At Tremendous Price

J. Ogden Armour was a wealthy and successful businessman in Chicago, IL, in the early 1900s.  He and his wife had a daughter, Lolita, who was crippled in her feet and could not walk.  The Armours took their daughter to see many doctors, none of whom could help her.  Armour heard about a doctor in Vienna, Austria – Dr. Adolf Lorenz – whom, he believed, might be able to help his daughter.  He sent word to him: "Dr. Lorenz, I will give you thirty thousand dollars if you will come to America and minister to my little girl who cannot walk, and see if you can … make it possible for her to walk."

W.A. Criswell stated that it was “the greatest medical fee that the world had ever heard of at that time.”

Dr. Lorenz came to Chicago and he treated that little girl and, with time, she was able to walk. 

As we consider the tremendous price this father was willing to pay to see his little girl restored to health, we recognize that there was something fearfully wrong with her.  We also see how much he loved her.

You and I also have a serious malady: it is SIN, and it is serious and deadly!  But Someone loves us so much that He paid a great price in order that we might be “healed” of this condition and have eternal life!

The Apostle Peter wrote to Christians, reminding them of the price of their redemption from sin: “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 1:18-19).

The tremendous price that was paid for OUR redemption from sin – the blood of the sinless Son of God – reveals the seriousness of our condition (see Romans 6:23).  It also demonstrates the great love of God.  “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God has promised to redeem those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).

Our condition in sin is serious and fatal, but because of His great love for us, God has provided a priceless remedy: the blood of JESUS.

Won’t YOU accept His offer of salvation on His terms?

David A. Sargent, Minister