"Word to Life" is a weekly audio/video devotional blog from 5 Talents Audio. It features dramatized Scripture audio and video from the Revised Geneva Translation (RGT), the 1599 Geneva Audio Bible, the popular “Sacred Sleep” Christian audio sleep aid series or Christian homeschool audio resources like “Witness the Bible”, “Sonic Mnemonics” and “Memo Devo”.

The other day, my son was practicing a new sleight-of-hand trick that he learned where he pulls off the tip of his thumb. I know, that’s kind of an old one but, hey, not if you’re a 9-year-old. And believe me, his 7-year-old sister was quite enthralled. And then at the end, he says, “And no blood required!”

And I got to thinking about how my witness can get watered down to a “no blood required'“ Gospel. It’s a lot easier for me as a Christian to only talk about what Jesus can DO for me, rather than what He has DONE for me. In other words, I can get fooled into thinking that my witness is of value only if it has a physical “return on investment” for people, like a miracle. And that the whole “forgiveness of sins” part of the Gospel is just not as attractive.

But then I remember passages like Mark 2:1-11 and I’m reminded that that’s exactly the message that Jesus Himself preferred. He desires a love relationship with me, not some kind of transactional agreement based on performance. Over and over again in the Gospels, He downplays His visible power over nature, instead preferring to concentrate on His invisible power to forgive my sins.

And this requires what? Blood.

Not just from Jesus, but possibly from me as well.

Am I ready?