A Search For Truth
A Ransom For All part 2
"Good News Of A Great Joy Which
Shall Be For ALL* The People!"
"Good News Of A Great Joy Which
Shall Be For ALL* The People!"
"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a RANSOM* for ALL, the testimony borne at the proper time." (1 Tim. 2:5-6)
* a Ransom - Signifies a price, as an equivalent... A corresponding price, a substitute
- From the Greek word, Anti-lutron, a corresponding price... To buy man back from death...
Strongs #487 antilutron, from 473 and 3083; a redemption-price; - ransom
Strongs #473 anti; a prim.particle; opposite, i.e. instead or because of (rarely in addition to):- for, in the room of. Often used in composition to denote contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence , etc.
Strongs #3083 lutron, ; from 3089; something to loosen with i.e. a redemption price (fig. atonement): - ransom
- "To ransom means, NOT ONLY to purchase, BUT to RECEIVE or to RECOVER the thing that is purchased." - Q111:5; R 867:3, 145:1
Why was a ransom, or a buying back, from death necessary?
Why did Jesus, by the grace of God, give his life so that He might TASTE death for EVERYONE?... or DIE in their PLACE?...as a "substitute "loosening" them or "redeeming" them from the Adamic death?
The Apostle Paul, under inspiration, explains to us the basis for this "Ransom for ALL". "For while we were yet helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us... just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to ALL men, because ALL sinned...so then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to ALL men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification* of
*-Justification - Strongs # 1347 Greek-dikaiosis, from 1344; acquittal (for Christ sake): - justification.
-Justification - "to declare free from blame; absolve...to free (man) of the guilt and penalty" -Dictionary
In the beginning God created Adam perfect. Adam had the potential to live forever as long as he maintained his relationship with the Heavenly Father by means of perfect obedience.
Adam had a perfect body, a perfect mind, a paradise home, a perfect wife by which to two together had the potential of bringing forth a race of likewise perfect people.
Adam also had an unhindered relationship with Jehovah, and had no need for a mediator.
Had Adam and Eve maintained perfect obedience they would have never sinned and then died as a result of the sin. But, in the fall to sin they brought upon themselves the death penalty, corruption to the human body and mind of which they passed on genetically to their offspring, - (the whole world of mankind) - and they could no longer stand before God on a one to one basis. This alienation between God and their offspring was also passes on to the whole world of mankind.
The entire history of the world, mans inhumanity to man, and the mismanagement of the natural environment is a direct result of the fall of man from perfection to sin and corruption.
But God, in all His LOVE, has provided a way out of this dilemma, this disaster - that being the Ransom of Jesus Christ.
"Adams death was sure though it was reached by nine hundred and thirty years of dying. Since he was himself dying, ALL his children were born in the same dying condition and with out the right to life; and, like their parents, they all die after a more or less dying proses. It should be remembered however, that it is not the pain and suffering of the dying, but death - the extinction of life - in which the dying culminates, that is the penal; of sin. The suffering is only incidental to it, and the penalty falls on many with but very little or no suffering. It should further be remembered that when Adam forfeited life, he forfeited it forever; and no one of his posterity has ever been able to expiate his guilt before death, they certainly could not do it when dead - when not in existence. The penalty of sin was not simple to die, with the privilege and the right thereafter of returning to life. In the penalty pronounced there was no intimation of release. (Gen.2 17) The restitution, therefore, is an act of free grace or favor on Gods part."
"For the wages of sin is death, but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23.
"...for ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being JUSTIFIED as a GIFT by His GRACE through the REDEMPTION which is in Christ Jesus..." -Rom. 3:23,24.
"And as soon as the penalty had been incurred, even while it was being pronounced, the free favor of God was intimated, which, when realized, will so full declare His LOVE.
"God said to Abraham, "by Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD,... I will greatly bless you,
and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stares of the heaven, and as the sand of the seashore;....
