1 Corinthians 6, verse 12 through
verse 20. Verse 20 actually being our major
text. All things are lawful unto me,
but all things are not expedient. All things are lawful to me,
but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the
belly, and the belly for meats, but God shall destroy both it
and them. Now the body is not for fornication,
but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God hath both
raised up the Lord, will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies
are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members
of Christ, make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he which
is joined to an harlot is one body? For two saith he shall
be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the
Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that
a man doeth is without the body, but he that commits fornication
sins against his own body. Now watch verse 19 and 20. But
know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost,
which is in you, which you have of God? And ye are not your own,
for you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God, in your
body and in your spirit which are God's. Ye are bought with
a price. 1 Corinthians 7 verse 23, ye
are bought with a price, be not ye the servants of men. I start with an illustration.
If you were to view seriously the death of our blessed Lord,
in viewing it would be like looking at a large diamond. No matter
which side, which angle, which way you took how the light was
shining, it would be a thing of beauty. And the reason for
that is that the Lord's death is at the same time a satisfaction,
a perpetuation, an atonement, a reconciliation, a ransom. And this cluster of words that
we just mentioned, buy, bought, and purchased, in regard to the
church, to the elect, and to the people of God. Now, our first
text here said, ye are bought with a price. And Paul says to
the members of the church at Corinth, but which is true of
every believer and of every regenerate elect, you are bought with a
price. And before we examine this great
doctrine, let us set the context here in which it appears in 1
Corinthians chapter 6. Because we can see by the words
that are used here, such as the word far, f-o-r, far, and the
word therefore, far and therefore. We can see, number one, that
the words have some connection, that they are an explanation
or a conclusion or a consequence of something that has been said
earlier or that has gone before, such as verse 19. and the last
part ye are not your own because in the 20th verse you are bought
with a price and then secondly we notice an exhortation based
upon this matter or text you are bought with a price therefore
glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God. Now the question is, how does
this glorious declaration, ye are bought with a price, fit
in with the present context that we read? Now the main context
runs from verse 12 down through verse 20, in which Paul writes
it in order that he might correct from error and some evil that
were being participated in under the guise or the name of Christian
liberty. And Paul would correct them about
that. They were allowing, they were
doing certain things under the pretext of Christian liberty
and that they were free and in Christ and therefore free to
do them. Paul refutes by several sound
reason why the body is not for fornication because there were
those at Corinth and it was a very immoral city we learn from history
that had made fornication to be no different than the appetite
or the hunger or craving for food of the body. And Paul refused
that by several sound reason why the body is not for fornication
using the premise there in the end of verse 13. The body is for the Lord and
the Lord for the body. And upon that ground, he tells
them that the sin of fornication is incompatible with a relationship
of the body unto the Lord, and that for these reasons. We'll
look quickly. In verse 14, the body will be
raised up by the power of God. In verse 15, the body is a member
of Christ. In verse 16, Union with a harlot
makes one to have a one flesh union with that harlot. Verse
17, he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit with the Lord. Verse 18, Fornication is a sin
against one's own body. Verse 19, the Christian's body
is the temple or the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, that
the Spirit of God dwells in you. And you are not your own. And why? Because in verse 20,
you are bought with a price. And Paul adds this exhortation
in verse 20 and the last part. Glorify God in your body, not
in the spirit only, but in the body of you. That is, you are
not your own. You're not your own because you
have been bought with a price, and since you are not your own,
having been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your
body. There's a similar passage that
we read in 1 Corinthians 7, And verse 23, as an exhortation to
some of those at Corinth, you are bought with a price, therefore
be ye not the servant, literally, the slave of man. You are the Lord's free man,
having been bought, therefore do not be in servitude unto man. whereby it becomes very clear
that this being bought with a price has a great and continuing influence
upon the life of the one who is bought with a price, which
is the blood of our Lord. They are freed from the enslavement
of sin. Number two, they're liberated
