THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST
Part III

by
Scott Jones

IV. Blood Was His Vehicle And Blood Was His Key

In the beginning of the world, when God commanded - "LET THERE BE LIGHT!" - the GLORY OF CHRIST was SUDDENLY and EVOCATIVELY IMPOSED UPON ALL CREATION, even upon all that was FORMLESS AND VOID, thus VIVIFYING and ORDERING the whole. Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: it is THE GLORY OF CHRIST - and that ALONE - THE GLORY OF CHRIST ALONE - that was IMPOSED SUDDENLY AND EVOCATIVELY UPON ALL CREATION, thus VIVIFYING and ORDERING the whole, even upon ALL THAT WAS FORMLESS AND VOID, even when God said - "LET THERE BE LIGHT!"

And there was LIGHT!. Yea, for the GLORY OF CHRIST - that CHRIST which was CONSTITUTED in the ETERNAL COUNSELS OF THE GODHEAD as the BEGINNING OF THE CREATION OF GOD, that CHRIST who is completely fathomed by the ETERNAL SON OF GOD HIMSELF, who is the ESSENTIAL IDENTITY OF CHRIST, that CHRIST within whom DWELLETH ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY, and thus correspondingly, that CHRIST which was CONSTITUTED WITH HIS OWN PECULIAR GLORY, yea, constituted thereby as the BRIGHTNESS OF GOD'S OWN GLORY and the EXPRESS IMAGE OF GOD'S OWN PERSON - mark it - THAT VERY CHRIST, yea, and NONE OTHER, the very GLORY OF CHRIST - and NOTHING ELSE - WAS THAT VERY LIGHT THAT LIGHTENED ALL CREATION, even as Jesus LITERALLY proclaimed - mark it again - even as Jesus LITERALLY proclaimed some four thousand years later, "I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!" [Genesis 1:3; Revelation 21:23; John 8:12; Revelation 3:14; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:3]

Thus, the IMPOSITION of the GLORY OF CHRIST BY HIS SPIRIT, even the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, even the HOLY SPIRIT, was that LIGHT that lit up ALL CREATION in the VERY BEGINNING, just as the GLORY OF CHRIST will lighten that HOLY JERUSALEM in the world to come, wherein dwelleth righteousness. And WOE to the man who doesn't BEHOLD a slice of that GLORY OF CHRIST in the NEW BIRTH here, before he is forced to behold that glory in wrath at the DAY OF JUDGMENT, because his pride would not let go his WILL WORSHIP, and thus kept himself from the HUMILITY of REGENERATION. Yea, WOE to that man.  [Revelation 21:23; Romans 8:9]

I tell you, before forging ahead - for some of you no doubt are Israelites indeed, though perhaps not yet called efficaciously by the Spirit - so I tell you, if you are not born again, if you have not been made a new creature by Jesus Christ, then call on the name of the Lord, even Jesus, and enlist him with your lips and with your heart. Do not enlist his aid. Rather, enlist JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.

And know this - and know it as surely as the sun rises above the horizon every single day - that if you are in such a frame of mind and heart as to call upon the Lord Jesus as I just described, and yet you feel that perhaps there is a sin or a number of sins that you have committed that will hinder him from closing with you, or that you are too vile a wretch for him to consider, perhaps because of your lifestyle, whatever it may be, then know, yea, KNOW that your very concerns prove that you CANNOT have POSSIBLY committed a sin or a number of sins that can or will keep Jesus Christ from you, that you CANNOT be too vile for Jesus Christ in his GOSPEL ROBES, no matter your lifestyle, and that in fact, YOUR VERY GROUND OF FEAR has ALREADY ENDEARED HIM TO YOU, yea, YOUR VERY GROUND OF FEAR has ALREADY made the Lord Jesus cock his ear toward you, for Jesus Christ HATES hypocrites - carnal sophisms about the "universal love of God" notwithstanding - yea, Jesus Christ HATES - and that with a PERFECT HATRED - hypocrites, especially those who have a FORM OF GODLINESS BUT DENY THE POWER THEREOF, who profess to be Christians, particularly leaders and pastors and teachers and scholars who know nothing at all EXPERIENTIALLY of the NEW BIRTH, yet attempt to mimic it (for WITHOUT FAIL the root cause of their unregeneracy is SECRET PRIDE, manifested so blatantly by their WILL WORSHIP, which is virtually universal within professing Christianity today, and which will damn them to all eternity, unless they humble themselves and savingly repent, which very few will ever do), aye, Jesus Christ HATES hypocrites indeed, but he ABSOLUTELY and UTTERLY LOVES, LOVES, LOVES REPENTANT SINNERS. As Richard Keen wrote long ago concerning the Father's delight in REPENTANT SINNERS who came to Jesus -

