Tuesday: Christ, the Redeemer
Debt is not a principle of heaven. But Adam and Eve sinned, and a broken law meant death. Thus, humanity became debtors to divine justice. We were bankrupt, spiritually insolvent from a debt that we could never repay.
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God’s love for us set in motion the plan of redemption. Jesus became a “surety” for us (Heb. 7:22). It is Christ’s identity as the Redeemer that reveals the most important transaction ever made. Only the sacrifice of His life could accomplish the required payment of divine justice. Jesus paid the debt of sin that we owed as justice and mercy embraced at the cross. The universe had never seen or witnessed the display of such wealth as was used in the payment for the redemption of humankind (Eph. 5:2).
“By pouring the whole treasury of heaven into this world, by giving us in Christ all heaven, God has purchased the will, the affections, the mind, the soul, of every human being.” – Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 326.
Read each text and list what Christ has saved us from: Col. 1:13; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:18; Heb. 2:14-15; Gal. 3:13; Rev. 1:5.
The Greek word tetelestai in John 19:30 has been called the most important word ever spoken. It means “It is finished,” and is the last utterance Jesus made on the cross. His final declaration meant that His mission was accomplished and our debt was “paid in full.” He did not utter it as one with no hope but as one who succeeded in the redemption of a lost world. Looking at the cross of redemption reveals a past event with a present effect and a future hope. Jesus gave His life to destroy sin, death, and the works of the devil once and for all. This means that although undeserving, we are redeemed (Eph. 1:7). To glimpse the wonders of salvation is to tread holy ground.
Christ as the Redeemer is the most sublime image of God. His supreme interest is to redeem us. This reveals His perspective toward humanity and especially how He values a relationship with us. With justice satisfied, Christ turns His attention to our response to His sacrifice.
| Think about it: Christ paid the debt, fully and completely, for all the evil you have ever done. What must your response be? (See Job 42:5-6.) |
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God has created us to live in eternity. He has redeemed us in His son to be restored unto that eternity.
When Jesus said, "It is finished." No one could add anything to it. Creation, redemption and restoration is complete in Him.
Job 42:5
My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
Seek Him you will find Him
Listen and you will hear Him
Hebrews 7:22 "By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament."Many commentator says that Surety is the only use of the Greek term in the New Testament could also be translated “guarantee”. Jesus Himself guarantees the success of His New Covenant of salvation.
Testament means a contract or a covenant. Surety means pledge. We see then from this that the new contract between God and man is much better than the law.
JESUS PAID IT ALL, ALL TO HIM I OWE.
Respond like Job did and repent in dust and ashes. That is our only option if we will ever experience the benefits of "The Salvation" that is offered to us from God through His Son Jesus.
I just want to find out on where to obtain the weekly lesson summary. will appreciate any assistance
Is this what you want?
http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/18a/less03.html
The link is on the front page of SSNET.org
Can someone help me understand and explain what Galatians 3:13 is saying. Thanks
Someone else might shed better light on this but my understanding is hat the law condemns sin and the wages of sin is death. We were under this condemnation but Christ has freed us from such condemnation by purchasing us with his blood which He shed on Calvary. Indeed He who knew no sin became curse for us so that we can claim His righteousness.
Hi Delly
With respect, in regard to your last sentence, 2 Cor 5:21 doesn't say that we may "claim" His righteousness, but that we might actually "become" the righteousness of God. This verse is talking about an actual change in us indicating that God frees us from the death "condemnation" by actually healing/restoring that which is predisposing us to death. God redeems us by actually repairing what got broken in Genesis 3 at the fall - rather than by merely paying some penalty. Romans 5:19 carries a parallel expression of what Paul is saying in 2 Cor 5:21.
Hi Althea
I will explain the verse by drawing on related passages/concepts by it's author - Paul.
That verse is essentially telling us that Christ entered humanity (as the 2nd Adam) to retrace the steps of the 1st Adam for our redemption. The first Adam unfortunately 'failed' to continue living in harmony with (or 'obedience' to) the 'law/s' that enabled "abundant" (Jn 10:10) eternal life and consequently experienced the consequences ("wages") of doing so (Rm 6:23). When anyone becomes out of harmony with the law that sustains eternal life, they become separated from life and therefore die - this is the 'curse' of the law. This 'failure'/death state of the 1st Adam unfortunately was passed genetically on to all subsequent humans (Rm 5:14).
As mentioned, Christ entered humanity as the 2nd Adam to bring our redemption. As Ellen White (in Desire of Ages) helps us realise, in becoming human, Christ took on humanity with the impacts of 4000 years of 'degeneration' of the human race since the 1st Adam's 'fall' - and therefore experienced the human state in it's 'cursed' condition including everything that fallen humanity (inspired by Satan) could throw at Him. Where the 1st Adam 'failed' to continue living in harmony with the 'law' that enables abundant/eternal life to be possible, Christ as the 2nd Adam remained in harmony/obedience to the laws of eternal life - even to the point of death (Phil 2:8).
