LOST Without His Blood

Lost Without His Blood
Randall Caselman
3/5/97

LOST Without His Blood

Have you ever been lost? I mean lost, lost. I'm not talking about lost in Wal-Mart and can't find the peanut-butter, or lost in the parking-lot and can't find your car. I'm talking about really being lost, not knowing where you are or how to get where you want to be. Your heart starts to beat faster, anxiety sets in with the realization that you are in serious trouble.
Webster says:
• Lost — Unable to find the way.
• Lost — No longer having possession.
• Lost — Ruined or destroyed.
• Lost — Not being made use of.
• Lost — Lacking assurance.
The word lost is used so loosely that it no longer has any real meaning to us. It doesn't cause our heart to beat faster or stir up any anxiety. If we've never been physically lost, we have a hard time envisioning what it means to be found. To some of us, being lost spiritually has very little meaning. That does it means to be lost spiritually.
• LOST — Unable to find the way. Not one of us can pat ourselves on the back for our own salvation. We didn't find ourselves. We are not saved because of our own efforts, but because of what Jesus did for us. We are lost without his blood shed on the cross. Jesus said, I came to SEEK and SAVE the lost. This is one of the things that makes Christianity different from all other religions of the world. In every other major religion, people are seeking God. But in Christianity God comes searching for us.
• LOST — No longer having possession.
We are twice God's; Once by creation and once by salvation. At birth we were not saved, but we were safe, because we had no sin. One can't be found, saved, without first being lost. Right? Your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. Sin causes us to be lost.
We are God's the second time, because He purchased our pardon. You were bought at a price...While we were still sinners, Christ died for us...Since we have now been justified by His blood. Jesus did not die for good people — There aren't any! All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. Indeed, we are lost without His blood.
• LOST — Ruined or destroyed.
Scripture teaches us that physical death is not the end of life. We will live forever in one of two places: In Heaven—a state of comfort, bliss and eternal joy, because God is there, or in Hell—a state of darkness, torment, and eternal regret, because God is not present. In Him we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! Don't allow Satan to ruin and destroy your life here or in eternity, access the blood of Jesus, be saved.
• LOST — Not being made use of.
Being lost means more than just not going to Hell. Lost also means we are not useful. What are we here for? Why am I here and not in heaven? We are not saved just to go to heaven, we are saved to be used by God. If we were saved to just go to heaven, there would be a funnel over every baptistry, as one came up from being born again they would be caught up to be with Him. Why doesn't this happen? Because there is work to be done. We are saved to become instruments of God, slaves to righteousness and living sacrifices. Why haven't we been taken to heaven yet? Because God has some things He wants us to do, something He wants us to accomplish.
• LOST — Lacking assurance.
Do you know those who have been in the church for thirty years, yet still ring their hands in anxiety, saying; I'm not sure if I'm saved or not? That's no way to live. Can we be sure, confident that we are saved, heaven bound people? Only one way — that's by faith. We are children of God by faith. For as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, have been clothed with Christ, have been covered with Christ.. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This gives us assurance. This is our confidence. Believe it! Accept it! Live it! Rejoice in it!
But I have sinned since my baptism! No kidding! Haven't we all. If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son continues to cleanse us from all sin. That's what we all need, continual cleansing that comes from our walking in the light.
You see, our confidence, our assurance is not found in our own performance, but in the perfect performance of Jesus.

Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

Have you applied His blood to your life? If not, do so and then live in confidence.
There is no reason to be lost. There is no reason to live in fear and doubt, with anxious moments of uncertainty. His blood is our confidence, our faith, our assurance, our guarantee that we have been found and are safe in the arms of Jesus. Paul says, we can know this by the spirit he has given us.

God leads His dear children along.

Some through the waters, some through the flood,

Some through the fire, but all through the blood.

—Randall Caselman