Yes — Christ had to shed His blood because God has mandated that without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
The Scripture makes the shedding of blood an absolute requirement for forgiveness, and Les Feldick stresses that no one can be saved apart from the work of the cross. God's holiness and righteousness demanded it, and the finished work of Christ supplies the redemption, forgiveness, and justification that no human effort could accomplish.
Hebrews 9:22 — This is the foundational verse behind Les's repeated statement that without shedding of blood there is no remission.
Romans 5:9 — Shows that justification and salvation from wrath come through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 1:7 — States directly that redemption and forgiveness are through His blood.
The Bible directly answers this question with the foundational statement in Hebrews 9:22: 'And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.' This verse shows that shed blood is the divinely appointed means for remission of sins. Romans 5:9 says, 'Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.' Ephesians 1:7 adds, 'In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.' And Ephesians 2:13 says, 'But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.' Romans 3:25 likewise describes Christ as set forth 'to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.' These passages tie the shedding of Christ's blood directly to justification, redemption, forgiveness, and access to God.
Les Feldick makes the shed blood of Christ one of the absolutes of Scripture. He says God, in His sovereign way of doing things, decided that sin would be forgiven through shed blood and no other way, and we simply must take that by faith. He repeats that 'without the shedding of blood, there is no remission' and says you cannot go around it, over it, or under it. The whole purpose of the cross was that Christ had to shed His blood; it had to be a death where the shedding of blood was evident, which is why crucifixion rather than stoning was necessary. Les also ties the blood to the finished work of the cross. In Romans 5, being 'justified by His blood' means we are saved from wrath through Him, not for anything we have done but simply by believing in that finished work. He connects the blood to redemption and forgiveness in Ephesians 1:7, and to propitiation in Romans 3:25, where God set forth Christ 'to be a propitiation through faith in his blood.' He notes that Paul constantly refers to Christ as our Passover, the one who died for us and shed His blood, and the only sacrifice God was satisfied with. Additionally, Les offers a personal thought on why God chose blood: 'life is in the blood,' and you cannot have new life until death takes place and life comes again out of the death of a previous life. That is what the death, burial, and resurrection are all about. He insists that God is sovereign, holy, and just, and that the blood cannot be ignored — those who reject the blood have no basis for expecting redemption.
Les says God, in His sovereign way, decided that sin would be forgiven through shed blood and no other way, and we have to take that by faith. He calls it a mandatory statement of Scripture: 'without the shedding of blood, there is no remission.' God in His own reasoning has demanded shed blood for the remission of sin, and we cannot abrogate it. Les adds his personal idea that life is in the blood, and new life comes out of the death of a previous life.
Romans 5:9 says we are 'justified by his blood' and 'saved from wrath through him.' Les explains this means it is not for anything we have done; it is by simply believing in the finished work of the cross. Christ's blood was shed so the believer can be declared just as if he or she had never sinned. Ephesians 1:7 connects that same blood to redemption and the forgiveness of sins.
Les says Scripture gives two mandates: without the shedding of blood there is no remission, and without faith it is impossible to please God. You cannot shortcut them, detour them, or go around them. He says the good-works approach and religious crowds often shun the blood, but these two imperatives apply to everyone regardless of background or denomination.
Les explains that the whole purpose of the cross was that Christ had to shed His blood. It had to be a death where that was evident. The Jews could have killed Him by their normal method of capital punishment, stoning, but stoning would not have fulfilled the shedding of blood that the crucifixion provided.
The Cross Was Necessary
Les shows that the cross had to happen in order to purchase salvation and satisfy a holy and righteous God — no one could be saved without the work of the cross.
Justified by His Blood
Les uses Romans 5 to show we are justified by His blood and saved from wrath through Him by believing in the finished work of the cross, not by anything we have done.
Blood and Death Are Inseparable
Les stresses that the blood of Christ cannot be separated from His death, and he identifies Christ as our Passover — the only sacrifice God was satisfied with.
God's Sovereign Choice of Blood
Les says God sovereignly decided that sin would be forgiven through shed blood and no other way; his personal thought is that life is in the blood and new life comes from death.
Faith in the Shed Blood
Les connects redemption to believing what God says about the shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection, and pairs shed blood with faith as two mandatory statements.
Propitiation Through His Blood
Les explains that God in His own reasoning demanded shed blood for the remission of sin, and Christ is the propitiation when we place faith in His blood.
The Purpose of the Cross
Les says the whole purpose of the cross was that Christ had to shed His blood, and the crucifixion provided an evident shedding of blood that stoning could not.
The Price of Redemption
Les calls the precious blood of Christ the price of redemption and warns that without recognizing the shed blood there is no redemption, because God is sovereign, holy, and just.
Hebrews 9:22: And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
This is the foundational 'without shedding of blood' verse that Les calls an absolute of Scripture.
Romans 5:9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Shows that justification and salvation from wrath come through Christ's blood.
Ephesians 1:7: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Directly ties the blood of Christ to redemption and forgiveness of sins.
Ephesians 2:13: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Shows that access to God is through the blood of Christ.
Romans 3:25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Describes Christ as a propitiation through faith in His blood for the remission of sins.
1 Corinthians 5:7: Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Paul calls Christ our Passover, the sacrifice who died and shed His blood for us.
Yes. Hebrews 9:22 says without shedding of blood is no remission. Les Feldick calls this one of the two absolutes of Scripture that you cannot go around, over, or under.
Les says no. He states that without recognizing the shed blood of Christ, there is no redemption, and we must believe what God says about the shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection.
Because the two absolutes are without shedding of blood there is no remission, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Les says you cannot shortcut or detour either one.
Watch the Teaching: Can Anything Separate You from God's Love? Romans 8:33-39