28th March 2011
The Lord is saying. So
you are still not fully convinced that I am working for your
good in the shakings of the week. Yet I affirm I am truly working
all this round to your good. Have I not said that they would
surely gather together against you, but no weapon formed against
you will prosper. That which I require from you is praise and
thanksgiving. I am most assuredly working behind the scenes.
Blessed are they who wait upon me.
Seven images of Salvation
Last week I heard this sermon from Frank Mwiko, and thought
I would like to share it with you. He explained something that
I had not thought of before. There are certain words which the
bible uses to show some of the benefits Jesus obtained for us
and previously I had just lumped them all together thinking
they meant the same thing.
This is how Frank distinquishes the intricacies of and what
benefits each word holds for us......
"The New Testament uses a wide range of images to express
the richness of the work of Christ. Each of these images give
part of the picture of what Jesus Christ has done for us."
1. Ransom..
is a word describing the price paid to
achieve someone's freedom.
Mark 10: 45 For even
the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give
his life as a ransom for many.
Strong's concordance explains
that a ransom is something to loosen with.. that it is a redemption
price
John 8: 34 - 36 Jesus
answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth
sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the
house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore
shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. .
Jesus gave himself to be
a ransom to buy us back from slavery to the curse of the law..
1 Corinthians 15:56 The
sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law
2. Redemption...
is a word meaning "buying back" or for
a slave "buying freedom".
Strong's concordance explains that this is the
act of fully buying back.
Ephesians 1:7 In him
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of Gods grace
In Ephesians 1: 13,14
In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the
earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory.
So to distinquish between the two words... Ransom
and redemption. We see that the ransom is the price, whereas
redemption is the act of buying back... We also see in Ephesians
there is the indication that not only have we redemption but
there will be a time of fully being redeemed. (Note from Shirley:
I believe this is underlining that our spirits truly are redeemed
but there will be a time when our minds and bodies are fully
redeemed from all the effects of the sin of Adam and Eve).
3. Salvation..
Means to be rescued or delivered from a dangerous
situation. The word also means healing.
Acts 4:12 Nor is there
salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved.
4. Forgiveness
This can be seen in two ways. In legal or financial
terms, forgiveness is like the cancellation of a debt.
In personal relationship, forgiveness means the
setting aside of a personal hurt or injury.
In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of His grace . . . But now in Christ Jesus you who once
were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
(Eph_1:7; Eph_2:13)
5. Justification....
Means being put right with God, as if declared
a court to be in the right
Rom 4:25 Who was delivered
for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Its Just-as-if-I'd I never
sinned
6. Reconciliation...
Means the repair of a broken relationship. God
reconciles us to Himself. He acts to restore a friendship, when
we respond to His initiative.
2 Corinthians 5:18 All
this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ
and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
7. Adoption...
Making us legal children of God.. Faith in Jesus
Christ brings about a change in our status, from the outside
to a family member of God.
Galatians 4:4-5 But when
the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman,
born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might
receive adoption to sonship.