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Trading
Places
Ed
Leonard of British Columbia had been working about a
month in the northern half of the volatile country of
Colombia when he was kidnapped by guerrillas who were
trying to raise money for the drug lords and
revolutionaries who controlled much of the country.
Leonard had been fed beans and rice for 106 days in a
remote mountainous region 300 miles north of Bogota,
while the guerrillas tried to extort money from his
employers at Terramundo Drilling.
Negotiations
took a strange turn when Leonard's boss, Norbert
Reinhart, arrived with an amazing offer. Instead of
paying off these captors, Reinhart gave himself as a
ransom so that Leonard could be set free. Reinhart
took his place. So, day after day, Reinhart
experienced what Leonard had. Both men were Canadian,
worked for the same company, and they both had
families. Reinhart left behind a wife and two
daughters. Fortunately, Reinhart was later able to
walk out of the camp alive and well, having spent 96
days as a prisoner. Reinhart is rightly remembered as
a hero.
How
clearly this illustrates, at least in some small way,
man's predicament. The Bible teaches that mankind
was hopelessly enslaved and held captive by sin (Luke
4:18; Romans 6:17; 2 Timothy 2:26). Jesus taught, "Most
assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a SLAVE
to sin" (John 8:34). To
“commit sin” means to transgress God’s law
(1 John 3:4). Since ALL
accountable persons sin (Romans
3:23), NONE has any means whereby to negotiate his OWN
salvation.
In
response, God "so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son" (John 3:16). Jesus
came in a robe of flesh (Galatians 4:4; Romans 8:3;
John 1:14) in the likeness of men (Philippians 2:7).
All-God and
all-man all at once, the One superior to all offered
Himself in the place of all (Titus 2:11; Hebrews
9:14). He traded the endless glory of heaven for a
sacrificial sojourn, the climax of which was the
suffering of the cross. The end result of heaven's
scheme of redemption is that "being now
justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him" (Romans 5:9). Jesus "gave
himself a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:6) so that
we might be freed from the bondage of sin. *
Fortunately
for us, JESUS
emerged from the TOMB alive and well - having spent 3
days and 3 nights as DEATH’S prisoner - because it
was impossible for the grave to hold Him
(Acts 2:22-24).
And
because HE LIVES, He is able to redeem those who: believe
in Him (Acts 16:30-31),
turn from their sins in repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Him before men (Romans
10:9-10), and are baptized
(immersed) in His
name for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
He will CONTINUE to cleanse those who CONTINUE
to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).
WE
are imprisoned by SIN under the sentence of DEATH (Romans
6:23).
Jesus
“traded places” with us by dying on the
cross for our sins.
His death purchases our redemption -IF-
we will accept His offer on HIS terms.
Will
YOU accept His offer?
David A.
Sargent, Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
*
Adapted from "Daily Bread" 2/9/07 by Neal
Pollard, minister of the
Bear Valley church of Christ in Denver, Colorado: http://dailybreadbearvalley.blogspot.com/2007/02/daily-bread-2-9-07.html
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