OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL: SATURDAY JULY 29TH 2023

- July 29, 2023

TOPIC: THE SACREDNESS OF BLOOD

MEMORISE:

For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:11

READ: Hebrews 12:22 -24

22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

MESSAGE

Blood is not just important in the life of man, but also vey sacred in the sight of our creator-the Almighty God. It is so sacred that the Bible says anyone who sheds blood will have his or her blood shed also (Genesis 9:6). The first place where we saw God being angry with someone who shed the blood of another fellow is in Genesis 4, in the case of Cain. The Almighty God said:

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

Genesis 4:10-11

The sacredness of blood can be further seen in our memory verse. The life of the flesh is in the blood and that is why the blood of Jesus can make atonement for our sins and redeem us from eternal damnation that awaits all sinners.

Many people have however, shown complete disregard to the sacredness of blood. Many engage in or encourage abortion of unwanted pregnancies, ritual killing, cannibalism and so on. Some have told lies that led to others losing their lives. Some embezzled funds that should have been used to build roads or hospitals, thereby causing fatal road accidents and loss of lives due to poor medical services as a result of inadequate funding. Criminals shed blood with impunity without considering the position of the Almighty God concerning such acts.

Beloved, are you blood –guilty? You must repent today because blood is very sacred and God will not spare unrepentant sinners who are caught in the guilt of blood-letting. The goodnews is that Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, has paid for all our sins, including blood guiltiness, as we find in the Bible reading of today. The moment a person acknowledges that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose that we may have eternal life, that fellow is saved from every sin , including blood-guiltiness of the past.

Accept Him as your Lord and Saviour, and your sins will be completely forgiven.

ACTION POINT

Pray that God will cleanse you from all sins, including that of blood-guiltiness.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Isaiah 50-52

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A ADEBOYE

HYMN 28: WHAT CAN WASH AWAY MY SIN

1 What can wash away my sin?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus;

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow

That makes me white as snow;

No other fount I know,

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2 For my cleansing this I see—