Hebrews 9:22, NASB: "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."

In an old hymn, Lewis E. Jones writes, "Would you be free from the burden of sin? There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood; Would you o'er evil a victory win? There's wonderful pow'r in the blood." It seems these days that hymns such as this one are seldom heard in the worship centers of the modern church. That by itself is fine; but, God forbid that the message of such songs fade along with the music into the aged church walls of a not-so-distant past. The message of the cross must remain central to the faith we embrace. And what is that message? There is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood. For us to be saved from condemnation, the blood of the Lamb of God, Christ Jesus, had to be spilled. This is something that seems to rub against the grain of modern thought. And, perhaps you have noticed that modern thought has seeped through the walls of the church. So, we must be careful to not allow modern thought to ever dilute the message of the cross; telling us that the idea of an atoning sacrifice for sin is an archaic thought. Our sin required Christ's cross. If we stop believing that then we have fallen away from our faith--and what then can save us.