Is Donating Blood A Sin?

Last updated on: September 1, 2015 at 7:43 pm by Jack Wellman

Is Donating Blood A Sin? 2015-09-01T19:43:15-05:00 Jack Wellman

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Is donating blood sin as some people believe? If not, how can we determine from Scripture whether it is permissible to donate blood?

The Life’s in the Blood

A few hundred years ago they used to perform “blood-letting” for people who were sickened with undiagnosed illnesses or disease. Unfortunately, many died from this process. Little did they know that “the life of the body is in its blood” (Lev 17:11). James said to the Gentiles who were not Christians “that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain. . . from things strangled, and from blood” (Acts 15:19-20). In fact, one of the laws was “you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” (Gen 9:4). For one thing, blood carries all sorts of pathogens in it and can cause sickness and disease and might even lead to death, therefore God forbid eating anything with blood in it and certainly drinking (same as eating) blood is forbidden as it is written “None of you may eat blood, nor may any foreigner residing among you eat blood” (Lev 17:12) but what about donating your own blood? Does the Bible address this question? If not, how can we determine from Scripture whether it is permissible to donate blood or not?

A Greater Love

Jesus once said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) and that could mean the shedding of blood in the process of saving someone’s life. Many veterans have done just this; some paying with their lives. Jesus laid down His life; no one took it from Him. Jesus is “the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). The fact is “Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:7-8). If you want to know what real love is, here it is: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1st John 3:16) because “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8). There is no greater love than that.

Saved by the Blood

Jesus had to shed His own blood to save lives…but this life was eternal because “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph 1:7). Paul wrote to the church at Rome that “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him” (Rom 5:9) for it is by “Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13) and it was “through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1:20). The blood of animals could only cover sins (Heb 10:4) but Jesus’ blood takes them away permanently as the author of Hebrews writes, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God” (Heb 9:14). This was only possible because of Jesus’ spotless, sinless life (1st Pet 1:19).

Saving Lives

There is nothing in principle or in Scripture that forbids a person from donating blood. On the contrary, we are commanded to “not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it” (Prov 3:27). I am not saying that you sin if you don’t donate blood but listen to the concept of James statement that “whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17). Some people of course cannot donate blood for various reasons but for those who can, there is concrete evidence that donating blood saves lives. One of the greatest uses of donated blood is for children who are going through cancer treatments because without a blood transfusion, many of these children would die, therefore, since saving lives is important to the Author of Life (God), donating blood is most certainly not sin.

Conclusion

The facts are that donating blood can lower the bad cholesterol levels (LDL) while elevating the good cholesterol (HDL). Donating blood also lowers the number of blood platelets and clots that can cause congestive heart failure. It also purifies the blood, stimulates the production of red (iron rich) blood cells, lowers the risk for heart attacks, heart disease and strokes and now we have evidence that it may reduce the occurrence of Dementia and Alzheimer’s. Is donating blood a sin? Of course not! There’s power in the blood (of Christ) but there’s life in your blood too and donated blood saves lives.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

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