Redemption's Road #1 - Sold Under Sin

And that is the way it was with us before Christ came. We were slaves to Jewish laws and rituals, for we thought they could save us. But when the right time came, the time God decided on, he sent his Son, born of a woman, born as a Jew, to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law so that he could adopt us as his very own sons. And because we are his sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, so now we can rightly speak of God as our dear Father. Now we are no longer slaves but God’s own sons. And since we are his sons, everything he has belongs to us, for that is the way God planned.

God set up a system of laws and rituals - as a type and shadow of what was to come

“When the right time came” - when the world and Jewish people were properly “set up”, so that the truth of the gospel could be understood.

“Buy freedom” - more traditional translations interpret this as “redeem” which is what the original word truly means

God as our true father - adoption

Kellee and Brad

Misguided

But I’m a good person.

But I’m a good person

Mark 10:18 NIV

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.

Romans 3:12 NIV

All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

I always try to do the right thing.

Doesn’t matter how honest and trustworthy you are

Doesn’t matter if you’ve never told a lie

Matthew 5:20 NIV

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 3:10 NIV

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;

But I believe in God.

You may believe that there IS a God.

You may even believe that he is the one who decides whether you go to heaven or hell

But do you “believe God” - not IN him, but do you believe WHAT he says.

Genesis 15:6 NIV

Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Abraham believed WHAT the Lord promised him. When we believe “in” God, we apply our own beliefs to who he is, what he is, and what he expects from us.

That doesn’t work

We have to believe HIM. And that means believing what He tells us.

God loves me - he won’t send me to hell.

God does indeed love us. I love my children. I loved Brad - but when his acts got to where I could no longer bear them - and he was continuing - I had to let him suffer the destination HE chose.

Here it is:

Romans 1:18–20 The Message

But God’s angry displeasure erupts as acts of human mistrust and wrongdoing and lying accumulate, as people try to put a shroud over truth. But the basic reality of God is plain enough. Open your eyes and there it is! By taking a long and thoughtful look at what God has created, people have always been able to see what their eyes as such can’t see: eternal power, for instance, and the mystery of his divine being. So nobody has a good excuse.

Why Don’t These Work?

Our ancestors sold us into sin.

Romans 7:14 NIV

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.

“Slave” to sin - in other words, I have no choice. I WILL sin, no matter how hard I try not to.

Genesis 2:17 NIV

but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Genesis 3:6–7 NIrV

The woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good to eat. It was also pleasing to look at. And it would make a person wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. And he ate it. Then both of them knew things they had never known before. They realized they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made clothes for themselves.

They “traded” or “sold” their innocence - OUR innocence - to try and become like God - in other words, to no longer be subject to him, but to be LIKE him.

That wasn’t God’s plan - wasn’t and isn’t!

Once they knew good from evil and became responsible for determining what was good enough and what was right enough to suit God, they needed some guidelines. So God gave the law - which is shaped and molded around WHO He is, WHAT His character is. He doesn’t change - can’t change. And because we aren’t like Him, we can’t know everything it takes to meet His standards.

So He gave them the law. A comprehensive set of do’s and don’t concluded annually by a sin sacrifice to put off their sentence for another year. Why? BECAUSE HE KNEW THEY COULDN’T DO IT!

Paul puts it this way:

Romans 3:20 NIV

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

No one can live up to the law and its standards. Even if you know what it says, you simply can’t do it.

Faced with an impossible situation.

Sold into sin. A slave to the law and sin. No way out. No hope. No future.

What must happen?

The law was the sentence, our master and we had to be bought back.

Why Redemption?

So I be forgiven - made good enough

Colossians 1:13–14 NIV

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

So I can be justified - made right enough

Titus 2:14 NIV

who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

So God’s promise is fulfilled - believe Him

Exodus 6:6 NIV

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.

Because God’s love compelled Him to offer me a way to have true life.

Romans 5:8 NIV

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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