Sinner, whatever your lifestyle, whatever bondage you may be under - for all men are conceived in sin, born in sin, and are servants of sin at birth - even the free-willers, though in their gross idolatry they deny it, thereby denying to the Holy Ghost the sole work of conversion (which no regenerate person could possibly do), thus despising the grace of God in Christ Jesus - yea, whatever sins you've committed, whatever bars your way, or makes you think your case is hopeless - in short, whatever keeps you from coming to Jesus Christ for fear of rejection by him, or fear of failure or power on his part - simply understand that there is NO bondage that Jesus Christ can't break, and break INSTANTLY, for that is how the SPIRIT OF CHRIST works - INSTANTLY. The SPIRIT OF CHRIST, even the HOLY SPIRIT, does NOT work PROCESSIVELY or PROGRESSIVELY where the NEW BIRTH is concerned. In the NEW BIRTH, the HOLY SPIRIT works SUDDENLY, IMMEDIATELY, and POWERFULLY. There are no exceptions.

Behold - the three principal characteristics of the NEW BIRTH are: first, it is SUDDEN - like a gust of wind. Secondly, it is IMMEDIATE - proceeding DIRECTLY from JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. And thirdly, it is POWERFUL - even the VERY RESURRECTION POWER OF JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF. I tell you again, Sinner, the NEW BIRTH is SUDDEN, IMMEDIATE, and POWERFUL. There are no exceptions - "So is EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit." [John 3:8; John 16:7; Acts 2:33; Ephesians 1:19-20; Romans 8:11]

Therefore, Sinner - and be advised that this promise by Jesus Christ is not for those who choose to debate what is clearly revealed as SIN in the Word of God, semantical gymnastics aside, for Jesus Christ will not lift a finger to deliver such a person, but this promise by Jesus Christ is rather for SINNERS - yea, therefore, SINNER, whatever your lifestyle, however you may have been born, whatever bars your way, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF has the POWER to deliver you INSTANTLY. Furthermore, Sinner, once the Lord Jesus Christ delivers you, he will not desert you, for Jesus Christ also GIVES to those he regenerates POWER - an EXPERIENTIAL POWER (which includes a NEW will, yea, an UNENSLAVED will) - even POWER to become sons of God. Therefore, fear not, for when Jesus Christ comes to live in a man, he comes to stay. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Understand, however, that this promise is for SINNERS ONLY - not will worshippers, or anyone else - and thus, one more time FOR SINNERS ONLY - the NEW BIRTH is SUDDEN, IMMEDIATE, and POWERFUL. Therefore, SINNER, know of a very truth that JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF can deliver you INSTANTLY, whatever your bondage. Fear not. [John 1:12-13; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 4:20; Hebrews 13:5]

I will cover the merit and efficiency of the Lord's atonement much more as I proceed to address the BLOOD, but for now, I tell you, if you are not born again, call upon the name of the Lord, even Jesus, and do not take solace in that popular myth which is diffused throughout the world by Satan, namely, that Jesus Christ will grant leniency in the DAY OF JUDGMENT just as he does in this GOSPEL DAY, because he won't. Today, Jesus Christ is clothed in his GOSPEL ROBES, but tomorrow, in the DAY OF JUDGMENT, Jesus Christ will be clothed in his JUDGMENT ROBES, and all his ELECT will have already been gathered in, so that there will be no more admittance to his everlasting kingdom, his entire collection of jewels already utterly constituted and complete, aye, his very THRONE will be PREPARED FOR JUDGMENT in that day, and HIS EYE SHALL NOT SPARE, NEITHER WILL HE HAVE PITY. [Psalm 9:7, Ezekiel 7:4, 9; Ezekiel 8:18; Ezekiel 9:10; Matthew 7:23; Matthew 23:13-33; Matthew 25:41]

Do not be deceived, for if you do not receive SAVING GRACE here, you will NEVER receive it there. I warn you again: NOW is the accepted time, behold, NOW is the day of salvation. Whatever you do, therefore, don't stop short. Give Jesus Christ no rest until you are truly born again, ever realizing that the NEW BIRTH is a work that JESUS CHRIST does, it is not a work that you do, so believe ON the Lord Jesus Christ, yea, FLY from the wrath to come, go and sin no more, and do NOT stop short of receiving eternal life here and now, understanding that ANYTHING LESS than the testimony of JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF to your spirit and soul is a false hope and a false foundation, and if you have the slightest doubt, then Jesus Christ has not spoken to you, for Jesus Christ KNOWS how to make his sheep HEAR HIS VOICE, and he verily DOES make his sheep HEAR HIS VOICE, and that INFALLIBLY. [Hebrews 9:27; Luke 16:20-31; 2 Corinthians 6:2; John 1:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; John 10:1-30; John 14:17-21; John 15:26; John 16:13-15; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:13]

