The Gospel is not about character modification or Habit formation (Praying good, talking christianese or doing good to people around you). The Gospel is about Blood sacrifice!
Beginning from Genesis, the God of the Bible seemed to have an unhealthy interest in blood sacrifices.
The Patriachs Needed Blood
Adam and Eve sinned; to cover their shame, they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. But God came and covered them in the skin of a slaughtered animal (blood was shed) (Gen 3:7 & 21).
Cain and Abel offered sacrifices, but only Abel’s sacrifice was accepted. Cain’s sacrifice was rejected because it did not include the animal blood requirement (Genesis 4:3–7).
Noah offered an animal blood sacrifice – God smelled it, and He made a promise to never destroy the world with water again, the same way He made a promise when He smelled Christ’s sacrifice, to never be angry with us or condemn us.
Abraham offered animal blood sacrifices. Isaac offered animal blood sacrifices. Jacob offered animal blood sacrifices. In Exodus 12 of the Passover, we see that the chief criterion for exemption from the spirit of death is the blood of the slaughtered lamb on the doorpost. In Rahab’s exemption story, we see that the scarlet thread (symbolic of blood) was the sign of exemption for everyone in the house and that anyone who was not in that house had to pay with their own blood (Joshua 2:1–19).
All through Scriptures, we see an unmistakable trail of blood sacrifices. Why?
Because God was showing us something important, just as a math teacher strengthens a student's understanding of BODMAS before taking them further in learning, it was super important that offering blood sacrifices was a frequent exercise so that when the time for the ultimate one came, we were not entirely clueless.
Galatians 3:23–24 (KJV): But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
For the sake of this discussion, we can say, “We were kept under sacrifices of bulls and goats until the sacrifice of the Lamb of God was revealed.”
In Leviticus 16, we see the standard procedure required for atonement under the Law. It was a Bloody ritual. Very bloody! It was not cute. It was not going to be bypassed by the goodness or self-righteousness of any man! it was a ritual that had to be performed every year if they wanted to be under God’s sin covering.
Leviticus 16:34 This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel, for all their sins, once a year.” And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.
Hebrews 10:1–4 (KJV):
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Hebrews 10:10–14 (KJV): By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Why Blood?
Why so much blood? Because God ordained that forgiveness of sins would only come through blood sacrifice! Not just any blood; the blood of the only begotten Son of God. From the time of Adam’s sin, God had already given up a sacrifice of His Son. It only took long because God had to make man see the need for His awesome provision. Before Adam sinned, Jesus was already slain!
God’s plan was never frequent animal blood sacrifices; it was the once-forever sacrifice of His only Son!
Genesis 22:8 (KJV): And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:13–14 (KJV): And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
John 1:29 (KJV): The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Revelation 13:8 (KJV): And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
His plan was never that we provide ourselves a sin sacrifice. Only God can pay God’s price! In the text above, we see two important things:
1. Abraham brought his son to the slaughter place, showing us a picture of what God’s plan was – a sacrifice only He Himself could provide.
2. And that though Abraham brought his best to the mountain of the Lord, only God’s desired sacrifice can pay God’s price.
God had a blood requirement, and God provided it, to show the extent of His love for man!
John 3:16 (KJV): For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
It would interest you to know that John 3:16 was a statement from Jesus’ response to Nicodemus’ question of how a man can be saved! Blood has been shed; now you must only believe!
The reason why many people still think salvation is by goodness or moral uprightness is because they are ignorant about God’s blood requirement. The blood of Jesus shed for us is the Goodness of Calvary. In the earth today, the punishment for the most criminal act is a sacrifice of the perpetrator’s life. Why? Blood! Even the justice system is most satisfied when the blood of the perpetrator flows!
The peak of demonic rituals are rituals with human sacrifices, and it is because the blood of one little human being is nothing compared to the blood of even a million Holstein Friesian cows (they cost as much as $1.2 million). In the same way, the blood of a billion humans is nothing compared to the blood of the precious only Son of God – Jesus (Hebrews 1:4–8).
God wants man to live in remembrance of the blood. God is blood-conscious more than He is deed-conscious. And it is why no amount of character modification or enhancement can make a saint out of a sinner.
No Other Way!
People who are clean in God’s sight are those who are dipped in Jesus’ blood. The most morally straightened unbeliever is filthy before God. You cannot know this truth and still, erroneously think different religions are different ways of worshipping the one true God.
Someone asks: Are you saying even very kind Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, morally astute people of other religions, and righteous-doing atheists will go to hell?
Samuel Israel: YES!! (with a thundering voice).
The Apostle Peter: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, KJV).
Jesus our Lord: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6, KJV).
If any of the religion’s patriarchs (Mohammed, Buddha, etc.) had shed their blood, it would not have paid salvation’s price because they were like you and I, 100% flesh and blood, forged from the seed of iniquity, incapable of pleading their cause before the righteous blood-requiring-Judge of the world.
It is why one of the things the Apostle Paul never failed to do was to destroy the high place of good character or sound moral conduct in the matters of how a man is saved.
Romans 4:4 (KJV): For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
God is not satisfied if good works are all you have yourself dipped in! For you, my friend, who is reading this but is yet to be saved, blood has been shed for you. You can go on doing good deeds, but you must most importantly dip yourself into Jesus’ blood sacrifice, by believing and confessing Him right now as Lord over your life.
For you, the believer, you are blood-washed! God accepts you! He never condemns you, and He has given you the fullness of Himself by His Spirit today, tomorrow, and forever.