The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in 1 Timothy 2:5-6a,
"There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people."
Merriam-Webster defines a ransom as "a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity." With this in mind, what exactly was this ransom Jesus gave himself as? What is it we were all ransomed from, the captivity?
John the Baptist once said, "Whoever believes in the Son [Jesus Christ] has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them." John 3:36. It is this wrath of God and the certainty of his judgment, eternal death, that has hung over the human race since Adam and Eve that was the captivity Jesus ransomed us from. In Jeremiah 9:24 we read, "'I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.' declares the Lord." It is in this finely tuned sense of justice that God has his court to prosecute all who have ever sinned. That would be all of us because we have all sinned, Romans 3:23. All mankind has been enslaved to this judgment of God born of his voracious appetite for justice. Sin will be paid for, God's justice requires it.
In God's court, payment for sins is fungible. However, since we have all sinned, none of us can pay the penalty for any one else's sins. Each of us can only pay for our own sins, by suffering an eternal death. For this reason, since the Son of God has never sinned, he is qualified to pay the penalty for all our sins in his Father's court. The payment Jesus made for our sins brings the possibility of the forgiveness of our sins. They are paid for.
This is the greatest news anyone could hear. In addition, we learn that the payment Jesus made for our sins is credited to our account with God in his court if we embrace Jesus Christ in faith. This is the point John the Baptist was making. "Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." Jesus has made the payment, the ransom. It is available to each of us, but is only credited to our account when we place our faith and trust in him. This is why Paul, in Romans 4:3, points to Genesis 15:6, which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
"There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people."
Merriam-Webster defines a ransom as "a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity." With this in mind, what exactly was this ransom Jesus gave himself as? What is it we were all ransomed from, the captivity?
John the Baptist once said, "Whoever believes in the Son [Jesus Christ] has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them." John 3:36. It is this wrath of God and the certainty of his judgment, eternal death, that has hung over the human race since Adam and Eve that was the captivity Jesus ransomed us from. In Jeremiah 9:24 we read, "'I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.' declares the Lord." It is in this finely tuned sense of justice that God has his court to prosecute all who have ever sinned. That would be all of us because we have all sinned, Romans 3:23. All mankind has been enslaved to this judgment of God born of his voracious appetite for justice. Sin will be paid for, God's justice requires it.
In God's court, payment for sins is fungible. However, since we have all sinned, none of us can pay the penalty for any one else's sins. Each of us can only pay for our own sins, by suffering an eternal death. For this reason, since the Son of God has never sinned, he is qualified to pay the penalty for all our sins in his Father's court. The payment Jesus made for our sins brings the possibility of the forgiveness of our sins. They are paid for.
This is the greatest news anyone could hear. In addition, we learn that the payment Jesus made for our sins is credited to our account with God in his court if we embrace Jesus Christ in faith. This is the point John the Baptist was making. "Whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them." Jesus has made the payment, the ransom. It is available to each of us, but is only credited to our account when we place our faith and trust in him. This is why Paul, in Romans 4:3, points to Genesis 15:6, which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
The judgment of God is horrific and is on display in the ransom Jesus Christ made for all people. The love of God is incomprehensible and breath-taking as displayed in the ransom Jesus Christ paid to free us. It was all expressed on that horrible cross and is available to each of us if we embrace him in faith. Astonishing and even a bit startling to think of when mulled over.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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