|
We like to fit God into our own little box, picking and choosing
the scriptures we want to focus on, and often we make our own
interpretation of our chosen verses, without even knowing it.
But according to 2Pe
1:20, no scripture is open to private interpretation!
And a thorough
examination of a doctrine in the scriptures often reveals
something against our human viewpoint.
Isa 55:8-9
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
NASU
OUR thoughts are that
we must follow all of God’s commands if we want to go to
heaven.
OUR thoughts are that
we must remain righteous, or God’s fury will take away our
salvation and send us to hell for eternity.
OUR thoughts are that
we must do the works of the Lord, and if we do not, then maybe
we really aren’t saved. Maybe we really aren’t a believer in
the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are secure BEYOND
what WE thought was possible.
We are safe and
secure because of HIS thoughts, the thinking of a God who
bothered to sacrifice His own Son on the altar called the Cross,
so that whoever believes in Him shall never perish, but have
eternal life.
The Doctrine
of Redemption
Definition of
Redemption: The saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross
whereby all of humanity has been purchased out from the slave
market of sin in which they were born spiritually dead and
delivered to the freedom of grace.
Redemption
is already accomplished by God, but must be accepted by each man
through a non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ
for salvation.
The Slave Market of Sin
You are
either a slave of sin or a slave of Christ Jesus!
The Bible teaches that
the whole human race is in the slave market of sin (Gal. 3:13)!
Gal 3:13
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become
a curse for us — for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO
HANGS ON A TREE"
NASU
Now the New Testament
was originally written by God the Holy Spirit in the Greek
language.
We must go back to the
original language God chose, because it is a very specific
language and it reveals a great deal of Truth and shows us what
the Bible really means.
In fact the Greek
language is so specific that there are 7 Greek words for every
English word! So you can say things in much greater description
with the Greek language!
In fact there are 3
methods of Bible study that are necessary, but many pastors
don’t understand them:
(1) Isagogics, which is the
interpretation of the Bible within the framework of its
historical setting.
(2) Categorical communication of
doctrine, which fulfills the hermeneutical principle of
comparing scripture to scripture to determine the
classification of doctrine.
(3) Exegetical
communication of doctrine, which is the analysis of each
verse in its context to determine the exact meaning of that
verse in its relationship to the context as a whole, analyzing
grammar, syntax, and etymology in the original languages of
Scripture. (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)
“Redeemed”
is the verb exagorazo (exagorazw),
“to buy out from the slave market, to purchase slaves from a
slave market for the purpose of setting them free, to release by
paying a ransom.”
Exagorazo
is a compound verb and is from the preposition ek (ek),
“out from,” and the verb agorazo, “to buy from the
marketplace.”
Agorazo (agorazw)
is from the Greek word agora (agora)
meaning “marketplace.”
Slaves in the ancient
world were sold in the agora.
So the apostle Paul
was making a strong analogy. He was using the slave markets of
the Roman culture to explain to us how we are slaves to sin, and
the only way to freedom was for someone to purchase us, and set
us free.
The Word
of God teaches that the whole human race is enslaved to sin!
Everyone who
commits sin is a slave to sin and resides in the slave market of
sin (Jn 8:34)!
And a slave cannot
live in the house forever unless he is a son.
We cannot live in
the Father’s household forever if we are slaves to sin (Jn
8:35).
Only the
Lord Jesus Christ who is the Son of God can set us free from our
slavery to sin (Jn 8:36).
Jn 8:34-36
34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone
who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 " The slave does not
remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36
"So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
NASU
Notice it is the Son who makes you
free! It is not you who makes yourself free.
You don’t become free because you stop
sinning for a while.
He made you free, and that is the only
way we could be totally free.
We are slaves without any money to set ourselves free. Our
currency doesn’t work in heaven.
We needed heavenly currency that is
acceptable by God; and that was the perfect Lamb of God, who
takes away the sins of the world. Jn 1:29
Man’s
problem with sin began in the garden when Adam and the Woman
disobeyed the command of God to not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17)!
Gen
2:16-17
16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree
of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day
that you eat from it you will surely die." NASU
And notice
that when they ate of the tree, they did not die physically,
they died spiritually.
