Our Purchased Freedom

THE WAYS OF THE WORLD WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO A HOPELESS END! THE WAYS OF JESUS CHRIST WILL ALWAYS LEAD US TO AN ENDLESS HOPE! HOW INCREDIBLE IT IS TO KNOW THAT GOD LOVES US THIS MUCH!

WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY. WHILE WE WERE STILL DEAD IN SIN, GOD SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON, BUT DELIVERED HIM UP FOR US ALL.

THE HEART OF THE GOSPEL MESSAGE IS THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION MADE POSSIBLE BY GOD WHEN HE REVEALED HIMSELF TO US BY BECOMING FLESH IN JESUS CHRIST.

SCRIPTURE WITNESSES TO THE REDEEMING LOVE OF GOD IN JESUS’ LIFE AND TEACHINGS, HIS ATONING DEATH, HIS RESURRECTION, HIS SOVEREIGN PRESENCE IN HISTORY, HIS TRIUMPH OVER THE POWERS OF EVIL AND DEATH, AND HIS PROMISED RETURN.

BECAUSE GOD LOVES US IN SPITE OF OUR STUBBORN WILLINGNESS TO KEEP ON SINNING, GOD JUDGES US, SUMMONS US TO REPENTANCE, PARDONS US, RECEIVES US BY THAT GRACE GIVEN TO US IN JESUS CHRIST, AND GIVES US HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE.

THE EXCITEMENT THAT COMES FROM THIS GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT WASN’T A LAST MINUTE DECISION. IN FACT, AS OUR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE SAYS TODAY, GOD CHOSE US BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.

IN OTHER WORDS, CREATING THE WORLD CAME SECOND TO OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR SALVATION. BEFORE GOD SAID "LET THERE BE LIGHT" IN GENESIS 1:3, GOD SAID, "ANYONE WHO BELIEVES IN MY SON WILL BE SAVED."

THIS IS WHY I WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON VERSE 7, THAT SAYS "IN HIM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RICHES OF GOD’S GRACE…." REDEMPTION, WHAT IS THAT?

REDEMPTION COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD THAT MEANS EMANCIPATION. EMANCIPATION MEANS LIBERATION, FREEING FROM OPPRESSION, AND LIBERTY.

THEREFORE, EMANCIPATION IS FOR THOSE WHO ARE SLAVES TO SIN OR WHO ARE IN PRISON BECAUSE OF SIN. WE NEED TO BE EMANCIPATED! WE NEED TO BE SET FREE FROM THE SINS THAT ENSLAVE US AND HAVE US SHACKLED IN A PRISON OF BONDAGE. WE NEED TO BE SET FREE TO LOVE GOD MORE!

THAT IS WHY THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD NEWS HIDDEN WITHIN OUR EMANCIPATION. THE WORD REDEMPTION CAN ALSO BE IMPLIED TO MEAN "PAYMENT OF A RANSOM PRICE."

JESUS CHRIST IS OUR REDEEMER, OUR EMANCIPATOR, AND OUR PAYER OF THE RANSOM PRICE. JESUS CHRIST HAS SET US FREE FROM SLAVERY TO SIN AND SIN’S BONDAGE. JESUS CHRIST PAID THE RANSOM SO WE COULD BE SET FREE.

WHAT PRICE DID JESUS PAY? WHAT DID IT COST? IT WAS NOT FROM MONEY OR CHARGED TO ANYONE’S ACCOUNT. JESUS PAID THE PRICE WITH HIS VERY OWN BLOOD.

THE PRICE PAID FOR OUR REDEMPTION, OUR EMANCIPATION, FROM BONDAGE TO SIN WAS THE VERY LIFEBLOOD OF CHRIST HIMSELF, POURED OUT IN DEATH.

LEVITICUS 17:11, "FOR THE LIFE OF A CREATURE IS IN THE BLOOD, AND I HAVE GIVEN IT TO YOU TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR YOURSELVES ON THE ALTAR; IT IS THE BLOOD THAT MAKES ATONEMENT FOR ONE’S LIFE."

THESE WORDS FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS A FORESHADOW OF A FUTURE REALIZATION THAT WOULD BE FULFILLED AT THE CROSS WHEN THE SON OF GOD LAID DOWN HIS LIFE IN DEATH AND RANSOMED US FROM SIN.

YES, JESUS CHRIST REDEEMS US FROM OUR SINS WITH HIS BLOOD, BUT WE NEED TO HEAR THE GOOD NEWS THAT THERE IS MORE TO JUST SETTING US FREE FROM SIN. HE ALSO SETS US FREE THROUGH FORGIVENESS.

THE GREEK WORD USED HERE FOR FORGIVENESS MEANS "LOOSING SOMEONE FROM WHAT BINDS THEM.” THIS WORD COMES FROM THE VERB MEANING "TO SEND AWAY." WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US IS THAT WHEN GOD FORGIVES OUR SINS HE TAKES THE SINS AND CASTS THEM AWAY FROM US AND FREES US FROM THEIR BONDAGE.

PSALM 103:12, "AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST, SO FAR HAS HE REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS FROM US. THE WONDERFUL NEWS IS THAT THE SINS HE SENDS AWAY AND SETS US FREE FROM ARE OUR SINFUL CONDITION AND OUR SINFULNESS.

GOD’S FORGIVENESS, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, CAN SET US FREE FROM OUR SINFUL CONDITION. ALL OF US ARE ENSLAVED TO SIN AND NEED TO BE SET FREE. ROMANS 3:23, "ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD." ROMANS 10:13, "EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."

GOD’S FORGIVENESS, THROUGH JESUS CHRIST, CAN SET US FREE FROM OUR SINFULNESS. WHEN JESUS SAVES US FROM OUR SINFUL CONDITION HE DID NOT PLACE A PROTECTIVE BARRIER AROUND US SO THAT WE WILL NEVER SIN AGAIN.

WE MUST NEVER ADOPT THE ATTITUDE THAT "NOW THAT JESUS SAVED ME I CAN’T SIN ANYMORE!" WE ARE NOT IMMUNE TO SIN. 1 JOHN 1:8,10, ""IF WE CLAIM TO BE WITHOUT SIN WE DECEIVE OURSELVES AND THE TRUTH IS NOT IN US…IF WE CLAIM WE HAVE NOT SINNED, WE MAKE [GOD] OUT TO BE A LIAR AND HIS WORD HAS NO PLACE IN OUR LIVES."