Ransom – Page 2 – Praying Pint

Arms wide open

”I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.”

“And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away”

“Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’”

Zechariah 10:8 “I will whistle for them and gather them in, for I have redeemed them, and they shall be as many as they were before.

Isaiah 11:11 In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people

Isaiah 55:1 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

Matthew 11:28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

1 Timothy 2:4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

Revelation 22:17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

What a blessing to be reminded of God’s sovereign plan, provision, grace, mercy and love through outstretched hand to His creation. Who of us does not experience heavy burdens and needs rest? Who of us does not want to be invited to come to Him? God has made provision and called out to us with promises only He can make and fulfill. Run to Him, His arms are wide open.

I have found a ransom

“What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?”

“His soul draws near the pit, and his life to those who bring death. If there be for him an angel, a mediator, one of the thousand, to declare to man what is right for him, and he is merciful to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom;”

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

Psalms 49:15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.

Psalms 31:5 Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

Psalms 56:13 For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Hosea 13:14 I shall ransom them from the power of Sheol; I shall redeem them from Death.

Revelation 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

Psalms 16:10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.

Psalms 86:13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.

It is clear that those who are redeemed by his might, mercy, and grace will not see the death reserved for all mankind – Sheol(Hell). The question is asked – “What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?” No man can live and not see death. This is our end. But the question more important is who can deliver us from hell? What are the requirements for this deliverance? That too is clear. Believe in the redemption in and through Christ. Too many stop at this and say I believe but there is no deliverance in the way they live other than going to church once per week. They are consumed by the things this world has to offer and so easily lose sight of humbly serving, honoring, glorifying, following, and obeying God each day. Little time is spent in His word, meditating on it, or listening to Him speak through His word into their heart, mind, and soul. Ask yourself how much do you want God into your daily life. if the answer is more – then commit to spend more time in His word and living each day as He directs.

Forfeit his soul

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

“But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

Psalms 49:1 Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, both low and high, rich and poor together! My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre. Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me, those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit. For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they called lands by their own names. Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the path of those who have foolish confidence; yet after them people approve of their boasts. Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning. Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.

1 Timothy 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

We often have thoughts about people and their success on the wealth they have don’t we? We even have some thoughts about wanting the same or at least part of the same things they have. We get envious and soon are not content. This Psalm does make clear the impotence of wealth, the trust in it and the final reward for this trust – eternity in Hell. We leave all behind in this life – nothing is ours – we only have use of it for this side of eternity. If only we have clear understanding of this. Would our giving be greater? Would we be more content with what we have and stop seeking more and more of what this world has to offer? Seeking after more and more replaces thoughts of humbly serving, honoring, and obeying God. Our heart and mind get consumed with everything that is temporal at the cost of that which is eternal. This should not be so. Check your giving, generosity, contentment, and how much time is used getting verses giving. We all can do so much better in our focus for honor and glory to God.

Deny Self

What does it mean to deny self or renounce all we have? Deny self of what? We battle self and desires all the time that are not pleasing to God. Some of this is temptations from Satan and some of it comes from our sinful nature. Our culture waters down the cost of following Christ and living to honor and glorify God. Our culture would say that serving God and denying self means giving up Sunday morning and attending church. Following Christ is not one morning per week activity. It is not a one hour per day daily devotional. It is so much more than this. The cost (if it is truly a cost) is heart, mind, and soul deep. It is a true desire and choice to live for Him. Denying self is to stop seeking what pleases my interests and start understanding and doing that which honors and glorifies God. Deny self for how money is spent, how thoughts are fermented, how time is utilized. Denying self is a daily battle that can easily be lost. Check your heart – what are it’s desires?

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul

Matthew 4:10
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve

2 Timothy 2:12
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us

Luke 14:29
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple

Psalm 49:7
Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice