Blood Of The Son
By Vic Hall
On seven occasions in his first letter, the apostle John draws our attention to the untenable position of saying and not doing. He uses phrases such as ‘if we say’, ‘the one who says’, and ‘if someone says’ to illustrate the point.42 A son of God will be bearing the fruit of sonship. A son of light will be bearing the fruit of light.43 The fruit of sonship is much more than being so overwhelmed with the great kindness of God that we begin to live a more righteous life. And the blood of Christ is much more than a healing balm for our sin-sick soul. It is the life of new creation.44 It is redeeming us to be sons of God, with the very life of Jesus Christ in our heart. The God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant, makes us complete in every good work to do His will.45
It is critical that we understand the importance of the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross. The work of the cross, the sprinkling of Jesus’ blood, was not a legal action that validated His death in our place. The blood of Jesus Christ is His life.46 This life was poured out for us when He died on the cross. We could say that the cross is the only place where His life was made available to us. We receive this life as we participate in His one offering, once for all, as a member in particular of the body of Christ.47 In this fellowship, we are cleansed from sin, and enabled to do the works prepared for us.
It is only a gospel of participation, a gospel of fellowship, that has the power to deal with sin.48 John said, ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’.49 The Lord has no interest in forgiving our sins and then leaving us to continue struggling in our wretched condition. When the Lord forgives, He also provides a process for the complete removal of sin in the fellowship of His sufferings. In comparison to the blood of bulls and goats, the apostle Paul asked the question, ‘How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?’50
When we are walking in fellowship, we can draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.51 We can be assured in our hearts that we are sons of God. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit.52 We have a testimony. On seven occasions the apostle John refutes the salvation of every person who relies on a legal gospel. In the same way, he affirms the salvation of every person who is committed to a gospel of participation, a fellowship gospel. On seven occasions, he uses the phrase ‘by this we know’, or similar, and then identifies the clearly definable fruit of a son of God.53 John writes, ‘Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him.’54
42) 1Jn 1:6,8,10; 2:4,6,9; 4:20.
43) Eph 5:9.
44) 1Jn 5:12; Rom 6:4.
45) Heb 13:20.
46) Lev 17:11.
47) Heb 9:28; Rom 6:10; Heb 7:27; 9:12; 10:10; 1Pe 3:18; 1Co 12:27.
48) 1Co 10:16.
49) 1Jn 1:950.
50) Heb 9:14.
51) Heb 10:22.
52) Rom 8:16.
53) 1Jn 2:3,5; 3:19,24; 4:6,13; 5:2.
54) 1Jn 3:18,19.
