The Godhead Pt.

10
The Word Pt. 4
May 28, 2014

Were in a study on the Godhead and our main verse is First John 5:7For there
are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and
these three are one. Weve seen that the Word exists as both God and Man. He is
both spirit and flesh and this is necessary: For there is one God, and one mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (I Tim. 2:5).

Christ is our Mediator. Hes the one who stands between God and us, and this is
necessary because weve offended God with our sin and we need someone to
speak for us. And for this reason Christ is our Prophet, our Priest, and our King. As
Prophet He reveals who God is and what He wants, as Priest He offers the sacrifice
that secures our justification, and as King He subdues and rules over all creation.
This is what it means that He is our Mediator. Now were going to press on a little
further and look at the second half of our verse and answer the question, What is
His part on the covenant?: Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due
time (I Tim. 2:6).

He Gave Himself a Ransom
The Greek word is (antilytron), and it means the price of release or
atonement.
1
Christ is the one who makes atonement instead of us. He pays the
price for our release. In other Greek works its translated as the antidote or the
remedy.
2


Now, we know that this atonement is necessary because were sinners and weve
provoked Gods wrath, but lets be sure to highlight that the wages of sin is death
(Rom. 6:23). In order to pay the price owed someone had to die. This is what makes
His role as mediator and priest so much different than others. Whereas a priest
offers the sacrifice for the people, Christ is that sacrifice. Whereas a mediator
arbitrates between two parties, Christ took up our debts and paid them for us.

What I want to do now is look over some other verses similar to this one and get an
idea of what it means that Christ ransomed us:

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6
All

1
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=lutron&la=greek#lexicon
2
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=antilutron&la=greek#lexicon
we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and
the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all (Is. 53:5-6).

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
18
And all things are of God, who hath
reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of
reconciliation;
19
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of
reconciliation.
20
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did
beseech you by us: we pray you in Christs stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21
For he
hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him (II Cor. 5:17-21).

Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4
Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil
world, according to the will of God and our Father:
5
To whom be glory for ever and
ever. Amen (Gal. 1:3-5).

For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12
Teaching
us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,
and godly, in this present world;
13
Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious
appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14
Who gave himself for
us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar
people, zealous of good works (Titus 2:11-14).

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might
bring us to God (I Pt. 3:18),

Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the
world:
4
But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of
a woman, made under the law,
5
To redeem them that were under the law, that we
might receive the adoption of sons (Gal. 4:3-5).

At the right time
After telling us that Christ was our ransom Paul says that it was to be testified in
due time. In other words Christ was revealed to be the ransom at the right time.
People first had to go through a period of sacrifice without Law and then they had
2,000 years of sacrifice under the Law. But why does Paul mention this at all? The
answer, I think is in the truth that history is an unraveling of the plan and purpose
of God for His children. Christ is our ransom, but its importance is better
understood because weve experienced it through time:

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus
Christ:
2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3
And not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4
And patience,
experience; and experience, hope:
5
And hope maketh not ashamed; because the
love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man
some would even dare to die.
8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9
Much more then, being now justified
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10
For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being
reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11
And not only so, but we also joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement
(Rom. 5:1-11).

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