Bought At A Price, Not Slaves Of Men

1 Corinthians 7:23 - You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.


1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Peter 1:17-19 - And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

Application:

· Do I realize that my ultimate allegiance is not to men but to Christ?
· Do I honor God with my body?
· Have I been redeemed from the curse of the law and from wickedness?
· Christ is the Passover lamb, who has taken away my sin.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Not Made Known To Men In Other Generations

Ephesians 3:4-6 - In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

Romans 16:25-27 - Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith—to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Ephesians 2:14-16 - For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.

Ezekiel 47:22 - You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

Romans 15:8-9,12 - For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.”… And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.”

Application:

· Do I believe and obey Him?
· Do I share in the promise of Christ Jesus?
· Have I been created a new man?
· By God's grace I am considered one of God's chosen people!
· Have I come to know the true God? Do I glorify Him for His mercy?
· Do I hope in Him?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Trustworthy Saying

1 Timothy 4:7,9-10 - Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly…This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

Luke 2:11 - Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

Conclusions:

• Obviously, Savior of all does not mean that God saves every person from eternal punishment, for such universalism would contradict the clear testimony of Scripture
• God is, however, the Savior of all in that He offers salvation to all and saves all who come to Him
• Godliness requires self-discipline
• The town of David is Bethlehem
• Many Jews were looking for a political leader to deliver them from Roman rule, while others were hoping for a savior to deliver them from sickness and physical hardship
• But Luke 2:11 concerns the Savior who would deliver from sin and death
• The Lord is a designation originally reserved for God but later applied to the Messiah as well

Application:

• Have you come to Him?
• Are you self-disciplined?
• Have you been delivered from sin and death?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Free Men

1 Peter 2:15-16 - For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

John 8:32 - Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Galatians 5:13 - You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Romans 6:22 - But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

Conclusions:

• Closely connected with Jesus, the truth is not philosophical truth but the truth that leads to salvation
• The truth setting you free is freedom from sin, not from ignorance
• Liberty is not license but freedom to serve God and each other in love
• Slavery to God produces holiness, and the end of the process is eternal life
• There is no eternal life without holiness
• Anyone who has been justified will surely give evidence of that fact by the presence of holiness in his life

Application:

• Has the truth that leads to salvation set you free from sin?
• Do you use your freedom to serve others in love?
• Have you become a slave to God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Living Stone

1 Peter 2:3-4 - Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:11 - He is " 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.

John 1:4 - In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 4:10 - Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Acts 2:22,26-27,34-35 - "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know…Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay…For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, " 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '

Acts 3:13 - The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.

Conclusions:

• Fulfillment of prophecy was an important element in early Christian sermons and defenses
• Life is Christ’s gift, and He, in fact, is the life
• The Gospel of John also links light with Christ, from whom comes all spiritual illumination
• Christ is the light of the world, who holds out wonderful hope for man
• The stark contrast between light and darkness is a striking theme in the Gospel of John
• Jesus gave life and gave it freely
• The living water in John 4:10 refers to eternal life
• The mighty works done by Jesus were signs that the Messiah had come
• God would not allow the Messiah’s physical body to decompose
• Not only was Christ to be resurrected but He was to be exalted to God’s right hand
• And Christ’s presence there was now being demonstrated by the sending of the Holy Spirit
• Disowned Him means they voted against Jesus, spurned Him, denied Him, and refused to acknowledge Him as the true Messiah.

Application:

• Have you rejected the stone?
• Is Christ your light?
• Has Christ given you eternal life?
• Do the mighty works of Christ reveal Him as your Messiah?
• Christ's body did not decompose.
• Have you received the Holy Spirit?
• Do you vote against, spurn, deny and refuse to acknowledge Christ as your Messiah?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible