Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, [21] equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Hebrews 13:20-21 AMP
In the scriptures, the importance of blood cannot be over-emphasized. For all things cleansing, purification, and anything that had to do with interacting with God after the fall in the old covenant, blood had to spill. Blood was used to enact a covenant, Exodus 24:8. Man had a curse of death (separation from God) on him after the fall, so in order to be brought back to God, a substitution took place: the life of an animal for his, Leviticus 17:11. However, since the creatures used in the scriptures had a short life span their blood did not have the potency or ability to give perpetual access or strike an eternal covenant with God. This was until Christ, the eternal one spilled his own blood as a substitute for man, sealing an eternal covenant.
Hebrews 13:20-21 says that by the blood of the eternal covenant, we have been made perfect to do the will of God. The word used for perfect “katartizō” literally means to “fit a frame”. It means to equip, prepare, or to be made perfect for something. All the vessels and people in the old covenant were made fit for service by the blood, Hebrews 9:21-23. This blood purchased us and secured our peace with God and cleanses us, therefore, our perfection cannot be outside of the blood. In Revelations 12:11-12, we see that there was war in heaven and they who overcame did so by the blood of Jesus. What does it mean that the blood equips or makes us perfect for every good work, to do His will?
When considering the word ‘equip’, three questions come to mind: Equipped by who? Equipped with what and Equipped for what? We were equipped by the God of peace. It is He, Jesus Christ, who secured for us eternal life by the eternal life in His blood. He equipped us for every good work. Good works are works that are done according to the will of God, anything else is dead works. The blood of Jesus has given us redemption, cleansed and transformed us, and made us readily available to function properly as worthy vessels before Him so that our lives can radiate the glory of God. Our entire lives and whatever purpose we have to fulfill on earth, careerwise, spiritually, family-wise, etc is for God’s glory. Those who have been redeemed by the blood are not mere men anymore, but royal priests with eternal life in them to show God’s praise, 1 Peter 2:9, Isaiah 49:1-3. All that we have been given to manifest God: the eternal Spirit which empowers us to produce fruits, manifest the gifts of the Spirit and overcome sin and the evil one is on the basis of the blood of the everlasting covenant.
Hebrews 12:22-29 shows that the covenant itself is mediated by Jesus. Just as the blood of Abel cried out, albeit, for vengeance, the blood of Jesus cries out for mercy, our deliverance, and our complete salvation. Anyone who is not part of this covenant cannot serve God acceptably. Jesus, as the mediator, lives and continues to work in us that we may stand in the end as overcomers; that we may hear from the Father, well done good and faithful servant. All the promises we see to the overcomers in Revelations 2 and 3 are for those who are subject to the blood. It is the blood that gives us the power to overcome sin. It gives us access to the secret place. It makes our works be of Gold and not hay and stubble to be destroyed, 1 Corinthians 3:11-15. The blood gives us boldness to approach our God, who is a consuming fire. It is by the blood we must live every day if we are to be all God intends for us.
Prayer for today: Lord Jesus, I thank you for Your blood, the blood of the everlasting covenant which gives me eternal access to God. Great God of peace, thank you for equipping me with everything needed to offer acceptable service to you. Thank you that even now, you are working in me that which is well pleasing to God. Help me to yield to the workings and cleansing of this blood that I may come out as a vessel of Gold, an overcomer. Amen.
Ps. Feel free to leave a comment or ask whatever questions you have in the comment section. Shalom!
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