Ransom for the Righteous
God has a plan for our life and will ransom us with others whenever the devil tries to destroy us, but we must position ourselves in line with that plan and live in obedience to God's Word.
E.A. Adeboye emphasizes the concept of ransom in the Bible, highlighting how Jesus became the ultimate ransom for our sins, as stated in Matthew 20:28. God, out of His love, is willing to exchange others for the lives of His beloved, as seen in Isaiah 43:4, showing His protective nature towards His people. The devil's wicked schemes to harm the righteous, like in the cases of Moses and Jesus, often result in the ransom of others, but God's protection prevails over evil plans.
Text
MEMORISE: 'For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.' (Jer 31:11)
READ: Isaiah 43:1-4
A ransom is something that is offered in place of something else. The death we were supposed to die as sinners, Jesus died. That means Jesus becomes a ransom for us (Matt 20:28). It does not end there. From our text, for those who are God's beloveds, blood-washed and precious in God's sight, God takes personal steps to ensure that as many times as the wicked ones plan evil for his own, God will ransom them with others
'Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou has been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life' (Isa 43:4).
The devil is very wicked. Just to get one righteous man, he does not mind destroying many people. But no matter how hard he tries to get you, as long as you are on God's side, he will fail. In Exodus I, the devil through pharaoh tried to kill Moses, so as to scuttle God's plan to redeem Israel from bondage. He destroyed so many lives, but he could not reach his target. Similarly the devil through King Herod carefully plotted the death of Jesus when he was born. Thousands of innocent children died in the process, but these became a ransom for Jesus.
You are important to God and he has a plan for your life. So, every plan of any Pharaoh or Herod against your life will fail.
For you to continue enjoying this privilege, you must position yourself in line with the destiny God has planned for you. Keep a distance from anything capable of defiling your garment of righteousness. Live daily in complete obedience and submission to God's revealed Word. Do things that will always make God proud of you. Always keep your telephone line to heaven busy. Then you can be sure that whatever evil or trap or arrow is planned against you, some other person will be the victim - your ransom. Nothing can kill you until you complete your assignment.
ACTION POINT
According to Psalm 7:15-16, pray that God let your enemies fall into
any pit of death, defeat poverty and reproach that they have dug for you.
Sermon Outline
- God's Plan for the Righteous
- The Devil's Plans to Destroy Us
- Our Responsibility to God
- Positioning Ourselves for Destiny
- Living in Obedience to God's Word
Key Quotes
“''For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.'' (Jer 31:11)” — E.A. Adeboye
“''Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou has been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life'' (Isa 43:4)” — E.A. Adeboye
“Nothing can kill you until you complete your assignment.” — E.A. Adeboye
Application Points
- We must position ourselves in line with the destiny God has planned for us.
- We must live in complete obedience and submission to God's revealed Word.
- We must do things that will make God proud of us and keep our telephone line to heaven busy.