I Cannot Live the Life

Recently it has come to my obvious to me that many in our society do not understand the value system of true Christianity (i.e. true religion). I am not sure what has created this situation, I simply have detected that it does exist with many people that I have approached in recent months. Many of these people have no idea of the Christian’s philosophy. Ideals, lifestyle, and are themselves caught up in discouragement, unhappiness, and indecision with life in general. Many people in current society subscribe to the following philosophy; “If I do nothing, I will have no further problems – If I stay where I am I will be no worse off than I am.” The sad part about those that possess this attitude is, this attitude, when applied to spiritual situations creates an impossible obstacle for the person to overcome when they are confronted with the gospel. You see, the gospel requires that the person possessed with this philosophy will find the challenge of the gospel more than they are willing to personally accept.

Many times we talk to and occasionally discuss (i.e. in Bible classes) with those we describe here. We soon find out that they are unwilling to consider anything other than their own conclusions about life, family, and  religion. Most people are unwilling to make the life changes that God requires of them through the conversion process – such as Hebrews 5:8-9, “though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered; and having been made perfect, he became unto all them that obey him the author of eternal salvation;” (ASV) Many people that possess this disposition feel that the Biblical standard requires too much change, they are unwilling to consider such a drastic change of life; Paul deals with this attitude well in

Romans 6:1-13 – Please note the passage – “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with (him) in the likeness of his death, we shall be also (in the likeness) of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with (him), that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died unto sin once: but the life that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey the lusts thereof: neither present your members unto sin (as) instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members (as) instruments of righteousness unto God.” (ASV)

WE NEED UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE: In helping these people come to accept Christ and make the conscious decision to change we need to exercise patience and long suffering, we should do as Paul instructed Timothy –

cf.  2 Timothy 4:1-2, “I charge (thee) in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.” (ASV)

We must first convince them that others fail too, that everyone makes mistakes but that we must learn that just because we make a mistake, does not mean we are a failure; we must repent and start anew –

cf. Galatians 6:1-2, “Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (ASV)

EMPHASISE THE CHRISTIAN’S HOPE: Teach this person that there is more to life than is obvious to man in the world, there is the Christian’s hope of heaven. The Christian is looking beyond this present world and sees something exceedingly precious and beautiful –

cf. Romans 2:7, “to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (ASV)

Hebrews 11:10, “for he looked for the city which hath the foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

We must teach this person that God has made allowances for his children who fall from grace (i.e. backslide) –

cf.  Acts 8:22-24, “22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me.” (ASV)

1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.” (ASV)

1 John 1:9-10, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

CONCLUSION: We may not convert many people with this formula but we may convert some. The Lord has instructed us that we are to “sow the good sees” and He will “give the increase,” – cf., 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, “What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him.  I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” (ASV)

REMEMBER THIS FACT: There are many people that are in the world. Many of those in the world do not know us nor do they understand our motives. Because of this we must continue to approach everyone with the patience and understand that ought to characterize every Christian while they work at personal evangelizing with others. May we never become discouraged in our efforts to convert the lost – cf. Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” (ASV

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The Farmer’s Runt

“The farmer had refused to consider the church because of all the hypocrites in it. One day the preacher went to buy a pig from the farmer. He asked for the runt as his pig of choice. The farmer reluctantly sold the runt but was appalled as the preacher told him, ‘I’m telling all my friends this is the kind of pigs you raise!’”

I read this from an Internet post by a fellow preacher the other day and it made me smile. But as is so often the case the truth of this humorous story is sad. Sure the church has its hypocrites just like the litter has its runt. And certainly we don’t like it when folks cast wide sweeping judgment on the many because of the few “runts” in the litter. And it is absolutely right to point  this truth out.

However, consider this observation…the runt of the litter had no choice in the matter, the hypocrite does. God’s Word is filled with warnings and condemnation of hypocrites and their duplicitous ways. Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees (Matthew 23) was not for their legalism but for their hypocrisy.

