As children of God, we are born into new life to live a victorious life in Christ. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith – 1 John 5:4. The new life in Christ is a life of overcomer. Even when challenges come, we know victory is certain.
QUESTION 1
Why then do some Christians still live as defeated being in this world (ordinary men), instead of living victoriously every day?
The reason is their ignorance of the Word:
“They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness….I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High” (Psalm 82:5-6).
May God through Christ grant us revelation today in Jesus’name. (Amen).
“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 15:57 – 1 Cor.15:57. Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
The truth is, now that you’re redeemed (born again, now that you’re in Christ,) you’re a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Whereas you were defeated and lived as a victim before you came to Christ, all that is history now. Today, with Christ alive in you, nothing can put you down; you’re a victor for life! And no more defeat for you except you are no more in Christ or allow devil to cheat you.
QUESTION 2
What gave us new life in Christ? SALVATION- 2 Cor.5:17; Ephesians 2:12-13
QUESTION 3
How did we get saved? – THROUGH THE REDEMPTION – Ephesian 1:7-8
God’s Word says that we are saved by grace through faith alone in Christ Jesus and not in anyway by our own efforts or works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The death and resurrection of Jesus gives us redemption. The resurrection is not full or complete without redemption. The redemption is central to message of resurrection. The redemption gives us freedom in Christ- (Galatians 5:1). “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1).
UNDERSTANDING WHAT REDEMPTION ENTAILS AND IMPLIES
- Redemption can be defined as the process or means to secure the release or recovery of persons (the captives) or things by the payment of a price.
- Redemption refers ultimately to the saving work of Christ, who came to accomplish our redemption by giving his life in substitution for our own as the ransom price.
The price of our redemption is the blood, the life, and the death of Christ. ‘’ Jesus paid a debt he did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.”
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Refrain:
Refrain:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Mo gbọ Jesu wipe
Agbara rẹ kere
Alarẹ ṣọra gbadua
Pipe rẹ mbẹ lọdọ mi
Refrain:
Jesu san gbogbo
Gbese ti mo jẹ
Ẹṣẹ ti
m’abawọn wa
O fọ mi fun
bi sno
The Work of Jesus
When Jesus declared His mission to the world in Luke 4:18 He said ‘’The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,’’
He also stated clearly why He came for the humanity in 1 John 3:8- He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
Therefore, Redemption implies the work of Christ on our behalf, whereby he purchases and ransoms us—at the price of his own life—
(1) the work He came to accomplish was the one of ransom,
(2) the giving of His life was the ransom price, and
(3) the ransom was substitutionary in character
- “Jesus Christ stated clearly, He came to serve the world. He laid down his life for a ransom.- Matthew 20:28
When our lives were forfeited into the eternal damnation by hands of divine justice due to sin. Christ, by parting with his life, made atonement for sin, and so rescued ours; he was made sin, and a curse for us, and died, not only for our good, but in our stead.”- “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Gal 3:13)
- He redeemed us through the shedding of blood; the blood of Christ is the sacrificial blood- Rom 3:25; 5:9; Eph 1:7; Rev 1:5; “conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1Pet 1:17–19)-
- Through the redemption, The church of God, was obtained purchased and acquired with his own blood.”- 1 Cor.6:19-20; Acts 20:28. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” (1Cor. 6:19–20).
- “All (entire humanities) have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith” (Rom 3:22–25).
- Justification is being counted as righteous or declared righteous by God (The Judge). Justification is given to us freely, without price to us, it is only made possible through an exorbitant purchase “through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Free to us. Costly to God.
- Only based on redemption have we all receive forgiveness that is freely lavished on us according to the riches of God’s grace- Ephesians 1:7–8; Col 1:14.
“when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4–5).
- Through redemption, Jesus is revealed as a better high priest, and better mediator of a better covenant. He is better because he entered through his own blood (Heb. 9:12)—on the merits of his own righteousness, unlike all other priests before Him who had to offer sacrifices for themselves and the people. Jesus is both perfect priest and perfect sacrifice in one.
- Furthermore, the unique and supreme blood of Christ was more effective than Old Testament sacrifices (Heb. 9:13–14)—cleansing consciences, forgiving sins, and obtaining eternal redemption which blood of goats, calves etc. cannot do. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1Tim 2:5–6)
- Through the redemption, Jesus Christ won victory for all nations of the world who believe in Him-Rev. 5:9-13. “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev 5:9–10).
Therefore, we are to rejoice and celebrate what Jesus has won for us………
To be continue…