the gospel” rather than “preaching the gospel” was to preach the “precious blood of Christ.” For those wanting to mediate on “the first principle of our faith” please take up and read.
Here is the link to the Sermon of the Week:https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-precious-blood-of-christ#flipbook/
Phillip Ort serves at the Director of The Spurgeon Library at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City where he is also pursuing a Master of Divinity degree.
