Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of Morsels for Zion's Poor. The Lord admonished us
through Peter to be ready always to give an answer to every man
that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness
and fear. Our chief endeavor is to encourage
and build one another up in the most holy faith. To miss the
basic truths of who God is and then who man is will cause us
to be in error on everything else we may say. But there are
other vital truths which are necessary to a right understanding
of the gospel. What is sin? The most basic definition
that the scripture gives of sin is sin is the transgression of
the law of God. God is the only lawgiver who
is without any restriction. There is no court or council
which can stand in judgment, nor overturn any law which he
has decreed as binding upon men. Man in his fallen state is a
natural rebel against every law which God has set forth. Sin
has such a pervasive grip upon man that he has become a slave
to it and cannot escape it by himself. The Scripture plainly
indicates that men cannot lay the blame for their sin at the
feet of God, nor accuse him of wickedness, nor even question
his motives. But the Scriptures are equally
plain that sin did not and does not occur apart from the decree
of God. Yet all men, from the least to
the greatest, are accountable before God for their sin. For
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Sin is not
merely descriptive of the activity of man, but it is also indicative
of the corrupt nature of man's heart, which causes him to transgress
the law. The sin nature that we all have
was inherited from our father Adam, and we are under the curse
of sin because we are born sinners. Sin is not only found in acts
of open rebellion and disobedience, but also in the failure of men
to do those things which are good. To him that knoweth to
do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. Sin is also made
manifest when men misuse and abuse the things which God intended
for our good. While sin itself has the power
to destroy men, the most terrible fact is that God hates sin and
will bring judgment on all those who are tainted by it. What is
redemption? Redemption literally means liberation
procured by the payment of a ransom. As we look at redemption in the
scriptures, we find that it has four parts. Number one is a purpose. Christ's redemption of sinners
was neither an afterthought nor the remedy for an unforeseen
problem, but was in fact the very reason that he created the
world in the first place, that in the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward
us through Christ Jesus. Number two, a people. Redemption
carries with it the understanding that a ransom is being paid to
buy back a possession. Redemption, by its very definition,
is particular in nature. That is, it is carried out with
a specific people in mind. If a wealthy man pays a ransom
to set a child free, no one would be surprised to discover that
the child was his son, nor would they be amazed if he did not
pay a ransom for all stolen children. The Father has an elect people
which were given to the Son before the foundation of the world.
He loved them with an everlasting love, and He came into the world
to redeem them. While we can say that the value
of His life was infinite in worth, it is clear that the Scriptures
indicate that His purpose in redemption was to purchase the
deliverance of His own elect sons and daughters. Number three
is a payment. The most glorious aspect of our
redemption is our Redeemer. God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. But here we must
glory. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ
on the cross of Calvary is the central theme of the gospel.
It is impossible to preach the gospel without proclaiming Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. He was without sin, yet He took
upon Himself the sin of His people. Death had no claim upon him,
yet he died in their place. He did not just make their redemption
possible, but he actually obtained it for his elect. The salvation
of the Lord's people is owing totally to the payment which
he made, delivering them and satisfying forever their debt
of sin. And finally, redemption needs
a place. His redemption not only delivered
His elect from the debt of sin, but also from its bondage and
curse, purchasing an eternal abode which He has fashioned
for them. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places in Christ, in whom we have redemption through His blood,
the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace, wherein
He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence. Do you
rejoice in the finished, redemptive work of Christ? For a free CD
containing 15 of these radio broadcasts, send an email to
forthepoor at windstream.net.