Why is forgiveness of sin only available through the shedding of blood?
God sovereignly ordained that forgiveness of sin come only through the shedding of blood, and no other way. Scripture links redemption to Christ’s blood in Ephesians 1:7. The reason given is that life is in the blood: new life cannot come until death occurs, pointing to death, burial, and resurrection.
Les teaches that in Ephesians 1:7 Paul writes to Gentile believers that in Christ we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Les explains that many are repelled by this, but God in His sovereign way decided it would be through the shed blood that He could forgive sin and no other way; we take that by faith. Les offers a personal idea why God chose the blood: life is in the blood, and you cannot have new life until death takes place, and life again comes out of that death of a previous life. That is what the death, burial, and resurrection is all about. God has mandated that there can be no salvation and no forgiveness without the shedding of blood; it is mandatory. Forgiveness is according to His grace, not what we deserve.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;