Today's Sermon Notes:

The Power of the Blood

The Text

Psalms 24:3-5 (NKJV) ³ Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. ⁵ He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

The Lesson

Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart can stand in His holy place.

How do we cleanse our hands from sin? We come to God in godly sorrow with repentance.

Acts 3:19 (KJV) Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord

To repent is confess (acknowledge) and forsake (turn away from) our sins. Only when we repent does the blood of Jesus blot out our sins.

1 John 1:7-10 (KJV)  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I  Our hands are not clean because we have never sinned. If that were the case, no one would have clean hands. Our hands are clean because we confessed our sins, and humbled ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

How do we purify your hearts? We purify our hearts by faith in that atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Acts 15:9 (KJV) And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith

So in short, to answer question, “Who may stand in His holy place?” We could say those who have repented of their sins and trusted blood of Jesus as the penalty paid for past sins, as forgiveness obtained, and as the cleansing power that removes guilty sinful heart.

Heb 9:13-14 (NKJV) For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Heb 9:19-22 (NKJV) ¹⁹ For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, ²⁰ saying, "This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you." ²¹ Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. ²² And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 

Heb 10:18-23 (AMP) ¹⁸ Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these [sins and lawbreaking], there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin. ¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh, ²¹ And since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God, ²² Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith (by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water. ²³ So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. 

Repentance of sin and faith in precious blood of Jesus allows us to stand in the holy place.

Blessings in the Holy Place

The reason it is important to know that you have been given the right to stand in the holy place is that there are blessings in the Holy place.

Psalms 24:3-5 (NKJV) ³ Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? ⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. ⁵ He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Because we are standing in the holy place we receive blessing from the lord, and righteousness from God.

When the blessing of the Lord is upon your life, and you have the righteousness that comes from God, you by extension, receive other blessings as well.

1.      You receive the blessing of God’s presence. God will fellowship with you.

Psalms 24:7 (NKJV) ⁷ Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 

2.      You receive the blessing of God’s protection. God will fight for you.

Psalms 24:8 (NKJV)  Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle.

Psalms 24:9-10 (NKJV) Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. ¹⁰ Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.

LORD OF HOSTS, one of the names used for God; also called "Lord All-Powerful" and "Lord Sabaoth,"—New Century Version Dictionary

This title also means, Lord of the Armies. It implies that God will fight for us. When the Lord of Host is with you, He will cause you to succeed.

1 Chron 11:9 (KJV) So David waxed greater and greater: for the LORD of hosts was with him.

When the Lord of host is with you, you are going up. When the Lord of Hosts is with you, prosperity is yours.

Exodus 12:13 (NIV) 
  The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

Exodus 12:23 (NIV) 
  When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

Isaiah 54:17 (KJV) 
¹⁷  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.