Hebrews 9:12

Neither by the blood of goats or calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Golf course dress codes are slowly becoming a thing of the past in an attempt to seem more welcoming and less formal. Collared shirts and “above the knee” shorts are being replaced by tee shirts and cargo shorts. Society in general is following this path of casualty. Walmart is full of pajama bottoms – not just for sale, but donned by shoppers. Many pastors are replacing suits with tight fitting jeans and form fitting designer tee shirts. Thankfully, we aren’t talking the appropriateness of a person’s outward dress this morning. Much more importantly, we are speaking about whether you are wearing the blood of the lamb. During the Passover in the Old Testament, it was instructed that the death angel would “pass over” a household if the blood of the sacrifice was placed on the side posts of the house. Yesterday, we spoke of crucifixion of Jesus. He was without guilt, but was still put to death. How ironic the group who hated His teachings were the same ones who actually fulfilled His prophesy securing our path of salvation?! But for the shed blood of Jesus Christ, humanity would have had no possibility for the remission of sin. Christ was the perfect sacrifice and initiated the new ever-lasting covenant. At the time of judgment, those without the blood applied will be cast into Hell. I wish there was a more eloquent way to describe the consequences, but a more accommodating description waters down the importance of the blood. It will be of no significance if he/she worked in the church, wore a suit every Easter service, or simply checked a “I said a prayer” box during a church service. The blood is only applied when a person asks for true forgiveness of sin, turns from the sin and puts faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their life. When we were children, we would wear dirty or wrinkled clothes from time to time because of football in the mud or any other outdoor activity. It was impossible to be outside and not bring part of it inside our Mom’s immaculate house. She would meet us at the door and inform us we aren’t “tracking” that mess through her clean house. God is the same way with His house. No sin or stain will ever enter into the heavenly kingdom. However, if the blood is applied to our garments, God will not see one wrinkle or dirt stain. In the next verse, the writer explained the power of the blood further, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Dress codes are merely “dead works.” A man could be clothed in filthy rags, but spotless in the eyes of our Savior because of the applicable of the blood. Conversely, a man with the fanciest tailored suit will be deemed unclean if his heart has not accepted Christ and having no evidence of the blood. Are you living solely by the country club dress code? There is no spiritual change or eternal consequence in living by the prescribed appropriateness of outward apparel. More importantly, there is no eternal hope unless the blood has been applied. Let us not diminish the importance of His shed blood. It is a dress code good enough to live by – – and die by!