They were
separated from God in their relationship with Him. They
immediately became spiritually dead.
(And so
Christ’s death for us on the cross was a spiritual death, so
anyone who believes in Him would no longer be separated from
God.)
Adam and
the Woman’s negative volition to the command of God were
responsible for sin entering into the world. It was not their
sin of immorality as many believers get preoccupied with today
(Rom 5:12a)!
People get their
eyes on the overt sins, on what they can see. When the Bible
teaches that sin is sin to God, and if any sins are “worse” it
is actually the sins of the mind and the tongue!! Rom 14:23
Pro 6:16-19
Again, our ways are
not His ways! His thoughts are much higher than our
thoughts!!
Rom 14:13-23
13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather
determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in
a brother's way. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus
that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks
anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 For if because
of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking
according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom
Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good
thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not
eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the
Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is
acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then we pursue the
things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All
things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats
and gives offense. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink
wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The
faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is
not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
Pro 6:16-19
6 There are six things which the LORD hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.
NASU
So of the sins the
Lord hates, we have 3 mental attitude sins, 3 sins of the
tongue, and 1 immoral sin called murder.
Sound familiar?
Sounds like the Pharisees to me. Yet we walk around judging the
prostitute. How sad.
So again… Adam and
the Woman’s negative volition to the command of God is
responsible for sin entering into the world, not from any sin of
immorality (Rom 5:12a)!
Rom 5:12a
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the
world,
NASU
The first sin was
negative volition towards Bible doctrine! It was disobeying
the command of God that was the first sin of mankind.
The
imputation of Adam’s original sin in the garden is responsible
for the whole human race residing in the slave market of sin
(Rom 5:19a, 5:18a).
Imputation
means something is credited to your account.
Rom
5:18-19
18 So then as through one transgression there resulted
condemnation to all men, even so through one act of
righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.
19 For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made
sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will
be made righteous.
NASU
Imputation
means something is credited to your account.
Imagine a
bank account in heaven with your name on it. Well your bank
account had “sinner” on it and your account was in the
negative!
Not only
did you have no money in your heavenly account, but you owed the
bank money!
You had a
debt you COULD NOT PAY, no matter how good or moral you were!
The good
news is that when Christ redeemed us, He took away our imputed
sin, and instead imputed to us HIS PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Now our
heavenly account is in the positive with God, not because of
anything we did, but because of what Christ gave us; his perfect
righteousness. 2Cor 5:21
So if you
did nothing to earn salvation, why would you have to do
something to keep salvation? What do you have to offer that is
worthy or impressive to God, that will help you keep your
salvation?
The only
thing you have that impresses God is His Son living inside of
you.
2Cor
5:21
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
NASU
THE GREAT EXCHANGE.
He became
sin on our behalf by taking upon Himself the judgment for the
sins of the entire world.
We became
the righteousness of God in Him when TLJC gave us His perfect
righteousness, which is what qualifies us to go into heaven.
Remember, man did not
become a sinner through personal sin!
Man was born into
the world with 3 strikes already against him:
1. Adam’s original sin is imputed to
him at physical birth.
2. Man inherits a sin nature, which is
the source of personal sin.
3. Man
commits personal sins.
Adam’s
first personal sin was imputed or officially charged to the
entire human race.
We are sinners before
we ever committed an act of sin! We are born sinners!
God says that when
Adam sinned, we all sinned (Rom 5:12)!
Each member of the
human race received a sin nature, which is the source of
temptation to personal sin!
Sin takes place when
you give in to the temptation of the Old Sin Nature!
You were born a
sinner, you were born spiritually dead and separated from God!
But that was God’s
grace!!!
He knew if we were
born perfect and had to remain perfect to go to heaven, that
NONE of us could make it (Rom 3:10). He knew we would all
eventually fall as Adam did.
If not, he would have
put YOU in the garden!
So what did God do?
He came up with a plan where He would allow us to be born
sinners, not even by our own fault.
This means that God
had to provide us a way out! He had to give us a solution,
something we didn’t deserve. God’s integrity demanded He
provide us salvation.