Now then, to continue, the PERSON OF GOD, because of his UNBEGOTTEN AND UNCREATED DIVINE ESSENCE, is in and of HIMSELF worthy of all worship from all creatures. The UNBEGOTTEN AND UNCREATED DIVINE ESSENCE is what makes God to BE God, as it were, and is therefore what makes GOD the ONLY PROPER OBJECT for ANY ACT OF WORSHIP by angels, men, or any other created being or thing. Accordingly, had Jesus Christ not been subsistent in the SAME UNBEGOTTEN AND UNCREATED DIVINE ESSENCE of the Father and the Holy Spirit, in tandem with his human nature through his INCARNATION, he would have never received worship while here on earth, nor would it have been appropriate for him to do so, as he well knew, which is why he CONSTANTLY AND MANIFESTLY ASSERTED HIS OWN DIVINITY THROUGHOUT THE GOSPELS, contrary to the vain imaginings of many apostates who continuously deny that Jesus Christ was fully cognizant of his own position as the SECOND PERSON OF THE GODHEAD.

Thus, it is the IMPRINT of this DIVINE ESSENCE, ADMINISTERED BY AND THROUGH CHRIST - that VERY CHRIST which was CONSTITUTED in the ETERNAL COUNSELS OF THE GODHEAD with HIS OWN PECULIAR GLORY, and vested ENTIRELY by the ETERNAL SON OF GOD - yea, it is THAT CHRIST whose DIVINE IMPRINT permeates all that is, aye, it is THAT CHRIST which VIVIFIES ALL CREATION, and it is THAT CHRIST who is thereby that "true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." Every facet of CREATION ITSELF is IMBUED with this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST. There is not a single atom ANYWHERE in existence that is not IMBUED by this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST. "Without him was not anything made that was made." [John 1:3; John 1:9; Hebrews 1:3; 2 Corinthians 4:6 James 2:1; 1 Peter 5:10]

Correspondingly, the Lord Jesus Christ, as the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD, has the weight of the ENTIRE CREATION upon his shoulder, and he HIMSELF disposes EVERY FACET of it by HIS OWN POWER AND WISDOM, for as the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD he is VERILY the ESSENTIAL WISDOM OF GOD and the ESSENTIAL POWER OF GOD, he is VERILY that ETERNAL WORD, both ABSOLUTELY considered and CONSTITUTIONALLY considered, and he is the ONLY TRUE WORD OF GOD INFINITELY CONSIDERED, yea, he is that WORD that God CONSTITUTIONALLY magnified above all his name, his personality and his authority ETERNALLY DERIVED from the Father, and his personality and his authority ETERNALLY COMMUNICATED by the Spirit. In other words, HE - Jesus Christ - is the CONSTITUTIONAL CENTER of it ALL. Accordingly, not even the UNIVERSE ITSELF, nor ANY created life of ANY nature whatsoever, nor ANY material of ANY kind, could subsist ONE MOMENT without his CONTINUAL ENERGIZING AND DISPOSING OF IT, as it is written - "By him all things consist." Colossians 1:17 [Psalm 138:2]

Alas, it is a sad fact, but true, that the vast majority of those who profess to be Christians don't actually realize - even BEGIN to realize - the EXTENT of the GREATNESS of the PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST, that VERY CHRIST who walked this earth and died on the cross for his ELECT. But then, this is just another infallible confirmation of the gospel, for only those FEW that Jesus spoke of, that is, only the truly regenerate, are given the Lord's light BY HIS SPIRIT, as he said to his disciples - "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." [Matthew 13:11; Matthew 22:14; Matthew 7:14]

In short, it is Jesus Christ who CREATED the heaven and the earth; it is Jesus Christ who MAINTAINS the heaven and the earth; and it is Jesus Christ who will DISSOLVE this present heaven and earth after he delivers up a PERFECT kingdom to his Father, after which he will create a new heaven and a new earth. [Revelation 21:1; 2 Peter 3:12]

