SAVED, WASHED, CLEANSED AND SANCTIFIED BY JESUS’ BLOOD?

 

Are there three ways to be Sanctified?

 

1. Sanctified by the word - John 17:17, “Sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth”

 

   2. Sanctify by Jesus’ blood - Hebrews 13:12, “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.”

 

   3.  Sanctified by the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:16, “that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.”

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Are there three ways to be cleansed?

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   1. Cleansed by the word - Psalm 119:9, “[ ב BETH ] How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” John 15:3, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”

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   2. Cleansed by Jesus’ blood - 1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light as He is in the        light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

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   3. Cleansed by Holy Spirit - Hebrews 9:14, “how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

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Are there three ways to be washed?

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   1. Washed by Jesus’ blood - Revelation 1:5, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood."

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   2. Washed by the Word - Ephesians 5:26, “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,”

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   3. Washed by the Holy Spirit - Titus 3:5, “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

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Is there really three ways to get saved; i.e., cleansed, washed and sanctified?  Are there three routes to salvation?  No, there is only one.  “Jesus’ blood” metaphorically means ‘God’s word’, the ‘Holy Spirit’ is also God’s word and ‘the Word’ is, of course, God’s word.  We are washed, sanctified and made clean when we adhere to God’s word, keeping His commandments and repenting when we fail.

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Why is ‘Jesus’ blood’ a metaphor for ‘God’s Word’?  Wine, in the Old Testament and New Testament is a metaphor for teaching, or doctrine.  In the New Testament, we see clear examples of that metaphor in Jesus’ parable of the new wine (teachings of the Pharisees) and old wine (teachings of Moses), as well as in the Book of the Revelation we read about the wine of Babylon which make those who drink of it drunk on the false teachings of the beast.  Wine in the Scriptures is also called the ‘blood of grapes’ (Genesis 49:11). Crushed grapes produce a drink that is ‘taken in’ by men, just as an individual produces teachings that are ‘taken in’ by other men.  Then Jesus symbolically used grape juice (wine) as ‘his blood’ which we are to take in.  That grape juice (blood) is his ‘teachings’.  And that makes perfect sense, because Jesus repeatedly told us to accept and keep his teachings, his words for eternal life.  If we gain eternal life by partaking of his body and blood and we gain eternal life by keeping His word (John 8:51, Matthew 7:24-25), we can conclude that they are one and the same.

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Perhaps in our Western Culture, when we hear of blood we think of death.  In the Eastern culture, blood has to do with life.  The 'life is in the blood'.  To say that we are sanctified, cleansed and washed by Jesus' blood, is to say that we are sanctified, cleansed and washed by his life.  What was it about his life that would sanctify, cleanse and wash us from our sins?  It would have to be his demonstration of God's love, his teachings and commands.   What were his teachings?  The word of God.  That's why it also says that we are sanctified, cleansed and washed by the 'word'.  The Word tells us how to live in a way that will free us from sin (sanctify, cleanse and wash) and therefore the guilt of sin.

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Jesus called on us to keep the 'law and the prophets' and said that would be our righteousness (Matthew 5:17-20), i.e., cleansing us from sin, washing us, and sanctifying us.  Jesus often called on sinners to repent, that would cleanse, wash and sanctify them.  And it was Jesus' resurrection from the death, not his death, that gave credence to his message, giving hope to people, and drawing many to follow him for the hope of their resurrection.

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Metaphorically to eat his body (bread) is means to believe in him.  John 6:47-51 NKJV, we read; “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.  I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”  Both ‘keeping Jesus’ word' and ‘eating the bread (his flesh)’ results in eternal life – so they mean the same thing.

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When we eat the 'bread of his flesh' (keep his teachings) we drink the cup of his blood (share in his eternal life).

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In the Gospels, do we read there are three ways to get eternal life?  Believe in Jesus (John 3:16), eat his body and blood (John 6:51), and keep his word (8:51)?  No, there is only one way to salvation, to believe in Jesus means that you believe his words and keep them.  To eat Jesus' body and blood means that we accept and keep his teachings (God's word).  There is one way to be saved, one way to the Father, and that is by the 'word of God made flesh', accepting, believing and obeying all he said.   It would be utterly foolish to say that you believe in Jesus but won't obey him.  He thought that was foolish as well, Luke 6:46.

