How Strong is our Faith on this Issue of the Blood?
What is it we need more than anything else, if we are told by a member of the Medical Profession that we will die if we do not accept a Blood Transfusion? I myself have heard those word spoken, so I know how scary a life threatening situation like that is, and of course that would frighten anyone half to death. Should that, though, not be when our true Faith comes shining through? Let me show you an example of real faith in action:
21"She said to herself, "
If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment." {Matthew 9:21,22 NIV}
20 He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." {Matthew 17:20 NIV}
Was it to be true, that we had the Faith, even a small amount the size of a mustard seed; should our refusal to take Blood in any form, be any great problem? If nothing would be impossible for us, because our Faith was that strong; our life would not be at risk at all; but even if it was, is not our Faith in Jehovah still of paramount importance? Afterall isn't our Faith strong enough that we realize that even if we do die maintaining our faithfulness to Jehovah; that he, being the lifegiver, can resurrect us back to life; when the resurrection of the dead begins? Look at it this way! "In Adam all are dying." That is our eventuality; there's no escaping it. So! Realising that, why should we be afraid of dying from want of a Blood Transfusion? My reasoning is; I'm going to die anyway at some point in time; so if I die because I refused a Blood Transfusion, at least I will die Faithful to my God Jehovah.
look at the issue that was involved, with the Blood of Animals in the days of the Israelite Nation:
11 "For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life." {Leviticus 17:11 NIV}
We know that Jehovah is the life-giver; the very Fountain of Life of all of the varied life forms on this earth; naturally, including, and foremost, the entire Human Race. Among the Human Race there are, I believe, 30 Blood Group Systems; including ABO and RH Systems. There are eight different common Blood Types. We have Group A- B - AB - and Group O. So we are all the same equally, but, yet different; in that each of us, is of a different Blood Type. So naturally if a Blood Transfusion is permitted, the Transfused Blood must be an exact match, equal to our own Blood Type. Even if it is an exact match, there are still dangers, that can be life threatening; other than the deseases inherent in Blood. They know the Aids Virus can be in the Blood, but go untected; for at least a period of five years, give or take, but the danger is there none-the-less. There is an even greater danger than all of that though; and the Genesis account will show us just what that is in the following:
3"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. 4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the Blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 5 And surely your Blood of your Lives will I require; at the hand of every Beast will I require it, and at the hand of Man; at the hand of every Man's Brother will I require the Life of man. 6 Who so sheddeth man's Blood, by man shall his Blood be shed: for in the Image of God made he Man." {Genesis 9:3-6 KJV}
This tells us that the giver of Life requires it back. He gives us Life, it is his to take back, intact. What he gave us he desires back exactly what he gave, with no alterations {Psalm 36:9
Now! When you submit to a Blood Transfusion you know as far the Blood grouping, you are getting an exact match; whether it be, group A- B - AB - O - or of the RH Blood group system. What you don't know, though, from which Race of Mankind this Blood Group is derived from; whether, it be, the Black Race, Chinese-Japanese, Irish, Scottish; you get the point, I'm sure. Now Jehovah has told us, the Blood of YOUR LIVES I WILL ASK BACK!
Now during a Blood Transfusion you do not know, how many different individuals were involved in those Transfusions, do you? Did you get the Life-Force, of say three separate Races of Mankind? The probabability of that ocurring is very high, because during some operations you may require more than one Blood Transfusion. What you are doing is playing Russian - Roulette with all the Cylinders loaded, along with violating the Law of Jehovah God. All the attending Surgeon is interested in, is your Blood Type; he's not thinking about what Race the Blood type came from. Who knows from where it came? It's the Life in the Blood is his main concern and he doesn't necessarly care from what Race of Mankind it came from. His interest is a perfect match of the same Blood grouping. He knows, as Jehovah has told us, that the Life is in the Blood. How many times when the Red Cross petitions for Blood, do you read the words, "Give the Gift of Life?"
Now! Would you want to play God and follow that advice? Because you would be doing exactly that by giving your Blood to do as they direct: "Give the gift of life!" The gift of Life is not ours to give; it belongs solely to Jehovah God the giver of Life. "With you is the source of Life," said the {Psalmist. 36:9}
So even the Blood of Animals was sacred to Jehovah, because when offered in Sacrifice it made antonement for ones life.
