Truth: First Negative - Then Positive

TRUTH: FIRST NEGATIVE - THEN POSITIVE

The Word of God often sets forth truth in a

dual fold fashion, first negatively, then positively. For example it says: "Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit," "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them," “Not I, but Christ,” “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever,” and “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Sometimes we find truth set forth in the reverse order such as "put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof."

Let us this morning consider three instances of this negative then positive approach. I want us to look at three passages which form a three-fold cord of blessed truth.

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without

blemish and without spot" (I Peter 1:18, 19).

I. WE ARE BOUGHT WITH AN INFINITE PRICE

With His own precious blood God bought us and bought us to set us free. Salvation is free but not cheap.

It costs us nothing, but it cost God His Son and it cost the Son His life.

A. THE PLAN OF OUR REDEMPTION

In 1 Peter 1:20, where we are told that redemption was planned by God in eternity. Before Creation, God made the blue-prints relating to our redemption. Redemption was no afterthought in the mind

of God; it was His eternal purpose and plan.

God was never caught off guard ; He was never surprised by man’s need. Calvary was something He deliberately planned.

B. THE PAYMENT OF OUR REDEMPTION

A London newspaper once offered a prize for the best definition of money. The winning definition was “Money is an instrument that can buy you everything but happiness and pay for your way to every place but heaven.” You may sell your soul for money but you cannot redeem your soul with money.

The payment for our redemption was "the precious blood of Christ."

It was precious because there has never been any other blood like it.

1. It is INNOCENT BLOOD.

Judas confessed in Matthew 27:4, “I have betrayed the innocent blood.” Our Lord was innocent. He became like us in all things except for one thing - HE WAS SINLESS.

Instead of a human father, He was conceived by the DIVINE FATHER. As a result biologically He had DIVINE BLOOD, SINLESS BLOOD.

2. It is INCORRUPTIBLE BLOOD.

Sin made human blood corruptible. Soon after death, decay sets in, and it begins in the blood. That is why meat must be drained well of its blood. That is why embalmers place embalming fluid in the blood.

David said that Jesus body should "see no corruption." Though three days and three nights, His body did not corrupt because He was sinless.

3. It is IRREPLACEABLE BLOOD

There is no substitute for the Blood of Jesus. Years ago, August Van Ryn was preaching in what was then Royal Palm Park in Miami, Florida. After he got through, a gentleman came up to him and handed me a card, announcing that he was giving infidel lectures in one of the city’s theaters. Then he said, "I heard you say that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Now, that is nonsense. How many sins could a gallon of blood wash away? And besides what difference is there between the blood of Christ and anybody else’s blood? If you could take a vial filled with the blood of Christ and one filled with my blood, and take them to a chemist, you’d find that they both consisted of the same chemical elements."

Van Ryan held out a $10 bill to man and asked him whether he would like to have it. "Well, yes, why not?" said he. "But," said Van Ryan , "it is only a piece of paper with a picture on it. Why should an intelligent-looking gentleman like you want to bother with that?" "Because it’s worth $10," said he.

"Well, I understand they print these things for something like a cent and a quarter a piece," said the preacher. "I’ll take it for $10, though," said the

infidel. "But why?" asked the preacher.

"Well, you know why. The government

issues them, and they are worth $10.00,” declared the infidel "Yes, that is certainly true," the preacher replied. "Now, if you issued one of them, instead of its being worth $10, it probably would be worth ten years in jail for counterfeiting. The same $10 bill, you might be able to print it just as well as does the Government; but, nevertheless, if you print it, it would be a crime. If the Government prints it, it is currency.