THE FULL REDEMPTION THROUGH CHRIST OUR SUFFICIENCY

The redemption believers have in Christ is full. It lacks nothing because He “gave himself for us” to redeem and purify us to Himself a special, distinguished people. Beneficiaries of this redemption are zealous of good works. They are not barren, inoperative or incapacitated spiritually. Christ gave Himself for everyone in all generations. His sacrifice, substitution, atonement, suffering, propitiation, redemption is for each of us and for all. As the perfect, sinless, spotless, blameless One, He fully gave Himself so that no matter how deep a sinner had gone in sin, His purity, holiness and personality will atone for him or her. He gave Himself without any reservation for the vilest of sinners in every generation and bore the full wrath of heaven. He has taken away the suffering and penalty that we should have suffered. Therefore, full redemption, salvation and total freedom from sin and its consequences are available, including victory over trials, temptations and difficulties. Christ also solves the problem of the original sin; that is, the depravity and carnality we inherited from Adam, and He has redeemed us from all iniquity. The sin of Adam is not so terrible or great that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ cannot purge it. When Christ purifies believers who approach Him for sanctification, He restores the original purity God put in man at creation. He is the only One who can cleanse the heart and get it back to its original state. Christ purges and cleanses His followers to be useful instruments. As products of divine grace and new covenant people, we must replicate Christ and go about with burning zeal to do good works.

1. THE PURPOSEFUL PROVISION OF CHRIST OUR SAVIOUR

Titus 2:14; 1 Timothy 2:6; Galatians 1:4; 2:20; Ephesians 5:25-27; Titus 2:14; Psalm 130:8; Luke 1:68-71,73-75; Galatians 3:13; Romans 6:22; 8:2; 1 John 3:5-9; 2 Corinthians 8:5

Christ gave Himself “for our sins” as “a ransom for all”. He bore our guilt and the punishment we should have suffered so that “he might deliver us from this present evil world”. Therefore, believers should not be under the pressure, problem and yoke of this present evil world or keep wandering from pillar to post because they think their problems are greater than Christ who lives in them. We must not accept the suggestion that God’s will is for us to experience the problems we face because the deliverance Christ gives us is full and “according to the will of God and our Father”. When we get to the point where we are “crucified with Christ” and identify with Him, He transfers His power, divine energy and strength to us. Christ gave Himself to “sanctify and cleanse [us] with the washing of water by the word”. Every time we read the Word, it should make our hearts, minds, perspectives, understanding and relationship with the Lord glorious.

Although the Jews made sacrifices every year in the Day of Atonement, they still felt the presence, pollution and power of sin. But Christ died to “redeem us from all iniquity” so that we “might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life”. He frees us from fear of the enemies that causes night palpitation. He has also redeemed us “from the curse of the law”. When Christ lives inside us and fulfils the purpose for which He called us, even though we live in a corrupt society, we bear fruit “unto holiness” and become as a white lily in a muddy environment. The grace of God cleanses and sets us free “from the law of sin and death”. Thus, we are made to live above sin, sickness and all the activities of evil spirits. Because He gave Himself for us, we should also give ourselves back to him. “And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God”. We belong to the Lord and should be fully given to Him.

                                                   

2. THE PECULIAR PURITY OF CHRIST-CENTRED SAINTS

Titus 2:14; Malachi 3:3,4; Acts 15:9; 1 John 1:7; Hebrews 9:13,14; Titus 2:14; Psalm 4:3; Romans 14:7,8; 2 Corinthians 5:14,15; Exodus 19:5,6; Deuteronomy 7:6

Purified saints are peculiar to the heart of Christ. Believers who are saved should visit Calvary for the second touch. With peace in the heart, they should seek for purity of heart. The Old Testament believers had expectation of this spiritual experience. They looked forward to the time when Christ would purify the Levites who served at the altar so that they would be free from guilt and offence and be able to offer to the Lord in righteousness. “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness”. As we go to the Lord for cleansing, He purifies us. Just as He pardoned us by faith for salvation, He purifies the heart by faith for sanctification which is the second work of grace. If the blood of bulls and goats were able to purify the flesh in the old covenant, “the blood of Christ” is able to “purge [the sincere seeker today] from dead works to serve the living God”.

Christ reserves the purified believers “unto himself”, to make them instruments for His use. “But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself”. Thus, we should serve God in righteousness, purity and without distractions from the world. God’s desire was to make the whole nation of Israel pure. He intended to make them special, peculiar and the crown of humanity. “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people”. But they disappointed Him. Since the Lord has given us, the Gentiles, a privileged consideration for purity, and has made us a peculiar people, we must not disappoint Him. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”.

3. THE PASSIONATE PURSUIT OF CONSECRATED SOUL-WINNERS

Titus 2:14; Numbers 25:11-13; 2 Kings 10:16,28,30; Acts 11:24-26; 18:26-28; Romans 16:3-5

Having paid the price for our redemption; cleansed, forgave, purified and made us peculiar, the Lord wants us to show our appreciation by being passionate and committed to soul-winning. Everything Christ did for us is to make us “zealous of good works”. We should emulate Phinehas who singled himself out among the children of Israel and was “zealous for his God”. We should be zealous for His sake by telling sinners about salvation so we can turn the wrath of God away from them and the nation. We must stand for holiness and righteousness. We must not condone sin but preach the Word pungently so that sinners will repent. Jehu showed his zeal for the Lord when he “destroyed Baal out of Israel”. We must preach the word so we can have people who are truly saved in every house, office and community, who will wipe out corruption by their uncompromising stand.

When we wrought “good works”, we make a useless life to become useful, visit our brethren, encourage the discouraged, restore the backsliders, preach to sinners in the neighbourhood, follow-up new convert and establish them in the fellowship of the assembly of the children of God, build them up in the knowledge of God’s word to be fervent, knowledgeable, equipped and competent, like Aquila and Priscilla did to Apollos. We should look for areas in the life and ministry of pastors and others in the church where nobody supplies the need and become helpers. “Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles”. We should always be on the lookout for what we can do to make the ministry of preaching the gospel better and easier in order to win more souls into the Kingdom.