In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7) Jesus warned us concerning the act of pointing out the faults of others when we ourselves need to take a long look into the mirror of our own lives. This may be in the way we are living, the words we are saying, or our attitude about others and ourselves. Yes, we must point out sin and error but remember what Paul by inspiration said in Galatians 6:1, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.”

Be certain too that none of us are immune from such hypocrisy. Not the preacher, not the elders or deacons, the Bible Class teacher, not even the most faithful brother and sister warming a pew every time the door is open. Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

Paul told Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). We shouldn’t give anyone good reason to look down upon us or the Lord’s church!

The fact is there is little difference between the hypocrite in the church and the farmer’s runt. Except that the hypocrite has a choice in the matter. Are you the farmer’s runt? You don’t have to be, and your soul’s eternal destination hangs in the balance. You don’t have to be perfect… but you do have to be obedient (Hebrews 5:8-9) and be faithful (Revelation 2:10).

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Degrees of Punishments and Rewards

ARE THERE DIFFERENT DEGREES OF REWARDS IN HEAVEN AND DIFFERENT DEGREES OF PUNISHMENTS IN HELL?

In Luke 19:11-27, we find the master of the household gives ten of his servants a pound each and commissions them to use the money in a way that shows a profit.  When the master returns, one multiplied his pound to 10 and was given 10 cities, another 5 pounds and was rewarded with 5 cities.  Now, some say that this clearly shows that those in heaven will be honored on different levels according to their works.  But, what can really be compared to the glory that we will experience in Heaven (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17-5:2)?  Besides, I never really think about what these rewards will be, or even the fact that there will be rewards.  I will be content just to reach heaven, where the things that really matter will be shared equally by all.  I am confident that “I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop” up in Glory Land!

Now, referring to degrees of punishments, we first have to look at sin and if there are different degrees of sin.  In Jn. 19:11, “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”  Now, this verse does not imply that one sin is worse because sin separates man from God regardless what kind it is (Isa. 59:1-2) and that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23).  Now, there are different consequences for sin: one who makes an illegal u-turn faces different consequences than one who commits murder.  This principle is seen in Lev. 24:20-21 where it speaks of an eye for eye, tooth for tooth.  Simply put, there are some crimes less consequential than others.

With that said, the Bible does seem to indicate that there will be different levels of punishment in hell.  In Luke 12:47, 48 at the conclusion of the parable of the faithful steward, we read, “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”  The principle being taught here is that the person who understands more regarding God’s will and yet does not take warning will be held more accountable than the person who does not know.  Both are held accountable; both will be separated from God; both will be punished.  However, one will be punished more than the other.

Also, in 2 Pet. 2:20-21, we read, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.”  The Christian who knows what is right and wrong and yet, turns back to the things of the world is going to end up in a worse state than the person who never knew the way of righteousness.  Both are still lost.  Both are still separated from God, but one will be punished more than the other will.

Now, what just exactly are these punishments, I cannot speculate on.  But, we should not think that Hell might be a place that is tolerable if we just don’t sin very much.  Hell is not going to be a place that you want to be.  It is a place where punishment is reserved for the Devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41).  It is a place of darkness (Matt. 22:13).   It is a place where the unrighteous will dwell (Matt. 25:30).  It is a place of everlasting agony (Matt. 22:13).  And, some will not suffer as much as others due to their sin, but even the least bit of suffering in hell will be bad enough.  Merely eternal separation from God himself would be unthinkable.  You don’t want to miss being with God in eternity.

