Bought With a Price - Part 2 of 2

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise, the worries of my God and King, the triumphs of his grace.

This is Lisei Bradley, Jr., welcoming you to another broadcast of the Baptist Bible Hour. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see. Was grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved? How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed! Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come.

Is grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home? When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun. We continue the message today, bought with a price, when we come to realize what great sinners we are by nature. We stand amazed that God would give his own Son, and that that great price would be paid for our redemption.

May we rejoice in that truth. And I hope the message as we continue with it today will be a blessing to you, and then you will write and let us know that you have listened. Our address is the Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Let's look at the reference to it in the book of Hebrews chapter 9. What a vivid picture we see, and the fulfillment of it here in Hebrews chapter 9 verse 11. But Christ, being come an high priest of good things to come, by greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained what eternal redemption for us. He, as our great high priest, came not with the blood of animals, as had been done through all of the history of Israel in the old covenant times, but now he not only is the great high priest, he's the sacrificial lamb, and he takes his own blood and has presented it to the Father, and it's acceptable, and therefore he hath obtained eternal redemption for us. Verse 24, for Christ is not entered in the holy place made with hands, which are figures of the truth, I didn't mean he wasn't entering into the tabernacle or to the temple that were made by hands, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. That's good news, isn't it? You need a representative.

You need someone to plead your case. He's entered into the presence of God there to appear for us on our behalf. Or yet, that should offer himself off as the high priest enter into the holy place, year after year with the blood of others. That priest, once he had offered the sacrifice, was never finished. There was no chair for him to sit down in the tabernacle, because when one offer was made, they looked to the time that another would be made, but when Christ made the perfect sacrifice, there was no need for it to be repeated, for then he must have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now, once in the end of the world, he hath appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Put it away, put it away! And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that looked for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Yes, a beautiful picture of the redemptive work, as we see the lamb slain and on the night of the Passover, those little children in Israel being spared. It's only because of the blood that was shed by Jesus Christ and applied to our account that we're delivered. Now, having considered the need of redemption, having considered also how it comes about, we want to consider the consequence of it. The consequence of it.

What does it mean? Well, according to this text, you're not your own, you're bought with a price. You belong to Jesus Christ if you're redeemed.

Now that's a reason for great joy. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and the 23rd verse, Paul says, you are Christ. Right into this church he said, you belong to Christ. He possesses you, he owns you.

Can you think of anything better? If you are his possession, if he has purchased you, you belong to him, he's vitally interested in you. He's interested in every detail of your life. He cares about you. There may be moments of doubt and fear and discouragement where you wonder, does he really care? Is God interested in me? But you can be reassured of the fact that he has purchased you, that he does care.

You are his. And so it's a reason of great joy. A source of joy that exceeds any other kind of joy that we might imagine. Oh, we live in a world today when people are so caught up with their love of material things, constantly wanting more and more and more. Of course, with the recent economic decline, many have lost much of what they had worked for for a lifetime. Much of what they had worked for for a lifetime.

But still people focus their attention upon it. And if somebody can say, I saw it coming, I took my money out of the market, I put it into gold, I stashed it away, whatever did, look what I've got, look what I possess, how happy I can be because of what I have. Let me tell you, my friends, you might be a multimillionaire.

You might have more money than anybody else on this earth. But the possession of money, the possession of power and influence, could not possibly compare to what it means to be purchased by Jesus Christ, to belong to him, to be his possession. We see some biblical examples of that. In the 12th chapter of the book of Luke, it talked about a man who was prosperous. He had had such a harvest that there was not room to put it into the barns. He said, I'll tear them down a bit, build bigger barns. The thing that brought him the greatest pleasure was wealth, prosperity.

Verse 19 of Luke 12, and I will say to my soul, soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Here's the attitude of a proud man that says, you know, I'm a self-made man. I'm a self-made man. I pull myself up by the bootstraps.

I started out with nothing, but look at the millions I've acquired over the years. Look at the real estate I own. Look at what I've been able to accomplish. Look where I am.

Look at me. Time for me to sit back and enjoy the fruit of my labor, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, thou fool, this night, thy soul shall be required of thee. Then who shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is it he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God? You see, it didn't matter how many barns this man had. It didn't matter how full they were.

It didn't matter how rich he was. God says, this night, thy soul shall be required of thee. It doesn't matter what you may have accomplished, what you may have gained, what you may possess in this world, friends, if your soul is required and you go out into eternity, lost and ruined.

To think of suffering the wrath of God forever is a horrendous, sobering thought. And we find a picture of just that in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. We read of another rich man. He was clothed in purple and linen and fared sumptuously every day. He had a poor man named Lazarus down at his gate, full of sores.

The dogs came and licked his sores. Doesn't indicate the rich man even had any compassion for him. The man was rich, the man was prosperous, the man was no doubt highly esteemed in his community. But notice what it says in verse 23. After he died and was buried and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. What difference would it make if you owned everything on this earth and died and lifted up your eyes in hell?