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Hebrews 5:9, "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."

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So we are saved by adhering to God’s word as Jesus spoke.  Luke 8:12, “Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.”  Acts 11:14, “who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.”  John 6:68, “But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”  John 8:51, “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”  Jesus’ words are God’s words, since Jesus said that he only spoke the Father’s words, and his teachings were all centered around keep God’s commandments.  So God’s words is symbolically referred to as the the Holy Spirit or Jesus’ blood or flesh, and it will cause us to be sanctified, cleansed and washed.

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People who don’t understand that ‘Jesus’ blood’ is a metaphor for God’s word, end up trusting in the physical blood that Jesus shed 2000 years ago.  So instead of keeping God’s word, they feel that they are automatically saved because Jesus shed his blood on the cross, and to trust in that event, 'trust in the blood', or ‘plead the blood’, or focus on the cross and believing will save them. 

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Most people aren't taught that the atonement by Jesus' blood will only cover the sins of those who repent of their sins.  They have been taught that 'Jesus' blood' is virtually a free pass to disregard God's commandments, so they will make little effort, or no effort to keep God’s commandments.

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There was no atonement made for unrepentant sinners (presumptuous sinners), in the Old Testament (Numbers 15:30-31) and the New Testament (Hebrews 10:26-27).  Those who don’t grasp the meaning of Jesus’ metaphor are in the same boat as the Jews in John 6:52 who assumed that Jesus was speaking about literally eating his flesh and drinking his blood.  They couldn’t grasp the metaphor, and therefore missed the understanding of what Jesus said.  And since they misunderstood it, they rejected it.  But perhaps the meaning was kept from them, after all, they were so hostile towards Jesus that they wouldn’t believe or obey him anyway.

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People today make the same mistake that the Jewish religious leaders in Jesus' day. They understood Jesus to be speaking of his literal blood and flesh.  Isn't that why in today's Communion service in most churches distributes the 'true body and blood' of Jesus.  Thinking that there is special grace in eating the bread and drinking the cup? And as I mentioned above, how many are trusting the real human blood of Jesus, which he shed 2000 years ago, for their salvation?  Pleading the blood, trusting in the blood, or embracing the cross.

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Hebrews 10:29, “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood (teachings) of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit (word) of grace?” We can’t literally ‘trample the Son of God underfoot’, and 'count his blood as a common thing' or ‘insult the Spirit of grace”.  There is only one way we can do that, and that is to reject Jesus’ word, such as Matthew 5:17-20 where Jesus told us to keep the ‘law and the prophets’ until heaven and earth pass away. To reject Jesus’ words, or God’s word which he spoke, is to ‘trample the Son of God underfoot, Insult the Spirit, 'count his blood (teachings) as common', despise God's word, and spurn His authority.  That’s what we see in our churches today.

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Since we are all sinners, it's important to know what type of sinner you are..

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There are two types of sinners; the presumptuous sinner and the unintentional sinner.  The presumptuous sinner is a sinner who reject some, or all, of God's laws, so they freely break the law(s) and don't see it as a sin or a problem.  Thus the never feel guilt and never repent.  Then there is the unintentional sinner, who attempts to keep God's law but fails from time to time.  They however know they did wrong and repent of the sins and get forgiveness.  This is important to know, because we learn in the Old Testament that there was no atonement sacrifices given for presumptuous sinners, those who set God's law aside.  But atonement was only allowed for those who have repented (unintentional sinners) of their sins.  So did Jesus' blood atone for our sins?  Yes, but only for those who repent of the sins. That's only for those who believed and obeyed Jesus when he said, 'keep the law and prophets until heaven and earth pass away'.

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To repent isn't just to stop sinning, it's a commitment to submit to God's authority, by obedience to all He has commanded, with respect, honor, and fear.  Love God and keep His commandments.

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We are saved by Jesus' blood, so long as you understand that his blood is his teachings, and keep his teachings, and remember, he spoke God's words (Deuteronomy 18:18-19, John 14:10).  There is no way to be washed, cleansed or sanctified by Jesus physical blood.

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For more information on these topics, and others, continue to read articles on this site (www.getsaved.site) and see my books.