This is that Jesus Christ of history; this is that Jesus Christ who walked this earth according as it is faithfully, accurately, and truly recorded in the four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - a truth that the Holy Spirit HIMSELF testifies INFALLIBLY to in EVERY person he indwells, these four gospels being those - and ONLY those - as preserved complete and inerrant in the Traditional Text today, again, a truth that the Holy Spirit HIMSELF testifies to in the regenerate. This is the TRUE historical Jesus. Let all who trifle with THIS Jesus Christ know that they are trifling with the KING OF GLORY, before whom every human, angel, and devil will one day stand to be judged, and let those in this GOSPEL AGE, aye, let them be certain that those ONLY who have been united to that SAME Jesus Christ here by his SPIRIT, by REGENERATION, will escape the damnation of hell. Accordingly, I say to ALL - FLY from the wrath to come, for as certainly as the waves of the ocean crash upon the rocky shore, the WRATH OF THE LAMB is coming upon this world - this very world which he created - and soon. [Revelation 6:16]

Wherefore, because CHRIST is the CREATOR - and because CHRIST is that "true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" - it is the DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST which actuates the consciences of all men - even those who don't seem to have one - just as CHRIST vivifies and actuates all creation - "by him all things consist" - and it is this DIVINE IMPRINT that produces a living, vital, mysterious operation by the Spirit of Christ upon the consciences of all men throughout their lives. In imposing himself upon the consciences of men, the Spirit of Christ works by various means, in varying degrees, and to various ends, for God the Father works all things after the counsel of his own will, and this is a principal manner whereby he does so, for every man's evil is on a leash, even comparatively good men, for no man is clean or righteous or good or pure in God's sight - except Jesus Christ only, along with those who are washed in his blood by the application of regeneration. [John 1:9; Colossians 1:17; Ephesians 1:11]

From the very moment of conception, every man is possessed with a nature of sin, and with an inclination to sin, and sin ONLY. There is no man who is not so possessed, and there is no man whose sin would not blossom into a full flower of iniquity and depravation if the restraining grace of God did not prevent it from becoming so. With the sole exception of Jesus Christ, who did not inherit Adam's nature, this applies to EVERY MAN. There is no man who is not in love with sin by nature, and EVERY MAN - except those redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ - will give account to God for this love of sin, for without God's restraining grace in EVERY MAN, the sin of EVERY MAN would explode into an unfettered rampage. Augustine couldn't have stated it more accurately - "To your grace, O Lord, I ascribe also all the evil deeds I have not done, for if I could love to sin even without a cause, what might I not have done?" Confessions, 2.7.15 [Romans 3:23]

Those who deny this, or who have not aptly discovered this startling condition in their own nature by the light of the Spirit of Christ, will find themselves devastated on the day of judgment by its crushing reality. Most deny this truth because they have no conception of the true nature of sin, and while it is not my purpose to cover that topic here and now, consider just one example out of multiple instances that might be offered. To wit, any thought that is not IMMEDIATELY DIRECTED to the GLORY OF CHRIST is SIN. Any thought WHATSOEVER. Behold - ANY THOUGHT that is not IMMEDIATELY DIRECTED to the GLORY OF CHRIST is SIN, for that is why man was principally created - to GLORIFY HIS CREATOR. [Isaiah 43:7; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Romans 3:23; Romans 14:23; John 11:4; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Corinthians 4:15; Philippians 2:11; Revelation 21:23]

If a man lifts his little finger without ACTIVELY WILLING AND INTENDING to GLORIFY CHRIST (an active capability of the WILL AND INTENTION which Adam possessed AUTOMATICALLY before the fall, this being the result of the PERFECT AND UNCORRUPTED IMAGE OF GOD in which he was constituted, and yet, an active capability of the WILL AND INTENTION which is actually and amazingly SURPASSED IN REGENERATION by the Spirit of Christ within the believer, enabling the TRULY BORN AGAIN believer to "bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ," though the REGENERATE Christian still has to deal with the OLD MAN), yea, if a man lifts his little finger without ACTIVELY WILLING AND INTENDING to GLORIFY CHRIST, he has committed a sin, and that single sin is enough to damn him for all eternity. That's how PURE, that's how HOLY, that's how GLORIOUS the GODHEAD is, and ALL THE FULLNESS of that VERY GODHEAD DWELLETH IN CHRIST BODILY. [2 Corinthians 10:5; Colossians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Philippians 2:11; Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9]

Now, while most men will scoff at such a statement - which is merely another undeniable proof of how corrupted and depraved the IMAGE OF GOD in man has become, amply demonstrating that they know nothing of man's true nature, nothing of God's true nature, and nothing at all of REGENERATION - so while they scoff, those FEW who have actually seen even the smallest slice of the GLORY OF CHRIST in REGENERATION will immediately understand how wicked the failure to GLORIFY CHRIST truly is, even in the smallest and most minute detail. And so will the damned understand it on the day of judgment.