We didn’t deserve
being born sinners, so God can also give us a solution we don’t
deserve. And again this is part of God’s grace, because He
knows if we were born perfect, we would all eventually sin and
be lost forever!
And by being born
sinners, now He can say anyone that just believes in My Son will
be saved, by His grace, Eph 2:8-9.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that
not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of
works, so that no one may boast.
NASU
So again, we are all
sinners by birth. So by God’s grace we can become righteous by
a second birth.
You must be born
again.
We are born physically
alive but spiritually dead. So we must be born spiritually as
well to live with God forever.
We didn’t do
anything do deserve being born in sin, and therefore we also do
not do anything to deserve the gift of salvation. Rom 3:21-24
Rom 3:21-24
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God
has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the
Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in
Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no
distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the
redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
NASU
Paul explains in Rom 3:19-22 why
a man cannot justify himself before God through the “works of
the Mosaic Law,” or his own “good works!”
Rom 3:19-20
19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those
who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all
the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works
of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through
the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
NASU
Man is not perfectly righteous as he needs
to be to live with God forever!
Man can never be as holy as God!
Man cannot hit the target of the
perfect righteousness of God because he is in a constant state
of sinning! (esp. worry, fear, doubts, envy, ….)
All of mankind “misses” the target of God’s
perfect righteousness because everyone commits acts of personal
sin!
And if you think you can come to a
point where you don’t sin anymore, well you had better confess
your sin of arrogance!
You might as well speak as Satan did
in Isa 14:14, where he said “I will make myself like the most
High”.
In fact, the Bible says you are a
liar if you claim not to have sin anymore. 1Jn 1-8-10. And if
you think you don’t sin anymore, look again at God’s top seven
sins in Pro 6:16-19, or at the extensive list in Gal 5:19-21.
1 Jn 1:8-10
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and
the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
NASU
Again Rom 3:23 says
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Another
translation would be that we all fall short of the essence of
God. His perfect character, nature and integrity.
“The glory of God” refers here to
God’s perfect divine essence with emphasis on His
righteousness.
God’s integrity is made up of His
righteousness and His justice!
Righteousness rejects sin!
Justice condemns sin!
What the righteousness of God
demands, the justice of God executes!
And God’s righteousness does not
approve of man’s relative righteousness or his human
works!
God’s righteousness does not approve
of sin!
Sin leaves all of humanity far short of the
righteousness of God!
We don’t measure up to the righteousness of
God!
We don’t measure up to His perfect
character and integrity!
BUT THE GOOD NEWS… Man’s problem with
sin is resolved through redemption (Col 1:13-14 Eph.
1:7)!
We have been redeemed! And once our
all-powerful God redeems us, it is finished in Jn 19:30.
We have been redeemed forever, as a grace
gift of God that can never be taken away.
Col 1:13-14
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and
transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we
have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
NASU
Notice the past tense! He
already rescued us, and already transferred us to His kingdom!
In the English it reads in the past tense,
because in the Greek both of these verbs are in the aorist
tense.
The aorist tense in the Greek
says the action of the verb took place at one moment in time.
This isn’t the present tense that says He
has to keep on doing something for us.
It’s in the aorist tense which says He
already did it.
And it isn’t in the
subjunctive mood either, which would say maybe God will rescue
us and maybe He won’t, or maybe He will transfer us and maybe He
won’t.
It’s in the indicative mood in the
Greek, which is a dogmatic statement of fact.
God HAS rescued us and
HAS transferred us. All the credit and glory goes to God. And
our eyes are opened to the Truth that GOD HAS REDEEMED HIS
PEOPLE.
Eph 1:7-8
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His
grace 8 which He lavished on us.
NASU
Many believers don’t know what grace really
means!
The Greek word for grace is “charis”,
and it means to be freely given something, to give something
without any strings attached, without any prices placed on the
gift!!!!
And the gifts of God cannot be taken back!
It would be against God’s own character and integrity!
Rom 11:29
29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
And that’s why grace is contrasted with
works!! They don’t relate! Grace is the exact opposite of
works!
Rom 11:6
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of
works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you
have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is
the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may
boast.
