How Christ’s Blood Washes Us From Our Sins
By Ron Boatwright

     God’s word says concerning Christ, "Unto Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5).  Jesus shed His blood in His death on the cross (John 19:32-34).  How do we get into the death of Christ so we can contact the blood of Christ to have our sins washed away?  "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death" (Romans 6:3-4).  When we are baptized into Christ, we are also baptized into His death.  It is when we are buried with Christ in baptism into His death, that we contact His blood, which washes away our sins.  It is because of this that Saul of Tarsus was told by Ananias, "And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins" (Acts 22:16).  According to the Bible, our sins are washed away, when we are baptized.

     In instituting the Lord’s Supper on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus said, "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28).  Since Jesus shed His blood for the remission of sins, how do we obtain remission of sins?  When the people asked Peter, "What shall we do?  Then Peter said unto them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:37-38).  When we repent and are baptized the shed blood of Christ remits our sins.

     Don’t let Satan tell you that baptism is not necessary for the forgiveness of sins and for salvation.  Jesus says, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16).  One may as well say that one can be saved without the shed blood of Christ as to say that one can be saved without being baptized into Christ’s death, because it is only in being baptized into Christ’s death that one reaches Christ’s blood and can be saved.

     If one "accepted Jesus as his personal Saviour" and said the "sinner’s prayer" so he could be saved and his sins forgiven, but was later baptized to join a denomination, then in his baptism his sins were not forgiven and he was not saved.  He is still lost and still has all of his sins since he believed a lie of Satan.