His soul-life in the blood

I did not always understand why God accepted Abel's sacrifice and not Cain's. After a time, I understood that it was because God required blood as part of an acceptable sacrifice. Abel complied. Cain brought vegetables from his garden. Then, I wondered why. Why blood? Just recently I read this devotional by Bill Freeman and it helped me to understand more. It may seem long and you may have to read it numerous times like I did, but it is worth the read. Enjoy.

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul." Lev. 17:11

Have you ever wondered why the blood is so meaningful to God? Why is the blood the God-appointed way to know Him and to fellowship with Him? Why did God not take another way? It is because in the Bible the blood signifies the soul-life: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood." The word "life" literally means soul. It is the Hebrew word nephesh, and is the equivalent of the Greek word psuche. Both mean soul. So the first thing this verse shows us is that the soul-life is in the blood. The second thing is that the soul-life is assigned by God to be the factor of atonement upon the altar.

Throughout the history of mankind, there was only one Man with a sinless, perfect soul~Christ Jesus. Thus, when He went to the cross, the blood locked up in His veins was precious blood. It was the blood of a perfect, sinless soul, the only kind of blood that would avail in crucifixion, in death, to satisfy the Father. There was no other blood in this universe that could avail for us except the blood in those veins, because it was coming from His sinless soul. There on the cross He died without sin, and that blood was shed and poured out.

Because the soul-life of the flesh is in the blood, in the Old Testament, blood was sprinkled in the holiest of all before God, and was accepted there to make atonement for the sins of the people. That blood was a type of the blood of Jesus. Today His blood carries His soul-life. That is why you and I can drink the blood. And this is witnessed to by the Spirit. When we drink the blood, we have life in ourselves. This is because we are participating in the perfection of His thought life, His emotions, His will. His humanity was not left back there 2.000 years ago. His humanity is now in our spirit to participate in. To drink His blood is to drink the perfect soul-life of the Son of God, the last Adam who was made a life-giving Spirit for us to enjoy.~~~

So the blood straightens me up inwardly. It lifts my head up. The blood brings me out of the realm of fear and intimidation that comes from a conscience that is pained because of residual defilement over my being from touching contaminated things. There is not only sin, but contamination from sin. There is accusation, there is condemnation, there are mixed emotions. There is all this turmoil within. But the blood cleanses my conscience to clear up my inner being so that my heart is a true heart. There is not any feigned faith, but only direct, bold contact with God! I have no second thoughts, I have no residual condemnation, I have no effects of contamination in my being, because the blood has reached my conscience! The blood cleanses me from all unrighteousness, all pollution, all contamination. The blood cares for that. Not only my guilt is gone but my pollution is gone.