What is a blood covenant?

A covenant is a promise or a binding agreement between two parties. After sin, God made a covenant with Adam and Eve that He will save humanity (Genesis 4:3-7).  And this convent was based on blood as an atonement for man’s sin because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

When Adam and Eve sinned, they would have died at once but Jesus stepped forward and offered to give His perfect life as a sacrifice to pay the death penalty for their sins and all their descendants (Revelation 13:8). Jesus offered His blood as a ransom for man: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

To point to the coming of Jesus as the Messiah, the Lord established the sacrificial system. This system taught through the symbol of the slain animal that God would give His Son to die for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). The blood of animals was a temporary symbol that pointed to Christ’s blood as the solution to sin and fulfillment of the covenant (Hebrews 9:24-28). This is why when John the Baptist first saw Jesus, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

The good news is that the blood covenant of Jesus not only offers forgiveness of sins but also offers cleansing and power to overcome sin. Claiming Jesus’ blood gives us power to become victorious over every evil weakness (1 John 1:7). This cleansing is a life long process of sanctification (Hebrews 10:10) and is carried out by God’s Spirit dwelling in the heart (John 3:5).

The blood covenant of Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s love for humanity. “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

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In His service,
BibleAsk Team