Acts; Vampires!? ... or No More Drinking Blood

Sept. 13

Read: Acts 15

Acts;

Vampires!? or No More Drinking Blood

“Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.” - James (Acts 15:19,20)

Life in Christ is a totally new way of life… a “new covenant” between us a God. It is not some sort of “add on” to what we are already doing. Life in Christ is not simply a “topping” or “feature” we include in the midst of all the other things in our lives. Life is Christ is a transformation… it is the passing away of our old selves and the birth of a completely new way of living in relationship with the Lord representing him in this world.

As the transformative power of the gospel was first going out from Jerusalem and expanding to  all the nations, the early Church had to wrestle with this truth. Because the first followers of Christ were predominantly Jewish, they had to navigate what role their “old lives” played in this “new covenant” of grace in Christ. In short, there were those who wanted to put the “yoke” of Judaism onto those new followers of Christ who were coming from the Gentiles. (cf. Gal. 5:1)  They wanted followers of Christ to be required to follower their “old way of life” as well… in other words their “old covenant” laws of Judaism. This caused quite a disagreement - but in the end they realized that life in Christ means “Christ plus nothing”. This burden or “yoke” of the law must not be put into these new followers of Jesus. Nevertheless, what the Jerusalem Council does realize is that these new converts must turn from their old lives as well… just as their Jewish brothers and sisters had. This is why they wrote to them the prohibitions that they did… these “four rules” that came in a letter to the new Gentile believers.

Think about it for a moment: these prohibitions were given because they were the common practices of these people. Did you notice the last one in the list!? “No more drinking blood”. It is shocking to consider, but it was a common practice to consume blood throughout human history. It is squarely a part of MANY pagan religions and demonic deceptions that humans have been deceived into believing. The same is true about “sexual immorality” and strangling things to death. Part of the reason they were strangled is precisely because that was how you kept the blood. I think this is were we get the folklore ideas that we have about Vampires! Humans drinking blood ritualistically in an effort to gain power or favor from something they believe is more powerful than them… something supernatural… from a god. This was the life of  these gentiles before they came to Christ. They brothers and sisters in Christ needed to know that their old ways were behind them… that they could not keep participating in these activities and follow Christ. These activities were widespread enough that the Apostles thought it was good to point this out and coach them with this truth: you cannot go on worshipping what you worshipped before and just add Jesus to the mix! Your old ways of worship (idols, temple prostitutes, pagan rituals, strangling animals and drinking their blood… or human blood for that matter(!) is unacceptable. You are a new creation in Christ and your old ways are behind you.

Likewise, this was an important part of creating unity between those believers in Jerusalem and the believers in the Gentile nations around them. (cf. Eph. 2:14) Welcoming fellowship with the Gentiles was one way where these Jewish followers of Jesus would need to leave behind THEIR old ways as well (rejecting Gentiles) and enter into new covenant life in Christ. By abstaining from these activities (idol worship, sexual immorality, strangling, blood rites) the Gentile believers were not only leaving behind their old forms of worship, but they were also setting up an environment that would aid in bringing unity to this new community. How so? These prohibitions were also a part of the Jewish law and by abstaining from them not only were they leaving their old lives behind, but they were making it easier for their Jewish brothers to do the same!

We ALL need to be reminded of our new life in Christ! What a blessing that life in Jesus is not marked by a heavy yoke of slavery or rules, but rather FREEDOM in Christ. As Christ transforms us and makes us new… our old life… old self… old patterns of worship and thinking go away. Jesus never comes to us asking to be added in alongside our other “gods” or “idols” but rather to come and replace them ALL. Our previous “pagan” modes of “worship” have no place in Christ. But there is one more interesting note to make: Every cosmic spiritual thing that wars against God Most High does so with a perversion of truth… a counterfeit of sorts. The enemy always deceives with something that has some truth in it… or something that looks enough like the truth that people take the bait. The Devil is seeking an inverted empire … one where light is called dark and darkness is called light… where evil is seen as good and good is seen as evil. These “blood rites” are no different! The pagan gods called for humanity to sacrifice other humans and animals to them and to drink that blood. These pagan gods were “fed” by these blood rituals and the people who drank the blood thought they were receiving power and favor in some way. In short - an imposter “god” seeking the death of a human so that human blood (earthly blood) would bring the “god” life and favor. Jesus does the total OPPOSITE. The truth of Jesus and his sacrifice is the story of the TRUE GOD - God Most High - coming in the flesh and giving HIS life so that WE (humans) receive LIFE when we partake of his body and blood (The Lord’s supper / Communion / Eucharist). Look at Jesus words:

“So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:53,54)

Pagan gods want death and destruction for humanity while JESUS brings life and restoration! The old ways we leave behind are ways of death and destruction … while life IN CHRIST is fullness of life, unity, and becoming a new creation! Amen to that. Love you guys! - JDP