“gift” = doron;
a present; specially, a sacrifice:
Rom 6:23b
23b the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
“free gift” = charisma; a
(divine) gratuity, i.e. deliverance
it comes from another Greek word…
charizomai; to grant as a
favor, i.e. gratuitously, in kindness, pardon or rescue:
This all has to do with our redemption.
And again, this is not
how man naturally thinks, because man naturally thinks with his
old sin nature. Even believers do.
Without the constant teaching of
Bible doctrine, you will think human thoughts… that man has to
make a just payment or pay back God for his sins.
But God’s thoughts are… I will pay the
price for your sins.
His ways are so far beyond our ways!!!
And this reminds us that…
All of our personal sins have
been paid for at the Cross and are no longer an issue with God!
Ps 103:10, 12, Heb 8:12, 10:17
Ps 103:10
10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
NASU
Ps 103:12
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
NASU
Rev 1:5
15 To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His
blood
NASU
Isa 43:25
25 "I, even I, am he who blots out
your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more
NIV
Jer 31:34
34 "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will
remember no more."
NASU
Mic 7:19
19 Yes, You will cast all their sins
Into the depths of the sea.
NASU
Isa 44:21-24
21" Remember these things, O Jacob,
And Israel, for you are My servant;
I have formed you, you are My servant,
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by Me.
22 "I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud
And your sins like a heavy mist.
Return to Me, for I have redeemed you."
23 Shout for joy, O heavens, for the LORD has done it!
Shout joyfully, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into a shout of joy, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it;
For the LORD has redeemed Jacob
And in Israel He shows forth His glory.
24 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer
NASU
Ps 103:1-4
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
3 Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
4 Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness (grace) and compassion;
NASU
Heb 8:12
12 "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES,
AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE."
NASU
Heb 10:17-18
17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no
longer any offering for sin.
NASU
Our Lord died IN OUR PLACE! He
became our scapegoat! He got us off the hook! Halleluia!
Praise Him!
Lev 16:22
22 "The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a
solitary land; and he shall release the goat in the wilderness.
NASU
Heb 10:29
29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who
has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as
unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified,
and has insulted the Spirit of grace?
NASU
He paid the bill! He
paid the full price for our freedom with His blood. And all He
asks us to do is accept His gift.
I love
this next passage; for those of us stuck in human viewpoint, who
think we see but we do not.
For those of us stuck
in “our thoughts” and not “His thoughts”, and “our ways” not
“His ways”.
The Lord makes it
plain in John chapter 6 that He wants nothing from us but our
faith.
He makes it plain
that HE has done all the work for us. We cannot do anything to
appease a perfect God. The work has to be perfect to appease a
perfect God, and only His work was. Jn 6:28-30
Jn 6:28-30
28 Therefore they said to Him, "What shall we do, so that we
may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them,
"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has
sent."
NASU
When we exercise personal faith
in Jesus Christ who provided for our redemption, we receive the
righteousness of God needed to live with Him forever (Rom.
3:24)!
Rom 3:24
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the
redemption which is in Christ Jesus;
NASU
The Redeemer
The Lord
Jesus Christ is the one and only Redeemer of mankind and the
only sacrifice that God will accept (Matt 20:28 Mark 10:45
1 Tim 2:6
Isa
41:13-14).
God will
not accept your attempts to earn salvation! Your own good works
are filthy disgusting rags to Him!
Isa 64:6
6 For all
of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all
our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
NASU
Let’s go
back to the Hebrew; let’s see if God really meant that our
righteous deeds are dirty to Him. Maybe the Hebrew will tell us
that He accepts them and they are clean.
The Hebrew
phrase for “filthy garment” is `idiym
And this
comes from the root:
`ed (ayd);
from an unused root meaning to set a period; the menstrual flux
(as periodical); by implication (in plural) soiling:
You can look on the
internet and use a free software called
E-sword; if
you really want to know the Truth of the Word of God from the
original languages.
www.esword.net
So as a
friendly reminder: God will not accept your attempts to earn
salvation! Your own good works are filthy disgusting menstrual
rags to Him!