in order that they might become the servants, on the other hand,
of the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him in the liberty of the
gospel. But before we proceed, let's
be reminded that redemption is a vital part of the saving process. One must understand the meaning
in order to give it the proper honor that it deserves in the
scripture, and describe the proper glory unto Christ, which he deserved
for having redeemed us. And every spiritual malady, whatever
it might be, has a proper remedy. For example, we were under the
curse of the law. Christ bore the curse that we
might be set free. We were dead in trespasses and
in sin, and the Lord quickened us. And so we were enslaved,
and the Lord ransomed us, He redeemed us. He bought us. John Gill called this, quote,
a principle and most important blessing of the doctrine of grace,
unquote. And Gill said, as have others,
that our English word redemption comes from the Latin language
that it portrays. And that means to buy or to buy
back. to buy again, to buy by paying
of a price or the laying down of a price. Hence the obtaining
of a thing or a person by the paying of the proper price to
the one who holds them under their power. And to keep this
redemption in perspective, the Greek word in the New Testament,
as I understand it, signifies, as I said, to buy, to purchase. It is translated redeemed, and
that is done by the paying of a price. Now, redemption is not
by force or by might. It's not going forth and destroying
the one who holds the prisoner, but it is buying or redeeming
by a price out of that enslavement. So it is not taking by might
or by power, but by giving the price, buying, redeeming them
for their freedom. So that redemption, by definition,
is the deliverance of one from bondage and the misery, the condition
that is affected by the pain of the price that is demanded. And therefore, let's consider
that cluster of words having to do with redemption. There
is the word buy, B-U-Y, from or as the word, I think it would
be agarazzo, which is from a root word, agora, the market. In other words, to go down into
the market, a place where buying and selling occurred, the town
square perhaps. And this word we find some 30
times that is used in the New Testament, translated by bought
or by buy or by redeem. And it is the word used of making
purchases. For example, John chapter 4 and
verse 8 his disciples were gone away into the city to buy meat
there's that word and in Matthew 13 45 the merchant man bought
the pearl of great price mark 15 verse 46 Joseph bought fine
linen and he wrapped it about the body of of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Then the word agorazo is also
the word used 1 Corinthians 6 20 and 1 Corinthians 7 and 23. Ye are bought, ransomed, or redeemed
with a price. So we see that it is applied
in three ways. Number one, of such tangible
things as food. Go buy food and land. He bought the pearl of the field.
and material. He bought the fine linen and
the potter's field. They purchased the potter's field
to bury strangers in. Secondly, I think we see it even
used as a metaphor in the scripture, Revelation 3 verse 18. where
he said to the Laodicean church, I counsel of thee to buy of me
gold tried in the fire. Thirdly, it is used of the Christian
believer or the elect. You are bought with a price. And we should note that in none
of those things, whether it be land or spices or linen or the
potter's field or food, does it mean to overpower and to take
it away by force. In each case, it means to buy,
it means to purchase, it means to give a price, and that's how
it is purchased. Secondly, another word is ex-agorazo,
which is at least four times in the New Testament, which Vine
called a strengthened form of agorazo, meaning to buy up or
to ransom, rescue, to purchase with a view and the intent of
freeing that one from their condition. For example, Galatians 3 and
verse 13, Christ had redeemed us from the curse of the law
being made a curse for us. We read again in Galatians 4
and verse 5, to redeem them that were under the curse of the law,
meaning to rescue from loss by a ransom, having redeemed with
a purpose of freeing and delivering from the curse and the wrath
of the law that we might have remained under. Then another
word that pops up is the word, I guess you would pronounce it,
le-tru-to, signifying to release by the paying of a ransom. Three times in the New Testament
as follows. 24, 21, when the two on the road
to Emmaus trusted, it had been he which should have redeemed
Israel, that is, loosed or freed them. Again, it's in Titus 2,
verse 14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from
all iniquity. There it is again. 1 Peter 2
and verse 18, redemption was not with corruptible things such
as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Now this last word has the meaning
of to release or to loosen, to free and let go. to release by
the payment of a ransom, a price, and the actual setting at liberty
by the paying of a ransom. In reading John Owen, I took
this quotation, I think it describes it well. Quote, redemption is
the deliverance of one from bondage or captivity and the attendant
misery of that condition by the intervention of a price or ransom
paid by the Redeemer to him by whose authority he is detained
or held. that being delivered he might
be in a state of liberty and at the disposal of the Redeemer."
