T h e S c r i p t u r e s o f t e n s e t forth truth in a double-barreled fashion, first negatively, then positively. “Be not drunk with wine wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit” ; “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” ; “Not I but Christ.” Thus it runs throughout the Word. Sometimes we find it in the reverse order: “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Let us consider three instances of this nega tive-positive approach, three passages which form a three-fold cord of blessed truth. First, let us hear from Peter: “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation re ceived by tradition from your fathers: But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:18, 19). WE ARE BOUGHT W ITH AN INF IN ITE PRICE The Bible is full of the Three R’s: Ruin, Re demption and Regeneration. The message of Cal vary is that when we were slaves of sin and sold under sin and under sentence of death, the Son of God gave His life a ransom for many. With His own precious blood He bought us in the mar ket, bought us out of the market and bought us to set us free. Salvation is free but not cheap. It costs us nothing for it is the gift of God, but it cost God His Son and it cost the Son His life.
the judge slipped out and paid the fine himself. It is a faint illustration of our redemption. We stood condemned before a broken law with nothing in our hands to pay but “Jesus paid it all.” There is therefore no charge against us on the books of heaven. Yet there are many who act as though we were redeemed by silver and gold, by our own righteousness, by joining a church, by being bap tized, by doing the best we can, by various ar rangements of our own. God help us to get the full force of the negative in this glorious double- barreled pronouncement! We are not redeemed and we never can be redeemed by anything we are or have or do. We cannot make one single down pay ment on our salvation. One thing and one thing only can we do: “Just as I am, without one plea, BUT THAT THY BLOOD WAS SHED FOR ME, And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, 0 Lamb of God, I come!” We are bought with an infinite price and well may we sing: But just here some believers take a mistaken attitude. Christ’s work is indeed a finished work and we are secure, but while the penalty of sin has been taken care of, we still face the power of sin in this present world. While we think of the Infinite Cost, let us not forget that when we are saved we enter upon an Invisible Conflict. We are not to sit under the blood with hands folded. We have a battle on our hands and we had better get our armor on. Let us read another “negative-posi tive,” this time from Paul: “For we wrestle not THE K IN G 'S BUSINESS **. Redeemed—How I love to proclaim Itt Redeemed— hy the Hood ot the I-amh — Redeemed— through His infinite m ercy — His child and forever I am ”
" I am redeemed hut not with stiver; I am bought hut not with gold— Bought with a price, the Hood of Jesus, Precious price ot i.ore untold
We have read of a man brought before a judge and ordered to pay a fine. He had nothing with which to pay but the story goes that the son of 10
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