373. Cleansed Blood
Joel 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion,
The Lord promises to clean our blood, with His blood. “The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” Our blood is guilty; Jesus’ blood is innocent. He takes the guilt of our sin upon Himself and suffers the righteous punishment for it as an innocent man. Then the Lord can and does dwell with us in our cleansed and purified heart. He promises to dwell in Zion, that is, in the Church, that is, in the heart of faith.
The “blood” referred to in this promise most likely means guilt, or bloodguilt, the guiltiness that devours a murderer or a violent person. All of us shall stand before the judgment seat of the righteous judge and be declared guilty of blood, except that Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and guilt and murder. And by His innocent blood we stand before the righteous Judge and are declared free, innocent and not guilty.
We have all murdered others, and our own selves, by the words we utter, the thoughts we think, and even the physical deeds we do. If we are the cause of another’s perfect peace and full joy of life being diminished in any way we are guilty; bloodguilt seeps in. It must be forgiven and cleansed with innocent blood. This is what God does; this is the promise; and God dwells in a clean heart.
Hatred in the heart, using harsh language, using foul language, gossip, criticism, false witness, being selfish, withholding love and kindness makes us guilty of blood. No sinner escapes this condemnation of guilt. But we have this word: I will cleanse their blood. Hear these words from the Lord. It is true. He really means it. He cleanses.