GRACE FOR TODAY Radio Message #438
TO WHOM WAS THE
RANSOM PRICE PAID?
Pastor
Don Fortner
Grace Baptist Church of Danville
2734 Old Stanford Road
Danville,
Kentucky 40422-9438
The ransom price for our
souls was paid into the hands of God, whose justice was offended, whose law we
broke, and who is the lawgiver, that is able to save and to destroy, and
against whom all sin is committed, who will by no means clear the guilty unless
his justice is satisfied. He is the judge of all the earth who will do right.
Therefore Christ is said "to
redeem" men "unto God by
his blood" (Rev. 5:9). The price of redemption, which is the blood of
Christ, was paid unto God. It was by the ransom price of Christ’s shed blood
that the redemption of our souls from the vindictive justice of the infinite,
holy, and righteous Lord God was obtained.
The ransom price was not
paid into the hands of Satan, or any other enemy that had power over us. The
power of Satan was only a usurped power. He had no legal right to hold us
captives. Therefore the delivery of our souls out of his hand is by power and not
by price.
However, the justice of God
had a legal right to shut us up and detain us as prisoners until satisfaction
was given. Therefore redemption from avenging justice, which is the redemption
that is by Christ, is redemption by a price paid to justice for the ransom of
God’s elect. It is written, "Of him
are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness,
and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that
glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Cor. 1:30-31).Jesus Christ is
made of God unto us Redemption. He redeems and saves his people by three mighty
works of deliverance.
1.
By
Ransom Price - The Son of God paid the justly demanded price of our souls’ ransom from
the law’s curse. He paid both perfect, infinitely meritorious righteousness and
complete, infinitely meritorious atonement.
2.
By
Regenerating Power - At the appointed time of love, the Lord of glory sends his Holy Spirit
to regenerate, to quicken from the dead, his ransomed people. By sovereign,
irresistible grace and power the Spirit of God sets chosen, redeemed sinners
free from the bondage of sin, the tyranny of Satan, and the terror of the law,
calling them to life and faith in Christ. That call to life and faith is not an
offer, but the gift and operation of life and faith in Christ!
3.
By
Resurrection Glory - At the day appointed by the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ shall come
again in power and great glory to gather his saints in the resurrection of the
just into his heavenly kingdom. When he has raised our bodies from the grave
and destroyed all our enemies and his, when he has glorified all his saints and
made all things new, then, we shall forever be delivered from all the
consequences of sin! Read Revelation 21:1-5.
(Revelation 21:1-5)
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. {2} And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. {3} And I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his
people, and God himself shall be with them, and
be their God. {4} And God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things
are passed away. {5} And he that sat
upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me,
Write: for these words are true and faithful.
Knowing that the precious
blood of Christ is a price sufficient to satisfy the justice of God for all his
elect, we rejoice to sing with confidence and joy the lines of Cowper’s great
hymn…
“Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never
lose its power
‘Til all the
ransomed Church of God
Be saved to
sin no more!”
AMEN.