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God is Still in Charge

Today we hear a lot about how the world is going to pieces, how the country is headed for destruction, that the end is near, and we observe despair on every hand, has God given up on all humanity? The problems that are occurring throughout the civilized world today are those calamities, trials, and tribulations that are common to all men, everywhere – cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.” (ASV)

SELF INFLICTED MISERY:  We have all heard the adage; “A person’s worst enemy is often himself” That statement is often true, we have been given responsibility for ourselves. Remember this, and our choices determine the quality of life that we enjoy or the condition of despair we find ourselves in. We determine our status while we live here on the earth, if we want the good life we can choose it but if we do not choose the good life we have chosen the bad. God says it is this way – cf. Genesis 4:3. God spoke to Cain after he had been rejected by God and told him “If you will do well you will be accepted.” Cain had the choice, obey God and be accepted or disobey God and be rejected, Cain choose to disobey God, Cain created his own problems. NOTE;  James 4:17, “To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (ASV) Here again man is given a choice, he may chose to do good or reject the choice and do evil, God has given to unto us the capacity to make a good decision between good and evil if ewe will. Whenever we reject the good we have caused our own disaster.

DO NOT BLAME GOD: Many people are quick to blame God for their misfortune whenever a problem of any kind arises. Recently, I talked to an intelligent man about the Lord and about church attendance. This man was upset about his father’s short life span after he retired at 65, It seems that his father worked at a very hard occupation and two months after he retired he died of a heart attack. The problem of death may be attributed to the Devil’s successful temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden, cf. Genesis 3:14, “And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:” (ASV)

1 Corinthians 15:21-26, “For since by man (came) death, by man (came) also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; then they that are Christ’s, at his coming. Then (cometh) the end, when he shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have abolished all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be abolished is death.” (ASV)

Since the Devil is responsible for death, it is a misplacing of blame to suggest that it is God’s fault, death will come upon everyone. Indeed, death comes to both the good and the evil at an undetermined time.

LIVE FOREVER:  Remember this, Jesus Christ has risen from the tomb and is coming back the second time to redeem the saved (i.e. Christians). The Christian may live the good life hear and reap everlasting life, with joy that is beyond explanation. The Christian will physically die but he/she will be resurrected to eternal life at the last day: cf. Acts 24:15, “having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.” (ASV)

1 Peter 1:3-7, “3 Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, that the proof of your faith, (being) more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ:” (ASV)

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Redemption Through His Blood

Redemption Through His Blood

I Peter 1:1-12 speaks of the mercy shown by God, the rebirth of man, and hope for the return of Christ who provides salvation from the troubles of this world.  I Peter 1:13-21, the key text of this article follows afterward and Peter establishes the following:

Do This:  “…gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:” (1 Peter 1:13-17)

Why? Because: “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)

How did that redemption come about? “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.” (I Peter 1:20-21)

How can these verses be summarized?  Be holy like Christ because He redeemed us with His blood as part of a plan formed before the creation of man.

This statement should make the passage more understandable, but not knowing what the term redemption means can throw understanding out the window.  Therefore, consider the state of Oregon in the 1970’s.  Little boys often went out “treasure hunting”.  The search took place under porches, in trashcans, along the sides of the road, in parking lots, and numerous other locations.  The objective of the hunt was not gold nuggets but discarded aluminum cans and glass beverage bottles.  At one time the containers were desired and full of a variety of different beverages, and then the consumers tossed them aside as emptied and forgotten shells.  What more value could exist?  For hands willing to work to find that which was lost, the valueless equated to treasure!  The stores who originally owned the vessels gladly bought them back for $0.05, $0.10, or even $0.25 apiece depending on their size.  The lost became found and that considered worthless ended up bought for a price so it could once again fulfill a useful purpose.  The buying back represents redemption.

The redemption of mankind through the Blood of Christ parallels the “treasure hunting” example in many ways, but the history of redemption through His blood demonstrates the greatest act of love ever committed.  Christ purchased what had become worthless.  Through Him by an established plan, the worthless became holy.  More than a possession or slave, the redemption by Christ’s blood, causes man to become a son of God as Paul describes in Galatians 4:4-7.

