September 10.
Willingly Given

Hebrews 9:22

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Notice again that blood is needed to get us out of the dilemma we are in. He said without the shedding of blood. Can I cry enough for the Lord to save me? No! No matter how much you cry tears can’t save you. It says without the shedding of blood. Notice he didn’t say spilling; but shedding. There’s a difference between spilled blood and shed blood. In reality Jesus was the only person that actually gave up his life. We say Martin Luther King gave his life. No he didn’t. If Martin could, he would still be living. He didn’t ask the sniper to shoot him down. He didn’t want to die. He would still be dodging if he could. He just didn’t know the bullet was coming. But Jesus knew. He knew the bullet was coming before he was born. I heard him say “No man takes my life. I lay it down.” If his life had been taken, it would have been spilled blood. But it was not taken; it was shed. It was in the plan; He had to die for your sin and mine in order for us to be saved.

I’ve heard it said that there was a search that went out for somebody to lay down his life. Abraham couldn’t do it, because he had a lie on his record. Noah couldn’t do it because he got drunk. Moses couldn’t do it because he lost his temper. Job couldn’t do it because he cursed the day he was born. Jeremiah couldn’t do it because he backslid. John the Baptist couldn’t do it because he doubted the existence of Jesus Christ. And the others cried unworthy. The sun and moon cried unworthy. The angels said, “We can’t do it, because we know nothing about sin.” But Jesus said, “I will come for the atonement.” AT ONE MENT. That means that before Jesus came, we were at odds with God the Father. God had to turn his back on man. But at Calvary, Jesus fixed it so we would be AT ONE MENT with the Father. Now when the Father looks at me, He cannot see my sin.