Cedrick Baker brings a message on the victory that comes by the blood of Jesus. This victory is more than a legal declaration of personal cleansing of sin, it is an experience by those who embrace a life of cruciform participation. Following Jesus is not merely about belief; it costs us our lives, as it did the martyrs in John’s vision.
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Nothing but the Blood
• Cedrick Baker
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In the vision of Revelation 7, the elder points out those in white robes and asks a question “who are they and where did they come from”? White robes symbolize victory, those who overcome (Revelation 3:5). “They have come through the great tribulation,” which refers to the trials and suffering throughout the ages that believers face because of their faith. These “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the .” This sermon by Cedrick Baker addresses the meaning of the victory brought about by Jesus’ blood.
The blood of the Lamb is a theme that runs throughout the New Testament. Ephesians 1:7 speaks about how the blood brings deliverance from bondage and forgiveness of sin. 1 John 1:7 tells us the blood frees us to walk in the truth and it cleanses from the stain of sin. Ephesians 2:13 says we are brought into relationship by the blood. The blood represents the work of Jesus on the cross where he defeated Satan and freed the world to receive the love of God.
However, the purifying blood is not a magical experience whereby our sins are washed away just because we pray a prayer and believe the right things. In John’s vision, we see that the victory was a result of the participation in the way of the cross. The belief in Jesus by those in white robes manifested in a particular way of life. They were victorious by dying as Christ did. Their witness cost them their lives. Their deaths are a part of the faithful witness that defeats Satan by participating in the Lamb’s victory.
Those in white robes imitated the Lamb and followed where he led. This is declared in Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, for they did not love their life and renounce their faith even when faced with death.”
Likewise, victory is ours by the blood of the Lamb, but it will cost us our lives. The element of suffering is a part of following Jesus. There is a war, and we can’t say yes to the world and say yes to Jesus. But the suffering we experience in the present is nothing compared to the glory that will come (Romans 8:18).
This leads us to draw three conclusions. First, following Jesus comes at a cost. We are called to die daily and thus we must ask what our faith is costing us. If we are coasting through life, we are not actually experiencing the victory of the Lamb’s blood. Second, this sacrificial journey requires dependence on the Holy Spirit. We cannot walk this walk without the leading and the power of the Spirit. Third, the victory of the Lamb’s blood is best experienced together in community. We need each other to experience the extent of what God has for us.
The victory of the blood of the Lamb is much more than a future experience for when we get to heaven. It is one that we can know in the present. But we can only know it when we participate in the way of the cross and receive the Spirit’s power as we do.
Hide Extended SummaryTopics: Holy Spirit, Pain & Suffering, Salvation
Sermon Series: The Flock of the Lamb
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The MuseCast: March 4
Focus Scripture:
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Revelation 7:13-15
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?” I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
