How Many were Bought

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) – The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1880) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the previous articles, You do not belong to yourselves,for you were bought with a price, Joining for a new year in the assurance to be bought with a price, Nazarene Commentary 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – Flee from Immorality and We are redeemed; we are “bought with a price”, we talked about the Nazarene man Jeshua (Jesus) who gave voluntary his body as a pledge offering or ransom for all humankind.

Because Jesus has bought us free we should know that we do not belong to ourselves any more. Certainly those who made a choice to follow Christ Jesus (Jeshua) should heed the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 6: 19, 20, that we/they are not our/your own.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit.

Though we learn in Ephesians 5: 25 that the church was purchased, we must not fall into error (as some have done), and think that these few are the only ones He bought. Our Lord himself tells us, as recorded in Matthew 20: 28 and Mark 10: 45, that he came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life “a ransom for many.” Quite a large number—not a few, but many.

The apostle Paul writes (1 Timothy 2: 3-6) —

3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved [preserved], and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to. be testified in due time [or, a testimony in due time.

Again not a few, but all, there is no one left out. All those who are now living; all that yet may live, and all those millions who have lived in the past. Yes! a ransom for everybody! He is their Lord, He owns them all.

“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.”— Romans 14: 9.

In buying all, He bought the church as well, because they are the descendants of Adam, the same as the rest of the human race.

Bought a Race of Sinners

Are the members of the church accepted on account of their own goodness or other natural qualities ? No, they are not. And why not? Paul answers: Because all the world is guilty before God, and under condemnation through the offence of one man.

“Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God;” (Romans 3:19 NAS)

“For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17 NAS)

Yes, all sinners — those who became the church and everyone else; all under the condemnation of death.

Our condition would seem hopeless then.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5: 8.)

Let us be humble, and keep it well in mind that those who become the church have been bought with a price, and redeemed with the precious blood of Christ (Acts 20: 28; 1 Peter 1: 18, 19), and realise that they, no less than others, must lay their sins on Jesus. It is the only way to be saved, for they must believe He is able to atone.

Therefore, “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4: 10.) Belief in the Son is the condition of salvation. — John 3: 16.

A Ransom, A Corresponding Price

What, then, would a ransom (or corresponding price) be, Would a life for a life be it? Yes, that is it.
When Christ gave up His life, for whom did He give it?
For Adam and the whole of his race. What was Adam then ? He was a perfect man capable of living for ever
provided he remained obedient to God’s will. He disobeyed, and brought the condemnation of death on himself
and upon the whole of his race. — Genesis 3. This meant that, before the condemnation of death could be lifted, the race had to be bought back. And this required the life of another perfect man. Now, the Lord Jesus, while on earth, was a perfect man, as Adam was before he sinned. Therefore He could be a corresponding or an equivalent price. Anything greater would have been too much; anything less, too little. Divine justice required that the price be the same, so the Lord Jesus paid it on our behalf.

NCA 1933, January p.206

All people in the world should come to know that Jesus was born to be a representer of his heavenly Father, only wanting to do God His Will and not his own will.
Adam and the whole of his race were condemned to death on account of Adam’s disobedience. So when Christ, the
perfect man, who was obedient to God, died, He not only sacrificed his life but he gave up as part of the price
a possible bride and a posterity of his own which he might have had. And so he gave himself a corresponding price
for all.

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”—1 Corinthians 15: 21.

“”Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28 NAS)

“18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, [the blood] of Christ.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 NAS)

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Preceding articles:

You do not belong to yourselves,for you were bought with a price

Joining for a new year in the assurance to be bought with a price

Nazarene Commentary 1 Corinthians 6:15-20 – Flee from Immorality

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Additional reading:

1. Why do we need a ransom?
2. The Immeasurable Grace bestowed on humanity
3. God’s Special Gift
4. Ransom for all
5. Atonement and the race been bought
6. Running the battle
7. Life is like a ten-speed bike.
8. No person has greater love than this one who surrendered his soul in behalf of his friends
9. Love been perfected with us

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