Bought With A Price: Its Details And Impact

Feature 1 – April 2019 — Grace & Truth Magazine

Bought With A Price
Its Details And Impact

“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” —1 Corinthians 6:19-20 KJV

The Price
The incalculable price Christ paid for us far surpasses all imagination. The Lord Jesus asked two questions in Matthew 16:26: “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” These questions show the enormous value of a soul – a worth that is out of this world. If the value of one soul is so infinitely great, then consider how great a price the Lord Jesus Christ had to pay for the souls of all mankind!

There could be no lesser price or sacrifice than the blood of Christ and the sacrifice of the Son of God. The merchant in Matthew 13:45-46 illustrated this: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” This parable is a reminder to us of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself to redeem us unto Himself.

We are told of the greatness of the price that the Lord Jesus paid for our redemption in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “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.” In the world, silver and gold can buy almost everything, but these valuable materials cannot buy life nor redeem a single soul of man. “They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever ... )” (Ps. 49:6-8).

The Details
The terms “bought” and “redeemed” are sometimes used interchangeably, but each has its own peculiar meaning. “To be bought” has to do with the purchase of something or someone, but “to be redeemed” means to buy back. By the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, He purchased the world for God. Therefore all people are God’s, saved and unsaved alike. In fact creation – even every grain of sand and drop of water – are His because He created them and then bought them all back when He paid the price of sin at Calvary.

Now He is redeeming, or taking out for Himself, those who accept Him as their Redeemer. News of this is being spread by the gospel, which is even now being preached in the entire world. As we have said, all things belong to God, visible and invisible. Colossians 1:16-17 says, “For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist ...”

We are told in Genesis how God put Adam and Eve in charge of all things, but they forfeited it all to Satan when they chose to obey him. Romans 6:16 tells us, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” Therefore since God wants us for Himself, a price had to be paid; the Lord Jesus paid that price in full when He died on the cross for our sins.

The Impact
“Ye are not your own”; we are His forever! I must acknowledge this right of His and own His Lordship over my life. Henceforth I should live not to please myself but to the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. My body must be held in high honor for the Lord. I ought to keep it pure and holy for the Lord, not defiling myself with immorality, drugs or alcohol. My body ought to be preserved blameless and clean as the temple and dwelling place of God. So also must I be in spirit; my human spirit must be kept clean. We need to gird up the loins of our minds and spirits and set a watch over those things of which we read, look at and listen to (see 1 Pet. 1:13-15).

“Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” The Lord will help you and me to do so for His glory.

By Milton P. Jamieson