It was too late for any mercy. Oh, my friends, that we might see the value that we might see the value of what it is to believe that we've been purchased by Jesus Christ. A source of tremendous joy, a joy above everything else that could possibly be contemplated. To be redeemed means that you have been delivered from condemnation. You were justly condemned, a violator of the law, deserving to have the penalty meted out to suffer God's wrath forever and ever. But Romans chapter 8 verse 33 gives us insight as to what has happened through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. What shall we say to these things if God be for us who can be against us? Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also liveth to make intercession for us. Who can lay anything to the charge of God to live?

How wonderful. Oh, you look at your life and you say there are many things that can be laid to my charge. I do see my sin. I do see my failure. I do see how I have failed again and again and again to love God with all my mind, heart, soul and strength. I see how I've lived to myself. I see how I've yield to the passions of this human nature.

I see that. Oh, to think though that I've been redeemed, that the price that I could not pay has been paid for me, that I have now even the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 7 says that in Jesus Christ we have redemption even the forgiveness of sins. Many times when a person is deeply convicted of their sin, they mourn under it. They grieve over it. They shed tears because of it. They say, oh, if I could just retrace my steps, if I could just tear that chapter out of my life, if I could just somehow put it all away. No matter what you do, there's no way you can get rid of it.

There's no way you can overcome it in yourself. But the good news of the gospel is there is forgiveness of sins. That because of the redemption that we have in Jesus Christ, He says that we have sins forgiven. Forgiven. He forgives us because He paid the price at Calvary. Yes, it's a reason for great joy.

As a matter of fact, it's a reason for joy that we will rejoice in forever. I think I can safely say this morning that when you're in heaven, there will not be one single day you'll go up and down Hallelujah Avenue saying, you know, I had more money in the bank than anybody. I tell you, I had one of the biggest houses on the block. Boy, you remember that car I used to ride in? Remember that boat I used to take down on the river?

Oh my, well, those are the days. I guarantee you won't be saying anything about that. But I tell you what you will be interested in and what you'll be singing about because God's Word reveals it. Revelation chapter 5 verse 9. And they sung a new song saying, thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. That's what you'll be singing about because you'll understand then even better than you understand it now what you were redeemed from. Redeemed from the curse and penalty of sin.

Redeemed because you now belong to Jesus Christ and you're going to live with him forever and you find the light to lift up that song with the whole host of the redeemed of all ages out of every kindred and nation unto heaven and all of them singing praise to Jesus Christ, the lamb that was slain. And then he says, you're not your own. You're not free to live as you please. When we talk about salvation by grace somebody that doesn't understand it will sometimes reply and say well if that's the case if I'm saved by grace it just doesn't matter how I live. Oh yes it matters because you're not your own.

You've been bought and paid for. You belong to him and he cares enough about you that when you get out of the way he'll come after you. When you rebel and disobey he'll put the rod of correction upon you. Whom the Lord loves he chastens and scourges every son whom he receiveth.

Yes he will deal with us. Becomes now not the issue that is uppermost in the minds of multitudes in our culture. I just want to be happy. That's my concern in life.

Oh how many times you hear that. As a matter of fact when you try to tell somebody here's what God requires. Well I don't think God would want me to be unhappy. So in other words if doing what God says is going to make me unhappy I'm sure God will understand if they don't do it that way.

No friends that doesn't change what God says. God is not primarily concerned about your happiness. He's concerned about your holiness and the interesting thing is that when you become holy you become happy. But when you try to get happy without holiness you mess up the whole thing. All you do is become more and more miserable because the farther you go from God to the deeper you sink into sin the worse your condition is.

How different the concept. The concern now is how can I please the redeemer. I cannot live after the flesh any longer. That's the subject matter here in 1st Corinthians chapter 9 where Paul is saying the 18th verse, free fornication. He's talking specifically about sensual sins, the sins of the flesh. Obviously any sin is to be considered here but this is particularly what he has reference to. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body.

What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. How dare you then, having been purchased by Jesus Christ, you're not your own, you belong to him to take your body in which the Holy Ghost dwells and give yourself to a harlot as the previous part of the passage indicates. Which of saying the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own for you're bought with a price therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's. You belong to him.

So in spite of the fact we live in a culture today it says as long as it makes you happy, as long as it's a lifestyle you choose, as long as you're not really hurting anybody else it doesn't matter. If you're one that's been redeemed it makes a tremendous difference. You're no longer your own. You're bought with a price.

Since you're bought you're his servant. That means that you are to be surrendered to the Lord. Saul of Tarsus was a great enemy of the church. He hated the gospel. He hated the name Jesus.

He was on his way to Damascus to put Christians to death but God spoke to it. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And his response was, Who art thou Lord? He said, I'm Jesus whom thou persecutest.

It is hard for me to kick against the pricks. And what was the next response? Paul says, What wilt thou have me to do? Oh may that be the response that springs from every heart here today. What wilt thou have me to do? That's all that really counts.

That's all that really matters. What wilt thou have me to do? You consider what should I do about my education? What wilt thou have me to do? What should I do about my job? What wilt thou have me to do?

What should I do about my marriage? What wilt thou have me to do? This was the concern of the apostle and therefore he could say in Philippians chapter 1 of the 21st verse, For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Can you say that today? Can you say, For me to live is Christ? For some people to live, it means that they live for money. They live for pleasure. They live with a greedy spirit.

They live with anger and resentment. Can you say, For me to live is Christ? We are to be humbled and submissive before him. Our greatest desire should be to please him. As prophet, Jesus reveals God to us.

As priest, he makes the atonement for us. As king, we are to be surrendered to him, submissive to him in our life. Let me say, if you become troubled about the fact of Jesus Christ being Lord of your life, it probably indicates your heart has not been broken. You have not humbled yourself before him.

You have not humbled yourself before him. Because indeed, if one sees by nature I'm a rebel, by nature I'm at enmity against God, by grace I want to be submissive to him. And the greatest thing that could possibly happen is that I see him as my Lord and my guide, my Savior, my Redeemer. I want to be surrendered to him. If all the children of Zion could be amassed in one great congregation today and the question is asked, Who would want Jesus as King? Every hand would go up. No objection would be made. Every child of grace would say, I want Jesus as King.

Can you say it today? I want him not only as the Savior of my soul, but as the Lord of my life. It makes a difference how you live, how you spend your time, what you read, what you look at on television and on the internet, where you go, how you use your natural abilities, your time, talents, what you do with your work, what you do with the money that God blesses you to receive as a result of your labors. You're going to be a good steward of that. And according to our text, it's to all be for his glory, for you're bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body. The body itself is to be a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable under God.

So that rules out all the sins of the flesh. But in everything that you do, you're to do all to the glory of God, to the glory of Jesus Christ. You have children. What should be your greatest concern? Somebody says, oh, I want to have children I can be proud of. I want to have children that all reach the highest potential possible as far as the money they make or the profession that they pursue.

You know what your concern ought to be? I want to bring up my children to the glory of God. I want to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. I consider them to be a gift from God. I want to honor God as I seek to bring them up.

You're not your own, you're bought with a price. That being the case, when God's people are met together, where would you want to be? I want to be with them. I want to be with other members of the redeemed family. I want to be present, to lift up my voice in song to praise him. I want to hear his gospel preached, though I've heard it many times before, to hear the old, old story once more cheers my heart and lifts my spirit. I want to hear it. I want to hear the gospel preached. I want to be instructed.

I want to grow. I want to learn more about him, more about him. Since redemption took place at Calvary so long ago, somebody might say, what you're describing this morning about the redeemed is wonderful to hear. How could I have some assurance that I'm one of those? I certainly tremble at the thought of having to stand in the presence of a holy God and give an account for all my sinful actions in life and to think that he would cast me away and I would suffer forever. How could I believe that I've been redeemed? Are you a sinner? Do you know you're a sinner? Are you convicted of your sin? Is it not just a matter that you're grieved over the fact that sin is cautious of inconvenience but you have sinned against God? Then the good news is Romans chapter 5 verse 8, but God commended his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. That's the kind of people Jesus died for.

That's the kind of people that were redeemed when he went to the cross. Sinners, do you see yourself to be a sinner? Secondly, having been convicted of your sin, a spirit of repentance being displayed in your life, are you a believer in Jesus Christ? Hear the words of Jesus in John chapter 5 verse 24, verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me half everlasting life and shall not pass into condemnation but is passed from death unto life. He that believeth on me, half everlasting life, do you believe on him? You say, I'm not sure my faith is strong enough. Friends, it's not faith that saves you, it's Jesus. Do you cry out, Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief, but I believe in Jesus.

The one that believes on Jesus as evidence of being one that was purchased, bought, paid for at the cross and one day will be in that multitude when Jesus presents them to the Father saying, behold I am the children which thou has given me. They were given to me in the covenant. I purchased them at Calvary.

I called them and drew them in time and here they are. I've kept them and preserved them, kept with the power of God under that great day, bought with a price. Can you say today, do I see myself as a ruined sinner?

My hope and trust alone is in Jesus. I believe he's redeemed me and I know I'm not my own. I'm bought with a price. I want to be identified with him in the waters of baptism. Today we have brought you the concluding part of a message entitled, bought with a price. How amazing is the grace of God to have given his son to purchase us by his own blood. If you would like to get the complete message on CD, request it when writing us at Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Till we greet you next time, this is LaSara Bradley Jr. bidding you goodbye and may God bless you.