Sanctification Through the Blood

Lesson Content

Apart from living by faith and receiving heavenly blessings, saints who live a consecrated life should also be delivered from sins and sinners, the world and the things of the world and from self and be sanctified. The word sanctify means to ‘set apart’ for God. Entire sanctification is necessary to go on unto perfection. We are sanctified in three ways. They are:

1. through the blood of the Lord Jesus (Heb.13:12,13).

2. through the Word of God (Jn.17:17).

3. through the Holy Spirit (Rom.15:16). The need to be sanctified through the blood: Sanctification through the blood means separation from sins and sinners. This begins at salvation. In order to sanctify the people with His own blood, the Lord Jesus suffered outside the gate. In Hebrews 13:12,13, we read that we ought to go forth unto Him without the camp that we might be sanctified. The camp may be said to comprise

people who are saved. We must separate ourselves from backsliders and false teachers who are seen amidst them and be separated unto the Lord, being prepared to bear the reproach and suffer with the Lord, without the camp. Following are those from whom we have to separate ourselves:

(i) The untoward generation (Acts 2:40) (ii) Those wh o cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine (Rom.16:17) (iii) Those who walk in ways different from the one shown to them by the apostles (Phil.3:16-18) (iv) Those who do not obey the Word (II Thess.3:14). The Red Heifer: In Numbers chapter 19 we read about the law concerning the red heifer. The red heifer is a type of the sanctification wrought through the blood. For the whole congregation of Israel, a red heifer without spot and blemish and which had never come under yoke was brought and given to the priest. He took it without the camp, killed it and took some of its blood and sprinkled it seven times before the tabernacle. After that, the whole heifer was burnt. The qualities of the red heifer (Num.19:2): Without spot: A quality of being faultless. Jesus was without sin (I Jn.3:5). In Hebrews 9:14, we read that He offered Himself through the eternal Spirit as a sacrifice without spot. We must also be seen in the same manner. Without blemish: When we do not live according to the truth which we have known, blemish is caused in us. ‘Without blemish’ therefore speaks of an unblameable and unreproveable experience in one’s outward life too, as was the life of the Lord Jesus Christ (Col.1:21). Not having come under a yoke: This speaks o f a life wherein we do not come under the bondage of sin, the flesh or the world (Gal.5:1). Sprinkling its blood (Num.19:4): The heifer was slain and its blood was sprinkled seven times before the tabernacle. This reveals our preserving the life of separation for the sake of holiness. The parts to be burnt in it: (Num.19:5): The skin, flesh, blood and dung of the heifer must be burnt. The spiritual significance of these: skin: distinctions of caste and language flesh: the natures of the flesh which are revealed in the spirit, soul and body blood: seeking to save one’s life dung: failure to count those things which were gain to us, as dung for Christ. Water of separation:

Cedar wood, hyssop and scarlet are also cast into the fire and burnt along with the red heifer. The cedar wood is a type of the body, hyssop of the soul and scarlet, of the spirit. Its ashes were then laid up in a clean place. Some of the ashes were taken and put into a vessel and running water was poured in, to make the water of separation (Num.19:1-9,17,18). The water of separation should be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel. It is a purification for sin (Num.19:9). This water of separation was sprinkled upon a man who became unclean among the Israelites, to make him clean. When this water of separation is sprinkled on a person who is unclean, he shall be clean. This speaks of confession. If he does not cleanse himself in this manner, he shall be cut off from among the congregation (Num.19:20).

Moral

We who are washed from our sins by the blood of Jesus Christ in the beginning of our Christian life, must separate ourselves from sins and sinners that we might be sanctified entirely. Otherwise, we will become defiled. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was shed for us in order to sanctify us. Through His precious blood, we must go on unto entire sanctification.