Like most Americans taxes have been on my mind.  April 15 is almost here. I sold some stock shares in 2008 and had to establish the “basis” for those shares.  The basis is the original worth or purchase price of those shares.  The problem was that I couldn’t find the record of that purchase.  So I had to do some research to dig out that important information. Otherwise I couldn’t show if I made a profit or a loss.

This got me to thinking about “the basis” for our salvation and our faith.  Some of us may need to dig in here and get reestablished in these truths! Here are several verses that help establish the basis for our salvation:

Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with the precious blood,  as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. (1 Cor 15:17)

To truly enjoy the benefits of salvation it is important that we have accurately understood the basis!  Do you value the blood of Christ appropriately?   When you look at Christ’s blood do you see what the Father sees?  How does the Father value the blood?  If you still struggle with feelings of guilt and shame over past sins, then you obviously have not esteemed the blood of Christ sufficiently.  If you have problems receiving God’s forgiveness or in forgiving yourself, then you need to revisit the truth of how God values Christ’s blood.
The Bible says that we can boldly draw near to God through the blood.  The blood is the payment to God’s holy wrath that fully removes all of our guilt.  In the Exodus, concerning the blood of the Passover lamb that was to be applied to the door posts of the Israelites’ dwellings, God said, “When I see the blood I will pass over you.”  Note that the blood was applied God could see it!  And He said that when He saw the blood He would not judge that household. 

Have you considered that the Father required the blood of His own Son for your salvation?  And Jesus offered His blood freely for us all.  When the Father saw the bleeding, dying Lamb of God at Calvary – His anger against sin was fully extinguished for all those who will draw near to Him ON THAT BASIS.  There is no other basis for confidently drawing near to God.  And if you are not feeling confident in your ability to draw near to God’s presence it is because you are not approaching Him on the right basis.

A skeptic might ask, “Why do you think the blood of the man Jesus was any more valuable than your blood or my blood?”  This is a fair question and the answer is profound.  The way we know that Jesus’ blood is special is that God bore witness to its value by raising Jesus from the dead.  If Christ was not raised, then His blood was common and sin-tainted.  But Christ is raised from the dead!  This is the basis for living boldly and freely before God.