We've been redeemed from the curse
of the Law. Now verse 14 tells us what
we've been redeemed into:
THE
BLESSING OF ABRAHAM! The Greek
word translated redeemed in verse 13,
means "by payment of a price to
recover from the power of another;
to
ransom, or to buy off."
Look at it like this: Someone's only
child has been kidnapped. The
kidnapper is a serial killer. He has
demanded a price so high, it cannot
be paid. What if that were your child,
or mine?
There's just no question
about it. My child is going to die! Then
something wonderful, and almost
beyond belief, happens. Remember,
I'm not dealing with just a kidnapper.
Only killing someone's child will
satisfy this maniac. I am contacted by
someone saying, "I'll get your child
back. My son has offered to become
the ransom for yours.
He will die in
your child's place."
Of course, no natural human being
would ever do that, but Jesus did! He
was born into this world a human
being.
Jesus took our place. We had to die!
We had to go to hell! But Love did that
for you and me.
Love Himself did that
for the whole world!
The LORD led me to say all that, to say
this: One of the greatest hindrances to
receiving from God is
a sense of
unworthiness. What does that mean,
anyway? Unworthiness means "not
deserving." Well, that's absolutely the
truth. We don't deserve to be healed.
We certainly don't deserve to go to
heaven. Someone took our place!
We
have the worthiness of Jesus. The
killer could not keep Him in hell. He
bore my sins. He bore your sins.
13 CHRIST HATH REDEEMED US FROM
THE CURSE OF THE LAW, BEING
MADE A CURSE FOR US: FOR IT IS
WRITTEN, CURSED IS EVERY ONE
THAT HANGETH ON A TREE.
8 AND AFTER HE HAD APPEARED IN
HUMAN FORM, HE ABASED AND
HUMBLED HIMSELF [STILL FURTHER]
AND CARRIED HIS OBEDIENCE TO THE
EXTREME OF DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH
OF THE CROSS!
Let's look at Galatians 3:13:
Let's look at Philippians 2:7-8, Amplified
Bible, Classic Edition:
7 BUT STRIPPED HIMSELF [OF ALL
PRIVILEGES AND RIGHTFUL DIGNITY],
SO AS TO ASSUME THE GUISE OF A
SERVANT (SLAVE), IN THAT HE BECAME
LIKE MEN AND WAS BORN A HUMAN
BEING.
That's staggering! Now look at 1 Timothy
2:5-6, also in the AMPC:
5 FOR THERE [IS ONLY] ONE GOD, AND
[ONLY] ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD
AND MEN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS.
6 WHO GAVE HIMSELF
AS A RANSOM
FOR ALL [PEOPLE, A FACT THAT WAS]
ATTESTED TO AT THE RIGHT AND
PROPER TIME.
Let's look at Isaiah 53:4-5, AMPC:
4 SURELY HE HAS BORNE OUR GRIEFS
(SICKNESSES, WEAKNESSES, AND
DISTRESSES) AND CARRIED OUR
SORROWS AND PAINS [OF
PUNISHMENT], YET WE [IGNORANTLY]
CONSIDERED HIM STRICKEN, SMITTEN,
AND AFFLICTED BY GOD [AS IF WITH
LEPROSY].