In fact, it was as natural for Adam before the fall to GLORIFY CHRIST - and with a FEROCIOUS INTENSITY at that - in EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT AND ACT that he performed, as it is now natural for a man to have NO thoughts of Christ in virtually anything he does. Even in his religious duties, a natural man now has only a weak, dull, and half-hearted - at best - intensity. Not so with Adam. Adam possessed a clear and unencumbered intensity that was TOTALLY REFLEXIVE, yea, TOTALLY REFLEXIVE strictly BECAUSE he was constituted in the VERY IMAGE OF GOD, and that IMAGE was UNCONDITIONALLY PURE. However, in the very MOMENT that Adam WILLFULLY turned away from an ACTIVE INTENT to GLORIFY CHRIST, and instead ACTIVELY DETERMINED to glorify HIMSELF, he sinned, and that fatal bite of the forbidden fruit was the result thereof. In essence, it all begins and ends with the GLORY OF CHRIST.

Fortunately, the Holy Ghost keeps the GLORY OF CHRIST ALWAYS before the REGENERATE believer, both in his heart and thoughts - at the forefront of each, actually - this cognizance of Christ both tangible and present in EVERYTHING he thinks and does, wholly enforced by the POWER of the indwelling Holy Ghost - "kept by the power of God through faith" - as long as the believer is walking obediently, that is, exactly as the Holy Spirit testifies - "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." This is one of the many GRACES that the UNREGENERATE can neither truly understand nor mimic (and all attempts to mimic it are manifestly carnal and easily discerned), because it is a HIDDEN GRACE within each TRULY REGENERATE believer, and it is a special grace that not even Adam possessed, for while Adam had a similar capability, yet it was MUTABLE, whereas that of the REGENERATE Christian is not, for this special grace of the REGENERATE believer is IMMEDIATELY DERIVED from the INDWELLING SPIRIT OF CHRIST. [1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 3:9; Colossians 3:3]

Yea, Adam not only lacked this special grace, but the REGENERATE believer possesses a POWER that is much GREATER than Adam EVER had, or ever COULD have had, even had he not sinned, for this POWER in the REGENERATE believer is by virtue of his UNION WITH JESUS CHRIST, which Adam DID NOT have, nor could have EVER had as long as he remained sinless, for had Adam remained sinless, CHRIST would have never become INCARNATE. But Jesus Christ - Hosanna in the HIGHEST - yea, Jesus Christ DID BECOME INCARNATE, and thus this POWER in the REGENERATE believer is even the POWER OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST, which can NEVER be broken! [Ephesians 1:19-20; Ephesians 3:20; Colossians 2:12]

O THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES, BOTH OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! HOW UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGMENTS, AND HIS WAYS PAST FINDING OUT! [Romans 11:33]

This is why God exercises dominion over the boundaries of sin, for all the hairs on every head are numbered, and not even a sparrow falls to the ground without the Father's decree, so while God may permit a man's evil to be exerted in many ways and in many designs and in many shades of depravity, and sometimes to extend even to enormous lengths, that evil nevertheless does not extend one whit beyond what God allows, nor does that evil flow into any channel that God himself has not forced it to run into, for though it is man's will to sin, it is God's will to restrain and steer it at his pleasure, so that countless mercies have occurred throughout history, and countless catastrophes have been averted throughout the ages, and countless blessings have been showered upon mankind throughout the centuries, by God's direct interposition against the malice of Satan and the evil of men, interpositions which go almost wholly unnoticed and unperceived by the world and its inhabitants, though men and women at large are never at a loss for words to blame God for the malice of Satan and the evil of men when circumstances don't fall out according to their liking. In any event, this imposition upon the conscience of EVERY MAN by God, wherein a degree, or measure of light, of the DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST is communicated to the conscience of EVERY MAN by the ETERNAL SPIRIT, is a principal manner whereby God restrains evil in the world, even among the very most wicked of men, though it may never appear outwardly so to others. [Matthew 10:29-30; Proverbs 16:1; Revelation 17:17; Acts 4:28; Ephesians 1:11; Isaiah 46:10]

Thus, he who MADE the conscience, and he who is able to MOVE the conscience of every man at his will, has also INGRAINED into that conscience by his DIVINE IMPRINT, a STAMP OF GODLINESS, though perhaps very opaque as regards its perception, this DIVINE IMPRINT being really and effectually an imprint of the LAW, and the LAW, of course, is actually a REFLECTION OF THE HOLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST. And herein note: the LAW IS BASED UPON THE HOLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST, not the other way around. In other words, the LAW proceeds FROM the HOLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST; the HOLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST is ANTECEDENT to the LAW. That is, there could BE no LAW without the HOLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST, upon which the LAW is BASED. Consequently, there is also INGRAINED into the conscience the NATURE of the AFFLICTIONS and REMEDIES that the conscience of man can bear in relation to that STAMP OF GODLINESS, which is the LAW, which is IMPRINTED DIRECTLY INTO THE CONSCIENCE BY CHRIST. [Romans 2:14-16]

This DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST - which is not to be confused with the communication of Christ HIMSELF, or the communication of his attributes, or the communication of his Spirit redemptively, or the actual revelation of HIMSELF, either as GOD or as CHRIST, or the communication of anything spiritually efficacious that would elevate man out of his natural state, his sinful state, nor is this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST to be confused with the IMAGE OF GOD in man, which is vastly degraded since the fall, and which can only be - and in fact HAS BEEN - FEDERALLY restored by JESUS CHRIST ALONE through his INCARNATION, and FUNCTIONALLY restored by the SPIRIT OF CHRIST in each believer through REGENERATION, albeit the IMAGE OF GOD since the fall of man has never been PERFECTLY represented - not even REMOTELY so - except in JESUS CHRIST ALONE, not even in the REGENERATE, whether Paul or Peter or John, or anyone else.

Thus, the IMAGE OF GOD and this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST are not the same thing, for the conscience is a DISTINCT FACULTY - DISTINCT from both the IMAGE OF GOD in man, and DISTINCT from every other faculty. In fact, the conscience is principally a JUDGING FACULTY, and like any JUDGE, it must have a STANDARD BY WHICH TO JUDGE, by which to MEASURE AGAINST. That STANDARD is this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST - forensically denominated as THE LAW, which LAW is nothing but a REFLECTION OF THE HOLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST. The measure of light of this DIVINE IMPRINT - that is, THE LAW, which I must again assert, is nothing but a REFLECTION OF THE HOLY CHARACTER OF CHRIST - is communicated by the Spirit of Christ to every man's conscience as God wills. In essence, therefore, this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST is essentially his DIVINE SIGNATURE upon the conscience of man as a result of creation - a STAMP OF GODLINESS within the conscience, thereby equipping the conscience with the ABILITY TO JUDGE, this STAMP reflecting the HOLY CHARACTER of its MAKER, embodied by and forensically denominated as THE LAW, yet the cognitive faculties of man are so severely clouded by SIN that this STAMP OF GODLINESS is only obscurely perceived, and thus the JUDGING CAPABILITY of the conscience is also thereby degraded.

However, this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST is resident in the conscience of EVERY man - "which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" - and while this DIVINE IMPRINT is manifested in different degrees according to the amount of light instilled in each man, this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST nevertheless serves as an internal regulator of SIN in EVERY man's conscience according to the light it possesses - and every conscience possesses SOME measure of light - albeit generally so, and darkly so - which is why men have habitually engaged in all manner of superstitious means in their attempts to appease the convictions of their aroused consciences, yet without genuine success, for no longer possessing that pure light that Adam possessed before the fall, they have gone about to satisfy DIVINE JUSTICE according to their own darkened understanding - a darkened understanding that pervades unregenerate professing Christianity even today, manifested in the virtual universal WILL WORSHIP of professing Christianity today.

This light is also opposed, both in KIND and in MEASURE, to the light received by the TRULY REGENERATE, who have their conscience AWAKENED by the LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST - whereby the SPIRIT OF CHRIST MANIFESTS THE UNIQUE GLORY OF CHRIST to the spirits of those he REGENERATES, a manifestation of glory which is denied to the UNREGENERATE. This manifestation of the GLORY OF CHRIST by the LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT occurs immediately prior to and in the MOMENT of REGENERATION, and their eyes are opened INSTANTLY upon REGENERATION and thereby ENLIGHTENED to perceive SIN as never before, even to an astonishing degree of clarity, especially INDWELLING SIN, most of which a man is utterly oblivious to before his REGENERATION, whereas immediately afterward, immediately after REGENERATION, wherein all of his spiritual cognitive faculties are completely RENEWED, including both his conscience and his will, he is often utterly astounded at the mountain of INDWELLING SIN, all revealed SUDDENLY by the LIGHT OF THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST who has just indwelt him, an EVENT which is not to be confused with the ongoing process of SANCTIFICATION BY THE SPIRIT in the TRULY REGENERATE, a process which continues throughout the believer's life.

Thus, whenever a man thinks or acts in a manner that conflicts with this DIVINE IMPRINT, his conscience makes an objection accordingly. The more a man ignores conscience, the more the perception of this DIVINE IMPRINT is marred and obscured, and the more his cognitive abilities thereunto degraded, so that it is entirely possible for a man to virtually lose all perception and sensitivity to this DIVINE IMPRINT, a deplorable condition which the scripture calls a SEARED CONSCIENCE. However, it should be noted that not even a SEARED CONSCIENCE can prevent the Spirit of Christ from influencing that conscience if he so chooses.

And so, as day follows day, this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST, which is fixed resolutely in the conscience of every man, regardless of how weakly it may be perceived or experienced, nevertheless reflects the INFINITELY PURE AND HOLY CHARACTER of he who imprinted it there in the first place. No man lacks this DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST in the conscience, and while the force of its perception in the conscience varies from man to man, the PURITY and HOLINESS of the DIVINE IMPRINT ITSELF is INFINITE AND ETERNAL - mark it - THE PURITY AND HOLINESS OF THE DIVINE IMPRINT OF CHRIST IS INFINITE AND ETERNAL.

Accordingly, there is only ONE REMEDY for a conscience genuinely afflicted by sin due to its offenses against INFINITE AND ETERNAL PURITY AND HOLINESS, and that is BLOOD. Yea, it is BLOOD - DIVINE BLOOD - and nothing BUT DIVINE BLOOD - I say, it is only DIVINE BLOOD, as we shall more fully see in the next heading, that can completely, utterly, savingly, and everlastingly heal and soothe the genuinely afflicted conscience of a man who suddenly realizes that he has offended INFINITE AND ETERNAL PURITY AND HOLINESS, exactly as the scripture so gloriously proclaims - "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" [Hebrews 9:14]

He who MADE the conscience has decreed that BLOOD - DIVINE BLOOD - is the ONLY remedy for a conscience GENUINELY afflicted by SIN, and while many may deny that fact today, there is not a soul in heaven or hell who would dispute it, and neither will those who deny it today deny it in eternity, for if they are not saved by that DIVINE BLOOD in this life, they will be tormented by that DIVINE BLOOD forever and forever, for if they remain unregenerate, their conscience, which may have lain virtually dormant for years, will suddenly - and I mean SUDDENLY - become a roaring lion (for that is how roaring lions leap upon their prey - SUDDENLY) - aye, their conscience will SUDDENLY become a roaring lion that cannot - that will not - be appeased, not forever and forever, yea, they will find themselves with a newly awakened conscience, awakened by the presence of God's TERRIBLE GLORY, that TERRIBLE GLORY which will manifest the INCOMPARABLE PURITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS OF JESUS CHRIST, thereby exposing all their sins in a moment of time, and thus they will find themselves SUDDENLY with a conscience now literally SET AFLAME by sin, a conscience now so SENSITIVE that every thought will be a thunderclap, every notion an earthquake, and its worm will not die, and its fire will not be quenched, for the remedy - the ONLY remedy for offending INFINITE AND ETERNAL PURITY AND HOLINESS - is that DIVINE BLOOD which they denied, that DIVINE BLOOD which now will be forever out of their reach, a dilemma which torments those already in hell even now, and will torment them to all eternity - utterly without hope, utterly without reprieve.

Look to it, imposters - you who claim to be born again but aren't, you who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof by your will worship and your unregeneracy, for the BLOOD is applied through REGENERATION, and no other wise, which is why it's called the "washing of regeneration." [Titus 3:5]

This is a truth that every truly born again Christian can testify to, for that peace which passeth all understanding, that joy unspeakable and full of glory, those unsearchable riches of CHRIST that SHOUT ALOUD in the soul of every person he indwells when he MANIFESTS HIS GLORY to them - yea, these graces of the Spirit are never able to rest on a defiled conscience, any more than Noah's dove could rest on stormy waters. No indeed, for such graces are reserved for cleansed consciences only - not dead consciences, or sleeping consciences, or unawakened consciences - but CLEANSED consciences only, consciences such as have been RADICALLY cleansed, and that by DIVINE BLOOD, which ALONE can heal the conscience that realizes it has offended INFINITE AND ETERNAL PURITY AND HOLINESS. Yea, DIVINE BLOOD cleanses such a conscience to the UTTERMOST, wherefore it is written - "Perfect love casteth out fear." [1 John 4:18; Philippians 4:7; 1 Peter 1:8; Ephesians 3:8; Genesis 8:9; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:14]