"And in your seed
And again,"And in you
"Nevertheless, the promise is still sure;
"And He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the
* Restitution - Greek Apokatastasis = re-establishment from a state of ruin. Same as the regeneration in Matt. !9:28
** Regeneration = the making of all things new. the restoration of Acts 3:21 = the "when" of the next clause.
In Mark 10:30 we have the synonymous expression `the coming age'; thus referring to the future time of reward, and not to the then present time of their following; the word (Greek) -palingenesia - occurs only here, and in Titus 3:5 the Syr. reads "in the new world" (i.e. age")The Companion Bible
Therefore the "restoration belongs to the "new world", the next "age" i.e. the" millennial age."
"Moreover, since blessing indicates favor, and since God's favor was withdrawn and his curse came instead because of sin, this promise of a future blessing implied the REMOVAL of the curse, and consequently a return of his favor."
"God leaves us in no such uncertainty, He gives ample assurance of both His justice and his unchangeableness. He could not clear the guilty, even though he loved them so much that he "spared not his own Son, but delivered him
"As the entire race was in Adam when he was condemned, and lost life through him, so when Jesus "gave himself a ransom for ALL" his death involved the possibility of an un born race in his loins. A full satisfaction, or corresponding price, for ALL men was thus put into the hands of Justice-to be applied "in due time," and he who thus Bought All has full AUTHORITY to RESTORE ALL who come unto God by Him."
"As by the offence of one, judgement came upon ALL men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon ALL men unto
"The proposition is a plain one: As many as have shared death on account of Adam's sin will have life-privileges OFFERED to them by our Lord Jesus, who died for them and sacrificially became Adams SUBSTITUTE before the broken law, and thus "gave himself as a ransom for ALL." 1 Tim. 2:6
"he died "the just for the un just, that he might bring us to God." -Peter 3:18.
"... who gave himself to redeem all men." -Today's English Ver.
"It should never be over looked, however, that all of Gods provisions for our race recognize the human will as a factor in the securing of the divine factors so abundantly provided. Some have over looked this feature in the examining the text just quoted - Rom.5:18, 19. The Apostle's statement, however, is that as the sentence of condemnation extended to ALL the seed of Adam, even so, through the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Father's plan, by the sacrifice of himself on our behalf, a free gift is extended to All - a gift of forgiveness, which,
"But though the ransom-price has been given by the Redeemer only a few during the Gospel age have been made righteous - justified - "through faith in his blood." But since Christ is the propitiation (satisfaction) for the sins of the whole world;...find the scripture..., all men may, on this account be absolved AND RELEASED from the penalty of Adam's sin by him - under the New Covenant.
"There is no unrighteousness with God; hence "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (John 1:19) As he would have been unjust to have allowed us to escape the pronounced penalty before the satisfaction was rendered,
(so also he here gives us to understand that it would be unjust were he to forbid our restitution, since by his own arrangement our penalty has been paid for us. The same unswerving justice that once condemned man to death now stands PLEDGED for the release of ALL who, confessing their sins, apply for life through Christ.)
"It is God that justifieth - who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died; yea, rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also madeth intercession for us." (Rom. 33:34)
"The completeness of the ransom is the very strongest possible argument for the restitution of ALL mankind who will accept it on the proffered terms. -(Rev. 22:17) The very character of God for justice and honor stands pledged to it; every promise which he has made implies it; and every typical sacrifice pointed to the great and sufficient sacrifice - "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the SIN OF THE WORLD" - who is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins [the Church], and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." John 1 :29; 1 John 2:2)
"Any other view would be both unreasonable and unjust. The fact that no recovery from Adamic loss is yet accomplished, though nearly two thousand years elapsed since our Lord died, is no more an argument against restitution than is the fact that four thousand years elapsed before his death a proof that God had not planned the redemption before the foundation of the world.... find the scripture...Both the two thousand years since and the four thousand years before the death of Christ were appointed times for other parts of the work, preparatory to the "the times of restitution of ALL THINGS."
