A Price, A Promise and A Place (Part 1)
“What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you that ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body and spirit which are God’s.”
I Cor. 6:19-20
Salvation is free but, it’s not cheap. How easy it is to become desensitized to what Jesus did for us on the cross. I Peter 1:18-19 says: “Forasmuch as ye know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver or gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot”. An old hymn of the Church says it well:
“What Can Wash Away My Sin?
Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus!
What Can Make Me Whole Again?
Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus!”
Without that message, the best the church can offer is religion without redemption. Living with a constant awareness of the price Jesus paid on the cross for our salvation puts passion in our praise, purpose in our preaching and makes us missional in our ministry.
Every blessing and benefit we enjoy as Christians comes as a direct result of the price Jesus paid on Calvary’s cross.
Our trust in Jesus’ shed blood for our sin gives us the privilege of calling God… the Creator of this world… “FATHER”. Thank God for the blood of Christ! His Blood brings pardon, peace and His presence. It gives us victory in our valley and empowers us to take authority over sin, flesh and the devil. His precious blood provides healing, help and heaven! In Psalms 68:19, David said that the Lord “daily loadeth us with benefits”. Paul said in Ephesians 1:7, that we have been blessed with “all spiritual blessings”. 2 Peter 1:3 says, we have been given “all things that pertain to life and godliness”. Jesus’ precious blood was the price paid for us to enjoy all of these blessings.
All of us live in communities filled with people that are longing for what you and I walk in and live in every day. Some look for it in a bigger house, more money or another relationship. Many are madly pursuing it in parties, pills and pleasure. There are multiplied thousands of people in hospitals, neighborhoods and nursing homes that have spent their entire life searching for that which only Jesus can give. What a privilege we have as God’s church to preach, proclaim and present what Jesus offers……and the price has already been paid!
Rev. Bob Wilburn serves as the Mississippi District Superintendent of the Assemblies Of God. Bro. Wilburn has pastored in Mississippi for over 46 years with pastorates in Indianola, Philadelphia and Amory.