Of course the Christ being the end of the Law, the Sacrifices changed, from Animal to Human, when the old Law was changed. {Hebrews 7:12} {Romans 10:4}
If Animal Blood was that sacred to Jehovah, and any Israelite died without mercy for a rejection of the old Law, how much more sacred was the Blood of his own dear Son? Notice the words of the Apostle Peter on this precious Blood:
18"For you know that it was not with perishable things such as Silver or Gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers,19 but with the Precious Blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." {1 Peter 1:18,19 NIV} Paul will add to this:
11"When Christ came as High Priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not Man-made, that is to say, not a part of this Creation.12 He did not enter by means of the Blood of Goats and Calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own Blood, having obtained Eternal Redemption." {Hebrews 9:11,12 NIV}
How do we know Jehovah views any violation of his Laws on Blood today equally as serious, as he did a rejection of the Law of Moses? Note the words of Paul now:
28"Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the Blood of the Covenant that Sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of Grace?" {Hebrews 10:28,29 NIV} So allowing a Blood Tranfusion of Human Blood, would be tantamount to committing the sin against the Holy Spirit for which there is no foregiveness forever. {Hebrews 6:4-6}
Examine closely this bone of contention at Acts 15:28,29 and we will determine why this matter is so serious:
28"For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:that you abstain from what has been Sacrificed to Idols, and from Blood, and from what has been Strangled, and from Sexual Immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell." {Acts 15:28,29 ESV} Four points to consider not doing! Violate even one of them, you might just as well violate all four. Because merely violating only one of them, will constitute the sin against the Holy Spirit. Why do I say that? Re-read that scripture one more time. You will learn the Holy Spirit is involved with this decision. Accept a Blood Transfusion by going against a decision made by the Holy Spirit; you're a dead Man. Pure and simple.
Some, may well be, faced with a serious Medical Procedure, at some point in time; and they may allow the attending Surgeon to administer a Blood Transfusion, or Transfusions; and they may come through this Medical procedure with flying colors; leaving the Hospital the picture of Health. Remember this though, you will be, in spite of your good health now, a walking dead Man; because you will have committed the sin against the Holy Spirit. You will have traded a life that was dying anyway at some point in time, for Eternal life under the Kingdom of God. That's really not that much of a trade-off, now is it? Your free choice though! Jehovah gives you that as he did the entire Israelite Nation. Notice Jehovah's words to them:
19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee Life and Death, the Blessing and the Curse: therefore choose Life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed; 20 to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy Life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." {Deuteronomy 30:19,20 ASV}
He told them to choose life, in order to live, but they had to obey his voice, because he was their life, as he is ours today; for he never changes; if we wish to continue living under the Kingdom of God when this earth will be a beautiful Paradise like Park; we must obey all of his commands. He commanded; "Abstain from Blood." Follow that Command you live, violate it, you die; but your free choice to follow your own hearts desire. {Malachi 3:6}
Recall what satan the devil said to Jehovah, in a very insolent, arrogant, hateful way in the case of Jehovah's Servant Job:
2"The Jehovah said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered Jehovah and said, "From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it." 3Then Jehovah said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright Man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause." 4Satan answered Jehovah and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5"However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face." 6 So Jehovah said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life." 7Then Satan went out from the presence of Jehovah and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!"10 But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish Women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips."Job 2:2-10 NASB} The account tells us: "Until I expire I shall not take away my integrity." {Job 27:5}
We today have the same enemy that Job had, and he may just be allowed to test us as he tested Job. We have our choices. We can, like Job, prove satan the liar that he is, by holding fast our integrity under the most extreme of circumstances; exactly like Job experienced; or in the matter of a violation of Jehovah's Law on Blood, accept a Blood Transfusion with the idea of saving our own lives out of fear of dying; an action such as that proves satan was correct in their case; "Skin for Skin! Yes! All that a Man has he will give for his Life." "Touch his Bone and his Flesh; and he will curse you to your Face." That is the issue we are all faced with today, as Christian's. Who are we going to allow to win out, satan, or Jehovah? Job opted out for Jehovah; and so can we, but we have freedom of choice. {Hebrews 2:14-18} It comes down to: "How strong is our Faith, on this issue on the Blood?" All that Woman had to do was merely touch the cloak of Jesus and she was healed. Do we have a Faith as Strong as that Woman had?
We are all now in that position we can all deliver satan the devil, a desperately needed, solid, well-deserved kick in the Slat's; excuse the expression, but you know what I mean. Wannabe