How did man go from being in the image of God to needing redemption?  (Genesis 1:26)

In the beginning, God made life very simple for man.  He told them to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and have dominion over its life forms (Genesis 1:28).  Man existed fully alive, spiritually and physically.  Understand God established man as chief over all the earth. This directly related to His plan.  In addition to God’s positive commands for man, he also gave them a negative command.  “…from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat”.  Man ignored God’s command and as punishment man received death (Genesis 2:17).  The death of man unfolded in two ways.  First, spiritual death occurred immediately.  Spiritual death can be understood as man’s sin separating him from abiding with God (Isaiah 59:1-2).  Second, man, later physically died returning to the dust from which he was made (Genesis 3:19).  Man sells himself to Satan through disobedience to God – Sin!  Based on the sin of Adam, man found himself in need of purification, justification, reconciliation, and sanctification.  He went from the valuable image of God to a state of worthlessness.

Only by God’s mercy and grace did He set a price for redemption.  Blood became the price for sin and since life is in the blood, according to Genesis 9:4, life became forfeit.  Notably with the sin of Adam, not only did man forfeit his spiritual and physical life, but animals forfeited their life to clothe Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21).  Sacrificing of animals can be seen in the Patriarchal Age with Able (Genesis 4), Noah (Genesis 8), and Abraham (Genesis 22).  However, only in Job 1:5 can sacrifices clearly be seen to be tied to sin.  Why blood?  By speculation, it seems that the greatest thing of value upon earth is life.  King David would later point out in Psalm 49:6-9 that no amount of wealth could redeem mankind from his sins.  God set redemption value of man much higher.

All men sin (Romans 3:23) and their lives being forfeit already (Romans 6:23) cannot atone for sin.  The thought of offering up innocent children to redeem man offends God (Deuteronomy 12:31) and would still mean the continual death of man, a life for a life, which God does not desire.  Thus, the lives of animals were required to atone for man’s disobedience.  Yet, recall, according to His plan, God made man chief over animals.  Animal blood does not share equal value with man’s blood (Matthew 6:26) and it cannot take away man’s sins (Hebrews 10:1-4). Their sacrifice could only cleanse the flesh by a forgiveness which still required constant reminder of the forfeit life, leaving a conscience still stained and physical death still looming.

What could be done to alter man’s condition (Romans 7:24)?  Knowing neither riches nor the sacrifice of animals equal the life of a man, it can be seen God had a permanent solution in mind for mankind.  Evidence exists that the patriarchs had a firm belief that God would redeem them.  Job 19:25-27 – “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!”  Thus, the patriarchs walked by faith.  Genesis 26:5 “…Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”  Yes, there was law before the Mosaic Law and righteous men followed it by faith believing they would be redeemed from their sin giving them perfect life again.

Before the end of the Patriarchal age, God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his seed (Genesis 12:1-3).  That seed, according to the Hebrew author, was the Redeemer, the Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:16)  As time would stretch into the Mosaic Age, prophecies would make it clear there would be a redeemer for the sins of the world (Deuteronomy 18:18, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Jeremiah 31:31-34, I John 2:2).  How did He have such value that His blood would be accepted as redemption for the forgiveness of sins of all? (Matthew 26:28, Colossians 1:14)  How could a single life redeem innumerable lives making the worthless represent great value?  The priceless value came from the fact that He was sinless, from eternity, and God (I Peter 2:21-22, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 9:6-7).  His life is worth more than all mankind and all animal life for all time.  After all, the creation cannot be greater than the creator and only He can redeem it.  The redemption of man demonstrates how much God loves the life of man.

Redemption did not occur right away.  It needed to begin at the right time, the fullness of time (Romans 5:6, Galatians 4:4).  Men were not walking by faith as they should (Habakkuk 2:4).  So God chose a people to be an example unto the world.  He chose a people so he could show His wrath, power, and blessing (Romans 9:21-24).  God gave them the Law of Righteousness, the Law of Moses, but when they faltered it held them under their sins. (Galatians 3:19-22).  This function was to bring the people to Christ.

