Redeeming Grace

The Gospel text, the conversion text, the love-drawing text, which is used all over the world in as many languages as there is, as the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is John 3: 16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. The Son of God was begotten.

But who is the Son of God? He is Jesus, the God-Man. He is the God-Head not made by the Father, but begotten by Him. Of the Threefold Deity, He is the only Person who came to earth, incarnate, that is, in frail, human flesh. When Mr. Wesley honours and lifts high the immaculate, Holy, revered and most adored image of God the Son, begotten of the Father, he calls on all people to pause and give singular and superior thanks to Jesus.

Let all the ransomed race,

Render in thanks their lives to Thee,

For Thy redeeming grace.

Note three sound, unmovable and unchangeable facts about the relationship between Incarnate God and sinful humans.

• We are a ransomed race.

• We are to render thanks with our lives.

• We are to receive redeeming grace. 

Permit me to bring to your foremost attention, a few verses of Scripture, which are precious, priceless and undeniably life-saving to us. These all speak about us being a ransomed people.

Paul declares it without fault in his letter to Timothy as he lifts Jesus high, the One, Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Timothy 2: 6 

Peter, in his First Epistle, keeps us ever mindful of the precious, priceless Blood of Jesus. And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1: 17 - 19

When we listen to the prophet Hosea don’t we see this miracle, this powerfully redeeming work of God in His Son? I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes. Hosea 13: 14.

Paul, a man of grace speaks grace to the Hebrews and to us, also. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. Hebrews 2: 9.

You will agree with me, that just to see, to taste, to smell, to hear and to feel again the unspeakable love of Jesus, Incarnate Deity, truly demands nothing less than our perfectly complete, ransomed lives in thanks to Him.

Grace! Abounding grace!