Now this short paragraph teaches us so many aspects of redemption. And it gives a good summation. Let's look quickly. A, what was
the nature of the bondage? B, how was it a state of misery? What was the state of the misery? And C, what was the price of
our redemption? And who paid the price of our
redemption? And then D, here's a question
not to be overlooked. To whom was the ransom paid? Our Lord paid a ransom, to whom
did he pay it? By whose authority were the captives
released unto him? Who cast us in the first place
under that required bond so that only the blood of Christ could
redeem it? And then E, what is the nature
of the freedom or of the liberty? First, what was the nature of
the bondage? I give you a hint. It was not
political. It was not social. It was not
domestic. It was not a military captivity,
nor was it financial. But it was worse than all of
these individually or collectively. It was spiritual slavery. It was spiritual enslavement. And that was our condition. It
was the bondage of sin, and it included every member of Adam's
race, not one single exception. For example, Jesus said, In John
8, about verse 34, whosoever commits sin, does sin, that practices
sin, that lives in sin, is the servant of sin. And the word
here, servant, is the strong word, doulos, or slave, a bondservant. The Jews mistook the kind of
freedom that our Lord was talking about, saying, We were never
in bondage to any man. But then how extensive was this
bondage? In bondage to sin, in bondage
to the wrath of the law. Even Galatians chapter four and
verse three, in bondage under the elements of the world and
the misery and the helpless slave. Unable to free ourselves, we
were. We had nothing to pay. Our debt
was great. In bondage of the fear of death,
the burning of conscience, enslaved and who cared? Who is there that
cared for our soul? And only Christ could redeem
us, could save us. Only he could purchase our freedom
from this slavery unto sin. Only he could give a suitable
ransom to he that held us under. And what is required that we
might be delivered? Paul says in Ephesians 1.7, Colossians
1.14, in whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sin. The Apostle Peter tells
us, 1 Peter 1, verse 18 through 20, we're not redeemed with corruptible
things such as silver and gold, but by the precious blood of
the lamb as without spot and without blemish. That we can
live the Christian life for as much as we are redeemed for your
vain conversation delivered from the fathers." Vain conversation
we have been delivered from. Vain is empty, profitless, and
worthless, and futile. Conversation is an old antique
word. not referring to speech or to
talk or to sound, but to conduct and behavior and manner of life. The way that one lives their
life is conversation in the scripture. Peter declares our redemption
was not accomplished with silver and with gold. Some Old Testament
redemptions were. Old Testament redemptions, which
were typical, were by silver and by gold. Thus silver and
gold are counted as the most valuable things that men have
to purchase anything. But the blood of our Lord Jesus
Christ is not corruptible and is precious. Precious, I think,
is the word teme, and it is valuable, costly. And in the King James,
it is translated in Acts 5, 34, reputation. In Acts 20, 24, it
is translated dear. And in Hebrews chapter 13 and
verse 4, It is translated as honorable. And Peter adds the
great fact concerning Christ. First, Peter 1, 19 and 20, that
Christ was the Lamb of God without spot and without blemish. Perfect in character. In other
words, impeccable. Secondly, that he was foreordained
to this death of the cross before the foundation of the world. He's the lamb slain from the
foundation revelation 13 and at verse 8 and in the eternal
purpose of God He was predestinated to that death of the cross He
was delivered by the determinant counsel for knowledge of God
acts 2 in verse 23 and it was done to what was done to the
Lord on the cross and was what God's counsel determined before
to be done. Acts chapter 4 and verse 28. He went as it was determined. Luke chapter 22 and verse 22. Now comes the time to consider
the question, to whom was the ransom paid? Who received the
price with which we are bought? Who required it? Who bound us
until it was paid? that we might be bought. Now
to err here. would spoil all that we have
said about redemption so far. To whom is the price given? Who requires satisfaction that
the prisoners might go free? We are bought. We are bought
with a price. And that price is nothing else
than the blood of the Lord. So the question is simple. Who
