Man Redeemed

MEMORY VERSE: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8

ROMANS 8:14; I PETER 1:18-21; EPHESIANS 2:4-10

REDEMPTION has been provided for all mankind, but the only ones who as yet have benefited from this provision are those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, and have devoted their lives to taking up their cross and following him. (Matt. 16:24) This acceptance of Jesus has resulted from their hearing the Gospel as it has been proclaimed by his true followers. We are thankful, however, that the time is coming when all mankind will receive a full knowledge of God’s gift of love, and thus will have an opportunity of accepting Jesus, obeying the laws of his kingdom, and living forever.—I Tim. 2:3-6

Our salvation from sin and death at the present time is upon the basis of faith. Those who come into Christ through consecration to do the Heavenly Father’s will, are no longer under condemnation to death through Adam. True, they die as do others, but this is because they are laying down their lives in sacrificial service. This service is made acceptable to God through the merit of the Redeemer’s shed blood.—Rom. 12:1

Peter explains that our redemption from death was by “the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world.” (I Pet. 1:19,20) Blood is a symbol of life, and Jesus gave his human life in sacrifice in order to provide redemption for both the church and the world. This was indeed a precious, or costly gift, one for which every Christian should be truly thankful.

Peter explains further that this sacrifice of life to provide redemption was “foreordained before the foundation of the world.” (vs. 20) While the Creator did not coerce our first parents into transgressing his law, his infinite wisdom and foreknowledge enabled him to know in advance that they would disobey him, so he made provision in advance for their redemption. Indeed, the whole plan of God for human redemption and deliverance was designed by God in advance of the time it was needed.—Acts 15:18

The only way our limited minds can know details of future events is to be able to control what happens. But God is not thus limited. He allowed man to exercise his own free will, yet he knew intuitively that man’s decision would be to disobey divine law. Throughout the ages since man’s fall, God’s plan for his recovery from sin and death has progressed slowly and uninterruptedly. During this Gospel Age he has been selecting from mankind those who will live and reign with Christ in the thousand-year messianic kingdom.—Rev. 20:6

These are the ones spoken of by Paul as sitting together with Christ in “heavenly places” in Christ Jesus. They occupy this high position of grace and honor now upon the basis of faith. These are being prepared, as Paul indicates, to show forth the “exceeding riches” of God’s grace “in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” during the “ages to come.” The first of these “ages to come” will be the Millennium. Together with Jesus, his true followers will be God’s instruments in restoring mankind to life during that age—the age spoken of by Peter as “the times of restitution of all things.”—Acts 3:19-21

Not only did God make the provision of redemption through Christ in advance, but he began to carry out that feature of his plan while sin and death were still reigning in the earth, or, as Paul states it in our memory verse, “while we were yet sinners.” Truly this is a marvelous manifestation of divine love! It reveals that God desired the return of his fallen human creatures even though they were not yet aware of his love for them.

It is through God’s grace that we are saved; the grace that is manifested toward us through Christ, who is the “gift of God.” (John 3:16; Rom. 6:23; II Cor. 9:15) It is upon the basis of faith that we accept this gift, a faith that is demonstrated by the presentation of ourselves to do God’s will, and his will during the present age is to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Should we not in the spirit of true thanksgiving, show our appreciation of God’s love by thus dedicating ourselves to the doing of his will?

QUESTIONS

For whom has redemption been made through Christ?

Of what is the blood of Christ a symbol?

Can God exercise foreknowledge without coercion?

What is the first age in “the ages to come”?

Upon what basis do we accept God’s gift of life?

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