The Lord
Jesus Christ is the one and only Redeemer of mankind and the
only sacrifice that God will accept (Matt 20:28 Mark 10:45
1Tim 2:6 Isa 41:13-14)!
Isa
41:13-14
13 "For I
am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says
to you, ' Do not fear, I will help you.'
"Do not
fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will
help you," declares the LORD, " and your Redeemer is the Holy
One of Israel.
NASU
Matt 20:28
28 just
as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and
to give His life a ransom for many."
NASU
The Greek
word for “ransom”…
lutron
(loo'-tron); something to loose with, i.e. a redemption price
(figuratively, atonement):
1Tim 2:3-6
3 This is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men
to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For
there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus, 6 Who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the
testimony given at the proper time.
NASU
And the word for
“ransom” here is slightly different…
antilutron
(an-til'-oo-tron); a redemption price.
The Lord Jesus
Christ is the only one qualified to be mankind’s Redeemer due to
the fact that He is impeccable (1 Pe 1:19)!
1 Pe 1:18-19
18 knowing that
you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold
from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19
but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and
spotless, the blood of Christ
NASU
Impeccable means that He was perfect when
He went to the Cross!
He never committed any mental, verbal or
overt sins in His life!
He had no sin nature because He had no
human father!
He was totally free from sin!
* ONLY A FREE MAN CAN SET A SLAVE FREE *
If you, as a slave, could set yourself
free, why would you need a free man to purchase your freedom?
Why did Christ leave heaven and
become a man if it was not absolutely necessary?
If any one of us had to ability
to save ourselves with our own good works or sinlessness, then
the Lord would not have gone to such extremes as to suffer and
die a substitutionary spiritual death.
As the Bible says in Acts 20:28, God
purchased us with His own blood, and He would not have had to do
that if we could have earned our way to heaven.
Acts 20:28
28 "Be on guard for yourselves
and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with
His own blood.
Don’t insult the grace of God by
adding human works to God’s grace gift of salvation. Either it
is by grace, or it is not. And grace is NO LONGER GRACE if you
add works to it. Rom 6:23, 11:6 Eph 2:8-9
When you come face to face with the Lord,
do you want to be judged by your works? Or by His grace?
It’s your choice; make the choice now.
Rom 11:6
6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer
on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
NASU
Our Lord was truly free from sin,
blameless and upright, and therefore the only human being
qualified to purchase the whole human race out from the slave
market of sin. (Jn 8:36 Gal 4:4-7).
John 8:36
36 "So if the Son makes you free, you
will be free indeed
NASU
Gal 4:4-7
4 But when the fullness of the time came,
God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law
(qualified!), 5 so that He might redeem those who were under
the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 Because
you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our
hearts, crying, " Abba! Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer
a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.
This was all accomplished for us by the
Redeemer.
Jesus Christ came into the world
without imputed sin and a sin nature.
This was accomplished by means of the
Virgin Birth (Matt 1:23 1Tim. 3:16)!
Our Lord lived a perfect life without
personal sin because He had no sin nature and He always
exercised positive volition towards the Father’s will.
Our Lord was impeccable in His humanity
(Isa 53:9 John 8:46, 19:4 2Cor. 5:21
Heb. 4:15, 7:26-28).
This qualified Him to be the Redeemer for
all of humanity, which is trapped inside the slave market of
sin!
Man cannot
redeem himself but only the God-Man, Jesus Christ can. (Ps
49:7-8)!
Ps 49:7-8
7 No man can by any means redeem his
brother
Or give to God a ransom for him —
8 For the redemption of his soul is
costly,
And he should cease trying forever —
NASU
We cannot come up with the ransom
price! We don’t have it, and we can’t earn it. We should cease
trying to please God on our own.
Our Lord’s spiritual death was more than
sufficient to meet the cost to redeem our souls!
He purchased the souls of all mankind
through His spiritual death on the Cross!
We have been bought with a price
(1Cor 6:20, 7:23)! This is why we are told to glorify our Lord
in our bodies, so we don’t waste away the freedom He purchased
for us!
1Cor 6:20
20 For you have been bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body.
1Cor
7:22-23
22 You were bought with a price;
do not become slaves of men.
Works are the way we say Thank
You to God, for all He has already done for us.
Works are not the means of salvation,
they are the result of salvation. Eph 2:10
This is how we can bring tremendous glory
to our Lord, the One who has ALREADY DONE A PERFECT WORK FOR US
AND HAS FULLY PURCHASED SALVATION ON OUR BEHALF!
Only Divine Omnipotence can
redeem the souls of men (Ps 49:15, 77:15a)!
Ps 77:15
15 You have by Your power redeemed Your
people,
NASU
Ps 49:15
15 But God will redeem my soul from the
power of Sheol,
For He will receive me. Selah.
NASU
The Lord is the Redeemer of Israel (Ps 78:35 Isa. 43:14, 44:24, 49:7,
54:5, 60:16)!
He is the redeemer of the Church (1Cor 1:30 Gal 3:13 Eph 1:7, 14
Col. 1:14 Titus 2:14)!
1Cor 1:30-31
30 But by His doing you are in Christ
Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is
written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."
NASU
Isn’t it a relief that we have nothing to
boast about?
Isn’t it great that we can stop all the
posing and posturing, trying to make ourselves look spiritual in
front of others, or trying to impress God by our fake holiness?
You can let go, and admit you are
a disgusting sinner before God, and then embrace the freedom He
has given you!!!
He knows you are a sinner, and He still
accepts you. And now we can relax and just boast in the Lord
and all He has done for us.
Gal 3:13
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of
the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written,
"CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"
NASU
The curse of the Law was that mankind was
told to keep it! But he couldn’t! It was a curse because its
perfect standards were impossible for man!
But thank God that He became a man and took
on the Law head-on! He fulfilled it perfectly, but then still
took the judgment for our sins upon Himself.
He became a curse for us.
Eph 1:7-8
7 In Him we have redemption through His
blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the
riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us
NASU
Eph 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to
the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also
believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of
promise, 14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a
view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of
His glory.
NASU
When God seals something it cannot be
broken. Imagine God sealing a pickle jar; do you think any man
can open it?
The omnipotent (all-powerful) God
has sealed you forever as His child, and nothing and no one can
change that, not even yourself with your sins and failures. Rom
8:28-39, 1Pe 1:5
That’s why Romans 8 says what it says so
boldly in vs. 38-39.
Rom 8:38-39
38 For I am convinced that neither death,
nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present,
nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor
any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the
love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
NASU
1Pe 1:3-5
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused
us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is
imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in
heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through
faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
NASU
Col 1:13-14
13 For He rescued us from the domain
of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved
Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
NASU
Titus
2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly,
righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the
blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and
Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us
from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for
His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
NASU
The Lord Jesus Christ is mankind’s
Kinsman-Redeemer. (Lev 25:48-49 Ruth 3:12-13
Heb 2:14-15)
According to
the Old Testament, a Kinsman-Redeemer must be related to the one
who is being redeemed and must be able to afford the ransom
price and thus fulfill its righteous demands.
Our Lord fulfilled this in His incarnation
by becoming true humanity!
He satisfied the righteous demands of God
the Father.
As our Kinsman-Redeemer, our Lord had to
be like us. He had to be our “kinsman”; of blood relation.
This is why the 2nd Person of the
Trinity became a man (Jn 1:14 1Tim. 3:16 Heb 2:14
1John 1:1).
The doctrine of the Incarnation
states that God the Son entered into the human race and took
upon Himself flesh and blood by means of the Virgin Birth (Jn
1:14).
The Lord became our Kinsman-Redeemer and
His type was shown to us in the Old Testament.
Kinsman redemption was possible
for persons, estates, and inheritance (Lev 25:25, 48 Gal.
4:4-5 Eph 1:7, 11, 14).
Lev 25:25
25' If a fellow countryman of yours
becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his
nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative
has sold.
NASU
Gal 4:4-5
4 But when the fullness of the time came,
God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5
so that He might redeem those who were under the Law,
that we might receive the adoption as sons.
NASU
The Lord Jesus Christ is a type of
Kinsman-Redeemer in that He became like one of us - human!
