Ransom Paid For You

October 2022 – Grace & Truth Magazine

A Ransom Paid For You

At times we hear about people being held against their will until a large sum of money is paid for their release. We are told that this has happened to a few of our subscribers over the years. Other times something of great value is taken, such as a cargo ship on the Indian Ocean. With the increase in technology, hackers have been able to sabotage computer systems using ransomware, until funds are given to the criminals.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “ransom” as “a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something in captivity.” It also includes “to deliver especially from sin or its penalty; to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price.”

The Bible tells us Jesus, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mt. 20:28; Mk. 10:45 NKJV). The Lord, in coming as the Perfect Servant, willingly gave even His life for the sake of others. No sinner can pay God a ransom for himself or someone else, as all the riches in the whole world for all time would be not enough to keep one person from being sent to the lake of fire because of his sin (Ps. 49:5-9; Rev. 20:11-15).

In His Son, God paid the ransom for us. Like Israel, we have been held by “one stronger” than we are – the Devil (Jer. 31:11; see Eph. 2:2). The Lord has ransomed believers from him as well as from death and the grave, rendering them powerless (Hos. 13:14; Heb. 2:14; 1 Cor. 15:55-57).

The blessings of this paid ransom are only received through faith in God’s Son. He is the “one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:5-6). “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Rom. 10:9-11). If you haven’t already, accept His gift for you today!

May the Lord use the articles in this edition, including the Features about the Perfect Servant, for your blessing and encouragement.

By Paul Alberts