Ransomed

"If you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed..."

1 Peter 1:17- 18

We all have the desperate need to be ransomed. I myself have never been in a ransom situation in the traditional sense but I have been part of a spiritual ransoming. I was held hostage. The need for a ransom implies that I was stolen. In the beginning man had a right and good relationship with God but then we chose to sin. We chose to give into fear and believe God was holding out on us, that He could not be trusted. We became under the control of sin.

But then, something amazing happened. God promised to conquer sin and death and bring us back to Himself. He promised to restore our relationship. In the Garden of Eden, God made the first sacrifice symbolizing the final one to come. He killed an animal to make clothing for the man and woman (Gen 3:21). Because they put on the skin of the sacrifice their shame was covered. Later, Jesus died as the ultimate sacrifice. When we come to the ultimate sacrifice, our shame is eradicated. Our sin is atoned for, and the result is our freedom. When we confess that Jesus is Lord and truly believe God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved (Ro 10:9).

When a ransom is paid, one thing is exchanged for another. In this case, Jesus was exchanged for me. He was exchanged for you. We have been bought with a price (1 Co 6:20). He died in our place to sin and death. God made a covenant with His people (one of which you can read in Deuteronomy). God provided the ultimate fulfillment of this covenant with Jesus. Jesus took the covenant curses so we could have the covenant blessings. He was cursed for us so we could have a right relationship with God. He ransomed us with His life. He died so we could be ransomed. He rose so we could live with Him eternally. His death and resurrection saves us. What good new indeed!