Galatians 3:23-29 – But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Figuratively, this brought man to Christ because the many ordinances of the law caused sin to increase (Romans 5:20).  Those under the law were cursed by their actions and no manner of righteous works or sacrifices could remove the curse (Deuteronomy 27).  Thus, the Israelites were to learn to walk by faith as Christ would live (Galatians 3:11).  Literally, the Law of Moses functioned to bring the nation of Israel to the time when the new covenant would be delivered (Jeremiah 31:31).  According to Hebrews 9:15-16, until Jesus died upon the cross the new covenant could not come with the justifying blood of Jesus.

The men of earth who were not of Israel, knew of God from the Patriarchs, prophets sent to them (such as Jonah or Nahum), or by hearing of the blessings and curses which fell upon Israel by God.  Some would proselyte and join the nation of Israel.  Others would walk by faith in what they heard of God.  Regardless of their choice, when they did not walk by faith, destruction stood was guaranteed.

When the Redeemer arrived, the faith Christ exhibited toward God enabled Him to go to the cross voluntarily to be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind.  Through his obedient faith, He became the author of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9), obtaining eternal redemption.

Hebrews 9:12-15 – “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

Christ provided a pure sacrifice of love by giving His own life by blood for all mankind.  The conscience of man once stained by a continual remembrance of sin through sacrifice could now be free.  Yet, how can man come into contact with the blood which eternally cleanses?  I Peter 3:21 declares baptism in water saves a man as an appeal through the resurrection of Jesus for a good conscience.  Why does man appeal through baptism for his conscience?  Romans 6:3-7 provides that answer in observing man is united with Christ’s death and resurrection in baptism.  When united with Jesus death, man contacts His blood.  Thus, Hebrews 10:22, discusses baptism as a sprinkling of the heart (purging of the conscience) which reflects back to purification by blood as in past ages.

After contacting the blood of Christ, the requirement, to remember the “life forfeiting works” committed beforehand, no longer exists.  Free from sin, man can focus on serving God.  Those who lived by faith before Christ were cleansed by the fulfilled promise of a redeemer.  For those under the law, redemption from the curse of the law made them free again.  For those who would sin in the future, eternal redemption existed for those accepting it.  The sacrifice of Jesus enables mankind to look with hope to their eternal inheritance and not look back to dwell on their failure.

The sacrifice of Jesus was not the end of the redemption process.  Following the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of promise was poured out on mankind.  Ephesians 1:14 states the Spirit was “given as an earnest [pledge] of inheritance until redemption of the purchased possession.”  Ephesians 4:30 speaks of a future “day of redemption” while Romans 8:23 speaks of the redemption of our bodies.  Mankind can be cleansed through the blood of Christ, but they are still under the curse of physical death stretching back to the days of Adam.  On Earth’s final day, the resurrection day, by the power of Jesus, man will overcome death.  “Oh death where is your victory?  Oh Hades where is your sting?”  (I Corinthians 15:55)  The Redemption process will come to a close.  Man will have full life as in the beginning and then be changed in the twinkling of an eye (I Corinthians 15:52).  Until that final day, through eternal redemption the Christian can be cleansed of further sin through Christ’s blood.  The Christian simply need acknowledge the sin and continue to walk by faith as God has required from the beginning (I John 1:6-2:2).

Early on an example of boys collecting worthless cans was mentioned.  Those boys took the time to see value in what others simply tossed away.  God always saw value in the life of men.  Thus, His plan of redemption by blood existed before the creation of man.  By God’s mercy He does not immediately reject man as worthless, but they have and do reject Him.  They choose to ignore the value God places upon them.  However, for those that desire to be priceless possessions of God and walk by Faith, God bestows sonship and eternal life with Him through the blood of Christ.

In closing, consider the words of Paul regarding redemption through Jesus our Redeemer:

Romans 8:10-14 – “And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.  So then, brethren we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh – for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die: but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will life.  For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

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