Of my top ten Christian classics, three titles are by Andrew
Murray so I was prepared to enjoy The Power of the Blood of Jesus. Still, it was more theologically dense than some of his other books.
One of Murray’s most helpful insights was on the holiness of
God. We often think only of its negative aspect, i.e., that He hates sin. But
Murray points out that the positive side of His holiness is that He is good,
loves goodness and wants to make us good (holy). Holiness, as we wrongfully understand it, is the priggish
keeping of rules. But to Murray Holiness is a disposition in entire agreement
with that of God, which chooses in all things to will as God wills. It is
nothing more than oneness with God, effected by intimacy with Him.
Chapter 8 had a helpful explanation of Christ’s words in
John 6:53 (“Drink my blood”). It’s hard enough to wrap our modern sensibilities
around the idea of being “washed in the blood,” but the admonition to drink it
is mind-boggling. Murray simplifies the idea by using water as an example.
Water cleanses outwardly, but to be life-giving, it must be imbibed. Without
drinking the blood of the Son of God – i.e., without hearty appropriation of it
– eternal life cannot be obtained. Not only must the blood do something for us
by placing us in a new relationship with God (forgiveness), but it must also do
something in us (cleansing), entirely renewing us within.
He who “drinks” the blood of Jesus, receives Christ’s
eternal, abundant life into himself. Only as we allow Him to fill us with
Himself can we live the Christian life. This is the resounding theme of all of
Murray’s books - the fruitfulness of a life completely surrendered to Christ.
If you are new to Murray, I would suggest either Humility (free for Kindle) or
The True Vine to introduce you to these important ideas. But if you are ready
for something a little meatier, The Power of the Blood of Jesus (free at the moment) will certainly stretch
your thinking.
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