Today’s 333 Devotional: “Ransomed”
In the Garden of Eden our freedom was taken away, and while Satan was the tempter, Satan didn’t capture humanity, humanity captured itself. And since that time, we have been held captive to the sinful nature.
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)
And so, the ransom price has been set – death.
Ransomed means “to pay a stipulated price and so obtain the release, to set free upon receiving the payment demanded.”
Therefore, to be set free, a ransom needs to be paid, and Jesus came for this very purpose. Jesus came to pay the ransom price to set us free.
“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)
Jesus came not to be served, as was His right being that He is God, but rather to serve, and He did so by becoming our ransom. He paid the ransom price for our souls.
The only way God could forgive our sins is through paying the penalty.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
God doesn’t ask men for the atoning sacrifice; He gives the atoning sacrifice because there is no one righteous enough to offer it. Therefore, while we were yet in our sins, Jesus came and died for us (Romans 5:8).
We have been redeemed, that is, we’ve been set free from the curse of the law, that is, death, along the power of sin, Satan, and all evil by the ransom paid by Jesus.
Jesus Christ has set us free; therefore, let’s live in the freedom that only Christ can bring.