PLEAD THE BLOOD

Exodus 12:13: “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

Leviticus 8:30: “And Moses took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon his sons’ garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.”

The concept of pleading the blood of Jesus is a distinctly Pentecostal tradition. There are some Pentecostal traditions that we may do well to do away with, but pleading the blood is not one of them. Pleading the blood should be emphasized more in the Pentecostal experience.

 

WHAT IS MEANT BY PLEADING THE BLOOD?

The saints of times past would plead the blood of Jesus. In his book, Azuza Street Mission and Revival: The Birth of the Global Pentecostal Movement, Cecil Robeck recorded several accounts of William Seymour and Charles Parham. In their search for the Holy Ghost and the power thereof, they came to the understanding that the blood of Jesus Christ is a counter-agent against corruption and sin.

Sick people would call for prayer. Saints and preachers alike would respond with prayer. Many of those old saints began to understand that if they could be covered by the anointing of the Holy Ghost and the blood of Christ, then their life would be immune to some things. They found protection in the blood of Jesus.

Pleading the blood is for this generation. There are those who believe the idea of pleading the blood to be far-fetched, even archaic. There are also those who would believe that as long as you are filled with the Holy Ghost, there is no need for anything further. But when you were baptized in Jesus’ name and filled with the Holy Ghost, you became a child of God and part of His kingdom in this world. Because of that, there are benefits and blessings you have that no one else in this world has available to them.

 

SATAN’S TACTIC

Satan wants you to forget that there is power in the blood of Jesus. This is his business: to cause God’s people to forget. But recognizing the power of the blood needs to be an active part of your praying, singing, worship and preaching. Satan will oppose it, but we must preach about the cross, the atonement, and the blood of Jesus Christ. This is one of the elements of spiritual revival.

 

CLAIM THE BLOOD

You must claim the blood of Jesus Christ. When the blood is applied to your life and you have confidence in the mercy of God, you can plead the blood. The power of the blood is available for the people of God.

We sing songs like, “Hide Me in the Blood” and “Power in the Blood.” There is a power in those old hymns from which this post-modern generation must never turn. When the storms of life come, you must be hidden in the blood.

By pleading the blood, you can keep yourself from unrighteousness. The psalmist said, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalms 19:13-14). To engage the blood means that it must never be far from your heart and mind.

So, what about the blood? Why do we plead the blood? There are several reasons.

 

THE BLOOD IS A COVERING

Exodus 12:13 says, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

There was a blood covering that covered the children of Israel and protected them from the death angel. The prayer of covering of the blood must be part of your prayer. Everything precious to you must be covered with the blood of Jesus. I believe there can be a covering over your family members and possessions. If God has blessed you with anything, be a good steward and make sure it is covered with the blood of Jesus.

 

TO OVERCOME THE ACCUSER

Revelation 12:10-11 says, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

You must be an overcomer! But how do you overcome? By the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony. There is an old chorus that speaks of giving God the glory. One stanza of that chorus says, “Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you.” The blood of Jesus Christ is against the accuser and destroyer of your soul. You are an overcomer because of the blood!

Another stanza of the chorus says, “So let us give God all of the praise.” Satan is a master of reminding saints of God of their past. Your history does not matter, nor the sins you have committed. It does not matter how Satan has accused you, the blood of Jesus is against the accuser.

 

MULTIPLIED GRACE AND MERCY

I Peter 1:2 speaks of the “grace and mercy of God” being “multiplied to the elect.”

God is not like humanity. We want to keep a record of offenses committed against us. But when you fall on your knees and plead the blood, there is multiplied grace and mercy that begins to flow in your direction. You need the grace and mercy of God applied to your life. It matters not what records people want to keep, you plead the blood and God will give grace and mercy. The grace and mercy of God can reach to the darkest sin that has ever been committed.

If you have any holiness standard and separation from the world, there is a tendency for you to look at others and say, “I am doing pretty well.” But no one has enough holiness, discipline or goodness that will make them able to save themselves. This is why we need the grace and mercy of God. It needs to be poured out on us like never before. So, plead the blood!

 

TO GAIN PERFECTION

Hebrews 13:20-21 says, “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will…”

When you find yourself pursuing and performing the will of God, there is a baptism of perfection in every good work. The devil would rather hear you talk about anything other than the will of God. He would rather you talk about education, money, self-improvement and self-help instead of recognizing that there is nothing inside of you that will defeat the devil. But if you can do the will of God, there is a divine perfection that will come into your life. Do the will of God! There is a perfection that comes from the blood of the cross.

 

BOLDNESS TO ENTER THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Hebrews 10:19 says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”

You are justified before God by the work on the cross of Calvary. There is a boldness that comes from the inside of you that is wrought by the Holy Ghost.

 

PURGE YOUR CONSCIENCE

Hebrews 9:14 says, “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?”

The greatest battlefield of the enemy is that of the mind. It is not Hollywood, the seat of entertainment. It is not Washington, D.C., the seat of the governmental power of this nation; it is your mind. It is for this reason that you need the blood of Christ to purge your conscience from dead works. It does not matter what sin you have committed in the past. If there is the action of the Holy Ghost inside you, there is a purging of your conscience, and you need to forget the past. The adversary never forgets and will continue to accuse you. But if the blood has been applied, your conscience is clean.

 

PROTECT AGAINST FEAR AND TORMENT

Colossians 1:20 says, “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”

The adversary will instill fear and torment in your mind in an effort to control you. The result of this is shame, guilt, humiliation and condemnation. The world of psychology teaches that you can rid yourself of the emotions of sin. But what you need is interaction with the Holy Ghost. The blood of Jesus Christ is against the work of the enemy of your soul. Plead the blood!

Satan, the blood of Jesus is against you!

 

 

 

 

Philip Harrelson is the Pastor of the Pentecostals of Dothan.  He is also an AL District Board Member (Presbyter) and the SE Regional Executive Presbyter of the UPCI