< "From the outline of God's revealed plan, as thus far sketched, it is evident that the design for mankind is a restitution or restoration to the perfection and glory lost in Eden."> "The strongest, and the conclusive evidence on this subject is most clearly seen when the extent and nature of the ransom are fully appreciated. The restitution foretold by the apostles and the prophets must follow the ransom as the just and logical sequence. According to God's arrangement in providing a ransom, ALL MANKIND, unless they willfully resist the saving power of the Great deliverer,
< MUST BE DELIVERED from the original penalty, "the bondage of corruption," death ELSE the ransom DOES NOT AVAIL FOR ALL.>
"Paul's reasoning on the subject is most clear and emphatic. He says, (Rom. 14:19) "For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord [ruler, controller] of both the dead AND the living." That is to say, the object of our Lords death and resurrection was not merely to bless and rule over and restore the living of mankind,
He gave himself a ransom [a corresponding price] for ALL," in order that he might bless ALL, and give to EVERY MAN an Individual TRIAL FOR LIFE.
<<"To claim that he gave "a ransom for ALL," and yet to claim that only a mere hand full of the ransomed ones will ever receive any benefits from it, is absurd; for it would imply either that God accepted the ransom-price and then unjustly refused to grant the release of the redeemed or else that the Lord, after redeeming ALL, was either unable or unwilling to carry out the divine plans,>>
no less than the perfection of the divine justice and love, repels and contradicts such a thought, and gives us assurance that the original and benevolent plan, of which the "ransom for all" was the basis, will be fully carried out in "God's due time", and will bring to faithful believers the blessing of release from their Adamic condemnation and an opportunity to return to the rights and liberties of sons of God, as enjoyed before sin and the curse.
"Let the actual benefits and results of the ransom be clearly seen, and all objections to its being of universal application must vanish. The "ransom for ALL" given by "the man Christ Jesus"
<
"It would be useless to grant another trial for life under the exactly the same circumstances; but though the circumstances of the tried ones will be different, more favorable, the terms and the conditions of their individual trial for life <
The law of God will remain the same - it changes not. It will say, "the soul that sinneth, it shall die"; and the condition of man will be no more favorable, so for as surroundings are concerned, than the conditions and surroundings in Eden; but the great difference will be the increased knowledge. The experience with evil, contrasted with the experience with good, which will accrue to each during the trial of the coming age, will constitute the advantage by reason of which the result of the second trial will differ so widely from the results of the first, and on the account of which divine Wisdom and Love provided the "RANSOM FOR ALL", and thus GUARANTEED to ALL the blessing of a new trial. No more favorable trial, no more favorable law, no more favorable conditions or circumstances, can in any way be conceived of as reason for another ransom or a further trial for any beyond the Millennial Age.
"The ransom given does not excuse sin in any way; it does not propose to count the sinners as saints, and usher them thus into everlasting bliss . It merely RELEASES the accepting sinner from the first condemnation and its results, both direct and indirect, and places him again on trial for life, in which trial his OWN willful obedience or willful disobedience will decide whether he may or may not have life everlasting."
We must not make the mistake in thinking like so many that the word is s on judgement for life or eternal death now in this time period before the restitution of all things, while the world still lay in gross darkness and under the control of Satan who has blinded the majority of mankind from the Light of life. That would actually be denying to the masses of mankind the ransom benefits which were secured for them by our Lord; the restitution or restoration to All that which was lost by Adam in the fall.
*Quotes from "The Divine Plan Of the Ages"-
Study 1X - Ransom and Restitution By C.T. Russell
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"Had it not been for the gleam of hope afforded by the statement that the seed of the women would bruise the serpents head, the race would have been in utter despair; but the promise indicated that God had some PLAN for their benefit."
"When to Abraham God swore that in his see ALL the families of the earth should be blessed, it implied a resurrection or restitution of
to be testified in due time."
"...who scarified himself as a ransom for them all."- Jerusalem Bible
"...who gave himself as a ransom for all men..." New International Ver, the American Standard Ver. and the Revised Standard Ver. etc...
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