He was like us in so many ways! Born of
a woman, born under the Law, 100% human with all the frailties
of the human body and human emotions.
And He was tempted in every way mankind
could be tempted. Heb 4:15
He became our brother, and
therefore qualified to be our Kinsman-Redeemer.
He was able to afford and pay the
ransom price, which was His substitutionary spiritual death,
His separation from God the Father for 3 hours on the cross.
And He was also willing to
pay the ransom price.
Christ as the Kinsman-Redeemer fulfills the
type of being willing to redeem.
The
Kinsman-Redeemer type states that the Redeemer:
a. Must be a kinsman or related
by blood (Lev 25:48-49 Ruth 3:12-13 Heb
2:14-15)
b. Must be able to pay the
redemption price (Ruth 4:4-6 Jer 50:34 Jn
10:11, 18)
c. Must be able to pay the
righteous demands (Lev. 25:27 Gal 3:13 1Pe
1:18-19)
d. Must be “willing” to
pay the redemption price (Jn 10:18)
Let’s review these and go to some
passages to see how this is foretold.
a. Must be a kinsman or related
by blood (Lev 25:48-49 Ruth 3:12-13
Heb 2:14-15)
Ruth 3:12-13
When Boaz was talking to his
maid-servant Ruth, he was describing how she could be redeemed.
Ruth 3:12-13
12 "Now it is true I am a close
relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13
"Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem
you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem
you, then I will redeem you
NASU
And so the Lord became our close
relative so He could redeem us! Otherwise we would have been
doomed forever!
Heb 2:14-15
14 Therefore, since the children
share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of
the same, that through death He might render powerless him who
had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free
those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all
their lives.
NASU
So again, a Kinsman-Redeemer must be
related by blood.
b. Must be able to pay the
redemption price (Ruth 4:4-6 Jer 50:34 Jn
10:11,18)
Ruth 4:3-6
3 Then he said to the closest
relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has
to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother
Elimelech. 4 "So I thought to inform you, saying, ' Buy it
before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my
people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me
that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I
am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it." 5 Then Boaz
said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you
must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased,
in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his
inheritance." 6 The closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it
for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance.
Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for
I cannot redeem it."
NASU
Again, the Kinsman-Redeemer must be
able, or qualified, to pay the redemption price!
And our Lord is able and He is
qualified!
Jer 50:34
34 "Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD
of hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their case
NASU
John
10:11
11 " I am the good
shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the
sheep
NASU
c. Must be able to pay the
righteous demands (Lev. 25:27 Gal. 3:13 1Pe
1:18-19)
Gal 3:13
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse
of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written,
"CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"
NASU
1 Pe 1:18-19
18 knowing that you were not
redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your
futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with
precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood
of Christ
d. Must be
“willing” to pay the redemption price (Jn 10:18
Phil 2:5-8)
Jn 10:18
18 " No one has taken it away from Me,
but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay
it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This
commandment I received from My Father."
Phil 2:5-8
5 Have this attitude in yourselves
which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in
the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be
grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a
bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being
found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
NASU
He was more than willing to pay the
price for us, even though He had it all in heaven.
You see, God’s ways are much higher
than our ways. His thoughts are much higher than our thoughts.
Isa 55:8-9
Our greatest imagination could
not have invented what God has actually done for us.
He has stooped to such lows, lows that
none of us would have ever stooped to for someone else.
He redeemed a totally unworthy and
ungrateful creature: mankind.
He stepped out of eternity and into
time; not to glorify Himself, but to be mocked and ridiculed and
beaten.
He is crazy in love with us, with a
love that none of us will truly understand until we arrive in
heaven.
Unlimited
Atonement - The judgment of Christ on the cross for the sins
of the entire human race!
Webster’s New
Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the noun
atonement as the “satisfaction or reparation for a wrong
or injury; amends.”
The verb atone
means “to make amends or reparation as for an offense or a
crime, or for an offender, to make up for errors or
deficiencies, to become reconciled; agree.”
The Atonement is
unlimited!
Christ was judged on
the cross for every sin of the entire human race!
Christ was judged for
the sins of the entire human race-past, present
and future!
