“For the redemption of his soul is costly”
I am reminded of the old TV commercial campaign for Mastercard centered around the “Priceless” theme.
Do you remember the very first “Priceless” commercial in 1997? A dad takes his son to a baseball game and pays for a hot dog and a drink, but the conversation between the two is priceless. “There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else, there’s MasterCard.”
When it comes to the redemption of our soul, you can’t buy it with riches or good works.
ONLY GOD HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO REDEEM MAN’S SOUL
I. TRUSTING IN HUMAN RESOURCES FOR REDEMPTION = FOOLISHNESS
– All men come to the same end = eternal death as a consequence of sin
Does not matter if you are rich or poor
Does not matter if you are intelligent or stupid
– Men must cease trying to pay the price for their redemption
Futility and vanity
Matt. 16:26 “what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
II. REDEMPTION REQUIRES THE PAYMENT OF AN INFINITE PRICE
1 Pet. 1:18-19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited form your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
1 Cor. 6:20 Since we have been bought with such an infinite price, we owe Christ complete allegiance – “therefore glorify God in your body”
III. ONLY CHRIST CAN ACCOMPLISH REDEMPTION
Heb. 9:22 “without shedding of blood there is no remission of sins”
Acts 20:28 – Christ purchased His church with His own blood – so we are a precious possession that must be guarded and protected
Titus 2:14 “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds”