NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS[1]
. . . without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. [2]
Under most circumstances, blood is anything but clean. In medical terms it is a biohazard, a carrier of disease. In household terms it is difficult to remove from clothing. But the Bible speaks of something astounding – people’s washing robes in blood making them pure white (Revelation 7:14).
Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. [3]
Only the blood of Christ has the power to cleanse (Ephesians 1:7).
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth in him. [4]
Praise be to God for this incredible gift.[5]
For the person burdened by the guilt of their sin, with a deep and fervent desire for relief from the burden, the answer is found in the forgiveness that Jesus provided through his death – shedding his blood – on the cross.
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; what can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
For the person seeking to know if there is an answer to the deep chasm of separation between themselves and God because of their sin, the answer is found in the atoning death – the shedding of blood – of Jesus on the cross.
Nothing can for sin atone, nothing but the blood of Jesus; naught of good that I have done, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
The message of the cross is that the hope of forgiveness for sin – peace with God and a restored relationship with him – comes only and freely from the death of Jesus Christ in our place on the cross. We cannot have a relationship with God on our own merit, but through Christ we are made righteous in God’s sight.
This is all my hope and peace, nothing but the blood of Jesus; this is all my righteousness, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
So, we can now sing and rejoice in the precious gift of cleansing from sin through the shed blood of our Savior, Messiah Jesus!
Glory! Glory! This I sing: nothing but the blood of Jesus; all my praise for this I bring, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow; no other fount I know; nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Nothing But the Blood of Jesus
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] Words and Music: Robert Lowry, 1876. The Sing! Hymnal, 2025, #239.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Heb 9:22.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Re 7:13–14.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Eph 1:7–10.
[5] The Sing! Hymnal, 2025, p. 922.