In the beginning, however, it was not so, for not long after his formation from the dust of the earth, we find the apex of God's creation cowering in fear. Adam, who held the sceptre of rule by federal authority given him by God, through the subtlety and malice of Satan, was enticed to sin, thereby degrading the Image of God in man, and thereby ushering in death and thrusting the entire material creation into carnage and woe, as well as handing over the reigns of the earth to Satan, who was now man's master, both statutorily and functionally. It was only through the direct interposition of the PREINCARNATE CHRIST that Satan was prevented from exerting complete and sovereign dominion over every aspect of Adam's existence, and the legal justification of this interposition rested SOLELY on the ETERNAL PROMISE made by the SON to the FATHER that he would become INCARNATE and deliver his people from their sins.

How this deliverance was to be achieved was demonstrated to Adam by the Son of God forthwith. Satan undoubtedly also took a curious interest in this demonstration.

Satan knows, and has always known, that God could sweep him into oblivion with a simple act of HIS DIVINE WILL. Contrary to the opinions of foolish men, Satan is VASTLY MORE INTELLIGENT and VASTLY SMARTER - VASTLY SMARTER by MULTIPLE ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE - than mankind can possibly conceive. A world full of Einstein's, the sum of all their intelligence COMBINED, would be nothing more than a world full of babbling idiots compared to the intelligence of Satan, which is why those who like to pride themselves on their self-perceived intellectual abilities only make a spectacle of themselves and prove how foolish they truly are, for the natural intelligence of the smartest man is a grain of sand on the beach compared to the intelligence of angels and devils. In fact, in a strictly natural sense, Satan is second ONLY to God Himself in intelligence and power. By natural sense, I mean that state in which each angel or man was created, for the REGENERATE Christian has the MIND OF CHRIST, and while the REGENERATE Christian is not of himself able to compete with Satan on ANY level of intelligence or power, he is nevertheless by the SPIRIT OF CHRIST able to OVERCOME Satan in the realms of BOTH intelligence and power - BUT ONLY BY THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, just as the scripture testifies - "Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4

By virtue of his vast wisdom and intelligence, Satan calculated, and correctly so, that God would not destroy him when he sinned. This calculation was based on Satan's careful discernment of the CHARACTER OF GOD, for through his shrewd craft, Satan was able to impeach, at least APPARENTLY so, the GLORY OF GOD by enticing man, who was created in the IMAGE OF GOD, to rebel against his Creator, thereby defiling the very IMAGE OF GOD HIMSELF. Having succeeded in his craft, Satan knew that God certainly COULD destroy him if God so chose, but then the remainder of God's creation, both angels and men, would know that God HIMSELF had been outwitted and defamed by the CREATURE, for upon the destruction of Satan, GOD'S OWN GLORY would have suffered IRREPARABLE HARM, and openly so. From that moment forward, if Satan were simply destroyed, God's rule would be a rule of tyranny. Thus, if God chose to destroy Satan, he would also be forced to destroy his entire creation in order to prevent his OWN MANIFEST GLORY from being defamed. Further still, God HIMSELF - as Satan well knew - is INFINITELY holy, righteous, pure, and just, and thus God HIMSELF, if he were to remain true TO HIMSELF, could never be at peace WITH HIMSELF as long as his OWN MANIFEST GLORY remained impeached, even if no creature were around to witness it. In essence, God in this scenario would no longer BE God, for he would no longer be IMMUTABLE. Satan knew all of this, and much more besides.

Thus, when the PREINCARNATE CHRIST shed the first blood in order to clothe Adam and Eve with animal skins, an act which prefigured his own future death, as well as signifying that man would be recovered by the CREATOR'S efforts, and not his own, it was an event of PARAMOUNT importance, one which was observed by the entire angelic realm. This was the first sacrifice ever, and it served as the prototype of all future sacrifices, for regardless of the actual methodology employed in the act itself, the common denominator in this and all future sacrifices was BLOOD.

If God's manifest glory were to be recovered, if the image of God in man were to be restored, if sin were to be broken, if death were to be overcome, if Satan were to be conquered, if creation were to be restored - in short, if everything were to be set right, it would take the price of BLOOD to do it, for the LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD, as it is written - "For the life of the flesh is in the BLOOD." [Leviticus 17:11]

And so, before we move into the very heart of the FATHER HIMSELF, which we will do in the next heading, you can see that when Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, ENTERED IN, both ALONE and with POWER, that -

Blood Was His Vehicle And Blood Was His Key.

(Finis - Part III)