Christ was judged for
every personal sin committed by the entire
human race-mental, verbal and overt!
Christ paid for the
sins of the entire human race, not just the elect,
or those who believe in Christ (Rom 5:6 2Cor
5:14-15, 19 1Tim 2:6, 4:10 Heb. 2:9 1Jn 2:2)!
The “limited”
atonement: that God only died for the elect…
1. Attacks the character and integrity of
God!
2. Directly from the kingdom of darkness
and the mind of Satan!
3. Contradicts Scripture!
4. Says that Christ died for only the
believer!
5. Makes personal sin an issue and not
man’s volition!
6. Attacks the saving work of Christ on
the Cross!
7. Says that Christ’s work on the Cross
is insufficient as the payment for the sins of the world!
8. Says that God wills or desires the
unbeliever to go the Lake of Fire forever.
9. Calls God unjust!
10. Says that God is a respector of persons
which He is not!
11. Says that God is a partial judge!
The “unlimited”
atonement: that God died for all mankind…
1. Eliminates sin from the unbeliever’s
indictment at the Last Judgement!
2. Does not make personal sin an issue!
3. Makes man’s volition the issue at
salvation!
4. Clearly supported by the original
languages and the Scriptures!
5. Magnifies the integrity of God!
6. Says that Christ’s saving work on the
Cross was sufficient as payment for
the sins of the entire human race!
7. Says that God desires or wills for all
men to be saved (1Tim 2:4a 2Pe 3:9 John 3:17)!
8. Calls God just!
9. Says that God is not a respector of
persons!
10. Says that God is impartial (Deut 10:17 Rom 2:11 Gal 2:6
Eph 6:9b)!
The
Results of Redemption
A.
Forgiveness of sins
(Isa 44:22 Eph 1:7 Col 1:14 Heb 9:12-15)
B.
Basis of justification
(Rom 3:24)
C.
Basis for sanctification
(Eph 5:25-27)
D.
Basis for eternal inheritance
of believer (Heb 9:15)
E.
Basis for strategic victory
of Christ in the Angelic Conflict (Col 2:14-15; Heb 2:14-15)
F.
Redemption of the soul in salvation
leads to redemption of the body in resurrection
(Eph 1:14)
G.
Redemption of the body is the
ultimate status of the royal family of God forever (Rom 8:23
Eph 4:30).
H.
Forgiveness of sins:
1. One of the results of redemption
is that the sins of the entire human race have been
forgiven.
2. The doctrine of the the
unlimited atonement says that Christ was judged on the
cross for the sins of the entire human race!
3. Every sin committed by the human
race-past, present and future was imputed to Christ and judged
by the justice of God!
4. Every mental, verbal and overt sin
committed by the human race was imputed to Christ and judged!
5. Christ died for every personal
committed by the human race-past, present and future!
6. All our sins have been forgiven
because of Christ’s saving work on the Cross!
7. The only sin that Christ did not die
for was the sin of rejection Himself!
8. Christ did not die for the sin of
unbelief in Himself!
9. The unbeliever goes to the Lake of
Fire for their unbelief in Christ!
10. The personal sins of the entire human
race are no longer an issue with God!
11. The personal sins of the entire human
race are remembered no more by God because of Christ’s
redemptive work on the cross (Ps 103:12 Isa 44:22, 53:5a
Eph 1:7 Col 1:14)!
Our Redemption through Christ
is much like this story.
There is a
story about a man who went down to the slave block to buy a
slave girl. As she looked at the white man bidding on her, she
figured he was another white man going to buy her and then abuse
her.
He won the bid, and as he was walking
away with his property, he said, “Young lady, you are free.”
She said, “What does that mean?”
“It means you are free.”
“Does that mean,” she said, “that I
can say whatever I want to say?”
The gentleman said, “ Yes, my dear,
you can say whatever you want to say.”
“Does that mean,” she said, “that I
can be whatever I want to be?”
He said, “Yes, you can be whatever you
want to be.”
“Does that mean that I can go wherever
I want to go?”
He said, “Yes, you can go wherever you
want to go.”
The girl, with tears streaming down
her face, said, “Then I will go with you.”
|