Consequently, where the 1st Adam 'doomed' all members of humanity to separation from eternal life (ie death) as per Rm 5:14, the 2nd Adam 'won the right' as a human to eternal life (as per Rm 5:19). Because of what Christ did (as per Gal 3:13), each human now has two options - follow the path of the 1st Adam (ie live out of harmony with the 'law/s' of life and experience the consequences of doing so) or follow the path of the 2nd Adam and be 'redeemed' back to God's plan for humanity prior to its 'fall' in Genesis 3.
I pray this helps your understanding.
Thank you Phil for clarifying the verse.
Hello Aletha,
I do not find the accounting model presented in this lesson helpful in understanding God’s method of saving mankind. Our redemption comes from believing what God has said about himself, not from some sort of accounting exchange. In my mind, Paul’s words in Galatians 3:13 are linked to Christ’s words in John 3:14-18.
Through his Christ, God clearly showed his intent towards us—unconditional love—and this in spite of our choice to believe what the Serpent Deceiver said about God’s intentions for us. In Christ, God offered himself to us as a sacrifice (a priceless gift, a propitiation to us) to prove his love to us. When we believe God, our relationship as his children is restored and we have eternal life. This is what Christ told Nicodemus (previously cited passage in John) and what Paul tells us (Romans 3:21-26).
When we believe what God has told us about himself in the person of his Christ, he does a work in us to recreate us in his image. We are freed to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, having the same mind (attitude) as Jesus and continually work out our salvation with respect and awe in the light of this amazing gracious love. (See Philippians 2:5, 12-13. See also Ephesians 5:1-2.)
We are debtors to God’s incredible love, which is definitely not an accounting exercise.
Phil van der Klift ,
That was beautifully said, very clear and consise.
I'm not totally comfortable with the use of the term "debt". In my personal financial life I avoid being in debt, because it is a 'yoke' that weighs one down and limits their options. Nor to I like to feel 'indebted' to someone (or them to me). These all have a very negative (and controlling) connotation.
We know God does not try to control us (He gave us free choice). And He doesn't want us to serve Him out of obligation or fear, but out of love. Calvary was all about removing the guilt, so we could be free--free to love and serve Him. Did He pay a debt I owe? I don't think that is a very clear illustration. He got me out of a situation I couldn't ever have gotten myself out of. But He did it because he loves me. He's not going to be hanging around reminding me how much I owe Him for doing that. That's not love.
A lot of things related to stewardship (including the word itself) can be taken wrong ways--can be used to control and manipulate. God is not like that, and those who use the topic manipulatively show how little they really know Him.
Another example is the emphasis this week that God owns everything and we are stewards of what he has entrusted to us. Technically, that is correct. But God gave us the good things in our lives and our world because He loves us. He wants us to enjoy them. While He wants us to recognize that even we ourselves came from Him, I think it expresses a wrong attitude to say we don't own anything. We own it 'under' Him, but He gave it to us. If I give someone a gift, do I 'own' it? I just think it is real easy to cast our loving God in a bad light by the way we state things.
Is it a true, valuable concept that there is 'good' debt and bad debt? Good debt being vehicle, house, education, children[!]. BAD debt being; various, or spending too much on - vehicle, house, education, children[?!].
Perhaps this is a distinction I didn't expect from this lesson but a pertinent reminder to minimize ALL debt.
Yes. I wasn't trying to imply that borrowing is always wrong or bad. There is a mortgage on my house, which allows me to enjoy it even though I didn't have the resources to buy it outright. And I anticipate retiring that mortgage before I cease to need the house, which is a good thing. Also it is at a relatively low rate.
My point was, thought, that even a 'good' debt is still sort of a negative thing. I will be happy when I no longer have to make those payments each month, and when I can tell them I am no longer a customer of theirs and they no longer have the right to send me weekly offers to refinance, etc. Turning that into the spiritual realm, I'm not sure God desires me to view him the way I view my mortgage company. Even worse, I CAN pay them off. I can never pay Him for what He did for me. But I'm pretty sure He doesn't want me cowering under that perception.
This is another moment in the lesson study when we are overwhelmed with the awesome love of Yehovah for us who are seemingly useless! It is my sense that I have come into a Most Holy Place in which I must thankfully, prayerfully, dwell for I hope - not to leave! I have recently come to feel that Ephesians 1,2, 2 Samuel 22, and Rev 5:10, 1:6, and 20:6 bring me also to that place ... Desire of Ages Chapter 3 tells us that this 'intervention' was necessary to prevent the self-annihilation of His creation.
amen