Many things!
The blood of Jesus Christ is so vital to our salvation that there is no way that you and I could be saved apart from the shedding of Jesus’ blood. Any church or any doctrine that minimizes the blood of Jesus Christ, literally shed on the cross of Calvary, and substitutes it with his mere death or with wine is heretical.
The blood of Jesus:
Remitted sins – (Mat 26:28) For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. To remit sins is to remove them. Like John the Baptist said, “Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” He took them away when he shed his blood for them.
Purchased the church – (Acts 20:28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Did you notice that the blood Jesus shed to purchase the church was God’s blood? Indeed he was God manifest in the flesh! And since he purchased us (1 Cor 6:19-20) then we are to do those things that glorify him.
Propitiates – (Rom 3:25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To propitiate means to appease. Each one of us, before we were saved, was under the wrath of God (Jn 3:36). When we put our faith in the shed blood of Jesus, the wrath of God was appeased and we were saved from his wrath (Rom 5:9).
Justifies – (Rom 5:9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. To be justified by Jesus’ blood means essentially that we have already been tried for our sins and found not guilty since he bore them in his own body on the tree and paid for them totally (2 Pet 2:24).
Redeems – (Eph 1:7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. As sinners, we were children of the devil (1 Jn 3:10). By shedding his blood, Jesus bought us back from the devil and made us God’s children (Jn 1:12).
Makes nigh – (Eph 2:13) But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Before we were saved, we were separated from the covenant of promise that God had made withIsrael and we had no hope in the world and we were without God. When we were saved, the blood of Christ brought us into the covenant of promise and drew us near to the God whom we were without, giving us hope for the first time in our lives (Rom 8:24).
Makes peace – (Col 1:20) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. We were without peace as wicked sinners (Is 48:22). But after Jesus shed his blood and we were saved, we were at peace with God, having been reconciled to him by Jesus Christ (Rom 5:1; 2 Cor 5:18).
Purges – (Heb 9:14) 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? Our consciences before we were saved were evil (Heb 10:22), having been defiled (Tit 1:15) and seared by sin (1 Tim 4:2). But after each of us received Jesus, we could plead the blood and God would apply it to our conscience to purge it from those old sins and clean it up, thereby giving us a good conscience (1 Pet 3:16). Now, anytime you are troubled by those old sinful works, just plead the blood and ask God to purge your conscience to keep it clean so that you may serve him.
Sanctifies – (Heb 13:12) Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. To sanctify means to clean a person up and to set him apart that he may be used by God. That happens to you because of the blood of Jesus. How else could a former murderer of Christians been used by God to write much of the New Testament and start churches all through Asia Minor, leading men and women to Jesus through his preaching.
Cleanses – (1 John 1:7) 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. Each time you sin, your body and your spirit are made filthy [your soul is not affected because of the forgiveness of Jesus and the new birth by the Spirit]. Therefore, you have to have a way to cleanse your flesh and your spirit from this filthiness (2 Cor 7:1). The blood of Jesus Christ is what God has given us to take care of that very problem.
Washes – (Rev 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. God promised in Is 1:18 that “though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow.” The thing that makes them white, that washes them, is the blood of Jesus.
So, you can see from these scriptures that the blood of Jesus Christ is indispensable. Without it we could not be saved and we could not enjoy the benefits of salvation this side of glory.
Hope this helps,
Pastor Bevans Welder