REDEMPTION BY PRICE
5-2-2007

“You are not your own: for you are bought with a price.”
1 Corinthians 6:19, 20.
ATTACKS have often been made upon the central doctrine of the Gospel, namely, the doctrine of Redemption or Atonement, for it is well-known to be the crux of the Gospel.
A. Called “the mercantile theory of Atonement.”
* Within the idea of purchase lies hidden the essence of the Savior’s work.
- Ransom has been found Job 33:24 “Deliver him from going down to the Pit—I have found a ransom.”
Rev. 5:9; Mk 10:45
- There was a substitutionary Sacrifice presented on the behalf of His people by Jesus Christ.
- We do not believe in a cloudy, phantom-like Atonement.
- Ransom was His suffering and death in our place, by which the justice of God was satisfied and His Law was honored.
6:20 expresses the fact.
Though we were not redeemed with corruptible things, as with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, yet the transaction was, none the less, real and effective.
*** An equivalent was given, a possession was secured.
B. Objection is to the very idea of Substitution and a vicarious Sacrifice.
Isaiah 53
The Lord has given more than all the gold in the world found & unfound!
- We are the costliest of creatures! We are dearest to God, for He has spent most upon us and made us the choice objects of His heavenly expenditure.
- This punishment the Lord Jesus has endured in our place.
- Gal 3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree.”
#1 We are redeemed from the curse of the law"= (Can NEVER do it all the law)
#2 We are redeemed from the power of evil.
Tit. 2:14 “Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
* Redemption not as by price as by power, Paul stated “He gave Himself for us.”
- No price was paid to Satan—that is not to be imagined for an instant!
- We were never the devil’s rightful possession
#3 There was a time when we thought ourselves to be our own.
6:19- Bought from whom?
In one sense, you were bought from yourselves?

We can never be too much affected by this important practical Truth of God.

I. COMPENSATION AND YET GAIN.
Compensation is intended to make good a loss, but in our case the transfer of ourselves from self to Christ is a clear gain.
* You have surrendered, as Believers, your right and property in yourselves.
* Have you made a good bargain?
1. first of all, you live and, had you retained your supposed right to yourself, you would have died
* Divine life. Is not that a compensation, PEACE.
* You have joy.
* 1 John 1:7 The price which Jesus paid means cleansing—“The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
* Is it not better to be cleansed and to be the Lord’s than to be filthy and be your own?
* Is it not better to be near to the Lord and belong to Jesus than to be in the far-off country with the swine and the husks and be your own?
So far compensation. But then we must not forget that the supposed loss is an actual gain!
*** It is a fine business when a man is compensated for a loss and yet the loss, itself, becomes an advantage to him.
So much, then, on the first point—the Lord Jesus has, by His blood, given us compensation and yet there never was a loss, but an unspeakable gain.

II. HIGH VALUE AND YET LOWLINESS
“You are not your own: for you are bought with a price.”
* Value is clearly here, for we are bought with an immense price.
* He lost the angels and would not pay a penny for them—but when man had fallen, He laid down His life to ransom him!
* You, should have the very lowest view of yourself, but yet see how God has exalted you!
* “What is man, that Thou art mindful of him, O God? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?”
A. You are a being of God’s making. In His own image, remember,
1 Pe. 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:"
* Now look at the other side of the picture.
B. You are precious, but you must yet be lowly, for whatever value there is about you, you do not belong to yourself.

Our honor lies in our Owner!
God forbid that we should glory in anything except that we belong to Christ! Paul cried, “Whose I am and whom I serve!” And this we, too, will say with hearty exultation! We will walk with holy boldness as the Lord’s own, but yet with deep humility as not our own.

III. Thoughtfully let us consider another contrast—“You are not your own: for you are bought with a price.” This brings before my mind SECURITY AND YET WATCHFULNESS.
* First, security. You will not be lost,