received the payment? into whose hands was it paid. That's strange that some, I held
a view myself in days of ignorance, have believed that the ransom
was paid unto Satan or to the devil. Therefore, he holds us
for ransom. But then we think, pray tell,
what will Satan do with the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ? Does
he count it precious? Not in that way. I'm in the mind
of Gil, others, that the price is paid into the hands of God's
justice to make satisfaction for our transgression against
the law. Here's what Gil said. Redemption
from avenging justice is by price paid to justice for the ransom
of them, unquote. Hebrews 9, 14, Christ, who through
the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God. Christ gave himself to God. Ephesians
5 and 2, we've quoted recently, has given himself for an offering
and a sacrifice for a sweet sabor unto God. To God, Christ gave
himself a sacrifice to God. And it was well-pleasing unto
God the Father. He accepted the oblation of our
Lord himself. He accepted it and was well-pleased
with it and counted it a just payment for sin and for our release. Revelation 5 verse 9 says in
part that was slain has redeemed us unto God by Thy blood Then
we consider the question to whom was the ransom paid in whose
behalf did Christ propitiate God Was it for every sinner? Everyone upon the face of the
earth or only for the elect If for every sinner, then why is
not every sinner set free from the bondage of sin, will you
say? Well, because they do not accept
it. And yet we would remind you that
God did accept it, did accept it in their behalf, and was well
pleased with it. It was a sweet-smelling odor
unto him. Now, I must ask, Is God so unrighteous
as to, number one, not cancel the debt that Christ paid? Is God so unrighteous that he
would not cancel the debt that Christ paid him when he died? Number two, we must remember,
will God be so unrighteous as to require of the sinner what
Christ has already paid in his behalf? Shall he require double
payment? first at Christ's hand, then
at the hand of a sinner. Because the nature of the ransom
or redemption supports particular redemption. You are buying a
particular thing, item, or person. Now, a final thing in our first
text, in connection with the Declaration, ye are bought with
a price. Paul tells them that as a result
of their having been bought with a price, you are not your own. Literally, you're not of yourself. And then he adds, to glorify
God thereby in your body. The body is not irrelevant to
ones being a Christian and living under God, as some of the Corinthians
evidently believed and practiced, so that they put fornication
in the same category as belly and food, and making fornication
a thing lawful and a part of their Christian liberty, and
as a thing indifferent, as common as eating, as common as the appetite
of hunger. Based upon their argument that
the body will perish in due time Thus Paul tells them some things
about the body such as verse 13 the body is for the Lord and
the Lord is for the body. Verse 14, God who raised up the
Lord bodily will also raise up us by his own power. Verse 15, your bodies are the
members of Christ. So fornication is to be avoided. Verse 19, your body is the temple,
is the shrine, is the sanctuary of the Lord. Henceforth, the
exhortation, therefore, glorify God in your body. Compare that with 1 Corinthians
chapter 3, verse 16 and 17. Also consider what is said in
Titus chapter 2 and verse 14, where Paul says, Christ gave
himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
that is, deliver and save us from sin, that he purify unto
himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. Now the conclusion,
Christ came to redeem his people from their bondage and misery
in sin, to deliver them. He did so by paying a price,
by giving a satisfaction to the justice of God, to give his life
a ransom for many, to purchase their freedom, to buy them for
himself, so that now we are the servants of the Lord's Christ. We have become servants of the
Lord, bought indentured servants of the Lord. In Him we have redemption
by His blood. It's the price of our deliverance. We are not our own we are bought
with a price. We belong to the one who bought
us by his blood, his ransom, his death upon the tree. Therefore,
Paul can say, you're not your own, you are bought with a price. Thank God for that great redemption. No man could have ever given
the price of our redemption We could not give it ourself, nor
could any other, nor could a thousand of our favorite friends. Christ,
by his blood, has bought us. He's settled the debt. As surety,
he's answered the charges against us, paid in full. He owns us. We are his.